Yahoo!7 Answers Australia

If you’re remotely into Aussie sport, you can’t deny this weekend is going to be full on. The big one is the AFL Grand Final tomorrow afternoon.

It’s going to be a cracker of a match. St Kilda haven’t won a premiership since 1966 but have stormed through this competition with 19 wins out of 21. Geelong on the other hand came second on the table but have an illustrious reputation with 7 grand final wins under their belt.

So who will be the victors in this all Victorian final? Yahoo!7 Sport asked that question and has had some varied responses. Most people think that the Cats will win, some such as Marcus B think the margin will be as large as 47 points. Many are hoping for a Saints victory, because after all, 43 years is a long time to wait! It’s such a close race that some people are even considering a draw.

Of course, AFL isn’t the only game on the weekend. Western Sydneysiders are gearing up for a big grudge match in Homebush tonight – Parramatta Eels vs Canterbury Bulldogs. It seems like a pretty even match and the victor will be able to represent Sydney in the grand final next week.

Tomorrow night Melbourne Storm play the Brisbane Broncos in Melbourne. Although the Storm have a great record playing at home (they’ve only lost 5 times in the last 16 games in Melbourne) and are favourites to win, some Answers users are still backing the mighty Broncos.

So where will you be watching these big games? Do you watch your footy from the comfort of your couch or do you like the atmosphere at the pub? Perhaps you’re one of the lucky ones with tickets to the game?

Caitlin
Community Manager

Brett Lee is on Answers! He wants to know: Do you think Australia will win the fifth Ashes test? Why or why not?

After a fairly disastrous, rain soaked start to the Ashes this year, we’re finally in an optimistic place. The scores are level going into the fifth test and Australia’s chances of winning the series are looking good.

The rivalry between Australia & England goes way back and funnily enough, it was an English loss that was pivotal to the history of the Ashes. Apparently in 1882 during a test at The Oval, England won by a devastating 7 runs which the British press coined the death of English cricket. The subsequent tour to Australia in 1882-83 was dubbed as the quest to regain ‘The Ashes of the Dead’. The actual urn was presented to the England Captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women during this tour.

The urn isn’t actually the trophy presented to the winning team. Whilst replicas have often been displayed, vakayil k explains that: ‘the actual urn has never been presented or displayed as a trophy in this way. Whichever side holds the Ashes, the urn normally remains in the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum at Lord’s since being bequeathed to the MCC by Ivo Bligh’s widow upon his death.’

We’ve got a very active cricket community at Yahoo!7 Answers from the four corners of the globe who like to discuss all areas of the game. Will England rush back Flintoff? Probably, according to Shiny Metal Ass, and his injury fears are easing as reported by Yahoo!7 Sport.  What do you think was the reason for England’s defeat in the fourth test? Good bowling or poor batting? Roger Ford says: “A combination of both but mostly good bowling I would say. The pitch helped a bit but Siddle and Clarke were right on the money yesterday making short work of the English batting lineup.”

How about Ponting? There has been a lot of discussion about him being booed by the English crowd and many are critiquing his ability as a captain. Julia L says: “He’s our most successful captain as far the win percentages are concerned.! He has led his team from the front through thick and thin! And never lost faith in team. Many will call rate him an average or lucky captain. But whenever he had faced a crisis he was able to pull off miraculous wins for his team. Any captain who had to face a mass exodus of great players will do worse than him.”

Currently there is no rain forecast for the fifth test, starting on Thursday 20^th August. Tell Brett Lee – Do you think Australia will win the fifth Ashes test? Will Australia manage to secure victory or do you think England will be back on form? Or is a draw the more likely proposition?

Caitlin
Community Manager

Do you think it’s worth paying money for a few extra channels on Pay TV? I’m in the process of deciding…

I’ve just moved into a new home and haven’t had Foxtel installed. There are a few reasons – for one, it’s expensive, and secondly when we did have Foxtel, there never seemed to be anything on. Often I’d be stuck with reruns of Scrubs, Law and Order, or I’d be outvoted and Fox Sports would be turned on. We decided that reruns probably weren’t worth $60 per month – after all, if there was a series we really liked, we could just borrow the DVD, right?

Most of the time, I’m perfectly satisfied with the offerings on free to air. I love Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters and Packed to the Rafters (which is back on TV in mere weeks!) and Masterchef on Channel 10 has proved a great alternative to Top Chef on Arena. I’ve also been watching more interesting documentaries on SBS and ABC which I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I’d had more channels to plough through. However there have been some hitches.

Live sports is one of them. I’m a bit of a soccer fan and last week the Socceroos played Qatar at an ungodly 2am. With no Fox Sports and not wanting to grace a pub at such an hour, I thought I was going to miss out on witnessing history (we qualified for the 2010 World Cup for those who missed it). Fortunately, a generous friend taped the match and replayed it at her house at a far more palatable 10:30am the next day. Crisis averted!

Secondly, the borrowing DVD plan has come unstuck. When you go to Blockbuster, you usually can only keep a DVD for a week, so for an entire TV series, that’s a bit of a rush. Sometimes I have other things to do apart from watch TV like play sport, see friends and … oh yeah, go to work.

Finally, I do actually quite like some of the Foxtel offerings! Australia’s Next Top Model was such fun; Project Runway was incredibly inspiring and I loved to marvel at the architectural masterpieces in Grand Designs. To be honest, I even miss Scrubs (I know it’s on Channel 7 however unfortunately it’s on at the same time as Top Gear and yet again, I get outvoted).

So now the question of whether to get Foxtel has come up again. Should we believe the ads and get it because then we won’t go out as much? What shows on pay TV do you think makes it worthwhile? Or should we just wait and hope that something decent comes up on Freeview… What are your thoughts?

Caitlin
Community Manager

Wow what a week. Water cooler conversations and news bulletins alike have been bouncing from discussions about paid maternity leave to the treatment of women by Rugby League players, from predictions about the upcoming job losses to the very high profile demotion of Matthew Johns.

Everyone seems to have an opinion about whether Matthew Johns should have been stood down by Channel 9 and Melbourne Storm. A question we featured on the Yahoo!7 Frontpage yesterday got an astounding 700 answers (and counting)! We hope the writer Mumkaren didn’t have get a notification for everyone of those answers… that would be one full inbox! She asked Do you think Matthew Johns should have been sacked for something that happened 7 years ago?

There are some pretty heated opinions on there, here are just a few:

NO!!! It was consensual, not illegal and had nothing to do with Channel 9 or Melbourne Storm. I’d like to see statistics showing how many people have had group sex – I bet you it would be a large percentage. – Altezza

If Johns has a daughter, and this happened to her, what do you think he would do to the guys who did it? – Anonymous

Apparently this was investigated by NZ police and he was not charged. Why does someone get to come back 7 years later and upheave his life. I think it was a publicity stunt on her part and she will probably be well paid for her story. – HJ

This was a 19 year old girl. One who could very easily be taken advantage of. And the police investigation? Hmmm 6 witnesses vs 1. What do you think the police can do? Turns into a “he sad she said” situation. – Karl

The thing is, this type of behaviour brings up wider implications that we’re not unfamiliar with. Remember the Brett Stewart incident? He is still waiting to face court in a few weeks for allegations of sexually assaulting a minor. Yet he was only banned for 4 weeks from the NRL, even though the reason he was inebriated on the night in question was because of a Manly Sea Eagles booze up.

As dogsoldier1962 asked the Answers community, have the NRL backed themselves into a corner? Should the NRL go back over all the incidents that have happened like the Bulldogs in Coffs Harbour, the 3 Broncos players from late last year and even Brett Stewart and start tearing up their contracts?

What is even more scary is what does this behaviour say about the football culture? Why have there been so many scandals like this? Lou asks, why are NRL players prone to pack sex? Is it a rite of passage? There’s certainly a lot of discussion in Answers about it and the NRL has a lot to think about. Furthermore, we have a lot to think about whether these are the type of people we want as role models, particularly in a media capacity like Matthew Johns.

So what happens to Matthew Johns now? Do you think he should ever have a TV career again or has he ruined his public reputation permanently?

Caitlin
Community Manager

What a week. It’s been fairly dour these past few days, with discussions about Australia’s lowering employment rate, wild weather and even the sporting arena has been filled with controversy and speculation.

Many of us are hanging out for the tax stimulus payments to pay of various bills or buy that new washing machine, although some still seem unsure whether they qualify. Unemployment is up to 5.2% and there is huge debate over whether the government is doing a good enough job.

In the north of Australia, residents of Queensland were in the grip of Cyclone Hamish, wondering whether it would reach shore. Although in the end it weakened, it caused a fair amount of concern about how bad it could really get.

Considering the league hasn’t even started yet, it’s been a pretty big week in the world of NRL. There was plenty of controversy and fervent discussion over Brett Stewart’s suspension and whether he deserved it.

Dean W is on the compassionate side:

I feel for this guy in this case. I have been that pissed before. You wake up and ask the question “what happened last night?” Not being able to remember what happened is the worst feeling ever. This is still no excuse for his actions. In that kind of drunken state you are capable of anything and for that reason alone I believe he is guilty of TRYING to rape the girl. For the record 17 is legal. Not morally ethical but legal non the less.

Whereas Michelle J doesn’t think there should be any excuses.

Yes he should definitely be suspended until these issues are sorted out by the courts. These guy’s need to learn to account for their behaviour both on and off the field.

Well after this week, it’s probably time for some R&R! What’s your favourite way of relaxing to forget about your troubles?

Caitlin
Community Manager

I have to admit, I’m not the biggest tennis fan. Whenever Wimbledon or the Australian Open is on, I usually have to stifle a yawn during the conversations about Federer vs. Nadal and which of the Venus sisters will win that year.

Strangely, this year I’ve been unwittingly pulled into the drama of the Australian Open. I was forced into watching the Federer – Berdych match on Sunday and despite all best intentions, became strangely captivated. I cheered as the Czech rising star got 2 sets up against the world number two and then joined in his despair as the Swiss maestro fought back to take the game in 5 sets.

There was no time for disappointment as in a matter of minutes, Jelena Dokic was on the court. Talk about a comeback – I couldn’t believe as she fought all adversity (and a twisted ankle) to win against Russian Alisa Kleybanova. As the Aussie crowd cheered, I started to see what all this tennis fuss was about.

The Australian Open has certainly caused a fair bit of discussion on Answers. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be asking a few basic questions about the rules and technicalities of the game:

• What does “ad” mean in tennis?
• What does the umpire in tennis say when the ball at serve touches the net but is in? Net or let?

If you’re a bit more experienced at tennis, you may want to discuss specific styles:

• What do you think of Marion Bartoli’s serving style?
• Which players’ tennis strokes do you find the most aesthetically pleasing?

For those more intrigued by the players than their game, you might want to know:

• What happened between Dokic and her family?
• Is there really an actual feud going on between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer?

Or you might be more interested in sharing your last minute predictions with other tennis fans who are watching the games live:

• Who win Safina vs Jelena Dokic?
• Who will win in the quarterfinal action?

If there’s something you want to know about tennis, simple visit the Tennis section of Answers, do a search and if you can’t find what you’re looking for, ask a question to the myriad Answers tennis fans who are online right now. And don’t forget, you can see all the live scores and video action at Yahoo!7′s Australian Open site.

Caitlin
Community Manager

Our most recent Featured User certainly has an impressive record. With a 92% Best Answer rate, Trusylver has made a huge impact in the Diet & Fitness section of the Answers community.

This sporting specialist currently lives in South East Queensland but spent her formative years in Bega on the South Coast of NSW. She studied electronic engineering and holds a diploma of E-Business but after many years as a web developer, she realised her true calling was fitness so is now studying to become a fully qualified personal trainer.

From reading her Answers, she certainly has what it takes to instruct and motivate effectively. Questions about toning, weight loss, weight training, exercise routines and even diet have been discussed by Trusylver. She’s advised how to gain weight, how to get stronger, how to build arm muscles and how to reduce leg fat.

When Trusylver isn’t improving the fitness and strength of Australian gym junkies, she is usually found studying or training at the gym for not only fitness but for Powerlifting competitions. She also enjoys playing Warhammer fantasy, reading and takes care of her 3 sons and a husband.

In her own words:

Answering questions not only make me feel like I am helping people but also helps me focus on my study and to increase my own knowledge when I need to do additional research so that I can provide accurate and helpful answers.

Caitlin
Community Manager

As the weather gets warmer and the beach becomes more tempting, quite a few Aussie girls (and probably a few blokes) are looking down at those bat wings,  cottage cheese thighs and muffin top and thinking: “there’s no way I’m going anywhere near a swimsuit until something has been done!”

For all around fitness, I’ve always found that going to the gym starts off well, then a few months into it you’re bored of pounding the treadmill and the elliptical trainer has lost its gloss. And with the weather so lovely, who wants to be cooped up indoors? Some swear by boot camp although people yelling at me tends to make me want to hit them rather than run around the block 20 times.

A varied routine that includes different workouts each day works for people who get bored easily like me. Some recommend a combination of cardio and pilates and others say trying something new like dancing or spinning does the trick.

If it’s a specific area you want to work on, there are lots of different exercises to help tailor your workout. To tone the underside of your arms, mrsross22 recommends:

Military squats- Find a stable piece of furniture like the edge of a sofa and sit on the ground in front of it facing away. Put your arms up behind you and place them on the edge of the sofa. Lift yourself up till your arms are fully extended then drop back down but do not land your butt on the ground, just hover. Then repeat this. I do about 3 sets of 20 reps. More

For that pesky stomach area, yomama recommends a variety of exercises, including:

Resistance training: go for more reps (less weight), try drop sets, try circuit training. All of these are useful for getting more lean and ripped (and as a result will burn fat off your abs). Remember the more muscle you build, the more fat you’ll burn (muscle burns fat). More

The good thing about getting your fitness advice from Answers, is that you know it’s worked for real people out there and the advice isn’t from a stick-thin-never-eaten-a-timtam-in-his-life type of person. Time to grab those sneakers!

Caitlin
Community Manager

Yes it’s that time again, the Olympics is back, bigger and better than ever. Beijing 2008 so far has been all about controversy: we’ve heard all about Tibet, the potential for terrorist attacks and the amount of pollution settled over the Olympic city. With only hours until the Opening Ceremony, it’s time to forget about the negatives and focus on the positives, like that fact that we have an amazing Australian sporting contingent and that the time difference is so minimal, we don’t have to stay up all night to watch our favourite events.

Need a refresher course on what it’s all about?

What do the five rings of the Olympics stand for?

The Olympic rings represent the union of the areas – the Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Europe. The colours were chosen because at least one of these colours is found in the flag of every nation. More

Where did the word ‘Olympic’ first come from?

From the Greeks. Named after Mount Olympus where the gods were and hence the first Greek Olympian games were invented. Covering wrestling, running marathons, disk throwing and many other sports. More

How many sports are there in the Olympics?

There are 28 sports to choose from this Olympics. More

How many athletes are competing in these Olympics?

Approximately 10,500 from 205 nations. More

What does the Beijing 2008 logo stand for?

The official emblem of Beijing 2008 entitled “Chinese Seal-Dancing Beijing” cleverly combines the Chinese seal and the art of calligraphy with sporting features, transforming the elements into a human figure running forward and embracing triumph.’ More

Phew, all full of facts yet? If you want to learn more, don’t forget to visit the Olympic Games category on Answers. Yahoo!7 is the Official Online Broadcaster of Beijing 2008, so for all the latest news and results, check out http://yahoo7.com.au/olympics

Go Aussie!

Caitlin
Community Manager

Watching a bike race is never something I thought I’d be into but this year I’ve found the Tour de France strangely mesmerising. Maybe it’s watching those amazing athletes hurtling at breakneck speed down precipitous slopes, or maybe it’s the gorgeous French countryside that seems to change dramatically every leg. Whatever it is, a fair few Australians aren’t getting much sleep between the hours of 10pm and 2am every evening.

For us amateurs, there are a lot of confusing aspects of the Tour de France that have us scratching our heads. I know the yellow jersey is the daily winner but what about the green and polka dotted ones? According to Joe S:

The green jersey is given to the rider that has accumulated the most sprint points during the Tour. Each stage has bonus points given at different points during the stage. The stage winner is given 35 pts and the following 24 riders are given points on a decreasing scale with the rider coming in 25th given 1 point.

The polka-dot jersey is given to the rider who accumulates the most points on the mountain climbs. The tougher the climb the more points are given to the first 3 riders over the top. More

It doesn’t take long to pick up a few words to use in office water-cooler conversations. My word of the moment is the ‘peloton’ and I was recently heard saying: “Wasn’t the peloton bunched in last night’s stage” to a colleague (while secretly hoping I had used it in the right context). According to Vicki Vale,

The word ‘peloton’ literally means ‘ball,’ … but it is most often used with the meaning ‘group.’ It also can mean ‘squad’ or ‘platoon,’ in French. (That’s where our English word ‘platoon’ comes from.) More

Once you start looking, you find quite a lot of explanations about the Tour de France on Answers, like what the fastest downhill speed is and what the commentators mean when they say a 6.9% gradiant. The cycling aficionados among us might wonder what gear ratios the riders use and what system the organisers use to determine the category of a mountain.

Some of us, on the other hand, just want to know the everyday things, like how the cyclists go the bathroom when they’re in the middle of a stage. If you want a detailed explanation, or even a picture for that matter, just head to this question.

Well with all those questions answered, I can go back to gazing at the cute French villages and bunched pelotons. If you’ve got any more burning questions about the Tour de France, don’t forget to head to the Cycling section!

Caitlin
Community Manager