Sport – Page 6 – Slugger O'Toole

The ‘psychic’ octopus was right!

Pete Baker on July 7, 2010, 10:03 pm

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As predicted by Paul, the ‘psychic’ octopus, Spain overcame an impressive German team via a single goal from the head of Puyol. RTÉ match report here. Sunday’s FIFA World Cup Final will now see the Spanish side take on the Netherlands. Here’s RussiaToday’s report of that prediction. On rumours that the eight-tentacled wonder had gone into hiding following reported death threats, The Spoof tells us that residents of Newby, Isle of Wight, have been sworn to secrecy… And I, for one, welcome our new cephalopod overlords… …

Quote of the Week

Pete Baker on July 3, 2010, 12:14 pm

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At the very least. As identified by the observant Miriam Lord Quote of the week from former Republic of Ireland manager, Brian Kerr, discussing the massive salary paid to England manager Fabio Capello with Vincent Browne on his TV show. Brian, who is in charge of the Faroe Islands, joked that he pulls in twice as much money “and free puffin thrown in for me dinner every day as well!” Heh. Pete Baker

Third cricket club targeted by vandals

Pete Baker on July 2, 2010, 10:11 pm

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A third cricket club in County Londonderry has been targeted by vandals in the past week. The playing surfaces of a number of pitches have been destroyed in the attacks. Police said they have not yet established whether there is a link between the three attacks, but have asked people who live near sports grounds to watch out for any suspicious activity. Pete Baker

England: “We’re sh!t and we know we are…”

Mick Fealty on June 28, 2010, 11:24 am

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The average England soccer fan has a strange love hate relationship with the serial failure of their international football team to win anything much since Wembly 1966. “It will really teach us a lesson” quipped one caller on Nicky Campbell phone in on BBC Radio Five Live this morning. Er, no actually. If there was any chance of that, you’d have learned something since you started serially beating up your managers, starting with Don Revie back in 1974. Even the sainted …

When England are smashed, take comfort in Northern Ireland

Brian Walker on June 28, 2010, 10:57 am

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I’m old fashioned enough to support England casually as the big team, when the tiddlers have been eliminated in the qualifiers. Those Irish – unionists among them, I know – who put England last rather than support England second are sad bastards as far as I’m concerned. But I have to say that Northern Ireland qualifying twice in my life time has given me more pleasure than the entire England record, bar watching the disputed England victory in 1966 in the …

The ‘Englezes’ V ‘The Boche’ and our complex ties with ‘de udder’ island

ItwasSammyMcNally on June 27, 2010, 1:49 pm

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This afternoon at 3pm and the latest round of the conflict will kick off when the old war and soccer-ball adversaries take to the football field. Perhaps the bestest football chant of all time Two world wars and one world cup provides the sporting and historical context for the tie – although the damned Boche might quibble that the chant needs updating to take account of their 1970 and 1990 World Cup victories over their deadliest rivals. And we can …

Schadenfreude

Pete Baker on June 22, 2010, 10:25 pm

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France exited the World Cup with a 2-1 loss to hosts South Africa after being reduced to ten men 26 minutes into the game. The French finished bottom of their group and, unfortunately, South Africa also failed to progress. From The Guardian Sports Blog’s Amy Lawrence La fin. Let the discredits roll. Let Les Bleus depart the total shambles that they are. Their World Cup 2010 experience has been so unfathomably awful, it is hard to know where to begin with the inquest. A …

McDowell takes golf’s crown

Brian Walker on June 21, 2010, 9:03 am

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It’s a small family legend that at the age of two in 1951, I interrupted a crucial putt in the sole British Open to be played at Royal Portrush with the cry: “What’s that man doing Daddy?” Hundreds of others probably tell the same story. That’s my sole personal link with Portrush’s Graeme McDowell who has just snatched victory in the US Open. To an ingoramus like me, he seemed to come from nowhere, after years of agonising from British …

World Cup: Come on England, Spain… Er, anyone but Brazil, Germany, etc…..

Mick Fealty on June 9, 2010, 9:14 am

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Try as hard as I might, I cannot get worked up about this World Cup. But then having foolish chosen to follow Manchester City in my late primary school days (late sixties/early seventies), the experience of watching English soccer has always been more bitter than sweet for me. But Alberto from Tweetminster (who is looking forward to it) pointed me in the direction of this post of Chris’s which quotes research outlining how nations play football almost in a stereotypical …

Building on the Rugby success of the Ireland team(s)

ItwasSammyMcNally on June 4, 2010, 9:44 am

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It is understandable to view the 09/10 Irish rugby season as bit of a disappointment. No Heineken Cup win, no Grandslam and not even a trifling Triple Crown or a measly Magners league title. Ulster in particular, have had a difficult season vying at the business end of the season with Connacht for the third and last Heineken Cup slot. Of course Ireland did beat the World Champions South Africa back in November and Munster, Leinster and Connacht made their …

A row over two (not one, but two) symbols…

Mick Fealty on May 20, 2010, 10:17 am

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I’m not sure there is anything that underlines the current stasis in the new Peace Process™ more than this story of PSNI widow Kate Carroll, who has been trying to raise funds for a trip to the US. The Belfast Telegraph reports: …the fundraising effort has been hampered by people refusing to sign the sponsor form — because it carries both the PSNI and GAA logos. “It’s ridiculous. This has left me in tears,” said Kate, whose husband Stephen was …

Photograph of the Day – Coming in for a rough landing

Moochin Photoman on May 9, 2010, 9:43 am

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Moochin PhotomanPhotographer and visual artist based in Belfast. I have facilitated community based workshops with groups as diverse as visually impaired individuals in Dungannn, Travellers across Northern Ireland, Young Offenders and many community groups across Belfast. My work has exhibited extensively here in Northern Ireland in group and individual shows and has been shown in North America and i had my first solo international exhibition in New Zealand. I have been the recipient of a number of grants from the …

World Twenty20: “Just play on. Jesus, it’s only rain.”

Pete Baker on May 8, 2010, 11:48 am

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At the Guardian’s sports blog Dara O’Briain reflects on the outcome of the most important sporting event of the week – the rain-affected World Twenty20 clash between Ireland and England. From the Guardian blog Well, where do we begin? Generations of division; the Dark Burden of History; all this to be finally addressed with the use of willow and ball. Or it would have been, but there was some rain and according to the rules, that meant England went through. Now, …

World Twenty20: Ireland v England

Pete Baker on May 4, 2010, 6:18 pm

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As I mentioned last night, the West Indies rain-assisted win over England provides the slightest glimmer of hope for Ireland to progress to the next stage of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup. If they can beat England… If the match actually takes place… The rain at Providence, Guyana, has already intervened in the first match of the day. Which side Duckworth/Lewis will benefit as Ireland take on England is anybody’s guess. Match due to start at 6.30pm. Ireland win the toss …

World Twenty20: Ireland Life-line From Rain Delayed Windies Win

Pete Baker on May 3, 2010, 10:59 pm

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In the second match in Ireland’s group in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup England posted an impressive first innings total of 191 from 20 overs – including a fine 55 from 35 balls by former Ireland batsman Eoin Morgan [*ahem* – Ed]. The Windies openers started strongly, making 30 from 2.2 overs, before rain stopped play. When they resumed, the Duckworth/Lewis calculation deemed that a less-than-challenging target of 60 from 6 overs would be sufficient for victory. Still, it wasn’t until …

ICC World Twenty20 2010

Pete Baker on April 30, 2010, 5:06 pm

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Ireland’s honourable performance in last year’s tournament may be a dim, and happy, memory but tonight they face this year’s Twenty20 Cricket World Cup host’s, the West Indies, under floodlights at Providence, Guyana – start time 1700 local (2100 GMT/2200 BST). As the BBC preview notes, the opening game will see New Zealand take on Sri Lanka (1800 BST). It’s a return to the scene of Ireland’s breakthrough in world cricket, the 2007 World Cup, and the Guardian has a good article on Ireland’s ambition and the investment …

“They can slaughter pigs for fun, but making pretty shapes with the bladder is a bit of a mystery.”

Pete Baker on March 2, 2010, 2:45 am

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At the Telegraph’s sports blog, Kiwi Eric Janssen has a question about the weekend Six Nations rugby Will Greenwood wrote on Saturday that he believed Brian O’Driscoll was Ireland’s defensive weak link. Did Paul O’Connell agree and therefore kick his captain in the head? We demand to know! Heh.And from the always consistent Eddie Butler at the Guardian England and Wales need some therapy, but Scotland must be on the verge of being sectioned. Andy Robinson, their coach, is obsessive …

“As the slogan says: Citius, altius, slidius, positive discriminatius.”

Pete Baker on February 27, 2010, 6:46 pm

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I’d been looking for an excuse to link to Dara O’Briain’s Guardian Sports Blog. And this is as good an excuse as any. This week he’s cheering the Irish bobsleigh team’s kicking Antipodean arse at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver after the Australians’ bid for inclusion threatened the Irish duo’s place in the competition. Over to you, Dara. This isn’t the big story of these Games – Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn and what may be an incredible men’s hockey final …

Honours even in Intercontinental Cup as Under-19s prepare for plate QF

Dave Hartin on January 22, 2010, 3:17 am

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Ireland’s senior and under-19 cricket sides are both in action in warmer climes at the moment: the 1st XI have resumed their ICC Intercontinental Cup schedule in Sri Lanka against a fast improving Afghanistan side while the juniors have been blooded against some of the best sides in the world in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. The seniors have had a reasonable first day after winning the toss and electing to bat in Dambulla. Porterfield, Wilson and Niall …

Harrington: No sympathy for Tiger…

Eamonn Mallie on December 20, 2009, 4:39 am

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Am I alone in being somewhat surprised at Padraig Harrington’s judgemental statement on Tiger Woods’s dilemma? Mr Harrington made it clear he had “no sympathy” for Tiger Woods. Speaking on RTE’s Late Late Show (30 mins in) he said Woods had chosen a ‘path’ clearly of which he is not approving. He did qualify his position in drawing attention to the fact that the allegations against Mr. Woods had not resulted in the death of anyone. It is arguable that …