johnnyrocket - MyTwoCents
Daily sports briefs | No line drawn for VAR, golf's first major of the year and a blank cheque book for Pep Guardiola.
VAR TO NO LONGER TOW THE LINE?
The Premier League looks set to remove the lines drawn on TV used by VAR to determine offside decision referrals. The reasoning is that it confused the viewer as to what actually constituted offside or not. There were times when the lines determined that a certain part of the body was offside and hence nicknamed the "armpit offside" but the amendment will mean that the rules become aligned with FIFA regulations going forward.
MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: We think the Premier League authorities are sniffing lines of the wrong kind. VAR has been a mess from the start ... with the biggest problem being spineless refs in the VAR booths unable to muster the conviction to overrule an unsighted ref on the field. So many times we have seen a blatantly incorrect on-field decision left unchanged by VAR ... leaving us to wonder if the VAR assistant is literally asleep at the wheel.
IT'S TIME FOR THE FIRST MAJOR OF THE YEAR
The first major of the year he PGA Championship kicks off today at Harding Park, San Francisco. It feels strange to be saying this as normally by August we would be gearing up for the final major of the year, but this year is different as we all know.
Here are some facts:
It's a municipal course yet green fees are around R5k??!! Not that that concerns the players.
Previous winners there? Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
It's a short course - so there won't be a major advantage to the bombers like Bryson DeChambeau.
Watch out for the Cypress trees - balls are known to get stuck in those trees and not come out. Shaping the ball will be key.
Betting? - Unsurprisingly reigning back-to-back PGA champ Brooks Koepka is favourite with world No 1 Justin Thomas at 12-1. You can get Rory at 16-1 and Jon Rahm at 17-1.
MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: Colin Morikawa is worth a tickle at 32-1 as one of the hottest iron players on the tour and we also see some value in Justin Rose at 68-1.
Tiger? You can get him at 28-1 ... very long odds for him but he has barely played this year and has busted out a new blade putter ... never a good sign before a major.
PEP HANDED A CHEQUE BOOK
If the UK media is to be believed, Manchester City have handed manager Pep Guardiola a blank cheque book this off-season in a bid to haul in rivals Liverpool. Pep has apparently been given £300 million to spend with £100 million earmarked for a top shelf striker to take over from ageing legend Sergio Aguero ... Harry Kane anyone??
MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: Manchester City have two teams of midfielders already but they are correct in making a new striker a priority as Gabriel Jesus doesn't quite do it for me at the highest level. Centre-back is another area Manchester City are rightly targeting as their defence was a mess this past season.