A flip-flop beyond even Sonny Bill, Leighton's insights and a spray from Kevin Pietersen
Ultimate switch
Sporting flip-flops have been the hot-button issue this week, but SBW has nothing on Mo Johnston. He was a Celtic footballer who moved to France to play for Nantes. After two years, Johnston held a press conference to say he'd be returning to Celtic at the end ofthe season. But with pounds signs in his eyes, Johnston had a last-minute change of heart and signed instead for... Rangers. Anybody who knows the history of these two Glasgow rivals, separated along sectarian lines, knows that was not going to go down well. Even worse, Johnston was a Catholic. From the early 20th century onwards, Rangers had not knowingly signed Catholics. Rangers fans burned scarves and threatened to hand in season tickets, while Celtic fans referred to Johnston as Judas. Even his own kitman at Rangers protested by making Johnston arrange his own kit and not giving him the chocolate bars dispensed to other players. That's hate for you.
SBW - Leighton knows
The SBW story has become so universal that a reader says even Newstalk ZB curmudgeon Leighton Smith ran talkback on the subject. The reader also says that not missing a chance for self-promotion, Smith compared it to the situation when he was called into the studio to broadcast on the afternoon of Princess Diana's death, even though it was someone else's shift. Yep, it's almost exactly the same situation.
We know a tour to Bangladesh is small beer, but Radio Sport's 15-minute - 15 minutes! - block of ads on Wednesday night while Kane Williamson was in the 90s was testing the patience of even the most loyal listener.
You tell him, Kev
It's not often we at Supershorts Towers agree with Kevin Pietersen, but we're on his side in his Twitter war with Arsenal's Jack Wilshere over his senseless notion that only those born in England should be considered for the English national team.
Wilshere: "The only people who should play for England are English people. If you live in England for five years it doesn't make you English."
Pietersen: "Would that include me, (Andrew) Strauss (the ex-England cricket captain), (Jonathan) Trott (England batsman), (Matt) Prior (England wicketkeeper), Justin Rose (South Africa-born golfer), (Chris) Froome (Kenya-born Tour de France champion), Mo Farah?"
Wilshere: "With all due respect Mr Pietersen the question was about Football! Cricket, cycling, Athletics is not my field!"
Pietersen: "Same difference.. It's about representing your country! IN ANY SPORT!"
Well tweeted, Kev.
Get ahead, lose the hat
Memo to Peter Fulton: drop the floppy. There's something pleasingly homespun about the way Two-Metre Peter goes about his business and we'll never forget his Eden Park heroics against England, but the floppy hat was living up to its name in the sweltering conditions of Chittagong and made him look like a hick from the sticks.
Cricket by candlelight
Memo broadcasters: Elevator music is preferable to bad commentary. If ever a series needed to be played with the mics switched off and the soothing sounds of Richard Clayderman piped in instead, it's this one in Bangladesh.
