REFRESHING ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

How many people have changed support for their favourite clubs? am sure there are many. Fair weather friends I say. Man U has probably lost most. I still support my Liverpool which I've been doing since 1960 when they were still in the then 2nd division. My support for any other club is premised on the fact that once Liverpool Fc shows that it is not in the running for any silverware, I then throw my support behind any team that is likely to stop Man U from winning that title. For this year, am praying that Man city & Arsenal do not slip any further in order to prevent Man U from a championship spot. In the interim I wish Leicester & Spurs all the best in their quest for the Premier league title; especially Leicester which has never won it. This will bring a refreshing touch to the EPL; away from the usual struggle between Man City, Chelsea, Man U & Arsenal. We, LFC, are still in the running for the lesser EURO cup & should we win , it would be our ticket the Champions league.

FRIED FOODS? MY FAVOURITE

Apart from your declining interest in food or should I say diminishing appetite as you grow old, your doctor & dietician will come up with a thousand what not to eat list & just a handful of what to eat. The number one food you are told to resist is fried foods. What!! Fried foods!! Fried chicken, French fries and the whole works?? We all find fried foods the tastiest; our taste buds seem to have, over the years been conditioned to them. Imagine deep fried plantain served with beans & topped with a very greasy pepper sauce; a childhood favourite & remains so till date. What would you rather have:(forget your health issues) a couple of boiled eggs & steamed sausages or a couple of sunny sides up with crispy bacon or nicely fried sausages & probably some very hot chips coming out of the very greasy fryer. How about your veg? like some mushrooms stir fried in butter & garlic? what about some spinach turned around in a good helping of Olive oil. Would'nt you cherish some green beans, cauliflower, pre boiled potatoes, cabbage, carrots etc stir fried in a butter & garlic mix. Yummy I say. Coming back home; what about those delightful veg soups & sauces deeply cooked in Palm oil? These sauces that make your pounded yam, eba, fufu, amala interesting. Imagine efo riro, afang, edikaikong, banga & efo elegusi without palm oil. Then there is the ofada rice served with that extra greasy sauce which is irresistible. Now & again, I watch the Food channel, Master chef & various other culinary programs & and a majority of the time, all they are doing is frying & or tossing dollops of butter in to the food. As I learnt from my wife, every thing in moderation. Excesses not allowed.

patrick hornblower: SOCCER USA

patrick hornblower: SOCCER USA: American female footballers(soccer stars) are complaining seriously about the inequality in pay as compared to the men & I would say rig...

SOCCER USA

American female footballers(soccer stars) are complaining seriously about the inequality in pay as compared to the men & I would say rightfully so. Unlike in Europe & probably in other parts of the world, Female football(soccer) in the USA, has & is attracting more attention than their male counter parts & this I would say is sufficient reason to warrant equality in earnings but right now, it is said that they are earning 4 times less than their male counter parts. Their achievements are global and quite an attraction to the world. While football fans are hoping for the men to deliver the ladies are constantly delivering.

patrick hornblower: SHARAPOVA: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY

patrick hornblower: SHARAPOVA: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY: Is Sharapova's excuse not the same old excuse? The highest earning female athlete did not know that the drug was now on the list of bann...

patrick hornblower: SHARAPOVA: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY

patrick hornblower: SHARAPOVA: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY: Is Sharapova's excuse not the same old excuse? The highest earning female athlete did not know that the drug was now on the list of bann...

patrick hornblower: Diego Costa 'El Diablo' Do we have a biter in Chel...

patrick hornblower: Diego Costa 'El Diablo' Do we have a biter in Chel...: He got 2 yellows which make a red & was sent off but then a replay of the confrontation between Costa & Barry of Everton, showed tha...

Diego Costa 'El Diablo' Do we have a biter in Chelsea?

He got 2 yellows which make a red & was sent off but then a replay of the confrontation between Costa & Barry of Everton, showed that he bit or tried to bite Barry. He sunk or tried to sink his teeth, Dracula style, into Barry's neck. Even if it was only an attempt, it still constitutes a threat. In other words, I believe further sanctions await him. Diego always had the bad boy image but I believe it was compounded by Mourinho who indulged him & backed him every time he misbehaved. He is a great player & could be better still if he concentrated more on his skills than all the diving & fighting.

SHARAPOVA: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY

Is Sharapova's excuse not the same old excuse? The highest earning female athlete did not know that the drug was now on the list of banned drugs??? There are more questions than answers. She must have in place all the personnel that goes with her status; those that powder her nose to those that inform her of the latest news from criticisms to new racket developments & to what the various world athletics bodies are saying. To say that she did not know that the drug was only this year included in the list of banned drugs is a lame excuse. Drugs of such potency are most times not recommended for long term usage as they tend to have adverse effects. For accepting & not contesting the issue should earn her a reduced sentence. She is smart to have gone that way. It's all Serena's fault. After all, all she wanted to do was beat Serena.

PUBLIC UTILITIES

Trouble with my country is you cannot sing anybody's praise for too long; they soon revert to their awkward ways. Some 10 months ago, most of us were singing alleluia for good power supply but the last 2 months have taken us back to the dark ages. Petrol & diesel, water, traffic solutions etc; same same. Are we doomed to live in the darkest ages? I sang more praise songs in exhilaration; cheering & saluting the government even more than you could ever witness in the Pentecostals. Today, I am asking for my salutations and accolades back.

WOMEN'S TENNIS. SHIFT IN POWER

WOMEN’S TENNIS. HAIL THE NEW QUEEN Angelique Kerber; what a specimen for a complete athlete; particularly, a specimen for women’s tennis. She has it all; unlike most of the other contenders whose 1st serves are a major `drawback to challenging Serena Williams. If only they had that fearsome 1st serve, Serena would never have made 21 slams. They all can engage Serena on a drawn out court play & with Serena’s vast amounts of unforced errors, they would easily take her out. At 26, Kerber has some 6yrs of solid 1st class tennis left & from what I’ve seen of her, she can only improve. She has it all; quality 1st serves that combine accuracy, placement with pace. Lobs, volleys, ½ volleys, drop shots, baseline & net plays are all in her repertoire. She is fast & well balanced,so much so that she can not only return the best of Serena but also recover enough to counter what usually would be a firey response. Right now, I give her a 60-40 chance to take out Serena & by 2017 I’d give her a 70-30 advantage considering that time is not on Serena’s side. Adios Amigos