Other / Eliot Pollak / 29 December 2010 /

Eliot Pollak picks out a handful of cheeky wagers for the year to come

Tennis: There are certain options in life, the preference of which tells you everything you need to know about a person. Do they prefer blondes or brunettes? Do they sit down with Corrie or 'Enders? And do they prefer Federer or are they for Nadal? From January 17-31, the Spaniard will seek to step where even the great Roger has never trod, by winning a fourth consecutive Grand Slam.
The Bet - Rafael Nadal to win the 2011 Australian Open (Mens) @ [3.15]


Cricket: The 2007 World Cup was a shambles, running for longer than the Mousetrap (and containing an equally suspicious murder), and with a stop-start final that saw more breaks than a hospital orthopaedic unit during a snowy winter. It was Alexis de Tocqueville who first posited the theory that, "history is a gallery of few originals but many copies," and lo and behold, another behemoth of a tournament will greet us on February 19th; a contest that will span into three months, and be played in three different countries. It's a pity that such a shambles will inevitably ensue, as with the retirement of a host of one-day stars (Pollock, Gilchrist, Flintoff et al), a new generation could emerge from this rubble. It has been the lifespan of two kangaroos since Australia last lost a World Cup match - can they make it four in a row?
The Bet - Australia to win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup @ [6.0]


Golf: According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2011 is the year of the rabbit. Good news for Tiger Woods one suspects, who shares with the cutesy bunny, the predilection for prolific breeding. Last spotted on your screens playing a frighteningly good nine holes (through which he was -8) at Celtic Manor in October, on April 7th Woods returns to Augusta, and to a tournament in which he has nailed a top six finish in each of the past six years. Could 2011 also be the year of another 'R' - redemption, for Eldrick Tont Woods?
The Bet - Tiger Woods to win the 2011 US Masters @ [6.0]


European Football: Like the beautiful woman who has drained the dictionary of compliments, and now merely arouses sighs wherever she floats, Barcelona have guzzled every footballing superlative available (even 'top, top' Jamie) and language itself seems almost insufficient when one watches them play. However, 'every beauty needs to go out with an idiot,' as Bono told us (from the track 'I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight' U2 aficionados) and when it comes to the Champions League, Barca more often than not, find ways to go out to an idiot, Jose Mourinho, as displayed in 2005, and 2010. Fresh from that 5-0 pasting at Camp Nou, Mourinho will be desperate to exact revenge on the greatest club stage of all - a Champions League final at Wembley.
The Bet - Real Madrid to win the 2011 Champions League @ [5.2]


Politics: It is every working man/woman's dream, to reach the stage in life where you can turn around to the boss and say, "Screw you - I just don't need this.' For Foreign Secretary William Hague, he really doesn't need it anymore. A life outside politics would be far more lucrative, he will never rise higher in politics than his current job, and the gay slurs he has faced over the past year must be a horrific strain on his marriage. In addition, where once being British Foreign Secretary meant a command of the finest empire and navy in the world, now it amounts to little more than sticking a finger in the air, working out which way the wind is blowing, and scampering in that direction.
The Bet - William Hague to cease being Foreign Secretary between Jan-Mar 2011 @ [4.2]

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