Rebecca Black, the 13 year old Californian Internet sensation, has dominated youtube for the last month. The video for her debut single “Friday” received over 1 million views on its first day. Currently, the video for “Friday” has generated global interest and has over 60 million views.

Could this be the most ingenious debut single of all time? Whether you like the song or not, you’ve almost certainly heard it and if you have, you probably can’t get the autotuned “Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday” out of your head. Although a self-proclaimed victim of “cyber bullying”, Black has hit the big time, using the internet to bully our ears. She even has fans such as Lady Gaga and Simon Cowell. Are they both jealous that they didn’t go for the same approach with their respective musical acts? How easy would a music career be if all it took was their mothers to buy them a song and video? Pop Idol and X factor wouldn’t be the same. Lady Gaga’s mum would never her let daughter out dressed the way she does.

 Justin Bieber began as a You Tube sensation, but even Justin Bieber didn’t get the same amount of media attention. Black’s rise to fame is unparalleled. If she converts just a fraction of these video views to sales, “Friday” will have given her a substantial payday, she may even be able to pay her mother back.

Ark media are responsible/ to blame for the lyrics and are have rightly been ridiculed (what lyrics should $2,000 get?). Maybe everyone is looking at this wrong, perhaps they should be applauded for it. The song’s lyrics are said to be written with a 13 year old girl in mind, simple, upbeat, silly but fun. But it’s these simplistic lyrics that have made the song so famous. It’s a nursery rhyme for toddlers sung by a 13 year old – who’d have thought this was the recipe for global success? Maybe there’s an educational value, thanks to Rebecca all her fans know which day precedes Friday and as a bonus they know both days of the weekend.

Ark have created an anthem for most people’s favourite day of the week, this anthem doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon.

 Having a song synonomous with a day of the week can give the song longevity that it might not necessarily deserve. Alright, the Boomtown rats have Mondays, Whigfield has Saturday nights and now Friday is taken! Perhaps I should make a wacky Wednesday song, get my parents to spend €2,000 on a video and wait for the world to take notice? Maybe I can teach my fans the rest of the week or what about a hickory dickory dock for modern 13 year olds?

This year’s back slapping BAFTA awards take place on Sunday the 13^th of February. The BAFTA’s are always eagerly awaited as they provide the opportunity to celebrate a place in the film legacy of great British Cinema and in many cases give British performers recognition from their peers. They are also keenly anticipated as are very often key indicators for the Oscars.

The BAFTAs are in some respects precursors for the Oscars, however it must be noted how significant the home team advantage is. In many cases British actors and actresses win the coveted leading awards despite not being in the running for the Oscars. For example last year, Carey Mulligan won the leading actress award for her performance in An Education, however she wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar, conversely Sandra Bullock who won the Oscar for the leading actress was not a BAFTA Nominee.

While the nominations for leading actors and actress may vary between Oscars and BAFTAs, for the past couple of years there has been an agreement between them for the best film/best picture award. Last year the Hurt Locker won both awards and in 2009 Slumdog Millionaire won both prizes. So this year the BAFTAs for the best picture and best director will be seen as a guide to the upcoming Oscars, though again home team advantage may distort matters as the very British The Kings Speech is in the running for both but The Social Network is the Oscar front runner in the same categories.

Colin Firth won the BAFTA for leading male role in A Single Man last year, though he failed to get the Oscar as Jeff Bridges was rewarded after a number of previous nominations. This year he is hotly tipped to win the Oscar and BAFTA for his performance in The Kings Speech. Given the BAFTA’s allegiance to British acts coined with his Golden Globe win, Colin Firth has much reason to be confident a second BAFTA award and is in line for his first Oscar, though he should be wary of getting too excited as his main opposition for the Oscar is that man Jeff Bridges again.

Betbidder are holding an auction for Colin Firth to win the BAFTA for Best Actor

The inaugural Carling Nations Cup kicks off tomorrow night with Ireland hosting Wales at the Aviva before Scotland and Northern Ireland meet the following night at the same venue.

There hasn’t been a great deal of excitement towards the fledgling International tournament from fans or the media and this apathy has been deepened by the withdrawal of a number of players before it even gets underway. This comes as no surprise given its proximity to weekend fixtures and managers normal reluctance to release players for international duty. The fact that managers grudgingly release players for more serious International fixtures, even the slightest hint of a tweak or knock was going to result in the non-release of a player for a tournament like the Nations Cup.

It is not just Ireland that are facing this problem. Wales will be without eight players including, unsurprisingly, Gareth Bale. Northern Ireland’s preparations have been badly disrupted by the withdrawal of seven players including key men Aaron Hughes, Chris Brunt and Kyle Lafferty while Scotland captain Darren Fletcher is just one of four injured players that aren’t expected to line out.

In saying this it will be a great opportunity to see some real upcoming talent get a chance to play in the Irish jersey.  Seamus Coleman will start in the right wing where he has been in superb form for Everton Ciaran Clark will line out at left back. Trapattoni undoubtedly has him in mind as the long term successor to Kilbane. The biggest loss to the squad will be the absence of the talented James McCarthy who bizarrely was left out of the original squad along with Keith Fahey. Some of the selections in Trap’s original squad were highly dubious but that is a blog post for another day.

So another Six Nations is upon us but given it is also a World Cup year should make this year’s tournament even more important in terms of form, player combinations and tactics. There has been growing pressure on Declan Kidney to get this team to click in time for the World Cup following a very disappointing 2010.  It is fair to say there were some questionable player selections and omissions over the course of the Autumn internationals and many perceived it to be a wasted opportunity to give valuable game time to players who were playing exceptionally well for their provinces, Mike Ross being at the top of that particular list. This has been further highlighted by the number of injuries to the squad in the lead up to the opening game against Italy. It is just as well it is Italy and not one of the stronger sides. So the all important question – who is going to win the tournament?

If you are the superstitious sort the last time England won the Six Nations was 2003, the same year they won the World Cup and England certainly look a far more formidable outfit than they were over the past numbers of years and their rebuilding process is certainly taking shape. Reigning champions France still have the best squad in the tournament and their depth of quality should see them retain the trophy as long as Marc Lievremont gets his team selections right.  Wales have lost eight of their last 11 Test matches, winning just two and are unlikely to improve on this record given injuries in key positions. Scotland are Scotland and will no doubt cause one upset.

1^st France

2^nd Ireland

3^rd England

4th Scotland

5^th Wales

6^th Italy

Wow, what a transfer deadline day that was. So what will the implications of these deadline dealings mean for the clubs involved? There will certainly be a change of fortunes for all involved. Chelsea are beginning to look like they have rediscovered the form that fired them to the top of the Premier League at the start of the season, before their mid-season implosion has left them ten points behind Manchester United.  With Lampard back fit and the signing of Torres giving them an even greater goal scoring threat they will certainly be back in the title race but with the form that United are in it looks like the ten point gap will be too much to overcome.

As for Liverpool,  their new look strike force certainly, on paper, look like they can help the club push up the table back to a respectable position but that will depend on how Suarez settles in, when Carroll regains full fitness and how they will play together. Despite bolstering strike force their defence is still a major problem.  So a lot of ifs for Liverpool but combine the new signings with Miereles beginning to show what he is capable of and the King Kenny factor it should make Scousers everywhere excited for the rest of the season.

And what of Newcastle? It appears that they will revert to the circus act that we all love them for.  Carroll is claiming he was pushed out the door which will give Newcastle fans, not normally the most level headed fans in the league, even more reason to vilify owner Mike Ashley. Andy Carroll’s goals was the main reason for Newcastle’s comfortable league position and without a quality striker expect them to struggle to score goals which in turn will put more pressure on Alan Pardew.   Let the acrimony begin!!

Ah transfer deadline, day when bored Sky Sports reporters stand around club grounds desperately trying to find merit to their assignment and the usual tabloid transfer rumours are actually given merit.

The big talk of the day will centre on whether or not Torres will sign for Chelsea in what will undoubtedly be the biggest transfer fee between two English clubs. It is unlikely the move will go ahead today with a summer move a better bet.

Even though Torres has cult like status amongst the Liverpool faithful selling him might not be such a bad thing.  Offloading a player prone to injuries and sulks in exchange for excess of £40 plus Nicolas Anelka and/or Daniel Sturridge would be a good piece of business, especially if Suarez turns out to be the real deal.

Liverpool are badly in need of a major overhaul and ironically enough the sale of their best player might just be the start of this process.  Funds from his sale combined with existing transfer funds from New England Sports Ventures would go towards problem areas especially in defence where the aging Carragher, positionally challenged Skrtel and willing but limited Kyrgiakos need to be replaced with real quality.

Liverpool continue to be linked with Blackpool’s Charlie Adam but the asking price and what Liverpool are willing to pay continues to a major sticking point. Don’t be surprised to see Adam being unveiled alongside Suarez in the ubiquitous new signings smiling-at-camera-with-name-on-back-of-jersey photoshoot.

At least the Sky reporter at Anfield will actually have something to speculate on today unlike his colleagues around the country who will have to use all their creative talents to come up with something to talk about.

It seems as though nothing but a pinch of jammy United magic saw the challengers through last night’s frantic encounter in Blackpool. The Berbatov-inspired Cinderella performance is indicative of a winning touch that has seen United through many famous do-or-die situations in the past.  This season, of all seasons, they certainly need it. Until recent dodgy runs for Tottenham, Chelsea and to a lesser extent Manchester City, it seemed likely to be a fight right to the end. This could well be the point in the season that United, Arsenal and possibly City open up some daylight between them and the rest of the table. Tottenham and Chelsea could remain in the hunt by regaining the consistency that served them both well earlier in the season. Chelsea’s in-house ructions and aging squad could frustrate any likely comeback while Tottenham’s still-gelling team seems over-reliant on the brilliance and flair of their midfield maestros.

The goal-scoring touch of the top two is also likely to play as a factor in distancing them from the rest of the table as the season wears on. City’s new buy Edin Džeko has yet to make his mark but along with the rampant Carlos Tevez he could provide the sprint finish that delivers the title to the other side of Manchester, this however remains to be seen. Arsenal have been well-served by their trigger-happy squad but will no doubt be cheered by the recent return to form of Van Persie. Big game players such as these guys will be key in the top table battles ahead in the Premier League calendar.

The draw for the following rounds of the Heineken cup has mostly been kind to Leinster. Though inevitable that they would have to face top class opposition at this stage of the competition, the blues will not have to venture outside the pale for their quarter final clash with Leicester or a semi-final clash should they beat the Leicester. Northampton enjoy a similar route to the final, having secured the other top seed placing from the group stages.

The lay of the draw also opens up the possibility for a Leinster versus Ulster clash in Cardiff for the final. Ulster face a trip to the top seeds Northampton however in the quarter final so such a fixture coming about would have to be very well-earned.

Munster’s draw for the Amlin Challenge Cup sees them facing Brive away then either Harlequins or Wasps at home should they progress to the semi-final. Interestingly, a victory in either competition would ensure a place for Connaught in next year’s Heineken Cup.

For the moment, the focus remains on venue changes for the quarter and semi-finals. Latter stage ties typically take place in stadia which can accommodate 15,000+ supporters. Leinster will more than likely move their tie to the Aviva Stadium while Northhampton may move their tie to Milton Keynes.

Considering the draw, Leinster are tipped narrowly as favourites to win noting their recent scoring form. The 2009 champions are not the only team who know how to win and with such strong packs, such as Leicester’s, still left in the competition it’s a brave punter that calls a winner at this stage.

The Brit awards are a celebrity heavy award ceremony of dubious musical importance but hugely hyped in the UK. Many of the UK musical greats and many flash in the plan acts have been honoured at it over the years.  The awards are as famous for the controversies around the ceremony as the winners themselves, Jarvis Cocker and Michael Jackson, fights and world class awfulness when Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood proved not everyone can read an autocue.

Phil Collins, Elton John, Oasis and George Michael, Will Young, Liberty X and Mcfly have all received Brit awards.  The first group to win the coveted Best Group award were the Beatles in 1977.

Strangely enough here has been nobody in the history of the Awards as successful as Robbie Williams. Robbie has won 15 awards and only 3 of these were with Take That. Take That themselves have won 7 overall (those of you good at maths can work out that they have done slightly better at the Brits without Robbie than with him). Take That are nominated for this year’s best group award for the first time, so it is no surprise that they are hotly tipped to win. How could they not be now that they have the Brit Awards top scorer in their armoury?  Now that he’s back will they rule the world?

The Brit Awards recently have been one big Robbie Williams party, if he is not winning an award he is causing enough controversy to make all the headlines. In 2000 there was the infamous Liam Gallagher incident. After their short lived friendship turned sour, Robbie in a controversial publicity stunt challenged Liam Gallagher to a fight. “So anybody like to see me fight Liam? Would you pay to come and see it? Liam, a hundred grand of your money and a hundred grand of my money…” sadly no fight took place so we’ll never know who whether Liam would’ve had a go if he thought he was hard enough.  In 2007 again Robbie was the centre of controversy as Russell Brand caused a mild stir by making a few jibes about Robbie entering rehab. Robbie has even received a special Brit award for best single from the past 25 years for Angels (probably because as always it was voted for young fans with short memories, usually considerably younger than 25 years old).

The Robbie Williams show aka as the Brit Awards takes place on the 15^th of February. Take That are favourite to win the prize and are favourites at a price of 1/3.  so if you want to be swept up in the Flood and back Take That and their ongoing musical Progress have a bet. They may even be back for good this time.

Betbidder are holding an auction on Take That to win the Brit award for the Best Group.

On Wednesday on our facebook fan page we emphasised the head to head between GMAC and Phil Mickelson as the match-up to watch in Abu Dhabi. How wrong we were! Padraig Harrington was the quickest out of the traps, showing remarkable focus which resulted in an opening round of 65. His great start to the season has been foiled however by the eagle-eye of one television viewer of the Abu Dhabi Classic who alerted referee Andy McFee and team to the fact that Harrington had moved his ball a fraction after placing on the 7th green yesterday.

Harrington was in philosophical mood reacting to his disqualification, admitting that upon viewing the tape in slow-motion, the ball had been moved thought it looked and seemed like it had settled to the position it had been placed in. What would have incurred a two shot penalty if spotted at the time of infraction ended up causing disqualification as Harrington had signed his scorecard, pledging a round of 65. Harrington sought to brush off the incident, light-heartedly embracing the extra time to practice hitting balls into the net.

The Irishman used the break to great effect, refining his swing under the watchful eye of Bob Torrence. It’s no wonder this performance, pre-disqualification, came to pass noting his determined, ebullient vow to make 2011 his greatest year ever.  Traditionally this could be construed and nothing but lip service from a professional athlete doing the PR rounds but the ever modest Dubliner is certain to be in contention for majors in 2011.

Harrington has had remarkably consistent success on British courses, a trend that looks sure to continue this year. Another American major win would certainly set the right kind of tone in terms of ascending to the level Harrington aspires to this year.

He seems to have taken today’s setback in his stride, a mark of maturity and focus for the late-bloomer. Harrington knows there will be other days and we would be surprised if he failed to capitalise on the apparent effectiveness of his new swing this season. He’s done the homework, now it is time to reap the reward.