odds and ends

Jenson Button is making noises about "keeping the no.1 for as long as possible but...". I find it deflating. If he wins a race next year I'll be surprised.

Liverpool haven't played well recently, but they are showing the old knack of getting out of bad performances with favourable results. 1-1 at Reading isn't great, but it's not losing to Leeds at home, is it? That is rather tragic for United. I'm heartbroken. Ha ha ha heartbroken.

Ricky Hatton keeps not announcing his retirement. Two crushing knock-outs in his last two big fights. Paulie Malignaggi was nothing more than padding in the middle - a pitter-patter-puncher with amateur skills and even he regularly found Hatton's chin. Everyone knows he should retire, but that's not the equation: if he fights again it'll sell tickets, who will buy the PPV?

Pacquiao refuses to be blood tested for a month before a fight with Floyd Mayweather jr.. How can a sport maintain integrity when it's participants can pick and choose when and how they are tested? It's not as though a long-distance runner's preparation is impaired by the withdrawal of blood for testing before the marathon; why is it different for Pacquiao? Will his performance be so compromised? Everyone is beginning to re-examine his achievements and a pall will settle over them if he fails to submit to unrestricted testing. Mayweather? I love him. He's the man. I hope he gets beat.

England Cricket Team: Not the best team in the world. But they'll beat the best if given a chance.

Clijsters and Henin returning to the WTA tour? The Belgian re-invasion is upon us! The end times are near!