• Me and the octoped
What has 10 legs and an uncanny ability to predict the results of World Cup games?
Hayden Meikle and Paul the Octopus Oracle!
Yes, I am proud to say both the Otago Daily Times sports editor and the most famous eight-legged sporting psychic on the planet tipped Spain to reach the final in South Africa.
Check our pre-Cup tabloid if you don't believe me. I tipped Spain to win AND I correctly predicted the All Whites would get a 1-1 draw with Slovakia. Sometimes I scare myself.
The slimy cephalopod has done even better. Paul, from his tank in Oberhausen, has gone 6-0 in predicting Germany's results.
He tipped wins over Australia, Ghana, England and Argentina, and turned on his fatherland to predict losses to Serbia and Spain.
Meikle predicts a 2-1 Spain win on Monday. Not sure which way the mighty mollusc is leaning.
• World Cup awards
The Coupe du Monde is nearly at an end, so it seems time to hand out a few awards:
Player of the tournament:
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands).
Honourable mentions:
David Villa (Spain), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany).
Best XI:
Iker Casillas (Spain), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Ryan Nelsen (New Zealand), Per Mertesacker (Germany), Carlos Puyol (Spain), Sneijder, Andres Iniesta (Spain), Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller (Germany), Carlos Tevez (Argentina), Villa.
Reserves: Mark Paston (New Zealand), Arne Friedrich (Germany), Diego Lugano (Uruguay), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Diego Forlan (Uruguay).
Best goals.-
1: Dutch captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst's long-range screamer in the semifinal against Uruguay.
2. Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano's effort, thanks to a perfect Kaka pass, against Chile.
3. All Whites defender Winston Reid's 93rd-minute headed equaliser against Slovakia. Historic.
Biggest upset:
For not being beaten, the All Whites. For the scoreline, Germany's 4-0 thumping of Argentina. Otherwise, Spain's 1-0 loss to Switzerland in pool play.
Biggest disappointments:
Italy and France. Superpowers? Bah.
The "head in the sand" award:
Goes to Fifa, of course, for continuing to ignore the benefits of introducing just a little technology to the game.
The "oooh, didn't see that one coming" award for most predictable exit:
England's golden generation crumbling in a heap against the old enemy.
The "cheats prosper, unfortunately" award:
Uruguay's Luis Suarez, for his blatant hand ball on the line that robbed Ghana of a place in the semifinals.
The "Diego Maradona" award for whackiest manager:
Diego Maradona.
The "who exactly is complaining?" award:
To the killjoys who protested at the female Dutch ambush marketers dressed in orange miniskirts.
Best headline:
TAINTED GLOVE - after England goalkeeper Robert Green's shocking mistake in the first game.
The monotonous, droning instrument you hope to never hear again:
The you-know-what.
• Think of the children
A reader wonders when the tradition of football teams walking out with children beside them started.
According to the Fifa website, more than 1400 children from nearly 50 countries had the opportunity to escort teams during this World Cup.
But the concept has been around for years, and not just at international level.
I can't find out where and when it started. Anyone got any ideas?
• Drama at The Hills
Money, politics, personality clashes, two contrasting courses - it's been an interesting couple of weeks writing about the future of the New Zealand Open.
Everything I've heard points to the Open being moved to the posh but dull Clearwater course near Christchurch next year.
New Zealand Golf doesn't want any financial risk and it seems happy to place the Open in the hands of Bob Tuohy. And, to be fair, Tuohy runs a good event and has allowed NZG to sleep at night since 2007.
But I'd still be disappointed if the national body turned its back on The Hills. It's a spectacular place - everyone accepts it is the best spectator course, bar none - and the Open is an EVENT, not just four random days of golf, when it's held in Arrowtown.
• Sisters in arms
The Selby-Rickit girls (Wednesday's ODT) weren't the only sister act at the national age group netball championships in Dunedin this week.
Waikato had 20-year-old twins, Kahlia and Katherine Coffin, Western had Alanah (21) and Whitney (18) Cassidy, and Wellington had Eliza (19) and Bianca (17) Lloyd-Jones.
There was also a special pairing in the Bay of Plenty Under-19 team. Sisters Bridget (17 tomorrow) and Libby (16) Drake are talented young players and daughters of the late John Drake, the former All Black-turned-popular rugby commentator.
• The power rankings
A couple of weeks ago I referred to ESPN's cross-sport power rankings, and intimated The Last Word might consider producing the definitive New Zealand sport power rankings.
It will be done - next week - and your thoughts are welcome. I'll be ranking the top 25 New Zealand sportspeople on their status, their form and their power RIGHT NOW.
The contact email is below for those keen to make a case for any particular athlete.
• Some big horses
Japanese police have raided two sumo "stables", seeking evidence in their probe of a gambling scandal linked to yakuza crime groups which has rocked the nation's ancient sport, AFP reports.
Police officers walked into the Onomatsu and Tokitsukaze stables in Tokyo, where wrestlers have been involved in illegal gambling on baseball games and other sports.
The police were expected to raid 30 locations linked to the sumo world, including other stables, where wrestlers live and train.
The Japan Sumo Association has admitted that scores of wrestlers had gambled illegally and banned more than 10 from the next tournament starting on Sunday in the central city of Nagoya.