Motocross has never had the highest profile amongst the various extreme sports. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its devoted followers, but when compared to the likes of skateboarding, BMX or surfing, its fan-base seems rather small. That said, with the arrival of a new generation of competitors and enthusiasts, the reputation and popularity of sport has definitely been experiencing an upwards trend. Few people have done more to improve the standing of motocross than international champion and racing superstar James “Bubba” Stewart.

James, who is sponsored by Oakley sunglasses, is often referred to as the Tiger Woods of motocross. The 24-year-old has so far claimed 5 major international motocross crowns, as well as a further five domestic U.S. championship titles. In one year alone, James won every one of the 24 professional motocross events he competed in, achieving a level of success that is unrivalled by both his contemporaries and by the legacies of the luminaries of motocross history. By the time James had turned 20 he was being widely heralded as the most accomplished motocross rider of all time. Even his fiercest rivals concede that the motocross ace is a cut above the rest.  The magnitude of his achievements is underscored by the fact that he is a black athlete competing in an overwhelmingly white sport, much like Tiger Woods before him.

James “Bubba” Stewart’s success has not gone unnoticed by big businesses and media. The young man is currently racking-in an estimated £6.5 million per year in endorsements and sponsorship, making him a financial success, as well as a sporting superstar. Stewart himself acknowledges the massive debt owed to his sponsors and backers, without whom he may never have achieved the degree of recognition he enjoys today. Oakley in particular have ensured the young extreme sports star has been in a position to grow and develop his on track abilities. In common with the other Oakley athletes, James “Bubba” is an icon of his sport and looks set to continue reaping the rewards of his considerable motocross talents for many years to come.

Leaving the Manchester United striker out of the team altogether might seem unthinkable, but given that he’ll miss the entirety of the group stage, he could end up not kicking a ball in the tournament if England don’t make the knock-out stages (which given their recent performances could well be a possibility).

So should England take Rooney to next year’s European Championship? Capello has already confirmed that Rooney won’t play in the remaining friendlies before the tournament, preferring to work with players who will be able to play in next year’s group stages. Personally, I think the likes of Wellbeck, Sturridge and Bent give England more than enough firepower, with the in-form Ashley Young also providing an exciting attacking option. If Rooney was available to play I think taking him would be a given, but considering the three-game ban I think we’re better off leaving Rooney at home to consider the implications of his actions in the qualifier against Montenegro.

Of course the FA could appeal against UEFA’s decision, hoping to bring down the ban to two games, but this could also result in an additional one-game ban, meaning Rooney will miss four games at Euro 2012.

Since then, in only a few years, they have seen some of the biggest names in world football come (and sometimes go again) to the blue side of Manchester. The latest signing has been Athletico Madrid star player Sergio Aguero, in a deal worth over £90 million. Only £38 million of this is the actual transfer fee, which still represents a record deal for the club, whilst the rest goes into a £200,000 a week wage packet. The son-in-law of Argentinian legend Diego Maradonna is a very highly rated player and has a great record in La Liga, but it’s far from certain that this will translate to the Premier League. However, he has high hopes for his and City’s future, and sees himself as somewhat of a revolutionary, a ‘Che Guevara of football’ (his words not ours!).

So with Aguero in the bag, the only question that remains is who’s next. The almost endlessly deep pockets of the Man City owners makes for an interesting prospect, exactly who can they lure to the Etihad stadium in the coming months?

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daningchikadannixmonii/

Although as a country we will never be able to match the wealth and power of the Chinese display of the Beijing Olympics, a British style Olympics is well on the way. Whilst the displays in Beijing may have been vastly impressive, the overall feeling was that of control rather than fun. After the amazing (if slightly CGI enhanced) closing ceremony, there were reports that silent ranks of people marched home flanked by armed security at every turn. The British version is surely to be much more of a party, and things may go wrong or be late, but we’d rather that and have everyone enjoy themselves.

Initial ticket sales have also looked very good, despite only around 30% of people claiming to have any interest in the games. A year before the Sydney Olympics in 2000, ticket sales only totalled around £150 million, however the current sales for London 2012 stand at over £500 million! Unfortunately this has caused accommodation in and around the capital to completely haywire, with many hotels booked up already whilst charging more than twice the normal rate. If you’re thinking about coming down to the games, we strongly suggest you do some research with price comparison and deal sites like LateRooms or HotelShopUK in order to try and find something respectable.

So, with tickets sold and the countdown on, anticipation is mounting for the first Olympic games to be held in this country since 1948, and all signs are that it will be a great one.

Image courtesy of Ben Sutherland – http://www.flickr.com/photos/bensutherland

Ponting will be fined 40% of his match fee for his behaviour, which saw him repeatedly arguing with the umpires after his review of a not-out decision was unsucessful. As well as remonstrating with Dar, Ponting also rowed with umpire Tony Hill, as well as England’s Kevin Pietersen.

Ponting has since released an apology for the incident, after pleading guilty to an ICC Code Of Conduct Level 1 offence.

Match referee Ranjan Madugalle, who passed down the judgement on the Australian captain, released a statement saying:

Ricky’s actions as captain of his country were unacceptable. A captain is expected to set the example and not get involved in a prolonged discussion with the on-field umpires and question their decision.

In the ususal excellent Autralian conditions, expectations were higher in the England camp than with the Aussies as England went out to bat. As usual, this didn’t last long when England were reduced to 260 all out, with Strauss falling to the third ball of the match. With England on good form and billed as favourites, this mediocre innings brought back back horrible memories. Surely it couldn’t happen again? From there things got worse still, with Hussey and Haddin adding a partnership of over 300 to give Australia a first innings total of 481. Surely an insurmountable task, 1-0 to the Aussies, right?

England came out with a new resolve for their second innings and began their work. After another scare for Strauss in the opening moments, he and Cook settled in and started to make it look easy. The pitch had been looking more flat and even as the test went on, and England capitalised. Strauss was finally out for 110 after a masterful innings, whilst Cook and Trott continued to a record overseas total of 517-1 with Cook declaring on a stunning 235. Australia were then put into bat with half a day left, but after an early wicket Ponting and Watson saw out the game for a draw.

As a first test, you couldn’t have really asked for more. After a placid start by England they fought back well, with another record broken for the top three batsmen all scoring centuries. Let’s hope this is a good omen for the rest of the series, with the next test in Brisbane starting on Thursday.

The title could easily have gone to highly rated German golfer Martin Kaymer, who needed a top-two finish at Valderrama to guarantee himself the No.1 ranking. Kaymer fell at the final hurdle however, finishing well below the leaders by the end of play Sunday.

Former World No.1 Tiger Woods sees his fall from the top of the sport continue, after injuries, revelations about his personal life and a long break from the sport. He also performed well below expectations at the Ryder Cup, sparking further debate about whether or not the former champion will ever regain his previous unstoppable form.

That’s right, the Ashes are here again. After England’s last glorious victory on home soil, it’s now time to go to Australia and attempt to defend the title. The final 16 man squad left today around midday, and will arrive well in advance of the first test on the 25th November. Inbetween then they have four warm up matches against South Australia and Australia A, and lots of time for training and aclimatisation.

England’s recent record of away tests isn’t great, especially in Australia. The last win came way back in 1986/7, and with a 5-0 whitewash fresh in the memories from the last attempt, it might not look good. However, the current side comes into this ranked fourth in the world, one ahead of the Aussie’s. England are also in good form, whilst Australia have lost the last three tests. Having said all that, this is the kind of competition that the Australians seem to thrive on, and although England come in as favourites, anything could happen.

With Strauss urging the players to ‘be more confrontational’ before the off, it looks as mouthwatering prospect as it always does. Only 27 days to go before the first test!

Michael Bisping, Dan Hardy and John Hathaway will all be appearing on the main card, with a handful of other British stars making up the rest of the card. It promises to be an explosive evening, with Bisping vs. Akiyama the clear pick of the fights.

I won’t go into too much detail on the fight card as we’ll be featuring another UFC betting preview in the next few days. Until then, enjoy this UFC120 Preview Video: