Si.com’s Jonah Freedman is at it again with his rankings. Instead of botching World Cup rankings, this time he has moved on to club rankings.

His rankings start off poorly with his placement of Chelsea at #1. Freedman states “Until the Blues again show they can’t come up big in Europe or have trouble closing down the stretch, Roman Abramovich’s free-spending has made Chelsea the team to beat again.” Again show that they can’t perform in the European competitions? Wouldn’t that comment alone mean that Chelsea should not be in the top position in his rankings? Chelsea, for all their great performances in the Premier League (winning the past two seasons), still have not made the final of the Champions League during this period, losing to eventual champions Liverpool and Barcelona the last two years. It is true that Roman Abramovich has spent a lot of money putting a team full of stars together, but if anything has been proven in recent years, it is that spending great amounts of money building a team does not necessarily equal success in the extended European competitions. You just need to look at Real Madrid (who also didn’t make his top ten, but this was before the signing of Ruud Van Nistelrooy) for proof of this.

Barcelona, who Freedman had ranked at #2, won the Champion’s League last year and only got better during the offseason. Why then would Barcelona be placed behind Chelsea in the rankings? To be the best, you have to beat the best, and currently Barcelona are the best team in the world.

Two other things I found interesting were the exclusion of Manchester United from the top 10. Although they didn’t have a great Champion’s League last year, they still finished second in the Premier League - ahead of both Arsenal and Liverpool (#4 and #5 respectively on Freedman’s list) - and should have warranted a mention in his top 10. What makes this exclusion even worse is the fact that Freedman included D.C. United as an honorable mention. What is an American team doing in the honorable mention section of a top 10 list? If D.C. United could beat any team from League 1 in England - let alone the Premier League - I would be absolutely shocked. I thought I was patriotic towards Australia, but you wouldn’t see me putting Sydney F.C. in any honourable mention list when it came to club rankings. How can anyone take anything Freedman says relating to soccer seriously?

During the morning rounds of sports resources, I came across this article at smh.com.au. Australia is currently hosting the Women’s Asian Cup tournament, and last night’s match between North Korea and China produced some of the most disgusting scenes by players in recent memory. After the conclusion of the match, North Korean players attacked the Italian referee with the North Korean goalkeeper running up from behind the referee to push and kick her.

What led to this action? During extra time, the North Koreans had a goal disallowed because of an offside call (those pesky rules!). Once full-time was called, the Chinese started celebrating the victory that put them through to the final (who wouldn’t celebrate this?). Once the Chinese started celebrating, all hell broke loose (see video here - notice the North Korea official slap the goalie).

The North Korean goalie should be banned for life

It is one thing for players to go after each other, but when players go after officials because they don’t like a call - that’s when it REALLY crosses the line. Any player that attempts to, or does, physically assault an official should automatically be banned from the sport for life. What transpired after the conclusion of the game was shocking, but unfortunately because this was a woman’s game, it will get nowhere near the coverage that the Zidane headbutt did - even though the actions carried out by the North Korean players were far more disgraceful.

Vince Young, the #3 overall pick in this years NFL draft signed his rookie contract today, preventing a holdout that might have occurred when the Tennessee Titans open their training camp tomorrow. Young signed a five-year contract (the sixth year is an option) with a guaranteed $25.7 million. The contract is potentially worth $58 million if other performance bonuses are met - more than the contract #1 overall pick Mario Williams signed.

Vince Young has at least 25.7 million reasons to smile

Reggie Bush (who should have been the #1 overall pick) wasn’t going to take less money than what Williams got ($54 million over 6 years), and he certainly won’t take less than what the pick below him got. It is rumoured that the New Orleans owner promised Bush a contract that was identical to Williams’ moments after the New Orleans Saints took Bush with the #2 overall pick. New Orleans and Bush are still hashing out a contract, but New Orleans talks no doubt just got harder after Vince Young’s contract details were released. The Saints need to sign Bush more than Bush needs to sign with them (as horrible as that sounds). I have a feeling that Bush definitely won’t take anything less than a $60 million contract, but time will most definitely tell what happens. If Bush wants to play hardball, he doesn’t have to sign and can re-enter next year’s draft, but New Orleans doesn’t want to lose the most talented player in years and will definitely show him the cash.

Saints fans will be hoping to see Bush in action this year

I can’t get my head around the amount of money professional athletes make in the U.S. (NFL, MLB, NBA). What is even worse is the amount of players that complain about their financial situation being a disaster. Giving rookies big contracts like this is part of the problem. They haven’t done anything to prove their professional worth, but many of them are signing contracts that guarantee them millions upon millions of dollars. If a player proves their worth, then I’m all for them cashing in, but to see players bicker with teams over money before they have actually played professionally is disgusting. The NFL should introduce a payscale for rookies that is similar to that of the NBA. NBA rookies know what they are going to make as soon as they are drafted; however, the NBA has guaranteed contracts, whereas the NFL does not - another reason rookies try to get as much as they can in the beginning.

So it looks like there is a bit of controversy surrounding New Zealand’s pre-match ritual, the haka. Australian coach John Connolly doesn’t like the throat slashing gesture that is now being used in a variation of the war dance, but I say who cares? The haka doesn’t really instill fear into teams that see it on a regular basis like the Wallabies do. Also, it just doesn’t feel right when you see white players performing a Maori dance. If the Aussies really care about this issue, I propose they add a new line to the aussie haka. Maybe something along the lines of ‘four more years boys, four more years.’

When the Wallabies face the All Blacks in Brisbane on Saturday night (Australian time), they will be looking for redemption following an embarassing 32-12 loss in the first match of the tri-nations tournament played in Christchurch, New Zealand.

I expect the Australian crowd (including some of my boys back home) to really pull the Wallabies through this match. The All Blacks will be backing up from a 35-17 victory over South Africa last weekend and may find it hard to match the fresh legs of the Wallabies, who destroyed the South Africans 49-0 two weeks ago.

*Insert mock shock* A rider in the Tour de France tested positive for performance enhancing drugs? NO! Tell me it isn’t so? Unbelieveable! Say what? It was the winner of the tour?

Landis after winning the Tour de France over the weekend

Cycling has always been shrowded in controversy when it comes to performance enhancing drugs - especially at the Tour de France. If what is being reported about Floyd Landis is confirmed after they test his B sample (his A sample was found to have excessive amounts of testosterone in it), what little credibility the Tour has left will all but vanish. There is still a cloud hanging over the tour from Lance Armstrong recovering from cancer to win the tour 7 straight years. Although nothing has been proven, the accusations against Armstrong will continue until something can be proven against him. I’m not saying that I believe Armstrong cheated, but the numerous accusations levelled at him are troublesome. The Tour lost 1998 winner, Jan Ullrich, prior to the start of this year’s race following a doping scandal. If Landis returns a positive B sample, the sport will lose what little credibility it has left.

Tiger broke down after sinking his final putt to seal victory

Tiger Woods won the British Open over the weekend, his first major championship since the passing of his father, Earl. He held off the challenge of Chris DiMarco, who was dealing with his own personal loss - his mother died suddenly of a heart attack on July 4th. Tiger has now won 11 major championships and is ahead of the pace that Jack Nicklaus set in winning 18 majors. At the same age, Tiger has 11 championships, while Jack had 8.

Tiger’s goal of breaking Jack’s record looks more attainable than ever. When Tiger plays at 80%, he is still better than the majority of his peers. During the British Open, Tiger only used his driver once, using irons from the tee and still reaching a consideable distance due to the hard fairways. It goes without saying that Tiger is going to be hard to beat, but now he has further motivation in his effort to break Jack’s record - he’s going to do it for his father.

Attention MLB, NBA, NFL, etc., this is how you deal with players that use banned substances. None of this first offense, second offense crap - the player in question here, Australian Rugby Union star Wendell Sailor, was banned for two years and had his contract ripped up. He got caught using cocaine, not steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. What would the NBA, NFL, or MLB look like if they banned every player they caught using recreational drugs? You would find a significant amount of star players being banned. You can’t have a clearer picture than saying to your players - if you’re caught, you’re done for two years. In Baseball, the first time you’re caught you miss 50 games (the equivalent of 2.5 months), the second offence is 100 games or 5 months, and the third offense is a lifetime ban. In the NBA, they ask players to attend drug rehab. In the NFL, only after the fourth offence are players banned for one year.

Wendell Sailor - cocaine

Ricky Williams - marijuana

Barry Bonds - steroids??

Tougher bans are needed for these sports to maintain any amount of credibility. Pussy-footing around this issue only further embarasses these organisations. If only they cared about the credibility of their leagues in the same way they cared about lining their pockets. A harsh sentence for a first offence is the only way to send a message to players that drugs will not be tolerated in any form within professional sports. At 32, Wendell Sailor’s career is now all but over. I don’t feel pity for him - he wanted to get a quick high by snorting some drugs. His banning should be a message to all professional athletes in Australia not to throw away your career and your legacy by making stupid decisions.

Look mum, no pads!

What a great looking leaderboard heading into the weekend’s play in the British Open - Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Chris DiMarco, Retief Goosen, and Adam Scott appearing in the top 5 positions. Woods has been dominant when he takes a lead into the weekend, but Els has all of sudden found some of his old form and looks very good. If DiMarco, Goosen, and Scott are going to challenge on Sunday, they need to have good rounds tomorrow. Scott in particular needs to cut the bogeys out of his rounds so he can make a serious challenge to Tiger and Ernie, who don’t look like slowing down. If Scott can shoot a 65 or 66 tomorrow, he could be in contention come Sunday.

On a side not, Colin Montgomerie didn’t make the cut after his second round meltdown. If you recall, I predicted this in my previous golf post. The only consistent factor in Monty’s game is his mental weakness; it doesn’t look like he has recovered from his final hole collapse at the US Open, where he double-bogeyed from the fairway - costing himself the championship.

Over the course of the past two NBA seasons, Steve Nash has been a revelation. After leaving the Dallas Mavericks for the Phoenix Suns at the end of the 2004 season (because owner Mark Cuban didn’t believe he was worth a $50 million contract), Nash has become the leagues premier point guard, also winning the leagues MVP award for the past two seasons.

Now we at the BBQ don’t buy into religion or religious stories, but if you were Steve Nash and you were coming off the best two seasons of your career, would you cut off your trademark long hair for this haircut at the urging of your wife?

I should also point out that Steve Nash’s wife’s name is Delilah! It’s going to be intriguing to see what kind of season Steve Nash has this year - will his ‘powers’ vanish?

Sports Illustrated listed their 15 players to watch for the British Open (which starts tomorrow), and included in their list at #6 was Australian Adam Scott. Sports Illustrated had this to say about the Australian: “Perhaps seeing Geoff Ogilvy give Australia its first major in 11 years will inspire Scott, who is a few years away from being regarded as an underachiever in the majors. Has not contended at the British Open, but that’s true at most majors.”

This analysis is spot on. For all of his ability and great results on tour, when it has come to the majors, Scott has been a major disappointment. In the 21 majors that he has contested, he has been cut 8 times and only has two top-ten finishes (both tied for 9th). This is definitely not good enough for a player who has cemented himself in the worlds top ten.

The British Open has always been good for Australians, and come Sunday, I expect an Aussie to be in contention. It has been 11 years between major championships for Australians, but it would be great if an Aussie could back up Geoff Ogilvy’s win at the US Open with a win this weekend at the British.

I think the players to watch this weekend are Tiger Woods, who will be looking to avenge being cut at the US Open (however it has been quite some time since the winner has repeated the following year); Geoff Ogilvy, who has been one of the most consistent players on tour this year; and Adam Scott, who will be motivated to win a major now that another young Aussie has won one before he did.

Don’t expect too much from Phil Mickleson, who has never done particularly well at the British Open. Also, even though there have been a lot of people getting on the Colin Montgomerie bandwagon (due to his good performance at the US Open), I don’t think he is going to back it up with a good performance this weekend, and I would even wager that he might have one of his famous breakdowns.