Well if I was one of the 6 new sponsors of the GAA I would be getting a bit worried about my investment.
Following the strike, the stupid conclusion to the NHL season and the violence of statisticians (Good name for a Radiohead album that) you now have games being called off just before throw in.
To use a phrase rarely heard, you have to feel sorry for the Dublin supporters. They now have a sizable travelling support and they bring a real atmosphere to away games. They also follow the league better than most counties supporters do and bring in lots of cash for the county boards hosting them via gate receipts.
But their game with Armagh was called off yesterday, just 40 minutes before the scheduled start. Some people I know had arrived in Crossmaglen but had not yet paid in so at least were spared the extra insult of no refunds.
Everybody who had paid in will instead get free admission to the re-scheduled game, Wednesday week. An evening throw in. How convenient for all the Dubs!
Putting aside the fixture congestion and the difficulties for players the Dubs supporters are being very badly treated this year.
That is now three games called off. The pitch inspection was to be at 12 but the ref was late. That simply cannot be allowed to happen. Could he not phone ahead, get some other official to look at the pitch?
I know there will be a contingent of "good enough for em" begrudgers out there. The argument will be along the lines of " We travel up to Dublin for lots of games every year". But at least you see a game, usually in Croker, which is a fantastic stadium.
It used to be said that the GAA was an amateur organisation run by professionals and that the FAI was the opposite. Lets hope the tables are not being turned. Is it too much to ask to have them both operating professionally
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Promotion problems...
Every year there is a really crap team in the Premier League.
It is the nature of the gap between the Championship and the top division that it is difficult enough for the teams who win automatic promotion. If you come through the play offs it is especially difficult.
We all love the play offs and if you can stomach the hype that Sky put on it of it being "the most valuable game in world football, 30 million for the winners etc" it is usually a really entertaining game.
But the team that makes it up will rarely succeed. 9 of the last 15 Championship play off winners have gone straight back down, and Derby have now made it 10 out of 16.
Most of those 10 make a better fist of it than Derby have all the same. One win, 23 defeats and 16 goals scored. Roque Santa Cruz has scored 14 Premier League goals for Blackburn, Ronaldo has scored 9 more than the entire Derby team.
Paul Jewell, who it seems may have had other matters on his mind than football this season (Google him and "video" if you have not seen the tabloids) has not been able to turn the team around and has admitted he was building for next season from the time he took the job.
He took the job in November for God's sake. There are a bunch of teams now who visit the Premier League for a year, like Irish people going to Australia, and it is the summit of their ambitions.
And like Irish people they would like to stay longer but they can't do it in the end.
Looking at the top 6 in the Championship this year you would be worried about their ability to stay up in the Premier League. Bristol City, Stoke and Hull would be new names to the Premier League. All have good managers and deserve a shot but it is a million to one shot for them to stay up.
West Brom, Watford and Wolves are old hands at this promotion lark. Problem is they are dab hands at relegation too.
An 18 team Premier League would be best for all concerned, raising the standard and reducing the number of games.
However there is more chance of Hull winning the Premier League next year than chairmen voting for that.
It is the nature of the gap between the Championship and the top division that it is difficult enough for the teams who win automatic promotion. If you come through the play offs it is especially difficult.
We all love the play offs and if you can stomach the hype that Sky put on it of it being "the most valuable game in world football, 30 million for the winners etc" it is usually a really entertaining game.
But the team that makes it up will rarely succeed. 9 of the last 15 Championship play off winners have gone straight back down, and Derby have now made it 10 out of 16.
Most of those 10 make a better fist of it than Derby have all the same. One win, 23 defeats and 16 goals scored. Roque Santa Cruz has scored 14 Premier League goals for Blackburn, Ronaldo has scored 9 more than the entire Derby team.
Paul Jewell, who it seems may have had other matters on his mind than football this season (Google him and "video" if you have not seen the tabloids) has not been able to turn the team around and has admitted he was building for next season from the time he took the job.
He took the job in November for God's sake. There are a bunch of teams now who visit the Premier League for a year, like Irish people going to Australia, and it is the summit of their ambitions.
And like Irish people they would like to stay longer but they can't do it in the end.
Looking at the top 6 in the Championship this year you would be worried about their ability to stay up in the Premier League. Bristol City, Stoke and Hull would be new names to the Premier League. All have good managers and deserve a shot but it is a million to one shot for them to stay up.
West Brom, Watford and Wolves are old hands at this promotion lark. Problem is they are dab hands at relegation too.
An 18 team Premier League would be best for all concerned, raising the standard and reducing the number of games.
However there is more chance of Hull winning the Premier League next year than chairmen voting for that.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Old Firm football
Just finished watching the Rangers vs Celtic match on Setanta.
I rarely watch Scottish football. It seems there is always something better on, like repeats of Jake and the Fatman or an all new "Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old"
But I thought what the hell, lets watch it, this should be as good as it gets for Scottish football.
Oh dear, if this is as good as it gets then they may as well shut the entire operation down.
I know derbies generally don't produce great football, and the Old Firm is hardly "El Clasico" but still. Jesus.
Rangers won 1-0. Celtic hardly had a shot on goal. Neither did Rangers. When the stand out players are Samaras, Dailly and Davis, all of whom were not missed when they sloped out of the Premier Lague, you know it is a poor game.
The atmosphere was good, dont think I would want to be there but the noise was phenomenal. That does not make it a good game though.
Rangers would seem to have the title in the bag now, and they progress on in the UEFA cup. They look to be on top now in Scotland and while that will dismay many Irish fans they should be more worried about Aiden McGeady.
While Damien Duff's career seems to be on its way down we need McGeady out of Celtic and playing at a higher level than this. He looked frustrated today and a move for him in the summer is more important to any real Irish fan than how Celtic are doing.
I rarely watch Scottish football. It seems there is always something better on, like repeats of Jake and the Fatman or an all new "Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old"
But I thought what the hell, lets watch it, this should be as good as it gets for Scottish football.
Oh dear, if this is as good as it gets then they may as well shut the entire operation down.
I know derbies generally don't produce great football, and the Old Firm is hardly "El Clasico" but still. Jesus.
Rangers won 1-0. Celtic hardly had a shot on goal. Neither did Rangers. When the stand out players are Samaras, Dailly and Davis, all of whom were not missed when they sloped out of the Premier Lague, you know it is a poor game.
The atmosphere was good, dont think I would want to be there but the noise was phenomenal. That does not make it a good game though.
Rangers would seem to have the title in the bag now, and they progress on in the UEFA cup. They look to be on top now in Scotland and while that will dismay many Irish fans they should be more worried about Aiden McGeady.
While Damien Duff's career seems to be on its way down we need McGeady out of Celtic and playing at a higher level than this. He looked frustrated today and a move for him in the summer is more important to any real Irish fan than how Celtic are doing.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Its over
While it is painful to admit, the Premier League title is over for another year. Barring a collapse, which United have never had under Ferguson, they will win their 10th Premier League title in 16 years.
They have some difficult games left. Villa at the weekend are tough and have a good record against United, plus the visit of Arsenal and a trip to Stamford Bridge mean that Ferguson will not be celebrating yet.
But inside his underground lair, as he wakes up in his tarten lined coffin, he knows it is in the bag.
Over his morning cup of warm goats blood he will reflect on a year where he saw off two Chelsea managers, one after just a few games, the other sure to go in the summer.
As his completes his morning Suduko puzzle and strokes his large white cat, fondly called Keane after his favourite lieutenant, he will surely be glad to have driven Wenger to further fury as his team now combine almost as much skill as Arsenal but with a steely defence that Wenger's men have not possessed for 4 seasons now.
A contented Ferguson turns to look at the painting on the wall of Brian Kidd, now aged beyond recognition to ensure Ferguson stays young, and he will recall how he has bought well this season, Nani and Anderson both have added to the team at vital times and Tevez gives them huge flexibility when it comes to picking an attacking unit.
The mirror returns no reflection but in the bathroom brushing his fags he can see on the wall the picture on the 1999 Champions League winners and one of his three hearts skips a beat as he realises he has the best squad left in the competition, will not face English opposition until the final and that this is his best chance yet to emulate Busby.
Before he goes to the garage to fire up one of his four pimped out broomsticks for the short flight to Carrington for training he decides that his greatest achievement this season is the special powers he has bestowed on Ronaldo, enabling him to score more goals than some teams have in the Premier League this season. The sacrifice on top on the Pennines of John O'Shea and Darren Fletcher was worth it after all.
Soaring above the ground he has ruled for almost 22 years now Ferguson lets out a supremely evil laugh, tucks his tail in to stop it getting caught on landing and lands just in time to give Louis Saha the full hairdryer treatment off for arriving to work without his full body armour on.
Life for the undead was good.
They have some difficult games left. Villa at the weekend are tough and have a good record against United, plus the visit of Arsenal and a trip to Stamford Bridge mean that Ferguson will not be celebrating yet.
But inside his underground lair, as he wakes up in his tarten lined coffin, he knows it is in the bag.
Over his morning cup of warm goats blood he will reflect on a year where he saw off two Chelsea managers, one after just a few games, the other sure to go in the summer.
As his completes his morning Suduko puzzle and strokes his large white cat, fondly called Keane after his favourite lieutenant, he will surely be glad to have driven Wenger to further fury as his team now combine almost as much skill as Arsenal but with a steely defence that Wenger's men have not possessed for 4 seasons now.
A contented Ferguson turns to look at the painting on the wall of Brian Kidd, now aged beyond recognition to ensure Ferguson stays young, and he will recall how he has bought well this season, Nani and Anderson both have added to the team at vital times and Tevez gives them huge flexibility when it comes to picking an attacking unit.
The mirror returns no reflection but in the bathroom brushing his fags he can see on the wall the picture on the 1999 Champions League winners and one of his three hearts skips a beat as he realises he has the best squad left in the competition, will not face English opposition until the final and that this is his best chance yet to emulate Busby.
Before he goes to the garage to fire up one of his four pimped out broomsticks for the short flight to Carrington for training he decides that his greatest achievement this season is the special powers he has bestowed on Ronaldo, enabling him to score more goals than some teams have in the Premier League this season. The sacrifice on top on the Pennines of John O'Shea and Darren Fletcher was worth it after all.
Soaring above the ground he has ruled for almost 22 years now Ferguson lets out a supremely evil laugh, tucks his tail in to stop it getting caught on landing and lands just in time to give Louis Saha the full hairdryer treatment off for arriving to work without his full body armour on.
Life for the undead was good.
Managing the management
Looks like we are all set for a bit more Dublin back room staff controversy following the weekend's Parnell Park set to between Dublin and Monaghan.
Everybody knows that the craziest people involved in GAA are the back room teams. Some of them are so deranged they actually believe their team can win the All Ireland!
I am generalising here but they tend to be at the more extreme end of the GAA family. Most sane people play the game for a few years, maybe help out in the local club and that's it.
The lads who go on to be managers, mentors, coaches, particularly at inter county level, have to have a bit of madness in them. The commitment is enormous, the rewards minimal and the weather awful.
But without these mad bastards we would have no inter-county game so we should all be grateful for the failings of the mental health legislation.
It seems a member of the Dublin support staff did strike an opposition player so this is a serious new development. Pillar was involved in a harmless, if rather stupid incident, before the Kerry game last year and the last thing Dublin need is more pressure on them.
Dublin county board has now admitted an incident occurred and are disciplining the person internally.
In this era of massive back room teams, with everything from hypnotherapists to hydro therapists on the sidelines, the potential for someone losing the head and attacking an opponent is greater than ever.
The GAA continues to portray itself as a professional slick machine and in many ways it is. But when on field violence spreads from a schmozzle of players to a melee of management then serious action must be taken against both the individual and the county board.
Everybody knows that the craziest people involved in GAA are the back room teams. Some of them are so deranged they actually believe their team can win the All Ireland!
I am generalising here but they tend to be at the more extreme end of the GAA family. Most sane people play the game for a few years, maybe help out in the local club and that's it.
The lads who go on to be managers, mentors, coaches, particularly at inter county level, have to have a bit of madness in them. The commitment is enormous, the rewards minimal and the weather awful.
But without these mad bastards we would have no inter-county game so we should all be grateful for the failings of the mental health legislation.
It seems a member of the Dublin support staff did strike an opposition player so this is a serious new development. Pillar was involved in a harmless, if rather stupid incident, before the Kerry game last year and the last thing Dublin need is more pressure on them.
Dublin county board has now admitted an incident occurred and are disciplining the person internally.
In this era of massive back room teams, with everything from hypnotherapists to hydro therapists on the sidelines, the potential for someone losing the head and attacking an opponent is greater than ever.
The GAA continues to portray itself as a professional slick machine and in many ways it is. But when on field violence spreads from a schmozzle of players to a melee of management then serious action must be taken against both the individual and the county board.
In a league of their own
Well it seems everybody knew the Cork players strike would adversely affect the National Hurling League, except the GAA.
While they were busy selling off chunks of games to different broadcasters, negotiating with 6 different companies to get sponsorship money and designing a snazzy new logo the forgot about the games themselves.
As a result we now have Cork playing off against Waterford for a qualification spot in Division 1A but Wexford relegated in place of Dublin because of points difference, a system we were told would not be used due to the disparity in games played.
No one can deny Wexford deserve to be relegated and I would agree that Dublin are almost certainly the second best team in Leinster now. After a good start against Waterford, Wexford were awful in the rest of the campaign and if they had played better they would not be in this situation.
However the entire problem was caused by Cork, players and county board. They should not have been allowed back in to the league, and when they were, a points deduction should have been placed on them.
In recent years the league has improved in hurling and is a well established platform for teams to build on now, look at Waterford last year.
But this year a short sighted and frankly stupid dispute was dealt with in an inept way by Croke Park and all the other counties are being made to suffer.
Lets hope whoever Cork meet in the next round, Limerick or Tipp, they are knocked out and end the farce that is there involvement in this years National Hurling League.
While they were busy selling off chunks of games to different broadcasters, negotiating with 6 different companies to get sponsorship money and designing a snazzy new logo the forgot about the games themselves.
As a result we now have Cork playing off against Waterford for a qualification spot in Division 1A but Wexford relegated in place of Dublin because of points difference, a system we were told would not be used due to the disparity in games played.
No one can deny Wexford deserve to be relegated and I would agree that Dublin are almost certainly the second best team in Leinster now. After a good start against Waterford, Wexford were awful in the rest of the campaign and if they had played better they would not be in this situation.
However the entire problem was caused by Cork, players and county board. They should not have been allowed back in to the league, and when they were, a points deduction should have been placed on them.
In recent years the league has improved in hurling and is a well established platform for teams to build on now, look at Waterford last year.
But this year a short sighted and frankly stupid dispute was dealt with in an inept way by Croke Park and all the other counties are being made to suffer.
Lets hope whoever Cork meet in the next round, Limerick or Tipp, they are knocked out and end the farce that is there involvement in this years National Hurling League.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Wood you believe?
Tiger Woods won again at the weekend.
This is hardly news or even a surprise to anybody anymore.
However the run of form he is on now makes watching him even more enjoyable than ever before. Watching a true genius at work is always enjoyable.
Whether it was his enormous drives, his incredibly powerful ripped shots out of the rough or putts from huge distances there was always something in each round to make you gasp.
The great thing about Woods now is that he is stringing these moves together and absolutely destroying the best players in the world.
This weekend he was 7 off the lead after Friday. But two rounds of 66, crushes the resolve of the rest of the field and he wins by one stroke, following a massive putt on the 72nd hole for another birdie.
Now sport is nothing without uncertainty. If the result is pre-determined it is no fun, that's why the WWE isn't covered by Paddy Power.
And of all games golf is one where a single mistake, over 4 days, can knock you out of contention. Which makes it unbearably difficult to play but usually fascinating to watch, a sort of high wire act in a brightly coloured jumper and slacks. So while Woods seems invincible it is still worth watching.
The US Masters is on in 3 weeks. Woods is evens to win it. The next is Mickeson at 8/1. Evens in a race with 70 competitors over one of the toughest golf courses in the world. He is 5/4 for the US open in July and 6/1 for the Grand Slam. These are WWE type odds.
I don't mean that these odds are not justified, without doubt he is miles ahead of everybody else in the world. But watching to see if he can do the Slam could be the sporting highlight of the year, ahead of Euro 2008 and the Olympics.
I can't wait.....
This is hardly news or even a surprise to anybody anymore.
However the run of form he is on now makes watching him even more enjoyable than ever before. Watching a true genius at work is always enjoyable.
Whether it was his enormous drives, his incredibly powerful ripped shots out of the rough or putts from huge distances there was always something in each round to make you gasp.
The great thing about Woods now is that he is stringing these moves together and absolutely destroying the best players in the world.
This weekend he was 7 off the lead after Friday. But two rounds of 66, crushes the resolve of the rest of the field and he wins by one stroke, following a massive putt on the 72nd hole for another birdie.
Now sport is nothing without uncertainty. If the result is pre-determined it is no fun, that's why the WWE isn't covered by Paddy Power.
And of all games golf is one where a single mistake, over 4 days, can knock you out of contention. Which makes it unbearably difficult to play but usually fascinating to watch, a sort of high wire act in a brightly coloured jumper and slacks. So while Woods seems invincible it is still worth watching.
The US Masters is on in 3 weeks. Woods is evens to win it. The next is Mickeson at 8/1. Evens in a race with 70 competitors over one of the toughest golf courses in the world. He is 5/4 for the US open in July and 6/1 for the Grand Slam. These are WWE type odds.
I don't mean that these odds are not justified, without doubt he is miles ahead of everybody else in the world. But watching to see if he can do the Slam could be the sporting highlight of the year, ahead of Euro 2008 and the Olympics.
I can't wait.....
Going down.....
While things are getting tight at the top of the Premier League, so tight in fact Liverpool are being talked up now of being back in it, things at the bottom are more snug than Mido in a freshly washed Boro shirt.
The bottom eight are all in trouble, and with Derby already doomed as the worst team to ever play in the Premier League, there are only 8 points between Fulham in 19th and Wigan in 12th
In their own way they all deserve to go down;
Wigan have a dreadful pitch. And Titus Bramble.
Middlesbrough have been consistently the most boring team in the Premier League for years now.
Newcastle, too many to mention but lets go for Joey Barton for convenience.
Reading, for failing to invest in the summer to cement their position.
Birmingham for their dodgy accents. Yes I mean Scotttish accents.
Roy Keane's Sunderland for spending 40 Million and still being crap.
Bolton for Diouf and resting 11 players from a European game and still losing the league match they were saved for.
Fulham for the theft of Lawrie Sanchez, the purchase of the Northern Ireland squad and for now trying to be the USA team for some reason.
Derby. Goal Difference -50. Enough said.
I hope Roy Keane's Sunderland and Newcastle stay up. They are the most interesting but life is very unfair.
However nobody could predict how this will play out, but expect hours of terrible football, men with no shirts crying and Titus Bramble contriving to lose at least two games on his own.
From the bench.
The bottom eight are all in trouble, and with Derby already doomed as the worst team to ever play in the Premier League, there are only 8 points between Fulham in 19th and Wigan in 12th
In their own way they all deserve to go down;
Wigan have a dreadful pitch. And Titus Bramble.
Middlesbrough have been consistently the most boring team in the Premier League for years now.
Newcastle, too many to mention but lets go for Joey Barton for convenience.
Reading, for failing to invest in the summer to cement their position.
Birmingham for their dodgy accents. Yes I mean Scotttish accents.
Roy Keane's Sunderland for spending 40 Million and still being crap.
Bolton for Diouf and resting 11 players from a European game and still losing the league match they were saved for.
Fulham for the theft of Lawrie Sanchez, the purchase of the Northern Ireland squad and for now trying to be the USA team for some reason.
Derby. Goal Difference -50. Enough said.
I hope Roy Keane's Sunderland and Newcastle stay up. They are the most interesting but life is very unfair.
However nobody could predict how this will play out, but expect hours of terrible football, men with no shirts crying and Titus Bramble contriving to lose at least two games on his own.
From the bench.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Shock to the system
Well we got what we wanted.
We have all begged for a change from the "big four" domination of the cup and now we have it.
The semi final line up is Portsmouth against West Brom and Barnsley versus Cardiff.
Three teams from outside the Premier League in the final four. Chelsea, United and Middlesbrough all knocked out in the quarter finals.
Fantastic.
So while people like us, who sat through all the available games on the BBC, will watch the semis and final, regardless of who is in them, the TV viewing figures for the two games at Wembley and the final will be interesting.
While the entire BBC Football presenting team was out and about at the weekend, you can bet that the managers back at base were not too pleased.
Last years final (Utd vs Chelsea) had peak viewing figures of 12.9 million.
2006 (Liverpool vs West Ham) had peak figures of 9 million despite being a far superior game to last years horror show.
While we may not care about the BBC and its figures the FA will.
Its showpiece game will not get close to those figures this year. Combine this with England's no show at Euro 2008 and the FA will be facing a bleak few months.
The FA cup is also aggresively marketed around the world. While I am sure there are a few West Brom and Cardiff fans in Africa and Asia, for most casual viewers, in Ireland, the UK and the rest of the world, there is no way they will tune into a game between two teams from the championship.
Why should we care?
Well the FA have meddled with the cup before, remember 2000 and the World Club Championship?
Don't be surprised if the campaign for Champions League teams to skip to the fourth round or abolition of replays to be floated before next years competition.
TV drives football these days. Settle down with a few beers on May 17th.
It could be the last "real" cup final
We have all begged for a change from the "big four" domination of the cup and now we have it.
The semi final line up is Portsmouth against West Brom and Barnsley versus Cardiff.
Three teams from outside the Premier League in the final four. Chelsea, United and Middlesbrough all knocked out in the quarter finals.
Fantastic.
So while people like us, who sat through all the available games on the BBC, will watch the semis and final, regardless of who is in them, the TV viewing figures for the two games at Wembley and the final will be interesting.
While the entire BBC Football presenting team was out and about at the weekend, you can bet that the managers back at base were not too pleased.
Last years final (Utd vs Chelsea) had peak viewing figures of 12.9 million.
2006 (Liverpool vs West Ham) had peak figures of 9 million despite being a far superior game to last years horror show.
While we may not care about the BBC and its figures the FA will.
Its showpiece game will not get close to those figures this year. Combine this with England's no show at Euro 2008 and the FA will be facing a bleak few months.
The FA cup is also aggresively marketed around the world. While I am sure there are a few West Brom and Cardiff fans in Africa and Asia, for most casual viewers, in Ireland, the UK and the rest of the world, there is no way they will tune into a game between two teams from the championship.
Why should we care?
Well the FA have meddled with the cup before, remember 2000 and the World Club Championship?
Don't be surprised if the campaign for Champions League teams to skip to the fourth round or abolition of replays to be floated before next years competition.
TV drives football these days. Settle down with a few beers on May 17th.
It could be the last "real" cup final
Friday, March 7, 2008
Indoor athletics
My mother always said don't run indoors.
Aside from the obvious risk of breaking a nice vase there is always the danger of tripping over the edge of the rug.
So I can only imagine how horrified she would be to tune it at the weekend and see the World indoor athletics championships.
Thing is she would probably be the only person tuning in, certainly from Ireland. While we hardly have a team like the US or the Chinese our few really class athletes are not attending.
Derval O'Rourke and David Gillick, probably our two best known and most talented track athletes have both pulled out of this years World Indoors.
Like vintage music shops, both have good records indoors and like Steven Spielberg, they are citing Beijing as the reason for withdrawal.
The merits of holding this event, less than 6 months before the Olympics has to be questioned. Gillick stated that there was no point peaking for the season in March with the Olympics in August.
The power of the Olympics is undiminished. Expect the papers to be full of horrendous training schedules that these people go through as the Olympics draws near.
In the build up to the Athens Olmpics the Irish Times ran a series on the preparation of the Irish rower, Sam Lynch. It was like a Human Rights Watch report about Guantanamo. I was knackered just reading it.
Without doubt these people love their sport, and are competing for the love of pitting themselves against the best in the world.
However that competition is not taking place in Valencia this weekend, it will be taking place in the Birds Nest Stadium in Beijing in August.
Aside from the obvious risk of breaking a nice vase there is always the danger of tripping over the edge of the rug.
So I can only imagine how horrified she would be to tune it at the weekend and see the World indoor athletics championships.
Thing is she would probably be the only person tuning in, certainly from Ireland. While we hardly have a team like the US or the Chinese our few really class athletes are not attending.
Derval O'Rourke and David Gillick, probably our two best known and most talented track athletes have both pulled out of this years World Indoors.
Like vintage music shops, both have good records indoors and like Steven Spielberg, they are citing Beijing as the reason for withdrawal.
The merits of holding this event, less than 6 months before the Olympics has to be questioned. Gillick stated that there was no point peaking for the season in March with the Olympics in August.
The power of the Olympics is undiminished. Expect the papers to be full of horrendous training schedules that these people go through as the Olympics draws near.
In the build up to the Athens Olmpics the Irish Times ran a series on the preparation of the Irish rower, Sam Lynch. It was like a Human Rights Watch report about Guantanamo. I was knackered just reading it.
Without doubt these people love their sport, and are competing for the love of pitting themselves against the best in the world.
However that competition is not taking place in Valencia this weekend, it will be taking place in the Birds Nest Stadium in Beijing in August.
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