So May is done, and for the time being I’m going to keep on Waffling on a Wednesday to start June, so here’s an anniversary you missed yesterday:

It’s 30 years since the epic Nigel Mansell vs Ayrton Senna duel in the final 3 laps of the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix, which was set up by Mansell’s unscheduled pit stop while leading by 30 seconds on Lap 71 due to a loose wheel nut, giving Senna priceless track position on the narrowest track in Formula 1, which ultimately proved to be enough as Mansell roared back and spent the final laps monstering the rear of Senna’s McLaren trying in vain to pass the Brazilian, and the 3-time World Champion won his 5th Monaco Grand Prix to match Graham Hill’s record, which he would surpass one year later in his final appearance around the Principality, in a winning streak that ran from 1989 to 1993.

A few notes:

– Mansell had won all prior 5 races that season from pole, becoming the first driver in history to win the first 5 races of a season… Michael Schumacher in 2004 is the only other driver to win the first 5 races of a season.

– On Saturday, Mansell was over a second faster in qualifying, and Senna ended the session by smashing into a tyre barrier at Mirabeau corner and destroying his rear suspension.

– On Lap 60, Senna lost 10 seconds to Mansell when Ivan Capelli spun his Ferrari onto a barrier, seemingly ensuring Mansell couldn’t be caught, before the wheel turned.

– Nigel Mansell’s fastest lap after going onto new tyres was 2 seconds faster than any lap of Senna’s during the race.

– After the race, Mansell was so exhausted that he had to be assisted up the steps to collect his trophy.

Ray ‘Rabbits’ Warren has officially retired from play-by-play commentary

Intentionally declaring his innings closed on 99 Origin games…

Not since Warnie’s 99 at the WACA have we been so stunned to see someone depart on 99.

So on that note, here’s one of his many memorable moments… Mark Coyne, THAT’S NOT A TRY, THAT’S A MIRACLE!

The Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal Quarter Final in Paris was so epic it quite literally lasted a month

Started in May, finished in June.

Looking at the 4th Set, I think there’s a potential theory on how Nadal came back to avoid playing a 5th Set again, and it’s that Djokovic had Set Points he had to redeem by the end of May, but the clock had long struck midnight by the time he had 2 set points at 5-3, and thus, Nadal came back and won the match in the tie break.

This may very well be the last few days of Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.

The Mexican Government celebrates Sergio Perez winning the Monaco Grand Prix…

By posting a photo of Max Verstappen.

It’s an easy mistake to make – Max has conquered Mexico so many times since 2017 that they renamed the place Maxico in his honour last year.

It’s now 20 years and 1 day since the 2002 FIFA World Cup began

A moment in footballing history as the World Cup went to Asia for the first time, with Japan & South Korea playing host, and being the Far East, the two countries were so ready for it they built 18 stadiums that could withstand the tremors of earthquakes, more than preparing them for the onslaught of travelling English fans.

Of course, the Opening Match in Seoul was between defending World Champions (And European Champions) France, without Zinedine Zidane, and their former African colonial outpost Senegal in their World Cup debut, and in one of the greatest shocks ever seen in International football….

Senegal won 1-0, thanks to a goal from the late Papa Bouba Diop.

It harked back to the opening match of the 1990 World Cup, when defending world champions Argentina were defeated 1-0 by Cameroon at the San Siro, and like that 1990 Cameroon team, Senegal went on to the Quarter Finals.

Mark Robinson giving some words of wisdom when talking about Carlton’s spate of key injuries

“Forests have always got prett- the tallest trees, and they’ve just been felled.”

At least that’s what we think he was saying, it is Robbo after all.

The lessons we could possibly take from Josh Addo-Carr, the Fastest Man on the Planet, not being selected for New South Wales when he’s pretty much the perfect State of Origin player

Don’t listen to your partner when she wants to move back home

Take a pay cut to get premium silver service from your playmakers

Take a pay cut to keep getting the best coaching in the game from this guy:

Because the flip side is you’ll be getting Rep payments for the rest of your days.

A fantastic Sunday for the 2018 Sauber Formula 1 driver line-up

After dominating the entire weekend, Charles LeClerc managed to finish a race in his native Monaco for the first time, thanks to the Ferrari strategists shitting themselves and costing him a surefire podium + race win after waiting too long to change on to slick tyres…

And Marcus Ericsson won the Indianapolis 500.

Yes, when everyone predicted that a 2018 Sauber driver would win a leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport on Sunday, Marcus Ericsson was the name that sprang to mind, and speaking of Sauber, we should also remember that Sergio Perez started his F1 career at Sauber in 2011, which means two former Sauber drivers won legs of the Triple Crown this weekend.

In fact, the 2014 Caterham driver line-up gets better with age – Kamui Kobayashi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year, and now Ericsson is an Indy 500 winner.

Remembering that Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode died during the week

Bloody sad considering Depeche Mode are one of those underrated bands of the 1980s, and given Andy died of natural causes, I was a bit hesitant to play Shake The Disease from their visit to Top Of The Pops in 1985, but it’s a damn well underrated song, and I think we should all enjoy it…. Plus you can have a look at Dave Gahan’s Lego Head.

Poor Andy, I guess he really does have his own Personal Jesus now.

Jorge Martin picks up 3 points for speeding in Tuscany

He also set a new all-time top speed during a MotoGP race… 363.6 km/h.

And even better for the Martinator, unlike recent weeks, he didn’t fall off and finished the race!

My highlight of Nottingham Forest returning to the Premier League is that for the first time this century, every English club to win the European Cup/Champions League is in the top flight

Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Forest are the only English clubs to be Champions of Europe, and thanks to Leeds United staying up, it also means every English club to make a EC/CL Final is in the Premier League, alongside Tottenham and Arsenal.

It’s also great because when Forest play Manchester City at the Etihad next season, and City are probably 4-0 up inside of 20 minutes, the travelling Forest fans will be able to belt out the greatest shit talking chant in English football:

“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that!”

Last Week’s Wednesday Waffling contains a Peter Dutton/Voldemort reference, and that same day, Tanya Plibersek says Peter Dutton looks like Lord Voldemort

This confirms one undeniable fact…

MEMBERS OF OUR FEDERAL PARLIAMENT ARE READING THIS WEBSITE.

Anthony Albanese proves that under the bed of every Sydneysider lies a piece of Newtown Jets paraphernalia

It could also be that Newtown is located within Albanese’s seat of Graylander….

They also happen to be the current feeder club of Cronulla, who are supported by some bloke who is currently squatting in Kirribilli House 11 days after he was told to piss off from the joint.

It does seem appropriate that in the NBA’s 75th anniversary season, two of the three teams to play all 75 seasons will be facing off in the Finals

The Boston Celtics against the Philadelphia/San Francisco/Golden State Warriors, who just happened to win that inaugural BAA title in 1947, and then you’ve got the red-headed step child known as the New York Knicks eating glue in the corner.

Amazingly enough, outside of the original Finals in 1947, the only other Finals to feature two of the league’s original teams was when the dynastic Celtics and the-then San Francisco Warriors played in the 1964 Finals, a historic series in which Wilt Chamberlain played in his first Finals series against eternal nemesis Bill Russell after escaping routine heartbreak in Philadelphia, but The Big Dipper experienced the same familiar losing feeling, as Red Auerbach’s Celtics would go on to win the series 4-1 to win their sixth consecutive championship.

Another thing that seems appropriate is that in the first year that the NBA gave names to the Eastern & Western Conference trophies, the Celtics would claim awards named after two all-time great Celtics in Bob Cousy and Larry Bird.

French man disguised as old lady takes Marie Antoinette’s line seriously and says “Let them eat cake!” to the Mona Lisa

Obviously the Parisian police didn’t stop him because they were too busy attacking innocent fans at the Champions League Final.

And finally this week, an entire generation of children have discovered who Kate Bush is, thanks to Season 4 Stranger Things

For the kids who don’t know, Kate Bush is a character from Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights who sprang to life in 1978, dancing around in a red dress in the middle of a Forest while banging on about being Cathy in a mesmerising vocal performance.

A few years later, Bush changed her name to Babooshka, developing a sudden fascination for the contrabass, and gaining the supernatural ability to change clothes just by raising the pitch of her voice:

This power was believed to have been discovered by Michael Palin, during his attempts to transition from a barber to a lumberjack.

Then, with everyone on tenterhooks, Kate mysteriously disappeared from public view following the release of ‘Running Up That Hill’ in 1985, which has left scientists wondering if Kate Bush ever really existed at all, or if she was a spirit that transcended the earth…