Premier League football, Test cricket, NFL, Rugby World Cup, F1... a very long day of sporting TV that was worth staying home for

By Mark Webster for the Daily Mail

Published: 20:23 EST, 25 October 2015 | Updated: 11:32 EST, 26 October 2015

This was most definitely one of those Sundays again. Perhaps exemplified by the fact that Sky Sports decided to fill one channel with 24 hours solid of NFL. And I think they even arranged to have the clocks put back by an hour so they could squeeze another 60 minutes in.

Which is all well and good. But I am only one man. With a single telly. And two indentations in the settee where my backside fits. How was I possibly going to get through this solid Sabbath-ful of sporting spectacle? Well, there was only one way to find out. Thumbs don't fail me now.

Having warmed up with some Test cricket where the cameras constantly seemed to remind us there were more people in the slip cordon than there were in the stands, I made my first move, to derby day in the North East. Where at 2-0, I saw a window of opportunity to see how things were going down Wembley way.

England captain Alastair Cook walks off the pitch after he was dismissed against Pakistan on Sunday

England captain Alastair Cook walks off the pitch after he was dismissed against Pakistan on Sunday

Cook and Ian Bell look dejected during a poor fourth day for England in Dubai against Pakistan

Cook and Ian Bell look dejected during a poor fourth day for England in Dubai against Pakistan

The NFL once again returned to London with a match between Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills

The NFL once again returned to London with a match between Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills

The Jacksonville cheerleaders pictured at Wembley as the NFL fever returned to central London

The Jacksonville cheerleaders pictured at Wembley as the NFL fever returned to central London

The NFL was back in town and the BBC were once again joining Sky in bringing us the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills live. Which of course, required the regulation hyped up American pageantry in the build up to kick off.

Surprisingly for me, though, it was Sky who let the occasion do the talking. This is the channel where NFL 'heads' will have been going to for seasons now for their regular fix. But on the BBC, much of the ceremony was covered by an intense, heavily detailed discussion about the forthcoming game.

In the excellent host Nat Combs, the font of expert insight Mike Carlson and really good new pundit, former player Osi Umenyiora they have a fine new live presentation team. I was just a bit surprised to hear and see so much of them so early in the proceedings. Especially with what was likely to be a large fresh-to-the-market audience.

But there was no time to linger. Because it was time to switch from North West London to the North West of England, for the second of Sky Sports' triple header, and the Manchester derby. Which quite frankly, didn't have me pinned to the sofa quite like the entertainment earlier from the other side of the country.

Although the cameras did capture some interesting technical area action. In the first half, we were treated to what I think was a telly first - although it may not have been birthday boy Wayne Rooney's first rodeo, as it were.

The striker had received a cut to his head. And as a result, we got to witness him having a staple pinned to his skull. By a machine that looked like one you might see in a supermarket reading barcodes. Was it checking the 30-year-old's sell-by date?

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has his head stapled during their derby at Old Trafford

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has his head stapled during their derby at Old Trafford

Viewers got to witness England forward Rooney having a staple pinned to his skull during the game

Viewers got to witness England forward Rooney having a staple pinned to his skull during the game

Then in the second half, referee Mark Clattenburg made an appearance on the sideline. This time, he was there to replace what Martin Tyler had just rather wonderfully coined 'the spray that must be obeyed'. Clattenburg was getting himself another can. Which many of you may have been doing yourselves to help improve your afternoon's sporting viewing.

By way of trying to switch things up a bit, I headed back to London via ITV for some more egg-shaped entertainment and the Rugby World Cup semi final between Australia and Argentina from Twickenham.

This was anything 'but' a nil nil draw of a game. And it provided mic man Miles Harrison with the chance to ace his commentating counterpart at Old Trafford. Up in the stands at rugby HQ the camera picked out - and you could hardly miss him - Diego Maradona, thumping his chest with pride and wrapped in the Argentine flag like a sky blue and white steamed pudding. 

'The man who introduced the knock on into football', observed Miles wryly, winning him quip of the day, by a lip, in the process.

Although they didn't have it all their own way down South, as some deft flicking across the channels revealed. At half time in the Sky Sports studio up at Anfield for the visit of Southampton, Jamie Carragher was also in sharp-tongued form. He pointed out that Klopp was all about 'heavy metal football', but at Liverpool he has 'a church choir'. Come in handy in the Kop, though, Jamie?

Diego Maradona was spotted thumping his chest with an Argentine flag wrapped around him at Twickenham

Diego Maradona was spotted thumping his chest with an Argentine flag wrapped around him at Twickenham

The Argentina legend was caught on camera regularly cheering for his country in the Rugby World Cup

The Argentina legend was caught on camera regularly cheering for his country in the Rugby World Cup

While the charismatic German himself actually managed to go one better than Diego. In glorious slow motion, he was captured giving it the full double-fisted silverback in celebration of Christian Benteke's opening goal.

Speaking of matters salutatory, over on Sky's F1 channel in the evening, it was all about the lone star who won back to back championships in Texas. And Sky had scored the perfect coup with which to commemorate the moment Lewis Hamilton historically won back to back championships.

Resplendent in tartan hat and trews, Jackie Stewart was in the pits before the race to tell the Sky boys he had decided he had to stay on 'just to congratulate him.' 

And a couple of hours or so later, after the cars had roared their way around the Austin track, those congratulations were certainly in order. However, it was in what was to be the deafening silence of the anti room where the real drama of the day then evolved.

New Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was captured celebrating Christian Benteke's opening goal

New Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was captured celebrating Christian Benteke's opening goal

Lewis Hamilton (right) celebrated his third world title but Nico Rosberg (left) didn't look too pleased

Lewis Hamilton (right) celebrated his third world title but Nico Rosberg (left) didn't look too pleased

Hamilton is soaked in champagne after storming to victory at the US Grand Prix on Sunday

Hamilton is soaked in champagne after storming to victory at the US Grand Prix on Sunday

There, a lone cameraman joined the three podium drivers for what was a pretty awkward live mummer's play. 

Raising from apparent prayer at an altar-like table as World Champion champion again, a tearful Hamilton put on his Mercedes baseball cap. Then threw another to his team mate Nico Rosberg.

Sat with his own thoughts, and as it turned out, stewing in his own juices, Rosberg was in no mood to join in. And chucked the cap straight back at him. 

So at the end of what had been a long, long day of sporting telly, Lewis was a three times world champion. While Nico also had his own hat trick. *Doffs cap* 

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