Post by PeterB on Jan 1, 2006 7:16:27 GMT -4
One of the staples of some conspiracy theorists is to propose that the end of the world is near, citing some windy piece of evidence or other. Well, most of the evidence is pretty windy, but I think I may have found some significant evidence in the area of sports which suggests the end of the world may be nigh. Just consider these results from 2005:
Cricket: England beats Australia in a Test series for the first time since the English tour of Australia in the southern summer of 1986-87.
Australian Rules football: the Sydney Swans win the AFL premiership, the first time the team has won the premiership since the mid-1930s. Back then, they were the South Melbourne Swans. No other team in the AFL has had to wait that long for a premiership.
Rugby League: the Wests Tigers won the National Rugby League premiership, despite being quoted at odds of 150 to 1 in round 15 (of a 26 round competition). They're a merger team, and neither of the teams forming the merger, nor the merger team itself, had won a premiership since the 1960s.
Melbourne Cup: When Makybe Diva won Australia's most prestigious horse race in November this year, it completed a treble of wins - 2003, 2004 and 2005. Never before has a horse won the race three times, let alone won it in successive years.
Soccer: In November, Australia qualified for the soccer World Cup. Australia's only been there once before, in 1974. Qualifying attempts since then have fallen at the last qualifying hurdle.
Rugby Union: After a dismal Tri-Nations competition and dismal tour of Europe, Australia lost something like seven matches in a row, something it hasn't done for about 30 years.
All these things happened in 2005. Makes you think...
;-)
Cricket: England beats Australia in a Test series for the first time since the English tour of Australia in the southern summer of 1986-87.
Australian Rules football: the Sydney Swans win the AFL premiership, the first time the team has won the premiership since the mid-1930s. Back then, they were the South Melbourne Swans. No other team in the AFL has had to wait that long for a premiership.
Rugby League: the Wests Tigers won the National Rugby League premiership, despite being quoted at odds of 150 to 1 in round 15 (of a 26 round competition). They're a merger team, and neither of the teams forming the merger, nor the merger team itself, had won a premiership since the 1960s.
Melbourne Cup: When Makybe Diva won Australia's most prestigious horse race in November this year, it completed a treble of wins - 2003, 2004 and 2005. Never before has a horse won the race three times, let alone won it in successive years.
Soccer: In November, Australia qualified for the soccer World Cup. Australia's only been there once before, in 1974. Qualifying attempts since then have fallen at the last qualifying hurdle.
Rugby Union: After a dismal Tri-Nations competition and dismal tour of Europe, Australia lost something like seven matches in a row, something it hasn't done for about 30 years.
All these things happened in 2005. Makes you think...
;-)
