Winners & Losers (19/12/2011)

So it has been another week of up's and down's in the world of sport. Here are the stories of heroics and disappointment that have caught the attention of The Skene Skrum.
Winners

Luke Donald - With his third place finish at the Dubai World Championship, Donald confirmed his World Number 1 status and in doing so, was named the European Tour Golfer of the Year, two days after scooping the PGA Tour's player of the year award. I'm sure the £7.82 million in prize money this year hasn't hurt either!

Luke Donald busy dominating golf

Indianapolis Colts - Yes, they finally did it, they won a game this season! Quarterback Dan Orlovsky won his first NFL game as a starter, leading the Colts to a 27-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

Scottish Rugby - As we head towards the epic Christmas double header that is the 1872 Cup, both Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby go in with good form, each only losing 2 of their last 8 games. With 2 games remaining, both clubs are still very much in the hunt for quater final places in the Heineken Cup as well. A special mention also to Ayr, who beat Bristol in the British & Irish Cup.
The SPL - After a busy weekend for the Scottish Premier League, it was announced today that they are to pilot the return of safe standing areas within premier league grounds. With successful precedents across the continent, a positive pilot programme could lead to increased attendances and better atmospheres across the country.

Losers

Darren Fletcher - The Scotland and Manchester United midfielder announced he would be taking an indefinite break from the game to recover from the rare bowel condition ulcerative colitis. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he returns before long to continue what has already been a very successful career for the 27 year-old.

The Green Bay Packers - They will be popping the champagne corks in Miami as the '72 Dolphins will remain the only team in NFL history to record a perfect season. The Packers lost at the Kansas City Chiefs 19-14 in a surprise result that sees the Packers go to 13-1.

NFL Coaches - Both the Kansas City Chiefs and The Miami Dolphins lost their head coaches as Todd Haley and Tony Sparano became the first victims of the season. And there are a few more that are on the edge with Raheem Morris (Tampa), Jim Caldwell (Colts), Steve Spagnuolo (St Louis) and even Tom Coughlin (Giants) far from safe after disappointing seasons.