Zidane at 40 and pitiful Panenkas

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Zidane at 40 and pitiful Panenkas

This week's round-up also features ultimate pole climbing from 1930, Batigol at Fiorentina and a cartwheeling slam dunk

1) Happy birthday to Zinedine Zidane, who turned 40 this week. Some collectors' items: the most outrageous outside-of-the-boot pass you'll see; first-touch filth – exhibits one and two – more remarkable opponent-bamboozling; going downtown for Bordeaux; coming off the bench to do this on his France debut; and showing future form against Marcel Desailly. Form that would get him immortalised in both The Simpsons and Family Guy.

2) It's Tour de France time, which means repeated airings of arguably the greatest sporting theme tune ever written. And as it's the brilliant Phil Liggett's 40th time covering Le Tour, a brief tribute: here's how Channel 4 celebrated his 20-year stint in 1992, plus his narration to the greatest Tour climbs of the 1990s and, rather cleverly, a Portland commuter's trip to work.

3) Antonin Panenka has been back in the news this week, courtesy of Andrea Pirlo's stones (and those of Sergio Ramos). But it doesn't always go so smoothly; here are five of the worst (the first of which from Armin Hobel cost his team promotion), plus Gary Lineker and Neymar shaming themselves while our man ZZ cuts it perfectly fine.

4) Slam dunking is all well and good, but can you do it while cart-wheeling?

5) A collection of Gabriel Batistuta's goals for Fiorentina between 1991 and 2000. Lovely.

6) It's the Clive James Formula One show from 1997, featuring an all-star crowd including John McCririck, Russell Grant and Chris de Burgh.

Our favourites from last week's blog

1) Rugby league try of the season? Ben Barba doing all the work for Josh Morris to cross the whitewash.

2) Ultimate pole climbing – 'new sport of 1930!' Reminiscent of our old favourite Bo-Taoshi.

3) You have to feel for Satoshi Motoyama, who spends two hours trying – and failing – to fix his Deltawing after being cruelly sideswiped out of the Le Mans 24 hours race.

4) David Coulthard catches a golf tee shot with a car.

5) Lee Dixon does not like being cut off. Especially when it's by Alan Shearer's 'punditry'.

6) Retro snow action from 1984 with Warren Miller's Ski Country.

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