A few random thoughts

Juan Martin del Potro: Just might prove to be a bigger and more brutal version of Rafael Nadal, who himself was a bigger and better version of Lleyton Hewitt.

Kim Clijsters: Perhaps the story of the sporting year. Might well go on to to carve out a better tennis career as a mother than anyone else in history.

Roger Federer: Who would've believed that he would lose from a set up and serving at 5-4, 30-0 in the second! Has said he will play on until at least 2012. Five more Grand Slams out of 12 will take his tally to 20. Well within his grasp!

Melanie Oudin: Saw a bit of her during the European summer and there's no doubt that she's the future of American tennis.

UEFA: No surprise that they backed down over the Eduardo video evidence case. What a bunch of duds!

Emmanuel Adebayor: Deserved his three-match ban for his stomp on van Persie but could see nothing wrong with his 90-yard sprint before celebrating in front of the Arsenal faithful. Football fans can get too precious at times. If they're willing to mete out verbal abuse, they ought to be big enough to absorb some retaliatory celebration without whingeing and whining and moaning about it.

Michael Owen: Might well have produced the Macheda moment of the season last Sunday.

EPL: Looks like it'll be between Chelsea and United. I'm backing the relative youth of the champions to be the decisive factor over 38 games.

La Liga: Barca or Real? I'll go for the stability of the champions to prevail.

Serie A: Can't see an ageing Milan making a credible challenge. Inter to beat Juve to the post.

Bundesliga: Probably the most exciting league in Europe - on paper, not in terms of the quality of football - with any from four or five capable of succeeding Wolfsburg.

Gary Ablett Jr: Deserved to finally win the Brownlow.

The Brownlow: Isn't it time to take the votes away from the umpires and let an independent panel of former players do the adjudication over the 22 home-and-away rounds? Surely then we wouldn't have the ridiculous situation of Nick Riewoldt, far and away St Kilda's best and most influential player this season, polling as badly as he did! I've never understood how umpires, who should be concentrating on their job, could determine the best players in any game.

Renault: A mate suggested today that their faux pas could well have been the most unsportsmanlike conduct in the history of sport. Can't argue with that, given the potential risk to lives as a result of the 'planned' accident.

Major League Baseball: October is around the corner. The Yankees have the best record during the regular season. Given that my SF Giants are unlikely to make the play-offs, I'll be donning my ABY (Anyone But Yankees) hat and cheering on any team that plays NYY. Go Red Sox! Go Tigers/Twins! Go Angels! Go Dodgers! Go Phillies! Go Cardinals! Go Rockies!