Archive for January 6, 2013
If you don’t know German, you’d be forgiven for thinking “schmetterling” is a perfect word to describe a typical Celebrity Big Brother contestant. A non-entity that just schmetters through the house mumbling monosyllabic inanities and being generally annoying.
How sad that in the year 2013 a young sportsman should feel so acutely the sensitivities of faith and citizenship. Yet this is the desperate territory Rory McIlroy is asked to negotiate, a Catholic boy from Belfast, who played his amateur golf for Ireland yet travels on a British passport. It is an irony of sorts that golfballs were among the weapons discharged at police during rioting by loyalists in Belfast enraged at the lowering of the Union flag at City Hall.
Ian Bell rescued Ashley Giles from a humiliating international coaching debut but could not prevent England’s new year beginning with a whimpering 53-run defeat to India A in Delhi yesterday.
India have dropped star batsman Virender Sehwag for the first three one-day internationals against England this month.
If you don’t know German, you’d be forgiven for thinking “schmetterling” is a perfect word to describe a typical Celebrity Big Brother contestant. A non-entity that just schmetters through the house mumbling monosyllabic inanities and being generally annoying.
Ian Bell rescued Ashley Giles from a humiliating international coaching debut but could not prevent England’s new year beginning with a whimpering 53-run defeat to India A in Delhi yesterday.
India have dropped star batsman Virender Sehwag for the first three one-day internationals against England this month.
If the champagne was undeniably flat, it would be a mistake to draw ungenerous conclusions about the potency of the toast raised in its stead. For while his big rival at Naas yesterday was plainly not himself, the breakthrough success of Rule The World suggested that he could yet live up to his incautious christening.
How sad that in the year 2013 a young sportsman should feel so acutely the sensitivities of faith and citizenship. Yet this is the desperate territory Rory McIlroy is asked to negotiate, a Catholic boy from Belfast, who played his amateur golf for Ireland yet travels on a British passport. It is an irony of sorts that golfballs were among the weapons discharged at police during rioting by loyalists in Belfast enraged at the lowering of the Union flag at City Hall.
Carlos Tevez has warned Mario Balotelli not to make the same mistakes he did if the volatile Italian striker wants to salvage his Manchester City career.
Ross Hutchins, the world No 28 in doubles and a regular member of Britain’s Davis Cup team, has been diagnosed with cancer. The 27-year-old from Wimbledon revealed yesterday that he is suffering from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph glands.
Laura Robson seldom comes up against fellow teenagers these days, let alone one ranked higher than her, but the 18-year-old Briton had the misfortune to be drawn against one of the USA’s outstanding young talents in the first round of the Hobart International yesterday.
Jim Mallinder, the Northampton director of rugby, hailed an “important” win as the Saints overcame Exeter 30-19 in the Aviva Premiership on Saturday.
The parade of Gloucester greats who gathered at Kingsholm to remember the late club captain Mike Nicholls before London Irish’s 18-12 win in the Premiership saw a series of scrums that bore little relation to what the likes of Phil Blakeway and Mike Burton knew in the 1970s and 80s. Front rows buckling inwards due to mistimed “hits” and dodgy binding made for the usual resets and penalty awards.
Plans to play 36 holes at the weather-delayed Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii – the opening event on the PGA Tour calendar – looked bleak when the scheduled re-start was pushed back due to strong winds yesterday.
In the World Series finals at Queen’s Club in London yesterday, England’s Nick Matthew and Laura Massaro were both defeated.
Martin Adams, the three-time BDO world champion, was dumped out of this year’s competition in round one by 18-year-old Dutchman Jimmy Hendriks.
Severe winds force play to be abandoned for the third straight day at the PGA Tour’s season-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
Conor O’Shea, the director of rugby of the champions and league leaders Harlequins, launched an impassioned attack on the state of Premiership refereeing after what he said was a baffling display by Llyr ap Geraint-Roberts who, despite his name, is a Rugby Football Union official from Worksop.
Arsene Wenger has revealed his frustration at the possibility of playing seven games in 21 days but insists doing so will be worth it to remain in the FA Cup