Losing Sleep Over Sport

June 19, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

Technology is a wonderful thing. Instead of waiting days or months to hear results from sporting events on the other side of the globe, we now watch sport live wherever it is being played.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is currently happening in South Africa and so football (soccer) fans all over the world are watching hours and hours of the world game. Many of those watching are on a completely different time zone so they’re watching their televisions through the night and trying to stay awake at work each day. I’m not such a fan so I’m happy to just hear the results the next morning.

For tennis fans, Wimbledon is about to get underway. Again, fans around the world will stay up late to see their heroes battle it out on centre court. I don’t mind watching tennis but I’m not going to lose sleep over it.

At various times of the year there are all kinds of sports that are played on the other side of the world, dictating late nights and sleepy mornings. Cricket, Formula One, Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and the list goes on.

Now it comes to my weakness. Cycling. The Tour de France starts on Saturday the 3rd of July. I may well be losing vast amounts of sleep over the three weeks of the tour. I won’t watch every moment live but there will be some exciting stages that will keep me glued to the television.

How about you? Are you a sports tragic that watches all kinds of sport, no matter when it’s being played? Do you have a favourite sport that you enjoy watching live, even though it means you’re up in the middle of the night?



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Losing Sleep Over Sport? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Footy Tipping 2010

March 18, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

afl_logo.jpgAs each year passes I prove more and more that I’m hopeless at footy tipping. This year I’m at it again and I’m inviting you to give me a kicking with your tipping prowess.

If you follow AFL can I encourage you to try to beat me at tipping for the coming season?

I’ve signed up again at footytips.com.au and so I’ll be able to pit my skills against thousands of other footy fans. The best part is that you can try your skills against mine by signing up to The RodneyOlsen.net Footy Tipping Competition. Just follow the link and join up. It’s free.

Some people spend ages checking the form of each side and thinking through the match ups, the ground, the ladder and a whole range of variables before tipping. I tend to just go ahead and choose then hope for the best.

I’ve run a competition for the last few years and it’s always just been a fun thing but this year I’m determined to find some prizes to award to the top tipper at the end of the season. I can’t guarantee that it’ll be a world trip but it’ll be something. (If you want to donate a prize or two, let me know.)

Go on. Join up. It’ll be fun.

The great thing with footytips.com.au is that you can be part of more than one competition at a time so if you’re already part of a competition with them you can still add your name to mine.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Footy Tipping 2010? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Talking to a Demon

May 12, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

sca.gifThis morning during my radio programme I spoke to a man who is both an Assemblies of God minister … and a demon.

Chaplain of the Melbourne ‘Demons’ Football Club and head of Sports Chaplaincy Australia, Cameron Butler, joined me on 98.5 Sonshine FM this morning to talk about his role with the club and the wider influnce of chaplains in sport around Australia.

Far from being religious zealots out to force their faith on others, chaplains prefer to simply be a trusted friend to those who are comfortable with developing a relationship. Their duties can cover a range of areas that go well beyond those of a traditional pastor or minister.

A lot of high performance sports in Australia have chaplains supporting their teams. There are over 180 chaplains now serving teams of men and women involved in sports such as test and shield cricket, motor racing, tennis, rugby league, AFL, basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, yachting, skiing, netball, rodeo and horse racing, the Australian Institute of Sport and state Institutes of Sport.

Sports chaplaincy is a Christian cross-denominational service providing support for sports organisations. This includes sports men and women, administrators, supporters and family networks.

Why Chaplaincy?

Sports organisations and welfare officers recognise that sports people are whole human beings. The condition of other areas of an athlete’s life including unplanned circumstances can and do affect their performance, both on the field and in the public arena. Sporting demands can also have an impact on vocational responsibilities and relationships.

If you’d like to hear what Cameron had to say when we spoke this morning you can click the play button on the audio player in this post.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR051209_1148.mp3]

Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Talking to a Demon? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

It's almost footy time again

March 18, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

afl_logo.jpgAs each year passes I prove more and more that I’m hopeless at footy tipping. This year I’m at it again and I’m inviting you to give me a kicking with your tipping prowess.

If you follow AFL can I encourage you to try to beat me at tipping for the coming season?

I’ve signed up again at footytips.com.au and so I’ll be able to pit my skills against thousands of other footy fans. The best part is that you can try your skills against mine by signing up to The RodneyOlsen.net Footy Tipping Competition. Just follow the link and join up. It’s free.

Some people spend ages checking the form of each side and thinking through the match ups, the ground, the ladder and a whole range of variables before tipping. I tend to just go ahead and choose then hope for the best.

Go on. Join up. It’ll be fun.

The great thing with footytips.com.au is that you can be part of more than one competition at a time so if you’re already part of a competition with them you can still add your name to mine.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading It's almost footy time again? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Swans ready to take the flag

September 14, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
12 Comments

SwanDistrictsFCLogo.jpgNext Sunday afternoon I intend to be at Subiaco Oval.

For the first time in 18 years, Swan Districts will be playing in a Grand Final.

I’m sure that most people would be picking Subiaco to grab their third Premiership in a row, but win, lose or draw, Swans have had a remarkable year and taking the flag for 2008 is certainly not out of the question.

With a mid-season form slump that saw them lose several games in a row, no one would have predicted that the mighty black and whites could have lifted so well to place themselves in this year’s Grand Final, but after beating West Perth yesterday by ten points, they’re ready to fight for the ultimate prize in the WAFL competition.

The Swans led at the first change by six points, but trailed by 27 points at half-time as Adam Campbell fired up at full forward to try and put the game out of the Swans’ reach.

However, the ‘comeback kings’ of season 2008 controlled the majority of the second half to claim a 15.14 (104) to 14.10 (94) victory in front of 5556 fans at the Arena in the first preliminary final played away from Subiaco Oval since 1934.

Swans, the only team to have beaten the mighty Subiaco this season, will take on the Lions in the WAFL grand final next Sunday, September 21 at Subiaco Oval. – WAFL Website

I’ve only ever been to one other WAFL Grand Final. That was back in the early eighties when WAFL footy was still huge in Western Australia. I slept on the concrete outside the gate to ensure a good seat. When the gates opened thousands of people flooded in to stake their claim. I got a seat one row back from the fence which is where I sat all day to watch Swans win a Premiership.

There won’t be a full house at the game next Sunday but I certainly intend being there. It’ll be a lot more civilised as I wander up to the gate with my numbered ticket and then make my way to my seat, but I can assure you, victory will be just as sweet.

Swans will certainly go into the game as the underdogs but I’ll be hoping for a massive upset and big celebrations after the game.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Swans ready to take the flag? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.