Monday Sports Report

When too much sport just isn't enough ... well it can't be expected to come in on time can it ....

Polo, played by kings and princes alike isn't for everyone - I mean it isn't always easy to retain the stiff upper lip when trying to whack a ball from on top of a horse. Much more practical is elephant polo :-) Elephant polo allegedly evolved as the result of a drinking bout (really!). The rules are much the same as regular polo but the pitch is smaller as elephants are slower than horses (really!). The competitions are sponsored by such companies as Cartier and Chivas Regal. See polo for the common man!

Now I can't find pictorial evidence for the Double-Decker Demolition Derby but I have seen it so you will have to take my word it is real. And no, no buses are hurt during the race. The Double-Decker Derby is contested by two vehicles that are welded on top of each other - the top one is a little car and the driver does the steering, the bottom car is bigger one and the driver controls the accelerator and brake. Yes I am serious - two cars stacked vertically attempting to demolish of versions of the same, while not overbalancing. Does sport get any better :-/

The ultimate weird sport (yes I have been saving this one because of the timing) is 20-20 cricket. Now cricket is a gentleman's game played over 5 days. There are moments of excitement, lots of stopping for drinks and lunch, and something of a genteel aura to it all. In the late 70's it became more commercial with the introduction of a one day version which, with a few tweaks of the rules and the introduction of colored pyjamas instead of the traditional whites, took over our televisions. While it definitely wasn't the same, it was somehow acceptable, well it was after 20 years of thinking about it. Now they have 20-20 for people who don't like cricket and don't have time to watch it. Think baseball on a cricket pitch - oh don't be fooled by the wearing of the pyjamas and the players having familiar names - they are just trying to suck you in with something you have become used to. And for those who have no interest in *real* cricket, it works ... sigh