Time to choose sides. We're all going to Wales…
Ashesmania. That's what we're calling it now that the day has arrived and the cricketing world's attention turns to some Welsh cricket ground. Tonight, the First Test begins and all the talk about the Ashes mercifully gives way to actual cricket.

But not yet! Today is a time to take sides: to declare definitively which team you're going for. Take Formula One ace, Mark Webber, for example. He told the BBC, "The UK is my adopted home and I've spent a lot of time with my English partner Ann so I have to be a bit careful. I love English comedy and the people and it's a beautiful part of the world but when it comes to sport, I don't support England at all."

Boom! The loyalties are clear at Red Bull. But hazier in Coolangatta, where Mitch Johnson's mum lives. Vicki Harber says she is less interested in who wins than whether there may be free flights, accommodation and food in it for her. "Mitch met (his karate babe girlfriend) Jess and since then she has flown off to South Africa, to England and the Bahamas," Mitch's mum said. "She gets all these trips, she gets flown there, accommodation, food and all of that…Who are these girlfriends? They are just girlfriends." The reader comments online are entertaining.

England's dashing fast bowler with the puppydog eyes and the wispy blond hair, Stuart Broad, is above all of this. He's in tough guy mode as the infamous Aussie sledging looms. Broad feels ready for anything after surviving some bizarre "mental disintegration" attempts by the South Africans last year. He told The Sun. "I had an hour against South Africa at Lord's last summer where they were all calling me 'Baywatch'. I was just thinking 'Do they think I look like Pamela Anderson?'" Wow, so what's your tactic if Ricky and the boys start having cracks, pretty boy? "If someone looks me in the eye and has a word, I will look straight back and stand tall." Yep, that oughta do it.

Meanwhile, Australia's former coach John Buchanan showed how off the pace he is these days by declaring, "I don't think the Australians are quite sure what England team they're going to face." So it's lucky we're rid of him. If he was still in charge, he'd probably be preparing dossiers on Craig Bowley, Jon Nott and the rest of the English archery squad.

Our favourite innocuous celebrity Ashes tip comes from James DeGale. (Allow tumbleweeds to pass). Turns out he's some London boxer with exactly two fights to his name. "Having sparred with the (English) boys a few weeks ago, I know how fired up they are. If they go after the Australians like they came after me, there's no doubt they will win the series 5-0!" he says. In other words, he was knocked out at sparring by Paul Collingwood? Expect a giant career. If nothing else, we have DeGale to thank for the dickiest pre-Ashes photo. If we were the Aussies, we'd be putting that one on the dressing room wall.

Or just make sure the English see Glenn McGrath in the stands. That'll make them tremble. Speaking of McGrath, he was asked for a prediction and didn't blink: "5-0 Aussies." Ooh, Aah. We miss you.

Old swimming dog, new tricks
If US swimmer Michael Phelps wasn't scary enough at the Beijing Olympics, winning more gold medals than many teams managed, he plans to get scarier in London. Phelps has revealed that he is diversifying his program so he can have a crack at the shorter races as well. With only 14 golds to his name, Phelps says he needs to keep challenging himself.  

Is this sport?
Whatever happens today in the Ashes, Ponting and co can say, "Well, at least we're not playing Buzkashi."

Video of the day
The Circus has always loved competitive eating and Sports Illustrated takes us up close and personal as legend Joey Chestnut wins his third straight hot dog eating title.

In a possibly unrelated event, President Obama had breakfast with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The numbers game
900 million – amount paid ($US) for the Chicago Cubs, in a deal waiting to be ratified that will see the troubled Tribune company wave goodbye to their team.
80,000 – the number of Real Madrid fans who turned out to watch Ronaldo walk around for a few minutes.
22 – the number of home runs the Phillies scored against the Cincinnati Reds yesterday. The 22-1 scoreline was the Reds' worst loss ever, and came after they gave up 10 in the first innings.
0.18 – how much of a second Lance Armstrong is away from the yellow jersey in the Tour after the team time trial.

Quote of the day
"Yeah, because you have to have role models when it comes to grunting."
- Wimbledon champion Serena Williams explains to David Letterman why Monica Seles was her hero as a kid.


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