Brighton’s turbulent recent history since then has been well documented to English soccer followers and so we can be forgiven for indulging in a bit of nostalgia for our run to the playoff final 17 years ago.

As for me, I allowed myself to wallow a little deeper. My dad took me to that year’s playoff final - my first trip to Wembley - and although the defeat in the final tarnished the day somewhat, it was a great day out and one of my favourite sporting occasions. My father passed away a few years later and I still miss sitting with him to watch sport and generally to chat about sport with him. Instead, I tend to watch big sporting encounters that take place now and reminisce about similar times when watching sport with my dad.

Back in November 2003 as Wilkinson’s drop-goal sailed over the posts to win the rugby union World Cup, I thought back to the 1995 World Cup, when Rob Andrew’s last second drop-goal against the same opponents sent us dancing around the lounge in delight.

This summer, watching Usain Bolt obliterate the 100m field in Beijing, it reminded me of a similar Saturday evening in 1992, when my dad and I shouted the house down watching Linford Christie win gold.

It is not just the companionship that I miss. My dad loved sport as much as me but was less partisan and could therefore appreciate a great match, irrespective of how his preferred team or player fared, something that I am still learning to do. As a huge Federer fan, this year’s Wimbledon final will never be the greatest match ever for me, purely because of the result. Had my dad been watching, he would simply have loved dramatic, brilliant sport at its best.

I am too young to think of sporting nostalgia in terms of grainy black and white footage and how different things were “in my day” but a coincidental sport result or story will often trigger a sense of nostalgia both sporting and personal.

The 76ers must have found some motivation after the city of Philadelphia celebrated the Phillies' World Series title earlier Friday afternoon. Philly bounced back nicely from their opening night loss to Toronto, looking completely different as the team was firing on all cylinders. They led the whole way on 59% shooting as they pounded the New York Knicks 116-87. All active Sixer players who suited up scored against Mike D'Antoni's new up-tempo style Knicks, who managed to score only 87 points after opening their season Wednesday night by piling up 120 points against Miami.

Philadelphia has had three different players lead the team in scoring in each of it's first three games. Though pleasing to see different players step up to have big games, I hope it's because of the athleticism and talent of this somewhat young team and not the fact that the first scoring options like Elton Brand and Andre Igoudala are not being the leaders that they are expected to be. Against the Knicks, Elton Brand led the Sixers with 24 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. Eighteen of his points were in the first half. Jamaal Crawford Led New York with 14 points. Andre Miller also had a great game for Philly, having 20 points eight assists and seven rebounds. Willie Green and Lou Williams came off the bench to help the Sixers with 18 points and 15 points respectively. Rookie Marreese Speights had six points and three boards in his pro debut.

Against Atlanta on Saturday, Thaddeus Young was the Sixers' leading scorer with 22 points, shooting 4-6 from three-point range. It was Joe Johnson's stellar night for Atlanta that was the difference. He scored 35 points including a dunk with 1:53 left in the game that gave Atlanta it's first lead. Mike Bibby added 19 for the Hawks as Atlanta improved to 2-0 for the first time in a decade. For Philadelphia, Brand had another good nigh with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Samuel Dalembert had 12 points, 11 rebounds and Andre Igoudala added 16 points. Philly point guard Andre Miller had another consistent game by handing out eight assists to go along with his 11 points. Philadelphia shot well from the line Saturday night, hitting 12 of 14 foul shots (85%).

Despite the 1-2 start, one has to feel good about what the 76ers are showing. It appears they have all the weapons and pieces they need to contend in the Eastern Conference this year and quite possibly for the NBA title. They just need get some games under their belts, learn to play together and put those pieces together. They showed signs of excellent passing, unselfishness and the willingness to work together. The Sixers use their talent and athleticism by moving and sharing the ball. After years of seeing Allen Iverson fill up the stat sheet while teammates received a front row seat for the action, finding the open man is something that Sixer fans are not very accustomed to watching their team do. Although Iverson was loved by the Philly fans and depicted the tough-nosed, hard-working people of Philadelphia, it's exciting to see a glimpse of five people playing together as a team. As this season progresses things should get pretty exciting for fans around the Wachovia Center. Let's just hope they can work out the kinks and stay healthy. Now that Philadelphia folks have that fresh taste of championship still on their minds they'll want the Sixers to keep it that way.

The Sixers return home to the Wachovia Center to host the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, November 3. It will be their first game against a Western Conference opponent this season.

Why must we go on hating,

Why can't we live in bliss?"

-Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), "Peace Train", 1971

For thirty years, I have been an enthusiastic sports fan.

Ever since I saw the 1977 World Series on television, the one where Reggie Jackson torched three home runs against the Dodgers in Game 6 to win the title for the Yankees, I have joyously followed my local teams in baseball, football, and basketball.

I have felt blissful elation after victories, and utter dejection after losses.

I have also admittedly reveled in the misery of opposing fans at times when my teams have won, and have attempted to endure - not well - fans of the opposition taunting me over my teams' failures.

For the past few years, I have heard about some obnoxiously crazy incidents among fans of various teams all over the world, such as soccer hooligans in Europe beating up opposing supporters, a college football fan having his eye almost put out by a beer bottle at his rival's stadium, a brawl among tailgating fans before a football game that was caught on You Tube, and most tragically a soccer goalie being murdered after letting in a winning goal during the World Cup.

I have also heard and read nasty insults among people at games and on the internet, some of them directed at me, and have seen fights among people in the stands, one of which a friend of mine and I broke up at a football game a year ago.

After years of all this, I have frankly wondered if it's all worth it. Why does it REALLY matter whether a team wins or not? What's the purpose of people jumping around screaming over a bunch of millionaire and soon-to-be millionaire jocks running around? More and more I have found myself thinking

"OK, so they won. So what?"

In other words, although I still enjoy sports and have teams that I follow and like being a fan of, I have grown weary over this extreme fanaticism, the arrogance among supporters of winning teams, and the bullying degradation put on losing fans. The fortunes and won-loss records of the various college and professional teams are somehow starting to matter less to me.

I particularly feel this way due to some most regrettable incidents that I'm "fessing up about...

There was that time in the mid 1990"s when I threw ice at the mascot of my college's hated rival during a football game against them, got myself ejected from the stadium and nearly got arrested, which would have been an extreme nightmare. Even though my team ended up winning the game, I couldn't enjoy it, feeling most remorseful and depressed over what I had done in my zealousness.

Then there was that time a couple of years later, in a football game against the same hated rival...

It was a most exciting, barnburner affair of a game. My college's team had made an unbelievable comeback, scoring 17 points to tie the contest and send it into overtime, the first time that had ever happened.

I was excitingly exclaiming that point in the stands when a young girl, no doubt a fervent fan of the rival, standing behind me started yelling at me to sit down in a bit of an obnoxious way. I then proceeded to loudly reply, "No, you sit down, you bitch!!", making her cry and leading her brother and male friends to almost jump me and beat me up in the stands.

I apologized for my words, as it was in the heat of the battle, but that was still absolutely no excuse for what I said to that poor girl. A pretty nasty incident on my part, even though my team eventually won the game.

Looking back on those episodes and thinking about other crazy things I've seen and experienced as a fan of sports has led me to these realizations

In the long run, and in the greater scheme of things on this planet, whether or not a team wins the World Series, Super Bowl, World Cup, a gold medal in the Olympics or a collegiate national championship means one thing...

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Hatred among fans of opposing teams, particularly rivals, has seemingly grown leaps and bounds in recent years, and I am getting increasingly tired of it.

All the ranting, raving and shouting about "We're number one!", "We're better than you!", "We kicked your ass!", and "You guys suck!" - More and more I just feel like saying to those yahoos

"OK, so your team won the game, SO THE HELL WHAT?"

"OK, so your team won the championship, WHO REALLY CARES?"

"All right, so your team's better than my team, BIG FREAKING DEAL!"

Having said all of this, I'll admit that I still have a few teams in baseball, and one college football and basketball team in particular, that I follow and enjoy rooting for. It's not like I have completely abandoned the sporting world in disgust.

But with each passing year I'm getting increasingly tired of having feelings of animosity toward opposing teams and rivals, and the people who follow them.

With all due respect to those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, athletic contests have felt more and more like a war to me. And I am getting tired of this war.

What's more, as time goes by I reckon I will feel more that way.

Perhaps if all those fanatics out there who paint their bodies, get wasted drunk at sporting venues, scream their heads off over bright-colored jerseys and helmets, and harbor a blind hatred of anyone not wearing their team's colors or logos, behaved more like kids playing T-Ball or AYSO (the Little League of soccer), the world would be a better place, and maybe, just maybe, we could start to "live in bliss".

After all, it IS just a game.

Each event has a coach and the children learn the special skills for every event. The children also compete against other regions and for their efforts they receive ribbons. This give the children a reason to try.

If a child is good at a certain event, they can compete at a zone level and then at a state level. At the end of each season,every child receives a trophy, this encourages the children, as well as champions trophies for the season.

Little Athletics is a great way for children to be active as well as learning new skills.

During the off-season huge changes were made to the Athletics organization. It seemed they were set for a very promising future with the trades and decisions they made, but who would have thought they would do this good to start the season. The Oakland ace, Dan Haren was traded to the Diamondbacks, and Nick Swisher was sent to Chicago with the Whitesox. The payroll went from 79 million to 47 million as players were sent this way and that. They picked up some good prospects, but how are they winning now?

In 2006 the A's gave the AL team a run for their money by making the ALCS. However, they then lost to the Tigers. As for this season, for some time though these A's have been tied for the best record in the American League. Some people like to look at the teams they were facing. Well, in April they played only eight games against teams with losing records last year. Not to mention games across America and even a series in Japan.

Maybe a reason these guys are winning is because they are all playing with heart and love for the game. Maybe it's because no one on the team is jealous of another, or maybe they just have very good chemistry. There could be many reasons to this team's success that may never be uncovered.

Just recently the team had picked up Frank Thomas. Frank Thomas was dropped by the Blue Jays and is now on the A's roster. Could he add to the Athletics success? Could this season be the season for the Oakland Athletics?

1. North America: Big Sur Marathon, California

   Imagine the greatest place on earth, now imagine running through it on beautifully paved roads, majestic bridges, the ocean by your side and some of the best aide stations and volunteers you will ever meet. This is the annual Big Sur marathon and it is easily one the best run and most beautiful marathons in the world. As you run through Big Sur, drums and enthusiastic locals will cheer you on and giant red wood trees and spectacular Cliffside views will be your guide. If running in this event doesn't get you misty eyed, nothing will.

2. South America: Barbados Marathon, Barbados

   If you are headed south, you might as well head to a land of relaxation and fun. The Barbados marathon offers you both a world class marathon and historic course, and the guarantee of a good time afterwards. One of the oldest marathon events in the Caribbean, the Barbados marathon takes participants through 4 historic towns, and along some of the most scenic coastal locations of the island. Although not a large scale event, it has attracted some famous international competitors in the past, including Catherine Ndereba.

3. Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro Marathon, Kilimanjaro

   Held in the foothills of Africa's highest peak, this marathon will take you through small villages and expose you to breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks, and earthy plantations. With aid stations manned by local seminaries and some of the most rugged terrain in the world, it will test your mind, meddle and give you reason to believe that there still is some places on earth that have not been entirely ruined by mankind.

4. Oceania: Sydney Marathon, Sydney

   It has often been said that the best way to see a city is to run through it. If this statement holds true, then the beauty of this big city makes this marathon an absolute must. Ending at Sydney's famous Opera House, the marathon course takes participants over the equally famous Sydney Harbor Bridge and around the breathtaking harbor structures of this magnificent city. With over 20,000 participants, you will experience the true nature of Aussie hospitability as you complete the 26mile jaunt.

5. Asia: Great Wall Marathon, China

   Easily the most breathtaking marathon you will ever experience, it also might be the hardest. With numerous elevation changes and a technical course, the Great Wall will be sure to put your body to the test. The epic scenery of the Tianjin province is more then enough incentive to make the trek, the views alone will leave you short of breath. There is really no better way to experience what is surely one of the greatest creations of ancient civilization, the Great Wall marathon is more of an experience than a race.

6. Europe: The Marathon, Athens

   You can't really say you've done it all until you've visited and completed the actual route that started it all. Beginning at the ancient town of Marathon and ending in the historic Olympic Stadium of Athens, the route covers nearly the same path taken by Phidippides in 490 B.C., who brought news of the Greeks victory over the Persian army and then collapsed and died. Adding to the mystique and significance of this race, it is the same course that was used in the 2004 Olympics. Watch out for mad Irish priests!

Bonus: Antarctic marathon

Ok, so for the real adventure seekers or for those who just have to be able to tell people they have run a marathon on all seven continents, there are, amazingly, two Antarctic marathons to choose from. This one, held on King George's Island sells out almost immediately every year. Using research structures as aide stations, the price to complete this marathon is not cheap, but the bragging rights it will provide you are priceless.

From my friend's older siblings, I heard the school used to be best known for their football program. When we went to regionals one year and didn't win because of a bogus call, things started going downhill. Well, freshman year started and I was immediately awed at the fact that tennis was harder than I thought. You would think it's just hitting the ball back and forth for no apparent reason, but there was so much more to it. I soon became interested in the real thing. Federer, Nadal, Roddick, the Williams sisters, Sharapova, that sort of mess. The game was a challenge.

Testing your ability to play with either that best friend you've always practiced with, or the total stranger from the rival school across the city. I wasn't really great at the sport, but heck, I could keep score. As a freshman, I accomplished being in JV2 to JV in the matter of the last semester. It was a fun year, and you definitely have an adrenaline rush playing it. Sophomore year soon arrives. And as I'm currently that, it's harder. I'm now in Varsity, not for the sake of my playing, but for the lack of members on the tennis team that have the ability to hit a volley. It's such a big burden to hold on the shoulders.

We became the worst school in the district because we have nearly no seniors in the mix of Varsity. But our spirits became enlightened when we kept on practicing how we practiced and entered in some last fall tournaments before winter break. We placed pretty well, and we happened to be the underdogs. I'm quite proud of where we stand. The next semester coming up is all tournaments. I have a feeling we'll do really well.

In the biggest game of this week the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers met for a great game between two talented squads. In the end, Chase Daniel led his squad up past the Jayhawks narrowing the list of unbeatens down to one.

The lone unbeaten from the WAC beat the miracle team from last season, Boise State in a matchup only a day after thanksgiving. Colt Brennan could easily have a heisman and if the computers throw him a favor, a birth in the national championship.

A huge beatdown was seen when West Virginia and Uconn did battle with Uconn rolling over and "playing dead" as the Mountaineers rolled onward to a win dropping 66 points on the Huskies.

And we cannot forget LSU and their inability to perform in overtime where they lost a 2nd game this season in overtime. The first to Kentucky, this time to Arkansas and Darren McFadden who still is a front runner for the heisman.