Michael Murphy help me repair a broken heart

The last time Donegal played Derry in an Ulster final this blogger decided, in his childhood bewilderment, to stay at home and watch his favourite ever golfer, Justin Rose, try to win the British Open as an amateur. Rose's story is an example of just how much of a struggle professional sport is. His fourth place finish as a 17 year old is still his best major finish; Young Tom Lewis take note.

Alas, if witnessing Rose’s efforts fall short was disappointing, Joe Brolly's last minute goal was too much for one 8 year old to take, and he promptly stormed off to his room. Whilst big Geoffrey McGonigle will be long remembered in the McDaid household (he came off the bench to set up the goal), Brolly holds a place alongside greats like Will Greenwood, scorer of England’s last try in their grand slam win in Dublin; John Higgins, victor over Doherty in the 1998 world snooker final; Paul Scholes who scored the goal that killed Newcastle United’s chances of winning the ‘99 FA Cup final; and Tarzan O'Brien, for the audacity of taking an FAI Cup off Finn Harps. All people who have brought tears to my eyes and taught me a valuable life lesson; sport is a heartless bitch.

Both Donegal and Derry come into this game with not only the opportunity to win the Ulster title, but to set down the marker that September truly beckons for this team. A Derry win, minus the two Bradleys, would strike fear into most teams. Another win for Donegal's "system" will have managers all over the country wondering how to overcome a sleeper hold. With the losers to face Meath or Kildare, the second chance does not look too appetizing. Those of you expecting a classic, look away now.

Why racing really love A.P. McCoy

I was told once or twice with our new sports blog to stay relevant and do pieces which are current. Bear with me then while I go right off track. I write about a man (I think he’s human) who hasn’t appeared in a paper since Punchestown or Aintree at the end of last season, other than his much deserved OBE and the regular coverage in the Racing Post. Trust me to cover a jumps jockey whose main time in the limelight is in winter and spring. I do it for a reason. I still feel people outside ‘racing’ think A.P. McCoy won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year because of a campaign within racing for all to vote and maybe not on merit. It may be true that the racing community; bookmaker to broadcaster, stable hand to steward and punter to pundit all got behind A P McCoy for SPOTY. It was a unique moment when racing were united, such is the overwhelming appreciation of the man within the sport.

I would strongly argue however McCoy won SPOTY on merit. The 15 times champion jockey is loved though not for his major victories, but for the relentless success he pursues and achieves all through the year, even in the quiet summer days of national hunt racing. I bring the subject of McCoy’s brilliance to the fore now because I feel he does not get the recognition for his day to day supremacy.  A.P.’s genius is not lost on betting shop punters and those who work in the industry full time. They see his work most days. McCoy works to the joy of punters, the detriment of bookies and often provides the highlight of the day with another great ride. The common conversation, ‘how did he win on that?’

The word of the Lord

Obviously for GAA fans, this time of the year represents the climax of the sporting summer. However in non-world cup years, the end of Wimbledon symbolises the end of the sporting season for those only interested in “foreign” games. English county cricket and even the golfing majors are a poor substitute for the weekly excitement of the rugby and soccer terms.

This author was somewhat depressed to find himself without any sport to watch. However hope shines eternal. Peter, the gaffer of the blog, had written a wonderful piece on the Tour de France. His article deciphered the lexicon of the sport, so I decided to give it a go. Tuesday was the tenth stage of the tour: Aurillac to Carmaux, a 160 kilometre race.

The event was every bit as exhilarating as described. Mavericks racing ahead - only to be gobbled up by the waiting pack (the peloton), riders who dropped from the peloton fell into metaphorical black holes never to trouble the leaders again. The sport seems to require mental brawn to match the riders’ physical strength.

 The tactics and nous of the teams and their sprinters in the final 250 metres created a finish worthy of deciding any sporting event. Mark Cavendish was beaten by less than a metre by German, Andre Greipel. Considering that the race lasted 160 kilometres, the winning distance was almost insignificant. However in cycling, as in all sport, first and second place are an ocean apart.

I was all set to write a cycling edition of the blog. First stop – the Guardian online service, to learn more. Once I clicked on the sporting homepage, an article jumped out at me: Clive Woodward setting fifteen minimum standards for British athletes at the London games. Woodward, despite being at the helm for England’s only rugby world cup success, was always viewed as something of an oddity.  

Ming the Merciless

Think of the most influential basketball players of the past two decades. A number of obvious names come to mind. Kobe Bryant. Shaquille O'Neill. Magic Johnson. The incomparable Michael Jordan. However, in years to come, one name may loom larger than any of them: Yao Ming.

Prior to his alleged retirement this week, Yao had a relatively unimpressive career compared to the three mentioned above. He had a few good seasons in the NBA, followed by a period where injuries pursued him, limiting his later success. His retirement this week, at the age of 30 is relatively young in a sport where pros often continue well into their thirties. The Houston Rockets didn't exactly burn up the courts during his tenure, repeated playoff appearances failing to generate more. On the court, he was more notable for his physical attributes (at 7'6" he was the tallest player in the NBA) than for being exceptionally skilful. And yet, Yao will be remembered as a trailblazer for both basketball and Chinese sportsmen.

Consider Chinese sports at the moment. In the 2008 Olympics, the team took 51 gold medals, the best score for the tournament. However, most of these were for more obscure sports, and the country's attempts to break into the top ranks have yet to become entrenched. Only Liu Xiang, who managed the Big Three in hurdling (World Record, World Champion and Olympic Gold), has really established himself as a Chinese athletic superstar. Now consider team sports. China isn't in the world's top 50 football teams. Baseball struggles against the fact that it was banned for much of modern Chinese history. Rugby and cricket, while growing in popularity, are still outsider activities in the extreme. And yet, in basketball, China has been improving consistently over the past ten years, and would expect to reach at least the quarter-finals in both the Olympics and the FIBA World Championships as a matter of course. Domestically, the sport has exploded. Much of the credit can be laid at the door of Yao Ming.

Rugby Ramblings

The past weekend saw the inaugural final of the Super 15 with the impressive Queensland Reds beating the homeless Canterbury Crusaders. The Reds have seen a complete reversal in their fortunes since Ewan McKenzie took over as head coach two seasons ago. They’ve gone from being a bit of a soft touch and a consistently underperforming franchise to being the side which plays some scintillating rugby where pace and power are key components. The Reds only a few seasons ago were the worst of the Australian teams, the Waratahs and the formerly imperious Brumbies were streets ahead not only in terms of results but also in terms of the support they received from their home states.

Their success is down to hard work and dedication. Where the team’s players used to have a reputation for boozing in the Brisbane nightclubs the no nonsense McKenzies has turned them into one of the Super 15’s fittest and most hardworking squads. Talent plays no small part in the success too. In Quade Cooper and Will Genia the Reds have, in my opinion the world’s best half back pairing, certainly in club rugby. Indeed from an Irish context you’d hope that Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip were taking notes. These two Aussie young bucks will cause us immense problems at RWC11 unless there is a smart plan put in place to nullify their threat. If ever there was a case for including the underrated Shane Jennings in the World Cup squad they are it, Jennings playing on the openside would thrive in a defensive battle against these two guys, and it would also leave O’Brien free to play in his best position on the blindside. Having said all that, to concentrate solely on these two guys would be folly. Digby Ioane, Kurtley Beale, Matt Giteau and James O’Connor all possess the talent to rip open the world’s best defensive systems and for that reason the showdown on the 17th September in Auckland between Ireland and the Wallabies has the potential to be one of the games of the tournament. 

It’s a wide Open in Sandwich

Heavy machinery was at the forefront in both golf tournaments last weekend with John Deere sponsoring the USPGA tournament in Illinois and diggers and trucks being brought in to clean up a landslide in Inverness as Luke Donald won the Scottish Open. This was Donald’s third win of the year and further cements his place at the top of the rankings. Across the pond, Steve Stricker won his third John Deere classic in a row as he birdied the final two holes having let his lead slip earlier in the day, eventually winning by one shot from Kyle Stanley. Stanley was in the group ahead of Stricker and was one shot ahead on the 18^th tee. He took a 2 iron, with safety in mind, and sliced into the trees. He hit an impressive 9 iron out of trouble into the greenside bunker, chipped to 8ft and missed his par putt. Stricker hit a wood off the tee into the fairway bunker on the left and clipped a glorious 6 iron out just off the back of the green about 15ft away and proceeded to roll in the putt. Stricker called on all his experience over the final two holes whereas 23 year-old Stanley simply couldn’t handle the pressure. There is no shame in this and he will surely learn from this near miss. If he keeps putting himself in winning positions then it will click for him in the future.

                                                     Just ask 22 year-old Rory McIlroy who heads up the betting in this week’s Open Championship at 7/1. With Tiger a no-show all the golfing eyes of the world will be firmly focussed on the Holywood wunderkid. This will be his first tournament since his historic US Open victory and he has enjoyed himself since then, spotted in the royal box at Wimbledon and ringside at the Klitschko-Haye mismatch. He probably wouldn’t have gained much from playing in the weather shortened Scottish Open and he must surely be one of the freshest men in the field. However, he has more pressure than ever before resting on his shoulders because of the emphatic manner of his victory in Congressional. Golf is crying out for a new poster child and while the likes of Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson have flattered to deceive, McIlroy learned from his Masters misery and romped the second major of the year. The top two in the world (Donald and Westwood) have won zero majors between them and one can’t help but feel that the tournament lacks something by not having the world number 17 (Tiger) competing this week. The 3 time Open champion is still not 100% fit following knee surgery and his caddie, Steve Williams, will be on Adam Scotts’ bag. The Woods-McIlroy debate has been in full swing since the Us Open and this blogger has aired his opinion on this matter before, believing that he is too short to back for success in Kent. Jack Nicklaus has also called for calm and believes that it is far too early to be pronouncing McIlroy as a ‘great’ just yet, "Don't anoint him the crown prince just yet," Nicklaus told BBC Radio 5 live. "He has only just won his first major.When he wins two, three or four you can say this is the guy to watch."

                                                      Royal St George is not a straightforward course and be extremely unforgiving, even by links standards. Tee shots can pitch in the centre of the fairway and take an extreme bounce and end up in trouble and if the wind picks up then we can expect the links experts to come to the fore. Therefore, my recommendation is to go for Sergio Garcia ew at 30/1 at ¼ of the odds for the first 7 places. He has been there or thereabouts in Open’s before most notably when losing a playoff to Harrington. He has been brilliant tee to green of late, finishing 7^th in the Us Open and losing out in a playoff to fellow country Pablo Larrazabal in Munich two weeks later. His putting is his achilles heel but I believe that of all the Open is the least testing of all the majors as far as putting is concerned. The greens are usually slower than those that are found stateside and the biggest asset that any golfer can have in the Open is imagination. We will see players putting from miles off the green and hitting plenty of knock down shots when the wind picks up. Garcia has creativity and imagination is spades and is cracking each way value. If he can convert a higher percentage of putts from 6-12 feet than he has done so far this season then he could well be drinking out of the claret jug next Sunday night.

Weather plays a Big Role in Sports this Weekend!!

I didn’t think I would ever write one of these blogs about the weather, but it will be a big part in two big sporting events. The Scottish Open has been cut to three rounds after heavy storms made the beautiful course at Castle Stuart look ugly.  Players who had a favourable draw for tee-times, like McDowell, Jamieson and Whiteford made the course look easy, but when the weather attacked play was disrupted and the players distracted. Another  big event is the F1 this weekend at Silverstone, an exciting qualifying centred around the limiting of ‘off-throttle blowing of the diffuser’, which allows for extra down force and grip around corners, but in the end it didn’t make much difference to Red Bull…. P1 and P2. The weather however did affect McLaren and they weren’t able to put in a final fast lap to help improve their positions in ‘Qualifying 3’.