Betting Weekend Preview by Gerry McDonnell (Thursday, July 05, 2007)

Hate Days are Weak Smarter people than me, if such a group actually exist, have struggled to find a solution to the threat of terror. Islamic fundamentalists are often berated, but I have a certain amount of sympathy for their plight: if I couldn't have a bet or a bacon sandwich, I'd probably be suicidal myself. I don't want to ram my own theories down anyone's throat (if I was to ram anything down somebody's throat, it wouldn't be a theory), but the only way we can move forward as a multicultural society is to embrace the concept of secularism. The only church I would ever enter is the tubby Welsh one, and I'd need a good few ales beforehand to warm the goggles up. To hate your fellow man because of the way he lives is absurd, but to hate because of the way a person looks is the height of stupidity. The make-up of skin colour is merely a solitary letter out of the 3.1 billion letters of human DNA. You don't have to be Stephen Hawking to realise the idiocy of racism, even Mrs Hawking could work that one out; if she wasn't down the gym working the bags. The world looked on in disgust as little as 50 years ago in Alabama, when a group of Caucasians chased after anyone with a darker skin. Yet somewhat ironically, the whole of Britain will cheer a repeat in the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. Lewis Hamilton is undoubtedly the natural heir to German cheating-machine Michael Schumacher. Bookmakers are offering odds of 11/4 about Lewis winning at Silverstone, that's a racing certainty. I was overjoyed to read that the Ferrari had caught up with McLaren, but my happiness subsided as I realised this had nothing to do with football. As a result of Raikkonen's win in Paris, Hamilton can now be backed at 8/13 to win the world championship. It's time to top up. Tennis is a sport that absolutely refuses to segregate; they'll happily accept any middle-class youngster into their ranks. This year's Wimbledon has been ruined by the atrocious weather. It's been confirmed that we endured the wettest June for 50 years; only Terry can be happy about that. I blame the rain for Mauresmo making an early exit from the tournament; you can't produce your best tennis if your balls are all soggy. I've decided to now get on Justine Henin at 4/9, she's a lucky girl. Sexism is another one of my pet-hates. I honestly believe that a woman can do anything that a man tells her to. I can't see any of the girls winning Big Brother though; if I had to point to a winner from any of the original housemates, I could only raise my finger to Amanda. Liam has to be supported at 7/2 for outright glory; it's one of the best bets ever. The great thing about cycling is the multinational nature of the sport. A person of any race, religion or sexual orientation can succeed, as long as they're prepared to put in the years of hard graft needed to find a quality chemist. Riding a bike in treacherous surroundings may sound unappealing, yet you never hear a word of complaint from Peter Andre. My sources tell me that Alejandro Valverde is a live runner in the Tour De France; I'll be getting on at 6/1. Homophobia remains prevalent in today's society. Personally, I can't see the problem with Prince Edward bringing up a baby. The 4/6 for England winning their one-day rubber-match against the West Indies is incredibly cute. Smokers are another group who are unfairly discriminated against. I just hope there's no truth in the rumour that a young Glaswegian will be prosecuted for lighting up in an airport. The 10/3 for Chile holding Brazil to a draw in their Copa America quarter-final will help recoup any draconian fine. Labels: Betting, Big Brother, Copa America, Cricket, Formula 1, Tennis Betting, Wimbledon Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 3:03 PM

Betting Weekend Preview by Gerry McDonnell (Thursday, June 28, 2007)

A Small Murphy's ... Maybe I have nothing but admiration for the reunited Spice Girls. Their music may have been atrocious, and you'd struggle to find a greater collection of dogs outside of Battersea, but their trailblazing work in the field of ginger acceptance remains unsurpassed. The minging quintet penetrated the public consciousness to such an unprecedented degree that the entire English language evolved as a result. The bints were slightly embarrassed when the meaningless soundbite 'Girl Power' made it into the dictionary, but the moth-eaten, passé, semi-fossilised has-beens are rightfully proud of their place in the official betting glossary. The 'Baby' bet is the absolute certainty: it only goes down on rare occasions. The 'Sporty' is the one that looked good in the beginning, but on closer reflection; it could really go either way. The 'Ginger' is the loose punt you only consider after a few pints. The 'Posh' is the all-in mug's bet, where you end up living on bread and water for a week, and the 'Scary' is a complete guess, like when Mel B reached the 'father's section' on her daughter's birth certificate. I like to think that my ante-post football bets are straight out of the 'Baby' drawer. Manchester United won the league last season with Darren Fletcher, Park Ji Sung and John O'Shea all playing a prominent role. The deadwood will now be replaced by Hargreaves, Anderson and Wayne Rooney's personal favourite, Nani. The 13/8 for the champions retaining their title is an exquisite piece of business. In the relegation market, I will be going in hard on Wigan. The appointment of Chris Hutchings is probably reason enough, but the signing of Titus Bramble is an absolute clincher. Get on now at 11/8, or face a level of disappointment unseen since Eddie Murphy last opened his mail. I used to really enjoy playing cricket at school, but my dreams of becoming a fast bowler were shattered by a particularly cruel PE teacher. I still remember the day he pulled me to one side and told me I had a disappointing length. The whole set up of the sport is fundamentally flawed though; if I wanted a game to last five days I'd challenge the wife to noughts and crosses. The one-day international is a far more entertaining spectacle. England have been priced up at 4/7 to see off the ineffectual Windies in Sunday's opener; I'd be considering getting on if KP was playing on his own. Big Brother's Tracey remains a surprisingly popular figure outside of the house. Celebrities to have spoken up on her behalf include Eddie Izzard, Dana International and Hayley from Coronation Street. Nice guy Liam can still be backed at 9/2 for outright glory: that's an old fashioned shoo-in. I find playing darts quite frustrating; there's nothing more embarrassing than suffering a bounce-out when you're on top. Paul McCartney refuses to watch an entire match; he's just happy to see a couple of legs. Phil Taylor is a clear favourite for the Las Vegas Desert Classic that kicks off on Monday, probably because of his years of experience at trying to get three in a bed. Barney is the new power; get on at 5/2. Labels: Ante-Post Betting, Betting, Big Brother, Cricket, Darts Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 1:27 PM