Drug Cheats - Lifetime ban or second chance

This is quite topical due to the recent news that the British Olympic Association (BOA) has to go to the Court of Arbitration of Sport to defend its lifetime ban (selection policy) on drug cheats.  The BOA set this ruling in place in 1992 and to this day still believe it is the correct course of action.  Whether or not it is right will now be discussed. 

Drug cheating has become a massive problem in all sports due mainly to the advancements in drug production.  It is believed that drug testing methods are 3 years behind new drugs that are being used.  A case which highlights this issue is Marian Jones who admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs before the 2000 Olympics.

Two sports in particular, Athletics and Cycling, seem to have the most recurring instances.  Due to this these sports have lost some credibility and the athletes face rigorous testing to the annoyance of some.  The clip of Mark Cavendish (11:30 onwards) shows this:

When Usain Bolt broke the 100m record at the last Olympics I remember a huge discussion in my local watering hole was that he was on performance enhancers and it wouldn't come out until he is retired like the Marion Jones case.  The same discussion then moved on to Lance Armstrong with half the group believing he was on performance enhancers for all his Tour De France victories. 

From these discussions you can see that as soon as someone in these sports performs to a level we have not seen before a lot of peoples first thought is "drug cheat" because it is synonymous with these sports.  This is not fair on those clean athletes who compete fairly through hard work and determination.  It also leads people to look at past great athletes and think they may have been on performance enhancing drugs back then but just weren't caught.  All in all drug cheating has tarnished these sports. 

That said though is it right that a drug cheat should be banned for life?  Well firstly the BOA only imposes a lifetime Olympic ban on any British athlete banned for more than six months for a doping offence - the only national Olympic committee to do so.  Other nations use WADA's regulations of banning them from the next Olympics.  

The BOA do not see their rule as a sanction but instead one of its selection policies.  However this then could be looked at as discriminatory as clean athletes get favour (which when said sounds perfectly OK).  Despite this in today's society this would still be deemed discriminatory as just because someone cheated in the past doesn't mean they are currently or will again which is the main area surrounding the debate of lifetime bans versus second chances. 

Nowadays we as a nation believe in giving second chances so with this is missing the next Olympics not enough of a punishment?  Remember this is their careers and in some instances all they have.  They train hard every day and for maybe one silly mistake on their part or their coaches that's their careers over.  Unlike losing a job these guys can't go out and just get another one in the same field.  In other sports such as Soccer players receive a short ban for which they can then play afterwards.  Adrian Mutu received a 9 month ban and is now still currently playing so it wasn't detrimental to his career.

 

The Olympics is also the pinnacle event of an athletes profession so to take their chance of ever being a part of this away from then is destroying their dreams.  The BOA make valid points when they state that selecting an athlete outside their by law would:

"also damage the credibility and reputation of the team in the eyes of the athletes and the public, and would send the wrong message to aspiring Olympians and new entrants to Olympic sport - particularly young people.

"Further, an athlete who deliberately cheats should not take the place in Team GB of a clean athlete."

I agree with these statements especially as young people are so impressionable.  Despite this however I think a simple solution is that those who have offended be rigorously tested after their ban to ensure that at the next Olympics they are clean and therefore are selected on their natural ability.  Again one could argue that the testing is behind so they could still taking performance enhances but this could be said for all athletes. 

One final point is that those banned for less than 6 months for drug taking are not banned from the next Olympics and are free for selection in the case of the BOA.  This to me is unfair as there should be no separate offences from drug taking, it should all be tarnished with one brush with the same sanctions applying to all offences. 

In conclusion I believe drug cheating is tarnishing sports and I feel bad for those clean athletes who get painted with the same brush when they do a superhuman effort cleanly.  However I believe in second chances and think missing one Olympic Games in your career is punishment enough and that if an athlete can prove during selection for the next Olympics they are clean then they should be allowed selection in the Team GB team and also other teams.  To me in all sports drug cheats should be given a second chance to prove themselves after all isn't life all about second chances?  Maybe you disagree?

Racism in Sport

Racism is currently a debatable topic within sport thanks to the controversy surrounding John Terry and Luis Saurez and the comments made by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.  Firstly let me point out that I, like most people, am completely against racism or any other form of discrimination in sport such as bullying or sectarianism.

The first well known case of racism in sport was back in the 1936 Berlin Olympics where Jesse Owens caused an uproar by winning four gold medals and in doing so eliminated Hitler's idea of "White Supremacy".  



Jesse Owens on the podium

Owens did not get the recognition he deserved for his great achievement as worried about how conservatives would vote President Roosevalt refused to invited Jesse to the White House - had he done so the racial barriers may have been broken a lot sooner and this may not even be a topic today.

There are many recent examples of racism both at a group and one to one level.  The recent incidents between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand (below) and Luis Saurez and Patrice Evra are perfect examples of one to one racism. 

Group racism was exemplified by the Indian cricket crowd making racist chants to Australian Andrew Symonds and also at a international friendly between Spain and England where some players such as Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Philips were barraged with monkey chants from the crowd when they touched the ball.  No racism is tolerant but group racism like these examples are a bad reflection on an area or country. 

One to one racism can sometimes be heat of the moment.  I am still not defending it but sometimes in the heat of battle players will say things that they really don't mean and may not even remember saying.  However in the world we live in today a bit of sportsmanship like this should be outdated and eradicated from every one's minds.  This is why Seep Blatter's comments were disgraceful and for me he should have stepped down after making them.

The sporting world is making massive steps against racism with campaigns such as "One Game, One Community" in football, "Everyrace" in F1 and "One Game" in Cricket.  The South African Rugby Team is a perfect example of how far the world and in particular that country has progressed in its racism fight.  In this years world cup South Africa had a black coach/manager and numerous black players which is far from the days of it being a white dominated sport.  Even the countries most ardent fans - in the heart of Afrikaner country - don't seem to mind anymore. 



South African Ruby World Cup 2011 Squad

In our own country the IFA and GAA united against racism and sectarianism last year at a weekend of games by playing a unite against hate anthem and distributing wristbands. 

I believe these campaigns raise awareness of the issues they are aiming to eradicate but unfortunately I do not see them completely eradicating issues such as racism, sectarianism or bullying.  I think there will always be certain individuals who will use comments about ethnic origin, sexual orientation, political status, beliefs or physical appearance to abuse an opposing team or individual.  In society we are very judgemental and although we probably don't like to admit this we judge people on what we see initially.  With this I think until we change the way our whole society thinks we will not eradicate these issues fully from sport. 

Hopefully one day I am proved wrong! 

Boxing greats never die

With the sad news that Smoking Joe Frazier had passed away this week I thought it would be fitting to do a blog on boxing greats as Smoking Joe was one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.  Firstly though to pay my respects to a true great both inside and outside the ring - RIP Smokin' Joe Frazier, you gave us some great memories. 

Ironic as this sounds boxing is one of the most disciplined sports around and the phrase blood, sweat and tears fits no sport better than boxing.  It is one of the most gruelling sports in terms of training and requires the up most courage, discipline bravery and a little showmanship making boxing so special and therefore the greats even greater. 

When you discuss boxing the first name that comes to mind is Muhammed Ali.  The man who called himself the greatest and to this day many would not disagree.  Ali had it all; speed, power, flair and a showmanship that is still unrivalled in the sport to this day. 

One of the most infamous pictures in sport not just boxing is the one above of Ali standing over Sonny Liston in their second fight.  Ali went on to have titanic tussles with George Foreman and Joe Frazier that to this day are still talked about as if they happened yesterday.  These are the notorious "Thrilla in Manilla" and "Rumble in the Jungle". 

These fights were so great because they involved all time greats.  Both Foreman and Frazier are legends in the Hall of Fame along with Ali.  The "Thrilla in Manila" is considered by many to be the greatest fight of all time and who can argue.  Both men gave everything and Ali admitted after that he was close to giving up before Fraziers trainer called it a day while he was on his stool.  Frazier was not impressed with the decision and this fight and his character to continue alone with basically one eye proved how much of a great he was. 

The "Rumble in the Jungle" is most famous for the "Rope a Dope" below which Ali performed to a tee. 

Boxing is full of era's and in these days this was a special era which will never be forgotten.  These fights will always be discussed and that is why despite Frazier's passing his name will always live on in the memory as will Ali, Foreman and other great heavyweights such as Liston, Holyfield, Tyson, Lewis and the Klitschko's today.

A fact that proves this is that when discussing the greatest boxer ever Ali doesn't actually pick himself but the first true great amongst most people: Sugar Ray Robinson.  He put boxing on the map with seamless displays of flair, speed, power and fast feet.  He was also a showman and to this day is considered the greatest ever boxer thanks to his infamous bouts with Jake LaMotta who is also a name that continues to be synonymous with the sport also. 

One of the greatest era's of the sport was the Fab Four era.  This included Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns and Roberto Duran.  Leonard has the best versus record amongst the four but all four boxers have been in boxing folklore for years and will continue to do so as they will be remembered even when they have passed.

Nowadays there are some boxing greats who are still fighting but will also be added to this list when they retire.  The most notable 2 being Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather.  Despite them not fighting one another yet to decide who is the best pound for pound fighter at the minute they will go down as 2 of the best boxers in history and will always be discussed with the other greats.  Other fighters such as Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Sergio Martinez and our own Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton will be the same but maybe to a lesser extent. 

Boxing is a sport full of personal opinions as to who is the greatest of all time.  Everyone will have justifiably reasons for the person they pick and because of the constant debating and the Hall of Fame where many of them end up boxing greats may pass on but they never truly die in the boxing or for that matter sporting world.     
  

Rugby World Cup so far & preview of final

With the rugby world cup final this weekend I thought I would have  to preview it and also write about how the tournament has been to date.  This weekend the All Blacks take on the French in the showpiece finale whilst the Aussies take on the Welsh for the bronze prize.

The semi finals were exciting but in very different ways.  France vs Wales was low scoring but no one would have predicted Wales to play the way they did with 14 men after they lost their captain, Sam Warburton, in the first half.  As for the sending off I am with the majority that this was only a yellow card offence at most and believe it spoilt the game and ruined Wales chances.  In saying that Wales were inches away  from pulling off one of the best results in World Cup history and had plenty of chances for a drop goal attempt towards the end.  If they had have taken these chances we could be looking at a very different final.

The other semi final was total domination by the All Blacks.  They were out to set a marker against their old foes and did so in the first 10 minutes.  The All Blacks may be known for choking but they were never going to choke in their old backyard against the enemy and dominated the rest of the game.  To be honest they probably should have won by more.

The tournament in general has been, in my eyes, the best world cup so far.  Smaller nations in the rugby fraternity have closed the gaps on the more dominant forces.  Romania gave Scotland a scare, USA pushed Ireland all the way and just when all the big guns thought they were safe from a potential embarrassment Tonga beat France to confirm how much the gap is closing.

Before the world cup not too many pundits gave the Northern Hemisphere teams a chance and believed the trophy would fall into the hands of one of the Tri Nations teams, probably in an All Blacks v Aussies final.  This World Cup proved that the gap between the hemispheres is also closing with Ireland beating the Aussies (putting a spanner in everyone's final prediction ha) and Wales coming so close to beating South Africa.

The 1/4 finals were all closely fought games even the Argies against the All Blacks as they pushed them further than any team to date.  Then as discussed the semi finals were brilliant in different ways.  Some teams have really helped make this tournament with Wales, Ireland and Argentina winning a lot of fans.  Wales have played some terrific rugby and may actually have blown one of their best chances of winning a tournament as despite a young team you don't know how it will perform in 4 years.  

Hopefully the final this week can cap of a brilliant tournament.  In the final are 2 teams in contrasting form.  The All Blacks are yet to lose and the French have lost twice, once to the All Blacks in the pool stage.  From this alone you would be predicting an All Blacks win which would be reinforced by how the teams have played throughout the tournament.  The All Blacks have looked slick and stylish as we have come to expect but they have added a new dimension to their game.  They now have intensity, hard work and from their semi final clear drive and focus to complete the job at home.

The French on the other hand have been stop start and really stuttered their way to the final.  The French are the most unpredictable team, one day they can blow you away and the next they are mediocre to say the least.  Funnily after the group match against the All Blacks, a friend said my bet with him that the All Blacks would win the tournament is looking good to which I replied don't be surprised if that is the final.  The reason for my prediction is I knew France were going into an all northern hemisphere side and on their day are capable of beating anyone.

This is why in the final I do not believe it will be an All Black onslaught as many predict.  I am sticking with my prediction that the All Blacks will win but I cannot see France playing that badly in a final.  I think the All Blacks will win by 5-10 points with a fitting Richie McCaw as man of the match and player of the tournament.  I think the forward battle will be immense as France have forwards who on their day can match the All Blacks intensity and drive.  However I believe the French backs will struggle to curtail the likes of Nonu, Jayne and Dagg who are in blistering form at the minute.

The Wales v Australia match may actually be the best game of the tournament as both teams play open and fast running games so I am expecting a high scoring affair.  I think Wales have done magnificently to date and this will just be one hurdle to far for them as Australia will be out to prove a point after last weeks hammering to the enemy.

All in all the tournament has been fantastic with some hard hitting, intense and skill packed rugby matched with the beautiful setting of New Zealand and its warm and friendly people.  In my eyes it would be fitting that the All Blacks win the trophy as lets face it, they are the best team in the world for the last number of years and deserve it.  However you don't always get what you deserve in sport!


 

Do managers get a fair crack at the whip?

We are nearly 2 months into the new Premiership season and already some managers are feeling the heat.  Martinez, Wenger, Kean, Bruce and Coyle have to look over their shoulders regarding their jobs as fans and I am sure the board are becoming concerned with results.  Bookies have these managers as favourites to be the first sacking of the season. 

(Wenger feeling the pressure)

The tables can quickly turn on managers.  Look at Coyle and Martinez for example: last year Martinez was a hero for keeping Wigan Athletic up and Coyle was branded as a very good young manager for getting Bolton Wanderers to the FA Cup semi fnal.

The problem is that fans can be very fickle and a slow start to a season or a few poor results can cause them to start the "out" chants at the end of or during games towards managers who may have revolutionised the club (Wenger for example).  This then resonates to the board, particularly the chairman, who can sometimes make very hasty decisions to satisy their main customers.

(Fans turn so quickly)

Personally I think managers nowadays do not get enough time and clubs are to dismiss them.  In the old days managers were given more time to put their stamp on clubs.  Sir Alex Ferguson took 6 years to win a trophy with Man Utd.  If Man Utd had have dismissed Fergie before this would the club have grown into the monster it now is?, the answer, NO.  The reason for this is that Fergie has transformed the club several times during his time there and has continued to drive success from it. 

Nowadays managers are lucky to be given 6 months never mind 6 years.  Since the good old days manager dismissals have dramatically increased and as a result the average tenure is becoming a lot shorter.  Last season in the League Managers Association there were 58 changes of manager with dismissals accounting for 40 of those and the average tenure was 1.58 years.  

Two thirds of dismissed managers last season were sacked at below average tenure and half of those dismissed were gone within a year of appointment while nine managers were sacked six months of being appointed.  It has changed a lot from when Sir Alex started as Man Utd manager.

There are some clubs who are more faithful than others to their managers.  Apart from obviously Man Utd and Arsenal who have the 2 current longest serving managers, Everton are a perfect example.  It is easy for Man Utd and Arsenal (until this season) to hold onto their managers as they were always around the top fighting it out for trophies on all fronts.  Everton on the other hand cannot always say this but they have stuck with David Moyes for what is coming up to be his 10th year (remarkable in this day and age).  Even last year when Everton started so poorly and were bottom of the pile Bill Kenwright, Everton chairman, stuck by his man through difficult times where a lot of others would ahve dismissed him.  Everton then reaped the rewards of this decision as they climbed back up to the table to finish 7th.  In recent seasons Moyes has had Everton in the top half of the table and back in the 2004-05 season he lead them to Champions League football.  

(Moyes has been a success at Everton thanks to faith from his Chairman)

Clubs and fans have to realise that only 1 team can win the league and it does not mean the other 19 teams are bad.  In football there is a huge divide betwen the richer and poorer clubs and it is because of this that many clubs can continue to do well.  David Moyes is great at working to a small budget and giving enough time other managers would be too. 

This does not just apply to football as there is a tendency to do this in all sports.  The only difference is that football clubs have more money and can afford to dismiss managers in the middle of their contracts more regularly.  Also in other sports like Rugby Union and League there seems to be a tendency for managers to resign before they are sacked or move to other clubs.  New Zealand Rugby Union have shown faith to Graham Henry over the years as after not winning a world cup most NZ managers get shown the door but this didn't happen to him in 2007.  As a result he has them playing well and looking good at this years tournament.  

In conclusion I believe there are the rare cases where after a short time clubs know they made the wrong decision and should dismiss their manager.  However I believe clubs should spend more time on ensuring they get the right manager in, in the first instance, and then show them some faith by giving them a few seasons to put their mark on the club and team.  There is no quick fix or magical wand in sport, as in life, and it takes time, trust, loyalty and commitment from all parties (including fans) to build something special. 

Are Sports Stars Spoilt Brats?

Normally I write a new post on a Wednesday but after Carlos Tevez's behaviour on Tuesday night I knew exactly what the topic for my post would be and therefore wanted to leave it another day to let all parties involved get their views across. 

Going by Tevez's behaviour on Tuesday night, from the way it looked at the time in this video, you would not blame anyone for thinking he is a spoilt brat.  Like a baby spitting its dummy,Tevez decided he didn't want to go on because he hadn't started the match. 

Tevez denied refusing to play but as a result Man City have now suspended him from training and matches for 2 weeks and manager Roberto Mancini says he will never play for him again.  There are many other recent examples too like Serena Williams outburst at the US Open below which resulted in a minor fine of $2,000 (minor to Serena anyway). 

There are other examples from older times as well with John McEnroe and Paul Gascoigne being perfect examples.

One of the first points to come from this type of behaviour is the huge salaries these stars are getting.  In society we are very quick to state that once a celebrity or sport star behaves out of line or incorrectly its because they have too much money and think they can do anything.  We judge this behaviour so harshly because most of us will never see the type of money they get and in frustration we blame it on this.

Another reason people discuss is ego.  Some of the players have a massive ego and are waited on hand and foot by sponsors, helpers, staff etc and as a result they think they are untouchable and behave in an inappropriate manner. 

On the other side of the coin and sticking up for sports stars is human frailty.  These people are not perfect and like everyone else will make mistakes especially due to the huge pressure they are under from fans, clubs and so forth.  The only problem is that as they are in the spotlight all the time their mistakes are blown out of proportion and scrutinized in the media.  I do believe the media does not help these situations at all and in fact just adds fuel to the fire.

Another reason they can't get away with it is because whether they want to be or not sports stars are role models and have a duty to act appropriately when conducting themselves on and off the field.  They have a duty to their fans who in essence help pay their wages.  We do not expect them to live like monks, as Arshavin put it, but they should not behave in anyway that fuels this argument despite the celebrity status pressure they face on a daily basis.

People also discuss that sports stars are just a reflection of the society we now live in.  When you talk to older generation's they do highlight that young ones today are spoilt brats who do not know how good they get it (ain't that right Grandma!!!).  So to a lesser extent we probably behave in ways that can be seen as spoilt brat behaviour by others and just don't realise it.  I know and am ashamed to admit that some of my on the field conduct would be heavily scrutinized by the media as spoilt bratish as would my off the field behaviour (the less said about this the better!!!).  

In my opinion there are some sports stars who behave like spoilt brats either due to ego, money, temperament or situational factors at the time.   Some of these are repeat offenders and get a bad boy/girl image in their sports which then as a result they have to keep up like John McEnroe.  I do believe the punishments these stars get are not harsh enough hence why some of them become repeat offenders.  A punishment is meant to deter people from behaving he same way but when it is a small fine or suspension these players don't mind incurring that. 

However I think there are more examples of sports stars who are well behaved.  One perfect example is Paul Scholes who was never in the media for the wrong reasons and just kept his head down and played away.  Athletes like Jessica Ennis and Usain Bolt are other examples and there are loads more in all types of sports. 

In conclusion I believe that like in society there are some sports stars who are spoilt brats and others who aren't.  I think that there are more sports stars who aren't but because the media focuses on those who are we in society have a tendency to paint all sports stars with the one brush.  If the media would highlight good behaviour more we may actually see a decline in this type of spoilt brat behaviour as good behaviour would become the norm for sports stars.  So to the media - please change your focus and highlight the good not the bad and the ugly!!!

Addictions in Sport

Recently Oscar De la Hoya, the Golden Boy of boxing, made an open and honest confession that surprised everyone.  He confessed to a constant struggle with alcohol and drug abuse within the last few years while also being unfaithful to his now ex wife.  De la Hoya has been to rehab and is now sober for the last 3 months but admits that this is the hardest fight of his life, even harder than fighting all the fighters he fought in his career at the same time!  

The revelation from De la Hoya surprised a lot of people but at the same time it shouldn't really.  We have seen many sporting greats over the years have trouble with addictions, George Best, Alex Higgins, Diego Maradona, Paul Gascoigne and Tiger Woods to name a few.

The problem for sports stars especially with alcohol is that alcohol has been associated with sports probably from they originated and will continue to be so in the future.  Regardless of the level and result/performance on a Saturday or Sunday it has always been the norm to drink afterwards.  When you lose or perform bad you want to drink to cheer yourself up (like Zac Guilford recently (All Blacks player)) and when you win you want to drink to celebrate.  Soccer and Rugby for example have huge drinking cultures associated with them for years and probably in the past players may have had addictions but nobody found out as there wasn't as much media exposure.

Nowadays players are always exposed to the media and with this comes added pressure.  With this exposure players are seen as celebrities and with celebrity status comes constant invitations to parties and the lure of harder substances such as drugs are constantly around them.  It's easy for sports stars to get drawn into a world they are not used to and as a result resort to things they are not accustomed to. 

Sports stars can have alot of free time on their hands when they are not training or in the off season which can leave them with a void to fill as the excitement of training or matches isn't there.  It is known within the soccer world that players after training in some clubs have a poker game.  Others will turn to other things such as drink and drugs.  Addictions in boxing are known to start at the end of a boxers career.  The reason for this is that their lives feel empty without having a hectic schedule of training or the excitement of the build up to a fight and the fight itself so they fill this with something else.  Sports stars get paid huge sums of money these days and with this there isn't alot they cant afford to buy.  The cost of these habits does not impact them anymore and in fact money probably pushes them towards them because they are not used to having so much money and with all this money they probably get addicted even quicker.    

Society today is getting faster and more hectic with more and more addictions popping up as people try to cope with their lives.  In the world of sport it is even harder for them due to the media exposure and pressure they are faced with.  I am not making excuses for sports stars but everyone can see the constant temptation they would be facing as even the people around them may be forcing stuff onto them.  I think sports stars need the excitement and thrill outside their sporting lives.  Some get it from investing money into other business and horses but for alot of them this comes from drinking, drug abuse, gambling and so forth.  What eventually happens is that they become too fixated on this aspect of their lives and eventually become addicted. 

Some sport stars like Barry McGuigan, Muhammed Ali, Christiano Ronaldo and Darren Fletcher to name a few are teetotallers and have their reasons for this.  In some cases this has probably helped them get to the pinnacle of their careers and you have to respect them for holding to their guns despite all the pressures they are surrounded with.

Overall I think that sports stars, like everyone in life, have their own demons and pressures and use typical methods within society to combat these.  Really sports stars are just a reflection of the society we live in, only difference is that as they are our role models we expect more from them.  I think more should be done from a coach/club point of view on the topics of addiction to try and steer sports stars away from these addictions.  But as the world evolve's and more addictions come to the fore do not be surprised to see more and more sports stars making the tabloids for the wrong reasons.  Hopefully though brave and courageous confessions like De la Hoya's may help other stars admit to their addictions in time or help steer them clear. 
    

All Ireland GAA Final Preview

To a lot of people the only Sundays in September that matter are the first and third when the All Ireland Hurling and Gaelic Football Finals are played.  Two weeks ago in the hurling final Kilkenny edged Tipperary by 4 points although despite the low margin it seemed like there was a wider gap in the game.  Kilkenny put in one of the best performances in recent times to inflict revenge on a young and hungry Tipperary team who are an odds on bet to dominate for a few years (although Kilkenny will have something to say about that!).

This Sunday is the turn of the footballers when Kerry and Dublin meet in a mouth watering clash.  When Kerry met Cork in the Munster Final this year, the game was that high of a calibre that everyone thought the All Ireland Final would be a repeat of this.  However this year was a refreshing year in which the backdoor system saw all provincial winners make the semi finals and personally I think this is the way it should be.  Connacht champions Mayo put an end to Corks challenge of 2 in a row.  At this stage Dublin put on one of the best displays of fluent attacking football combined with a massive work ethic to beat a Tyrone team that many had tipped as this years surprise package.  Kerry won their quarter final by 13 points against Limerick but didn't really get out of second or third gear and with these performances everyone seen the two teams that should make the final and this is what happened.

There is a lot of history between these teams and if asked at the start of the year I am sure a lot of people would have picked this as their dream final.  Both teams have a high work ethic and great forward lines.  Dublin can be a little defensive at times and with this then they try to break quick.  Kerry on the other hand play their usual brand of attractive and somewhat traditional football with their long kick passing game.  This will be an interesting clash of styles and I am expecting a very fast paced game. 

When these teams last met in the Championship in the 2009 Quarter Final everyone heavily tipped Dublin due to the form there were in.  However a relentless Kerry turned up that day and won the game by a massive margin of 17 points.  Dublin have been known over the years to crack under pressure, they are like the England nation soccer team in that every year the media exert huge expectations onto them.  However this year has not been as bad as previous years and I believe this is one of the reasons Dublin have reached the final this year.  Despite throwing away a massive lead against Cork and losing the League final this year there is a steely determination and self belief in this crop of players that has not been there in recent years.  This was epitomised in their semi final win with 14 men against a very defensive Donegal team. 

The problem Dublin faces is that Kerry have a habit of starting games at an electric pace and blowing teams away early.  If this is the case on Sunday it won't be long before the massive Dublin support get on their players backs and then they might crack under the huge pressure.  So it is imperative that Dublin make a good start not just for themselves but for the neutrals watching as well as we want a close nail biting game.

Kerry have the best forward line in the country.  Their six forwards all compliment each other with their skill, work ethic and passing and running games.  If one or two forwards don't play well the others step up to the mark.  This can not be said about Dublin.  If the Brogans have a bad game I can't see any of the other forwards stepping to the plate.  Diarmuid Connolly did against Tyrone but in every other game he has been quiet. 

With all this I will go with the bookies and tip Kerry to win yet another All Ireland title.  There is nothing more they would like than to beat Dublin in an All Ireland Final in Dublin's back yard.  I think they will have too much fire power for the Dublin back line to handle and if they curb the threat of the Brogan brothers I believe they could win this game by a bigger margin than a lot of people would expect, especially if they make one of their blistering starts.  If Dublin succeed in getting enough men behind the ball and stop Kerry's running game (which consists of short passing to the half way line and then long balls in front of their forward line) then I think Kerry will go to plan B and put the ball on top of Donaghy and get the forwards to play of him.  Donaghy is due a big game this year and there is no better time than the All Ireland Final.

Finally, I am going to put my neck on the line and pick Kerry by 5 points or more with Kieran Donaghy receiving the man of the match award.  If this happens don't worry I won't say I told you so!!

Does money buy you success?

With recent figures published for what clubs in Europe have spent this summer the debate about buying success is topical again.  This has been an on-going debate for years in many countries like Spain where Real Madrid have been known to accumulate huge debts to bring in the best players.  In the premiership this craze started mainly thanks to the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea and now we have Man City spending extravagantly.  Football is probably the best example of money trying to buy success in sport but we will also look at another perspective on money buying success in sport. 

In 2009 Castrol (I know the fuel company!) brought out statistics to show that teams who spend money get success.  Castrol believed that Man City’s £124 million spending spree in 2009 should have guaranteed them a top 3 finish, however they finished 5th.  Even last year when they spent again they still only finished 3rd.  They have again spent this year and have started well however Man Utd did beat them in the charity shield, which could be an omen for the rest of the year.  So did Castrol get it completely wrong! 

Well not entirely: Castrol do a strong case for spending money and getting success with their next points.  In the four seasons previous to 2009 clubs in the European leagues who spent more improved on previous positions while those who spent less each year went backwards.  In previous years Castrol also have facts to support that the team who spends the most wins the league especially in Spain and France.  Is this all coincidental or is this theory true?

In my opinion successful clubs obviously have more money to spend, so the more they succeed the more they can spend to stay successful.  Man Utd are the perfect example of this as they don’t spend as extravagantly as Man City but they do spend large enough amounts to ensure success each year.  However Utd became successful through an ambitious and fearless manager who trusted his youth and changed the culture of the club. 

These aspects are more important than money, as you need a team to gel and understand the overall objectives and aims of the club.  Clubs like Man City can buy the best players but 11 individuals never win anything and that is why I think if Utd keep their values and buy smart (players who can fit into these) then they will remain successful (my money is on them this year again!!!). 

To prove this Real Madrid have spent more than anyone else in the last decade but yet have not won much recently.  Barcelona with their strong tradition and culture stand in their way and although they have spent money as well these last few seasons there starting team is full of players who came through the academy. 

Looking at money buying success in a different way in terms of sport is those from wealthy backgrounds vs. those from poorer backgrounds.  You see people would automatically assume those from wealthier backgrounds should do better as they are in the advantageous position of being able to afford good trainers, equipment and so forth.  However boxing is one sport which disproves this assumption.  Most legendary boxers have come from a poorer background.  One of the reasons they are successful is that they want to become wealthier so money drives them on.  However I think what holds them in good stead is that they learn how to fight for everything while growing up and obtain skills such as determination, hard work, courage and bravery through this.  There are many sports where we come across Cinderella stories which prove that money is not needed for success but hard work, determination, natural ability, commitment and courage are. 

I think these factors are more important than money and I think, going back to Man Utd, this is one of the reasons Sir Alex makes his players think they are working class. 

There is the point that those clubs spending huge sums of money are destroying the tradition of the leagues and sports they are in and are in an unfair position.  Well I will just say I’m glad there is no money in GAA as it keeps the value and tradition of the sport and leaves everyone on a level playing field.  I do think also that those teams who don’t try to buy success would enjoy it more than those who do.       

I will conclude by saying like in life money in sport can only buy you so much, but to be successful requires all the aforementioned attributes.       

Rugby World Cup 2011 Preview

The Rugby World Cup is only 16 days away and the anticipation grows from all involved as squads are starting to be announced with surprise inclusions and exclusions. 

On home soil Ireland have left out Tomas O'Leary, Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald, who would have been seen as an automatic selection a year ago, John Hayes and Marcus Horan.  They have included youngster Conor Murray which will be a surprise to some Irish Rugby experts and fans. 

The other home nations have notable absentees as well: England have left Flutey at home despite his ability to act as cover in various positions, Wales have left the experienced Martyn Williams out and in the Scotland squad there is no place for number 8 James Beattie. 

On the southern side of the globe there are also some selection shocks.  Matt Giteau is the most notable omission, Australia’s third-highest point’s scorer having twice been shortlisted for the IRB World Player of the Year award.  The All Blacks have decided to leave star wingers Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu out and also Wyatt Crockett, Liam Messam, Jarrad Hoeata and Hosea Gear with Mr Henry sticking with youth and form.

It will be interesting to see if these are the only shocks in the World Cup!!!  Unlike football, the Rugby World Cup normally doesn’t see many shocks, with the larger nations (in rugby terms) normally dominating the smaller ones.  The only shock really is when the All Blacks are eliminated.  This year again the All Blacks are clear favourites especially as they are at home.  However they have been tagged a sure thing at every World Cup and fail to deliver except on the single occasion.  If they do so this time, especially on home soil, it will be the biggest travesty of all.  Worse would be the fact if one of the other tri nation’s teams won it on their soil which they will love to do.  Normally the All Blacks peak too soon during the 4 year cycle and I would say some fans are maybe happy that they lost in the tri nations at the weekend as it may be a wakeup call for them in perfect time. 

As for the other nations I can only really see the tri nation’s teams challenging the All Blacks.  The defending champions South Africa have a pool of talent for every position while the Aussies have the most exciting backline in world rugby.  If these 2 teams click at the right time they could upset the odds.

The northern hemisphere teams have been beaten by the tri nation’s teams on several occasions over the last few years but we can’t read into this too much.  However I still feel they are a little behind and will struggle against the tri nation’s teams.  Ireland have had a bad warm up campaign but on their day they can beat anyone, a bit like the French.  England can never be written off as the last World Cup showed and Wales, Scotland and Italy provide entertainment but looking at the draw they will be lucky to get out of their group or get past the ¼ finals. 

With all this said I agree with the bookies and think it will be a tri nations 1, 2, 3 with the All Blacks lifting the trophy on home soil, however this has all been said in previous years and it will be interesting to see if a northern hemisphere team can upset the odds.

Premiership season has a dull start

The start of the Premiership season is always an exciting time as it is a fresh sense of optimism for all involved (players, fans, the board etc).  Normally there are many exciting high scoring games which makes for an interesting analysis on Match of the Day.

However this year, to be totally honest, the first round of games of the season were a little bit dull.  All in all in the first 9 games of the Premiership season there was 5 draws, 3 of which were scoreless and there was in total 18 goals scored (8 of which came in 2 games).  These 2 games were the exception of course with Bolton and Man City (Sergio Aguero in particular - wish I had him in my dream team ha) sending out clear warnings to new boys QPR and Swansea City. 

In the case of Man City it sent out a warning to the rest of the league of their intentions for this season, although it is hard to gauge as we do not know how well Swansea will handle Premiership life.  In terms of the other top 4 contenders (normally anyway) Man Utd did what they do best and stumbled over the finish line, although new signing De Gea has alot to prove after another mistake.  Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal and failed to record first day wins.  The scoreless draw between Newcastle and Arsenal was probably the biggest surprise considering their game last season.  It also turned out to be the worst game of the opening day thanks to Gervinho diving and slapping, Joey Barton wrestling and then play acting and Steven Taylor claiming to see the non existent.

Chelsea would be happy with a point at Stoke as it is a hard place to go but Liverpool will see their draw as 2 points lost, although good news for them is that Luis Saurez looks to have brought his Copa America form to the new season.

Wolves and Blackburn gave us some entertainment, as did Norwich with their first point of the season but Fulham and Villa played out a result which typified the first weekend for me.  Hopefully this sense of teams not wanting to lose their first game so badly that we got so many draws was just for the first weekend and things will get back to normal from here on in.  It's a long season and more weekends like that one will make it even longer!!! Let's get back to shocks, goals galore and fast paced action from now on please and thank you.   

 

The impact of these riots on Sport

Hi Guys,

Its hard at the minute not to get away from the violent scenes that are sweeping our major cities.  What originally started as a so called peaceful protest has now moved to complete criminality leaving all those not involved fearing for their safety.  Obviously the safety of innocent bystanders is the most important issue for local authorities and our government but another aspect of the riots is the impact it is having on the sporting world.

London is due to hold the Olympics in less than a year.  What kind of message are these rioters sending the athletic world?  Teams are probably watching these riots on the news and fearing for their safety, and may decide to move their pre and during training camps away from England.  What's the view of the Olympic Committee?  I am sure they are regretting their decision to award London the Olympics at this moment in time and this bad image will have resonating future effects for when England or even the UK try to be awarded future events.

Already in the footballing world England's international friendly vs Holland has been called off.  The Premier League are going to have talks to discuss whether games will go ahead in London this week.  Now with riots breaking out in other major cities it could end up that the Premier League push the start of the league back until this issue is resolved.  So the ones like us looking forward to the start of the new premiership season are deprived of this.  The cancellations will more than likely spread into the npower leagues and also other sports.

What these rioters do not realise is that while they are having a smashing time, they are causing the government millions of pounds in damage as well as huge losses from the cancellation of these sporting events.  Now as if the government didn't have enough to deal with from the recession they have this huge headache as well.

Maybe if some of these rioters participated in recreational sport it may give them focus and drive in their lives and keep them of the streets.  Sport can teach you so many important life skills such as team work and honesty.  Now I am sure a lot of these rioters play sport but they obviously have not taken in the lessons they should have learnt from it.

Hopefully these riots can be sorted as soon as possible so that those who live and work in these areas can do so in peace most importantly, but also so we do not damage our major event holding reputation and us sports enthusiasts can enjoy our favourite sports at weekends.   

Ice bathing

Hi Guys,

Do you use ice bathing as a recovery method after exercise and if so how long do you usually take an ice bath for?  Do you follow this with a warm shower?