Sport – Page 3 – Slugger O'Toole

ODI: Ireland v Pakistan

Pete Baker on May 26, 2013, 4:46 pm

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A four from the last ball of the game by Kevin O’Brien saw Ireland secure a draw in Thursday’s rain affected One-Day International against Pakistan [Duckworth-Lewis applied]. Ireland’s 275 for 5 included 103 runs from 107 balls by Paul “that kid is a freak” Stirling. Going into today’s second ODI in the two game series, Ireland were confident of an upset against the test match playing Pakistan. Put in to bat, Ireland made a defendable 229 for 9. And they’ve picked up some early Pakistan wickets with the …

Malcolm Brodie the magnificent

Brian Walker on February 1, 2013, 4:56 pm

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To a younger generation the spate of tributes to Malcolm Brodie, for a lifetime the sports editor of the Belfast Telegraph, may be a bit of a puzzle. “One of the greats,” a legend “ and so on may not be descriptions that you would easily associate with someone who gloried in the minutiae of Irish League football even in the heyday of Ireland’s Saturday Night. Malcolm pulled it off because he was three things. As a news journalist he was as …

Belfast start for 2014 Giro d’Italia? – “Discussions are ongoing”

Pete Baker on January 12, 2013, 6:13 pm

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It could be some time before we get an answer to that question – official confirmation that cycling’s 2013 Giro would start in Naples only came in June last year. But there’s been a flurry of activity following a L’Equipe report last night that sources were confirming that Belfast would host the start of the 2014 Giro d’Italia. As the Guardian reported There are strong indications that in 2014 the United Kingdom will host the Giro d’Italia as well as the Tour de France, which …

“For the avoidance of doubt…”

Pete Baker on December 16, 2012, 11:32 pm

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The unsurprising, for many reasons, winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012 may have been this year’s Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, a well-deserved third place went to Olympic and US Open tennis champion, Andy Murray. But the Guardian’s Paul Owens has spotted something strange about the BBC’s Panel awarding ‘Team of the Year’ to the Olympic Team GB/Paralympics GB. From the BBC’s own “SPOTY Voting & Judging: Terms & conditions 2012” [dated 12 December 2012] TEAM OF THE YEAR For the …

Liverpool’s Bloody Sunday

Brian Walker on September 14, 2012, 4:56 pm

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Not the incident itself but the official cover up. For once Chris Donnelly treads more lightly than he might have. Even in the Leveson era, this is much bigger than a media travesty. Even if the Liverpool inquiry has delivered the plain unvarnished truth, to treat scores of Liverpool football fans almost as sub humans apparently unworthy of rapid emergency treatment was surely the worse crime committed in Sheffield that day and subsequently. Later, two senior judges although critical of police negligence, …

“Honorary gold post boxes for Jason, Michael and Bethany…”

Pete Baker on September 13, 2012, 2:56 pm

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The BBC are reporting that the Royal Mail have decided that Eglinton deserves an honorary gold post box. As does Glengormley and Seaforde, County Down. From the BBC report The honour was a response to overwhelming public support for the tributes, said Royal Mail. “Honorary gold post boxes for Jason, Michael and Bethany are an appropriate tribute for our local Paralympic heroes given their tremendous achievements and the very clear community support for this,” said Barbara Roulston, Head of External Relations …

“The UK is believed to be the first country to paint post boxes gold to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic gold medal wins…”

Pete Baker on September 9, 2012, 4:49 pm

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Apparently, double gold medal winning, and double world record breaking, Team Ireland Paralympian sprinter, Jason Smyth, would quite like a gold-painted post box in his home town of Eglinton. What does anything think, do we deserve a #GoldPostBox in Eglinton because I live and am from Northern Ireland @postoffice @royalmailnews RT — Jason Smyth (@smyth_jason) September 8, 2012 According to an earlier Belfast Telegraph report, he would have the support of Dame Mary Peters and the Northern Ireland Sports Minister, Sinn Féin’s …

Olympics fever shows that a soft sell is best for the Union cause

Brian Walker on August 13, 2012, 3:25 pm

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Now here’s a great campaigner for the Union, no? With his keen nose for an impending win as sharp as ever Gorgeous George brazens out an embarrassing prediction of Olympic failure and turns to his advantage. You can almost hear that stingingly precise articulation cutting through the print. I underestimated just how much we would all enjoy the London Olympics and how, from Land’s End to John O’Groats, we would all feel together again. As I say, a good time for a …

McIlroy sets down marker for Rio Gold

Pete Baker on August 12, 2012, 11:56 pm

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As the spectacularly successful London 2012 Olympics came to a tumultuous conclusion, Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy closed in on his second major title – the 2012 US PGA. As the Irish Times live blog noted He will be younger at 23 years and three months than Tiger Woods was when winning his second major. Stunning performance. By 8 shots! [added link] Pete Baker

“or just the re-announcement of the £3.27 million of lottery funding”

Pete Baker on August 12, 2012, 4:58 pm

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As you might expect, the Northern Ireland Sports Minister, Sinn Féin’s Carál Ní Chuilín, has been maximising the PR potential of the Olympic success of athletes from here. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, is doing likewise. But eyebrows should have been raised by the NI Sports Minister’s “timely public announcement” of an over £3million investment programme for amateur boxing. As Newton Emerson noted in yesterday’s Irish News Sinn Féin culture minister Caral Ni Chuilin earned a full day of headlines by announcing …

Might Rory McIroy be a flash in the pan?

Brian Walker on August 9, 2012, 10:25 am

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On the eve of the American PGA, Our Holywood hero is “refreshingly honest”, according to the Guardian. But maybe with just a touch of sour grapes added? McIlroy, whose honesty in public is one of his most endearing qualities, said: “I’m just happy to be part of that group of 16. I think the reason it is like this, fields are much deeper. Partly because the guys have just got better and have worked hard; they are putting more into …

Tour de France 2012: Allez, allez!

Pete Baker on July 22, 2012, 4:09 pm

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Barring outrageous fortune, Bradley Wiggins will become the first ever British winner of the Tour de France this afternoon. It’s been a dominant performance by Wiggins and Team Sky, emphasised by his stamping his authority on this year’s race with a second stage win in yesterday’s 53.5km individual time trial. That result, 1 minute 16 seconds ahead of his second-placed team-mate, the Kenyan-born British rider, Chris Froome, silenced the critics who had speculated that Froome, who will finish second overall, was the stronger …

Image of Britishness for a billion Olympics viewers worldwide

Brian Walker on June 12, 2012, 12:15 pm

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Danny Boyle’s set for Olympics Opening Ceremony unveils a pastoral theme of Britishness. (I don’t dare reproduce the model of the transformed stadium for fear of the wrath of the IOC, but you can find it via the link). We’ll have to wait to see what the award winning director of Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire does with his 157 rehearsals for the cast of hundreds including farm animals and a budget of £27 million. The Mail’s snap verdict is it looks more …

“Such arrangements are commonplace in cross-border rail operations across Europe.”

Pete Baker on April 17, 2012, 4:12 pm

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As the BBC reports, Belfast-based freelance journalist Michael Fisher has taken exception to the terms and conditions of an Iarnród Éireann competition “to win an amazing trip for two with a difference to see Ireland’s three group games in Euro 2012 this June”. Well, one condition in particular – “Applicants must be 18 years of age or over, and must be resident in the Republic of Ireland” [added emphasis]. From Michael Fisher’s Border Rambler blog This is a clear case of discrimination, where marketing …

ICC World Twenty20 Final to expand to 16 teams

Pete Baker on April 17, 2012, 1:47 pm

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Not that Ireland’s cricketers struggled to qualify for this year’s final tournament in Sri Lanka, but the path to the 2014 World Twenty20 finals in Bangladesh has been eased by the ICC Board’s confirmation that “from 2014 onwards, the number of teams participating in the ICC World T20 from 12 to 16 men’s teams.” From the Irish Times report The decision, which will make qualification for Ireland and other association members easier, was confirmed this morning by ICC chief executive Haroon …

Billabong XXL 2012 Big Wave Awards

Pete Baker on April 4, 2012, 5:16 pm

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Here are some scary fun videos… As the Irish Times reports, two of the five nominations for the Billabong XXL 2012 Biggest Wave award were surfed at Mullaghmore Head, County Sligo, on March 8th. The category carries a $15,000 prize. Here are the nominees. As the Irish Times adds The other nominees in the category are Garrett McNamara’s huge wave at Priaia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal last November, Basque surfer Axi Muniain’s ride at Agiti, Spain in November and Damien “Taco” …

ICC World Twenty20 2012 Qualifier Final

Pete Baker on March 24, 2012, 2:11 pm

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Both Ireland and Afghanistan have qualified for Sri Lanka, and Ireland have already played one match today, but hopefully the final will be a close game. Afghanistan won the toss and decided to bat. Live text ball-by-ball commentary here. Adds Or, thanks to John below, watch it live here. Afghanistan 152 for 7 from 20 overs. Update Afghanistan made 152 from their 20 overs. Not as high a total as they were threatening, thanks to a spirited bowling and fielding performance by Ireland. Key moment being …

ICC World Twenty20 2012 Qualifier Tournament

Pete Baker on March 23, 2012, 6:15 pm

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After defeating the Netherlands by seven wickets in Dubai, Ireland’s cricketers are just one win away from a final showdown with Afghanistan in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament. Getting to the final would also secure a place in the World Twenty20 2012 in Sri Lanka in September. To get there, though, they need to beat Namibia, who lost to Afghanistan by 47 runs in an earlier preliminary final. Namibia are also the only team to have defeated Ireland in the qualifying tournament to date. That, however, was in …

“This is [partitionist] provocation in the extreme…”

Pete Baker on March 21, 2012, 4:05 pm

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The sensitive souls at the Armagh GAA County Board have, apparently, issued a statement of complaint in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat to Laois – when their captain was sent-off for allegedly kicking a Laois player during the half-time interval. The RTÉ report notes A statement from the Armagh County Board has claimed that its players were subjected to “racist and personal abuse” during the Allianz NFL game with Laois on Sunday last. The board are angry that the “partitionist provocation” …