Alternative XI: New South Wales escapees

30%
of all Australian First-Class contracted players have their origins in New
South Wales.  However, the frequency with which players
have departed Sydney for Sheffield Shield opportunities is quite alarming.



This isn’t a new phenomenon: for decades New South Wales
have produced players who have achieved more for adopted states – either money
or opportunity has lured players the likes of Sir

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And they say (League Cup) romance is dead...

Not only do Cups competitions make for interesting subplots
to seasons that run as long as eight months, but they also pit different league
levels against each other.  This gives
Millwall fans a pleasant (and utterly
nonviolent) away day at Manchester City, or the Glovers of Yeovil
Town a lucrative home fixture against Chelsea. 



Smaller clubs are offered a puncher’s
chance against larger,

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Graphic: Four-year EPL efficiency

This efficiency study tracks how effective each English Premier League team has been since 2009-10.  It does so by mapping a team's offensive efficiency (measured in shots per goal scored) against their defensive resilience (measured in shots faced per goal conceded).  Data is updated to 22nd February 2012 and so includes Liverpool's recent 5-0 win over Swansea City.

The axes cross at "league

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Podcasting: Short Jabs

Just a heads-up to check out this week's edition of Subash Jayaraman's Short Jabs podcast, where he and I discuss the failure of Steve O'Keefe to make the Australia squad for the Border/Gavaskar trophy.  You can find the podcast address here, or just search "Cricket Couch Short Jabs" in iTunes to download the podcast (or even better, subscribe!).

A feature on the Steve O'Keefe selection will be

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Robbie Rogers comes out, then "retires" on his own terms

On his website on Friday, former USMNT forward Robbie Rogers
both came out and “stepped away” from
football.  The 25 year-old, scorer of
the first goal in Jurgen Klinsmann’s reign as US coach, last played on New Year’s
Day for English League One side Stevenage.





He was immediately greeted with a swarm of support emanating
from all corners of the football world. 
Former teammates,
casual

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The Gareth Bale/Cristiano Ronaldo talk stops here

Let’s stop all this
Gareth-Bale-is-on-a-level-with-Cristiano-Ronaldo talk.  



Just … no.  



Don’t do that.



Bale is a wonderful, wonderful footballer who improves with
each season.  When he was signed by Spurs
from Southampton in the Spring of 2007, he was a precocious schoolboy left-back
with a thunderous free kick.  Over the
years, he progressed from defence to the midfield and two years

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Graphic: Selected Australian spin bowling statistics

The following chart maps selected statistics from Australian spinners.

It continues to amaze that Steve Smith is selected for Australia as a quote-unquote spin bowler, while Steve O'Keefe remains in the Test wilderness.  For more discussion, tune in to this week's Short Jabs podcast on the Cricket Couch.

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The Champions League is back!

This blog’s
an unusual place to admit to an unhealthy fascination, but here it goes: I’m a
sucker for competitive cookery.  Iron Chef, Worst Cooks in America, Chopped
… all of ‘em.  I’m not even a bad cook
myself, and have taken a few pointers from my white-hatted idols.  But perhaps the largest lesson I’ve learned
from my obsession with culinary jousting is this: presentation matters. 



Don’

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Graphic: Winter transfer activity by date

There's a reason that Transfer Deadline day in European football is such an event - it completely dwarfs the number of deals done throughout the rest of the window.  In fact, 284 players bowled up at new clubs across England's four-tier league system during the monthlong transfer window; nearly a quarter of those deals went down on January 31.



The following chart tracks transfer activity by

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Beckham's PSG move about more than money

David Beckham has earned a lot of publicity both for his
free-agency and, more recently, for his nascent
move to French gazillionaire-club Paris Saint-Germain.  The fact is that even at age 37, he is easily
the single-most recognizable footballer in the world and still earns his coin
on the pitch with deadeye dead ball delivery and smart, if limited, movement.



Beckham’s
move also earned

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