Cadel Evans - Aussie Superstar!!!!!!!!

CADEL Evans has produced the ride of his life to become the winner-elect of The Tour de France.
Evans grew wings as he ripped his way through the streets of Grenoble to rip the yellow jersey off the back of Andy Schleck to ride his way into the history books as the first Australian to win the Tour.
In an individual test of man and machine,  Evans not only ground out a fabulous win, as he not only ate into the 57 seconds Andy Schleck enjoyed at the start of the day, he absolutely slaughtered the opposition for overall champion to record a time of 55min 40sec.
In a superb ride against the clock, the 34-year-old BMC rider destroyed Andy Schleck, who finished just three seconds ahead of older brother Frank, in a time of  58mins 11sec.

Within the first 15 kilometres of Saturday's time trial, last man out Andy Schleck found his lead cut to shreds by a rampant Evans, having one of the rides of his life.
Evans pushed himself to the limit, coming desperately close to crashing on a couple of occasions on downhill sections before blowing away the Schleck brothers.
Such was the Australian's pace that his BMC team bosses ordered him to slow down in the final few kilometres.
"I can't quite believe it," said Evans. "I rode the best time trial I could."
Evans deserves every bit of praise for his efforts, he had to pull off two dramatic recovery missions in the final two alpine stages on Thursday and Friday to reel in surging mountain men Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador.
"I had the legs to do it," Evans said. "Maybe I did not have the legs to do it in years gone by.
"I did not have any choice and I did what I had to do. Fortunately it puts me in this position."
Evans will lead the survivors onto the Champs Elysees today by a whopping 1min 34 sec ahead of the field.
He showed the world that he who was both mentally and physically well prepared, having got off to a super fast start that he was looking for, barely breaking from his tucked position, looking superbly comfortable, seemingly not only wanting the yellow jersey, but winning the stage to add icing on the cake.
Evans, the runner-up in 2007 and 2008, will succeed Spain's three-time champion Alberto Contador who suffered a dramatic collapse in the Alps to all but drop out of contention.

“This has been the culmination of 20 years of hard work,” Evans, said just before stepping up to the podium to receive the jersey.
“I still can't quite believe it. I don't think it will quite sink in until I cross the finish line on the Champs Elsyees in Paris.
“I began the tour three weeks ago wanting to do  the best I could. I couldn't have done it without my team, they worked 100 per cent every day, even when I had a couple of bad moments.
“I came here to just wanting to do my best Tour, if I did that I always thought I could win it, but it wouldn't have happened without having ridden what I believe to be the best time trial ever, even though I didn't win it.
“I had (sporting director) John LeLangue yelling in my ear over race radio every day, but this achievement wouldn't have been possible without my team. It was a real team effort."I hope the people back home in Australia enjoyed it.”
After stepping down from the podium, speaking to SBS Television, Evans was quick to praise former coach Aldo Sassi, who died from cancer last year.
“Aldo Sassi said to me last year, that now that I've won the world championship (2009) you have turned yourself into a complete rider and now you can go on and win a Grand Tour and I hope for you it is the Tour de France.
“It was he who believed in me from October, 2001 and never for one day did he doubt in my own ability, he never gave up on me.
“We went through both good and bad. I had some bad moments in the last 10 years, but this makes the good moments even better.''
“Today I just came up a few seconds short for the stage, but in time I will look back and reflect on what I've just done.”

In Australia, tributes have begun to flow for Evans and plans are already underway in Victoria to honour the local hero.
“Whether it be a celebration, obviously that will happen, whether it be a monument or whether it be some special naming, we've got a lot of ideas and we'd welcome others,” said Sports Minister Hugh Delahunty.
He said a parade through Melbourne was one option.
“All those things are being looked at ... we do that for the Grand Final of the AFL, but I think this is well above that,” he said.
Evans shares his time between his home in Barwon Heads, southwest of Melbourne, and his house in Switzerland. He is not expected to return to Australia for a couple of months.
He has been on scholarship with the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) for the past 14 years.
A bleary-eyed VIS Cycling Head Coach Dave Sanders said Evans' achievement was the equivalent of Australia winning the soccer World Cup.
“For this to happen, I'm making the statement it's the greatest individual achievement in Australian sporting history and I challenge anybody to put up something against it,” he said.
“The Tour de France is the toughest endurance event in the world.
“I think Cadel Evans has stamped himself as Australia's toughest sportsman with his triumph.”

All of us at Sportz Of All Sortz.com salute Australia's newest Sporting Hero, Cadel Evans, on a brilliant Tour De France win, the first ever by an Aussie!!!!!

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Billy Slater - The Legend Of Billy The Kid!

AS Melbourne Storm thrashed Gold Coast in Round 2, a seasoned Brisbane journalist couldn't hide his enthusiasm for AAMI Park, which he called the perfect place to watch rugby league.
And while he thought the attendance of 12,391 was "pretty good for Melbourne", it also made him pause.
Storm superstar fullback Billy Slater had just crossed for his 114th career try to break Matt Geyer's club record.

Slater dominated that match, as he did in Rounds 4, 5 and 6 in what has been a breathtaking start to the season. But at that history-making moment the stadium was at full voice but really only half full.
"I wonder if the people that aren't here know what they're missing," the visiting scribe said.
"They get to see one of the best that has ever played the game every other week. I hope they know that."
For those that don't know, Slater is that good, as good as there has ever been in fact, and some knowledgeable rugby league types couldn't have been more glowing in their praise for the 27-year-old who, having signed a new contract, should play out his career in Melbourne.
The man who wrote the book on Dally Messenger, rugby league's revered "Little Master", put Slater in elite company by comparing him to the NRL immortal.
"Like Dally, Slater always seems to turn up in the right place at precisely the wrong time for his opponents," league historian Sean Fagan said.

"Both were excellent individualists who could take a game by the scruff of the neck themselves, but also knew that combining with their teammates was equally important and profitable for victory.
"But what I like about Slater, that was similar to Dally, was that sometimes their efforts all turned to mud -- like in the 2008 World Cup final (when an errant Slater pass resulted in the game-winning try for the Kiwis) -- and they don't let that failure on the big stage define the rest of their game or career.
And like Dally, Slater is often maligned by fans of other clubs -- a sure sign that he is seen as the man making the difference between winning and losing."
Slater's elevation to the greats is a long rise from his days as "Billy the Pest", a tag given to the youngster by Vince O'Brien, a long-time servant of the Innisfail Brothers club.

He watched a cheeky young buck play junior footy and once got involved in a game of touch with his family.
"And he wouldn't get out of the road. He wanted to be in the ruck, then back at second receiver, run the ball, make the kicks. He wanted to do everything," O'Brien said.
"It's a trait of the greats, they want to be in the action all the time."
O'Brien was the man who received a letter from proud local Kevin Barry in 2008 who suggested the local sports oval should bear the name of Innisfail's most famous football son.
"It went to council and was ratified, so we named the main oval at Callendar Park the Billy Slater Oval. He would have only been maybe 26 when we did that, so it's not bad for a player still with plenty to give," O'Brien said.

It's an honour not even afforded to Brisbane captain Darren Lockyer, who is considered a certainty to be named a rugby league immortal.
"We had a street parade for him back in 2004 as well after he scored 'that' try for Queensland in his first State-of-Origin series," O'Brien said. "It was the first time we had a parade like that for a sports star."
The try O'Brien referred to remains one of the best Origin has seen. Slater, in just his second game for the Maroons, produced a chip-and-chase try that propelled him to stardom.
His efforts moved veteran Channel 9 commentator Ray Warren to label the 20-year-old "Billy the Kid". Warren has called all the greats, and seen plenty more, but rates Slater his No.1 fullback.
"I often said he was the busiest I have ever seen. Now I am sure he is the best I have ever seen," Warren said.
"I didn't see Dally or Clive Churchill, and with all due respect to other greats I did see, I have no hesitation saying he's the best fullback I have ever seen."
League pundits know how good Slater is. Andrew Johns called him a "genius" during last week's win over Penrith -- but his talents were on show to a whole new audience when he twice blitzed a field of Australia's elite sporting talent to win the TV show Australia's Greatest Athlete.

Executive producer Pete Dempsey didn't get to choose Slater as one of his stars, the show's sponsors Rexona did, but he couldn't have been more impressed and said the Storm star had a confidence that wasn't arrogance, but let the other competitors, guns in their chosen sports, know he was there to beat them all, which he did.
"He's a freak. He just worked out everything in his head, protected his weaknesses, and went for broke on his strengths. He's a phenomenal athlete," Dempsey said.
"He was selected because he fitted the brand, was wholesome and well known. And he's humble; he never talked himself up, he just let his actions speak. But you knew he knew. Everyone there thought they were at the top of their tree and in the end they just had to take their hats off to him. He was too good."
With NRL poster boys Todd Carney, Jarryd Hayne and Benji Marshall battling a myriad of problems, Slater remains the ultimate cleanskin and it is baffling why he is not the face of the game.
He's certainly the face of Storm and Melbourne's kids club isn't called Cam's Cadets for skipper Cameron Smith or Cooper's Troopers for Cooper Cronk -- it's Billy's Buddies and they flock to him like seagulls to a chip.

His decision to recommit until 2014 was regarded as a win in more ways than one because the "come play with Billy" line is used as Melbourne looks to retain and then draw talent to the club.
"Players always ask you if Billy is staying," a Storm official said.
Aware of the bidding frenzy an off-contract Slater would create, extensions have always been locked away with 18 months of any deal remaining. Fortunately for Storm, the best player in the game has always wanted to stay and make his legend in Melbourne.
"There is Billy the player, who has just got better as the years go on, and then there is Billy the brand. When you go to NSW and especially Queensland, he is a phenomenon up there. It's unbelievable," the official said.
"We're very, very lucky he's ours." Melbourne Storm!!!!!!
(Written by Russell Gould, Herald Sun)

Billy Slater- Superstar!!!!!

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Western Civil Boys come "So Close" at IYC!!

The Western Civil boys have returned from the International Youth Cup! The team has come back with a good result, again finishing 3rd!

The boys gave their all and came up 1 run short in a Tie Breaker in the 2nd vs 3rd Final against New Zealand in a classic game of softball!

The Western Civil lads beat both New Zealand teams, both New South teams and Aussie 17's and drew with Aussie Green earlier in the week to finish 2nd after the rounds.

The Boys also got to Experience the New Zealand Team doing "The Haka" at us before the final. If that wasnt spine tingling enough for the fans, Richard performed a traditional Maori response at the end of the game to the New Zealand boys, a gesture that was roundly appreciated by the spectators & players alike. Very Classy!

Some highlights of the week were:

Captain Sammy Trevethan hitting a Lead Off Homerun off Pitching Award winner Marshall Kronk, breaking his 0.00 ERA.

Adam Talarico hitting a clutch, late game triple, also off Kronk to fire up the boys.

Rob Scopaletti's long ranging catch in the outfield to save an Inninng and get out of trouble.

Aaron Nitschke & Cory Beswick combining in the 6th inninng for WC's run to get us into the Tie Breaker.

Jordan Chavasse and Cory Beswick's Bunt Defense Double Play.

Lachlan Hughes going 3 for 3 (1x 2B, 2x 1B) against Aussie 17's

Joel Goodall pitching all week

Scott Jansen putting everything on the field.

Overall, Richard Wickliffe said the week was pleasing and show's we're going in the right direction.

Great work by all the lads and you'll see us all at Friendships next year.

(Report taken from the Western Civil website)

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Sportz Of All Sortz.com is a great fan of Richard, Shane & the Western Civil team and we look forward to the next time the team plays. They play great, they play hard but fair, they play with respect!!!! They are a credit to Richard & Western Civil.

Take a moment to check out the softball page on our website for all your softball equipment needs.

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