Footy

The Australian Football League's [http://afl.com.au/] season kicks off in less than a week. Australian rules football (aka, Footy), which you folks in the U.S. can occassionally catch very late at night on ESPN3, is the favored sport of Australia, followed by rugby and cricket (in no particular order). I'm still assessing the situation, but the fervor for footy appears to be generally unrivaled by anything in the U.S. Picture March Madness, the World Series, the Superbowl, and the funeral for Dale Earnhardt all rolled into one and then sustained for a period of six months. The season is comprised of 22 rounds of play, and that's about all I know at this point.

This does remind me, however, to comment on sports betting in Australia, which is ubiquitous. Sports books are pretty much everywhere, so you've no excuse for not placing a bet. Betting in Footy appears to center on "Footy Tipping" which is analgous to the bracket system during March Madness - individuals issue their "tips" each round, hoping to win whatever pool is available. This practice is a common feature of every place of business, school, radio station, television station, etc., so (once again) no excuse for not betting.