Hurling

Preview: All Ireland Hurling Final 2015

It may have taken three months of so-so hurling, but eventually the 2015 All-Ireland championship was emphatically ignited by the remarkable battle between Galway and Seamus Callanan sorry…. Tipperary, the result of which confirmed a repeat of 2012’s two episode showpiece between the westerners and reigning champions Kilkenny.

Somewhat overshadowed in the media in the early part of the week by the story of whether or not a man should have a ban for punching an opponent twice overturned, hurling’s centrepiece will hope to pick up where the second semi-final left off. Kilkenny go into Sunday’s game as favourites, but only marginally and this favouritism is logically based on the wealth of championship winning experience which runs throughout the spine of this side. Of course, the sides met back in July with Kilkenny relatively comfortable victors on a scoreline of 1-25 to 2-15, but history has shown us as recently as both 2012 and 2013 that resoundingly comfortable provincial defeats can be turned on their heads come September. No one will forget the pummelling Kilkenny took in the 2012 Leinster Final and it took a Henry Shefflin masterclass in the drawn final –perhaps his greatest ever performance in the black and amber- before Kilkenny could eventually put Galway to the sword, rather comfortably in the end, in their third throwdown of the summer. Similarly Cork brushed Clare aside in the 2013 Munster semi-final before Shane O’ Donnell’s remarkable hat-trick –again in a replay- led Clare to victory on a magical, almost mythical autumn evening in Croke Park.

The reality is that a team tends to learn more in defeat than it ever does in victory. Galway absolutely steamrolled through an admittedly poor Cork team in the quarter-final before showing considerable resilience and true grit to respond to Tipperary’ and Callanan’s repeat dagger blows by relentlessly driving and picking off points before Shane Moloney’s dramatic and deserved winner. They have found new outlets, particularly in Cathal Mannion and Jason Flynn to take the pressure off a strangely misfiring Joe Canning and seem to rely less now on goals than was traditionally the case. Meanwhile, the midfield duo of Andy Smith and David Burke have been perhaps the most impressive midfield pairing in the country this summer,, though they will face their stiffest challenge yet this weekend in Conor Fogarty and Michael Fennelly.

Galway have powerful ball winners the length and breadth of the field but as Callanan showed last month their full back line –and not just Padraig Mannion-  is highly susceptible to the timeless tactic of the long ball in towards the square. Now Seamus Callanan is one of the finest attackers in the country but in TJ Reid, Kilkenny probably have the finest forward in the game. The Ballyhale Shamrocks man is a supreme athlete and even allowing for his breath-taking stick work, his fielding of the ball is virtually peerless. Galway need to cut off the supply inside, but that means shutting down Michael Fennelly, the ever-impressive Cillian Buckley and the reigning hurler-of-the-year, Richie Hogan.

Hogan is repeatedly referred to as an extremely intelligent hurler, essentially meaning that he has incredible split-second awareness of how the game is evolving around him. It is unlikely that there is another player, on either side, who can match his speed of thought –and possibly his all-round skill set- and this is what makes him so vitally important to Kilkenny. While Reid and the inside line will be relied on to do the scoreboard damage Hogan will be expected to conduct the orchestra from further out the field. We’ve no hesitancy in saying that if Hogan and Reid perform as they did in last year’s drawn All-Ireland final, then Liam McCarthy will be making the journey Noreside once more.

We are not saying however that this is exactly what will happen. Callanan aside, Galway were able to stifle Tipperary’s marquee forwards in the semi-final, with the highly touted John ‘Bubbles’ O’ Dwyer barely seeing the ball all game. Tipperary’s forwards were heavily criticised in the game’s aftermath but that showed a complete lack of respect for what the Galway halfback line –led in the second half by a rejuvenated Iarla Tannion- did in completely stifling their theretofore free-scoring opponents. A strong half-back line has been the backbone of umpteen All-Ireland winning teams –in recent years alone we have seen the extraordinary Delaney, Hogan, Walsh trio and prior to them the incredibly dominant Clare line of Daly, McMahon and Doyle- and both sides will know that gaining the upper hand on the ‘forty-five’ means a surplus of ball raining down on the opposition full-back line. We’re still giving the Kilkenny trio of Buckley, Kieran Joyce and Padraig Walsh the nod over the Tannion, Aidan Harte and Daithi Burke combination, especially as all three have already excelled in the white pressure of an All-Ireland final.

Perhaps the biggest question hanging over Kilkenny –or at least an individual Kilkenny player- is over this year’s captain and full-back Joey Holden. The Ballyhale Shamrocks man has been given the unenviable task of taking over stewardship of the small rectangle from one of the most complete defenders ever, JJ Delaney. He spent winter and spring manning the position in the Shamrocks’ successful All-Ireland Club Championship campaign and has done very little wrong thus far. Joe Canning did score a stunning goal ostensibly off Holden, the last time the sides met -unquestionably one of the best goals you will ever see in Croke Park- but Galway’s spearhead was largely kept in check thereafter. Naturally, bigger questions will be asked on Sunday but there is no evidence so far to suggest Holden is unsuited to the position and he will assuredly have help.

We couldn’t preview Sunday’s showpiece without mentioning the dirtiest word in this year’s hurling championship, the sweeper. While gaelic football is decried and annually announced as either dead or dying –invariably by the increasingly grating Joe Brolly- hurling was thought to be free from the shackles of systems, ideologies and sweepers. Which is kind of a crock of shite, to be honest, but more on that later. Waterford were perhaps the greatest purveyor of the sweeper system this summer but the system was found wanting in the semi-final defeat to Kilkenny, as when the Deise were required to chase the game in the last quarter, they simply lacked for bodies near the Kilkenny goal. Systems, if you will, and specific player’s roles have always been tweaked in hurling –and indeed every sport- and frankly, their longevity depends on their success over a sustained period of time. Teams regularly play with two man full forward lines, a more defensive midfielder on clean-up duty or a designated half-forward with a licence to roam.

What most teams want nowadays –in addition to forwards who are willing to harry and hassle the outrushing, opposition backs- is a player who can sweep up the dirty ball in and around the full-back line, as you simply can’t leave your full-back isolated against a ball-winner who is being fed a glut of quality ball. Noel Hickey –one of the greatest Kilkenny full-backs of all time- gave up three goals to Lar Corbett in the 2010 decider, not because he’s a loose marker, quite the opposite in fact, but because Tipperary’s half-back line were on top that day and were reigning excellent ball in all day towards that day’s match winner. There were only so many times Hickey could stick a finger in the dam. It’s worth noting that a Kilkenny full-back has rarely been left completely isolated since. Indeed, Galway’s second goal in the Leinster Final came as the result of a mix-up between Jackie Tyrrell and Joey Holden and not because of the creation of a ‘one-on-one’.

We wouldn’t dream of claiming we know much about hurling in the 70s and 80s but the idea of devising alternate strategies was of course bandied around then also. Indeed it was Galway who first utilised the two man full-forward line in their 1986 All-Ireland semi-final victory over Kilkenny the result of which was the tactic being deemed both revelatory and bold in the national press. Teams were assuredly forced to be reactive in the event of such a strategy being utilised once more. This is the nature of not just hurling but all sports. You are confronted with a problem, you devise a plan which you hope will counter it and then you apply it on the day. Still, for all the talk of new systems and the unnecessary complication of the game, Brian Cody’s mastery is most often displayed by a subtle tactical change. Richie Hogan’s move to centre forward in last year’s drawn All-Ireland is typical of this, so too the unexpected selections of John Power in the 2014 replay and Walter Walsh –who would receive the man-of-the-match award on debut- in the 2012 replay. Cody likes to shake things up a little and indeed it was Walsh’s place that Power took last year.*

In any event, the preparatory stuff will be done with by now and any selection dilemmas will have been settled by both management teams. For the next few days, it will be about keeping the players focused and somewhat cloistered, far away from the madding crowds. The Galway County Board and Galway hurling en masse clearly have faith in Anthony Cunningham and he has repaid this with a second All-Ireland final appearance in four years. His utterance to Cody after the Leinster Final that he would see him in September shows an admirable combination of confidence and hubris though the hyper-realist Cody seemed reticent to take any deeper meaning from the statement. There is perhaps a slight edginess between the two men going back to 2012 and if Galway have been noted for their confrontational style this summer, Kilkenny will, to a man, happily mix it with them if that is what the occasion requires.

Galway, closely followed by the rest of the country, would rejoice in victory on Sunday and they have absolutely every chance to succeed. That said, all bar one- Ger Aylward- of Kilkenny’s starting fifteen have started and won in Croke Park on what we around here regard as the greatest day in the sporting calendar. One can counter this with the fact that the majority of Galway’s team have tasted minor success in Croke Park but the stakes in terms of pressure and expectation are unquestionably higher in the main event on the first Sunday in September.

Galway will not die wondering and it would not come as a surprise to anyone who has followed this year’s championship if they ended their county’s twenty-seven year Liam McCarthy drought. Still, the feeling is that Kilkenny are metronomically balanced this year and the quality of their performance in the semi-final against Waterford may have been underappreciated in some quarters. Both sides have been errant in attack this season, particularly Galway, and as the last three renewals of hurling’s showpiece confirmed, this simply will not cut muster.

The champions’ progress has been quietly impressive and under Cody there has rarely been a failure to rise to the occasion. If they peak on Sunday then it may well be a bridge too far for Galway

Straight Up Sport Prediction: Kilkenny by 2.

*At the time of writing the teams had not been named but don’t be surprised if Brian Cody makes, what on the face of it, appears to be a bold selection call.

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Rugby World Cup 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015 Countdown

With the Rugby World Cup less than twenty-five days away we’ll be bringing you our  weekly build up, culminating in predictions for each team, with an unsurprisingly heavy emphasis on Joe Schmidt’s highly-fancied side. We say highly fancied as a relative term, particularly taking into account the systematic malfunction in 2007 and Irish rugby’s nadir –spoken about with almost funereal solemnity- in Lens in 1999. The final previews will take place in three parts in the week preceding the tournament curtain-raiser between hosts England and Fiji on the 18th September.

For now, we ‘re trying to figure out which teams are intentionally going to battle with blanks and what valid assumptions we can make on the basis of the past fortnight’s play. The reality of these pre-World Cup games is that the coaches want their front line players to get at least one run out –aside for the (French) game time calls like Cian Healy- while settling any potentially tight selection decisions on the final few squad members. Injuries destroy the dreams of some –Tommy O’ Donnell just weeks ago and in the past Geordan Murphy, David Wallace and Felix Jones- while simultaneously ridding the selectors of what is actually a highly desirable selection headache.

Ireland looked cohesive against Wales, playing with the exact same precise, high-pressure rugby that has led to such success for Ireland in the past two seasons. The game against Scotland seven days later, while won by Ireland was probably more remarkable for Scotland’s willingness to run back coupled with a slightly worrying ability to breach the Irish defence. Both were phoney wars however whose relevance is largely inscrutable and it is only this week that the remaining big guns come to the fore and that real meaning can possibly be extricated from the team’s performance.

Wales too will be more tournament oriented this week but even still neither side will want to reveal anything of note to their onlooking group opponents. The reality is that any tweaked or expanded game plans will be restricted to in-house training while the pre-tournament friendlies will provide the opportunity to acquire match fitness and ideally hone set-piece consistency and communication and stability in defence. Don’t expect Jonathan Sexton to whip out an inventive backline move which has been finely crafted with France in mind. Or for a crafty line-out play to spring up against England in a fortnight’s time. Nonetheless, it would be heartening to see the Irish side attempt an off-loading game, for this is virtually indefensible, even when anticipated, and further still can’t be produced spontaneously in October without some prior in-game introduction.

Over the past two seasons, Ireland have been absolutely magnificent under both the tutelage of Joe Schmidt and stewardship of Paul O’ Connell. In these last eighteen months only once have Ireland fallen behind by two scores –Wales in March of this year- and the sides failure to overturn the two score deficit that day led to mass overreaction regarding Ireland’s inability in to come from behind to win a game. On reflection, this argument is a mishmash of both sound thinking and ill-founded logic. Since Schmidt’s second game in charge- the oddly listless performance against Australia- Ireland have only once faced a double-digit deficit, in the aforementioned Welsh game, and as they failed to recover from twelve points down, there is a largely pedantic point to be made that Ireland cannot come from behind. Utilising this line of thinking, one could delve deep into hyperbole and state that Ireland have never come from two scores down to win a game with Schmidt in charge. However, a pragmatic analysis of the twenty-two match reign will show that Ireland have developed the ability to wrest control of a game in its infancy thus negating the need to produce a stirring comeback.

The defeat in Wales –seven points in the end combined with some quirky scrum refereeing by Wayne Barnes- was surely disappointing but as is the wont of the vanquished, Irish people were slow to acknowledge a phenomenal Welsh defensive performance, instead focusing on Ireland’s lack of creativity. We also had our reservations post-Cardiff but the frailties in Ireland’s attack –and let’s be honest there are some- can only really be measured in the coming months. As in any sport, a successful side is founded on the bedrock of a top class defence- Manchester United 1999, Pittsburgh Steelers 2005, Donegal 2012- and Ireland’s defence is as good now as at any other period of the professional era. Offense is harder to manufacture and as an idea is more difficult to instil in players. On a modern sports field it is far easier to close off space than it is to create it. Ireland’s defence, though not peerless, is rightly lauded but the question mark over the line-breaking ability of our centres and three-quarters, while perhaps over emphasised, irrefutably remains.

Truly, we will not know, perhaps until the Italian game in London whether Ireland’s attacking game has added a greater sense of fluency and creativity since the spring. One suspects, and it is understandable, that Joe Schmidt will keep the powder dry over the next fortnight but that is not to take from the importance of Saturday’s game, particularly as the last few golden tickets are up for grabs. For some, like Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls and Dave Kearney the hope will be that the ball is moved freely, allowing them to make the most of their final audition for the big show. Further, Saturday’s game will grant the Irish public an opportunity to say a final goodbye on Irish soil to one of its greatest and most influential leaders in this or any other era, the peerless Paul O’ Connell. One hopes his final foreign mission in the green jersey proves the most bountiful expedition in Irish rugby history.

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Golf

Today Was a Good Day

The final major of the year -in what has been perhaps the most exciting year for golf since vintage era Tiger- saw yet more drama unfold as Jason Day finally broke his major duck while Jordan Spieth replaced the at one point untouchable Rory McIlroy at the top of the official World Golf Rankings. Australian Day took care of business in the most impressive manner possible, easing to victory in 2015’s final major, the US PGA Championship. Whistling Straits proved a fantastic scoring course and almost aesthetic perfection for viewers both on the course and at home, a delectable taster for the 2020 renewal of the Ryder Cup. Day’s final score of twenty under par also usurped Tiger Woods’ major record of nineteen under at the 2000 U.S. Open. A truly fitting climax to a year packed with countless high points.

The Queenslander’s maiden major victory has been coming. And coming…… Six second placed finishes in five years led many to wonder whether the Australian would be able to make the decisive breakthrough or whether, like Dustin Johnson, he would be stuck for now in golfing purgatory. In reality, however, anyone who has watched Day this year will know that this victory was imminent, as a new sense of calm authority has been noticeably engendered as the season progressed.

This excellent piece by Grantland’s Shane Ryan chronicles Day’s incredibly challenging upbringing –he could very easily have and very nearly did give up when the going got almost unbearably tough -so really his mental fortitude should never have been in question. Day’s background is almost the polar opposite to the majority of professional golfers. Golf, despite it’s increased popularity, will never be the game of the proletariat, so Day’s journey –like that of Angel Cabrera before him- makes this week’s victory all the more remarkable. While most young players –invariably white and middle class- set goals like winning on tour or breaking the top fifty in the world, Day, very rationally, had only fiduciary motivations to begin with…., “I came from a very poor family. So it wasn’t winning that was on my mind when I first came out on the PGA Tour. It was money.” Day has gotten where he is today thanks to immense personal sacrifice from both himself and his family and also the permanent guiding light and quasi-patriarchal figure, Colin Swatton.

Right throughout the last three seasons, Day has had the rather unique status, amongst his peers, as a near permanent fixture in the top ten of the official World Golf Rankings, while rarely ever –just three times in fact- entering the winner’s circle. It was the quality of his performances in the major tournaments which marked him as a serious operator while also ensuring he remained in the upper echelons of the world rankings. Day’s victory at the Canadian Open the week after St. Andrews was further evidence of a sea change in his usual approach, a newfound ruthlessness but also an about turn to Day’s predilection for going into competitive hiding immediately after a major tournament. So assured over the four days at Whistling Straits, there was little doubt that Day would succeed on Sunday and the relief and genuine outpouring of emotion on the seventy-second hole may well have been the response to a lifetime’s perseverance now handsomely rewarded.

Day’s bank balance is now so far into the black that at last, the only thing that probably really matters to him, in a sporting context, of course, is winning tournaments, and specifically majors. This slightly modified version of Jason Day is the latest of the new breed to truly announce his arrival. The last two seasons have seen a very definite changing of the guard, emphasised cruelly –although to the delight of many- by Tiger Wood’s seemingly ceaseless flailings and to a lesser extent the crowd’s fawning over wily ‘old’ – forty-five being old these days – Phil Mickelson’s ability to still hang in there.

With impatience being the order of the day in current society, it is almost perversely amusing hearing people wonder if twenty-six-year-old Rickie Fowler will ever win a major and up until last week whether Day could actually make the decisive leap and become a major champion. Day’s was always a case of when not if and we firmly believe this is also the case for Fowler. Perhaps a healthy dose of perspective could rectify this situation and justifiably lower our expectations. Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera were thirty-four, thirty-five and thirty-seven respectively when they won their first major titles. While McIlroy and Spieth –and now perhaps Day- look likely to be the dominant forces in golf over the next twenty years, assuredly there will be numerous gauntlets laid down from a field imbued with arguably historical levels of competitive depth.

All eyes now move to next week’s Fed Ex Cup, the nominal end of season elimination tournament for the top one hundred and twenty-five players on the PGA Tour. Admittedly we thought this was a pile of conceived nonsense during its first few iterations but it does provide unquestioned drama to the end of the PGA tour year- although in practice there does not appear to be any break between the end of this season and the beginning of the next- and the odd, oft derided scoring system -which we largely, kind of…..actually don’t really understand-  invariably ensures the tournament goes down to the wire.  All eyes will naturally be on Spieth, McIlroy, Day and perhaps an angry Dustin Johnson and they will be expected to dominate over the four-week elimination style tournament. That said, the mini-series throws up some surprise winners, last year being a perfect example when the red-hot, sometimes hot-headed Billy Horschel improved from an inconspicuous missed cut in The Barclays to finish 2nd, 1st ,1st in the remaining three tournaments to take home the $10,000,000.00 bonus. We’re going with Spieth on this one, without any real hesitation. He has been the best player on tour this year, his current form is excellent and such are his unshakable levels of diligence and focus, that he seems the most likely performer to reap the benefits over the four weeks.

Contrived competitions aside, it’s been a tremendous year for golf and with the Ryder Cup on the horizon 2016 promises to be even more entertaining. We look forward with bated breath to what will assuredly be boiled down in many quarters to ‘Team McIlroy’ versus ‘Team Spieth’ with nary a Tiger in sight. Alas, we hope after some hard times that you stuck with us for the PGA Championship. Tipping Jason Day was rather uninspired but we were very glad to see Branden Grace, solo third and mightily impressive, and the highly lauded, guaranteed future major champion Brooks Koepka – both the adulation and guarantee are admittedly the exclusive preserve of Straight Up Sport- deliver decent each-way returns at very friendly prices. We’d surprised if you heeded our advice though, for the ramblings of a fool rarely ring true!

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Golf

US PGA Championship 2015 -Preview

So, after a fantastic year for golf thus far, all eyes turn to the final major of the year, the US PGA Championship, at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. Known as ‘Glory’s Last Shot’, the US PGA actually began as a match-play tournament in 1916, but financial sensibilities saw the tournament changed to the seventy-two hole format we see today, in 1958. Match-play by its very nature threw up too many surprises so network television pressure was one of the driving forces behind the format changes, the thinking being that stroke play competition would more likely see the cream rise to the top, thus bolstering viewing figures. The victor takes the Wannamaker Trophy, named after the wealthy New York businessman Rodman Wannamaker who as well as being instrumental in setting up the first tournament, donated the trophy to the first winner, Jim Barnes.

If we include the bizarre, otherworldly and frankly fantastic U.S. open at Chambers Bay, the PGA will be the third major to be played on a links course this year, which must surely be a record. This week’s venue played host to Dustin Johnson’s now infamous 2010 gaffe –actually entirely golf related- when he grounded his club in what he thought was rough but was in fact deemed a bunker. A two-shot penalty saw the unfortunate Johnson drop from a tie for first, and a playoff, to fifth. To be fair to Johnson, Whistling Straits is heavy on bunkers, boasting almost one-thousand of the amateur golfer’s nemesis, although admittedly, a large number of the bunkers are not even in play. That year, Martin Kaymer would go on to beat Bubba Watson –surely the most annoying man in world sport- in a dramatic three-hole playoff. Of 2010’s three main protagonists, Johnson and Watson look in far better form than Kaymer, although it is always dangerous to write off a player returning to a course where he has savoured victory before.

After the most disastrous kick-about in history caused him to miss the Open Championship, world number one Rory McIlroy returns to defend his crown –won thrillingly last year from Phil Mickelson at Valhalla- and the scene is set for a tremendous showdown with flavour of the week, Jordan Spieth. World number-two Spieth’s year thus far has been fantastic, not dissimilar to McIlroy’s 2014, and he knows victory in Wisconsin will take him to the pinnacle of professional golf, and at just twenty-two, one Open Championship away from a career Grand Slam. There have to be serious doubts surrounding McIlroy though, given that he’s played no competitive golf in over two months, and any reasonable observer would be hard pressed to predict a McIlroy victory on Sunday evening.

Before we go to our picks for the week let’s have a look at the favourites. As we’ve said already McIlroy (8/1) is prohibitive, very much a partisan bet and one we’ll be avoiding. Jordan Spieth (6/1), who has owned golf this year, comes in as an unsurprisingly low-priced favourite and there is nothing in his game that makes us think he can’t win. If you’re inclined to back favourites then we can’t look past Spieth, whose major record in 2014 reads 1st, 1st, tied 4th. Dustin Johnson (14/1), he of the lengthening list of major meltdowns may be tempting for many but with so many players in form, combined with D.J.’s propensity to implode we’d advise the discerning punter to stay well away. Johnson is renowned –and this is probably putting it nicely- for his ability to forget past mistakes so perhaps he doesn’t even remember the 2010 PGA but, on the flipside, he may not have learned from it either. Bubba Watson (14/1) has been in fantastic form of late with a pair of second-place finishes and, as mentioned, has previous on this course. A sensible, if short-priced pick.

Of the favourites, the man we like is Australian Jason Day (14/1). Ninth place in Chamber Bay and a slightly unlucky tied fourth in St. Andrews, Day has is possibly playing the best golf of his life. A victory in The Canadian Open the week after the Open shows day is still very much in the zone and after knocking on the door enough times to bloody his knuckles, this could well be the week he breaks his major duck.

Where, though, is the fun in picking a winner from the favourites? As ever, we’re taking the road less travelled, in the hope that this week we will actually give you a big priced major championship winner. Wisely it seems, very few of you have listened to us thus far but we have a feeling we’re on to something this week. And so, on to our picks for the 2015 PGA Championship.

  1. Shane Lowry (50/1)

What a week for the big man from Clara. Anyone who saw the scenes from Esker Hills Golf Club last Sunday night will know just what it meant to see one of their own –and a bona fide star- win one of world golf’s biggest prizes, the Bridgestone Invitational Championship, in Ohio. Anyone who has even a fleeting interest in Irish golf would have been delighted for the Offaly man. The courageous way in which he won the Bridgestone, highlighted by breath-taking recovery shots on the 10th and 18th -reminiscent of Seve in his pomp- only serve to confirm the fearless audacity in Lowry’s game at present. Anyone who has paid attention to his career will know that composure, rather than confidence have been Lowry’s occasional downfall. Last week, with three major winners in his slipstream, the new world number nineteen took his game to another level and there is no reason to think he can’t bring this momentum to Wisconsin. Lowry thrives on links courses, has a scrambling game as good as any and as of last week knows he can beat a major quality field. For those who don’t subscribe to the theory of a major winner coming from the previous weekend’s winner, Phil Mickelson in 2013 (Scottish Open, Open Championship) and McIlroy in 2014 (Bridgestone Invitational, PGA Championship) emphatically buck this theory. Admittedly we got Lowry at 66/1 last weekend but we would still be getting involved at this price. One for the sound guy.

  1. Brooks Koepka (40/1)

Now, anyone who’s been following our column may feel –indeed a friend recently told us as much- that we’re combining borderline obsession with the flogging of a dead horse when it comes to Brooks Koepka in this year’s majors. We, however, have seen remarkable consistency married to measurable progress – 33rd in the Masters, 18th in the U.S. Open, 10th in the Open- for the man who we feel can go on to win multiple majors. Koepka has placed in the top 25 in his last six events bookended by a 3rd at the St. Jude Classic and 6th at the Bridgestone Invitational last week, where he was under par in every round. True, he’s a pretty poor at scrambling but this is negated by the fact that he picks up so many birdies. Further, he finished in the top 10 in St. Andrews, so it appears he is suited to links courses. And, just before you shout ‘bullshit’ be mindful of the fact that three of Koepka’s four victories on the European Challenge Tour came on links courses so this isn’t a case of us plucking from the fantasy department. Koepka has trended in the right direction throughout major season and, given his form and ability we think he’s hard to ignore at this price.

  1. Louis Oosthuizen (33/1)

Despite much head scratching, we still can’t fathom why this season’s best major performer, not named Jordan Spieth, is available at such a decent price. Tied 2nd at the U.S. Open and 2nd at the Open, Oosthuizen was agonizingly denied at St. Andrews in a playoff defeat to Zach Johnson. Perhaps his relatively poor showing last week, leading to a forty-second placed finish –the last ten PGA champions have finished no lower than twenty-second in the Bridgestone since 2006- is the reason the affable South African is being avoided. Fear not, however, as Oosthuizen’s last two excellent major performances have been preceded by tied 73rd at the Greenbriar Classic and a slightly less than imperious withdrawal at the Crowne Plaza Invitational. The 2010 Open Championship winner simply knows how to step up on the big occasion and, flying in the face of all reason given his past performances this season, comes to Whistling Straits with little or no fanfare at a very enticing price.

  1. Branden Grace (70/1)

You’ve gotten this far so you know it’s time for the slightly left field pick. New Zealand’s Danny Lee (100/1) is in tremendous form but has to be avoided as he missed the cut in both U.S. Open and Open Championship. There seems to be a lot of love from Americans for Robert Streb (90/1) and while his form is also tremendous he is yet to win on tour this year and for us that’s just too much of a reach.

Instead, our final pick goes to South African Branden Grace. Already a two-time winner on the European Tour in 2015, Grace followed a tremendous fast-charging tied 4th finish at the U.S. Open with a tied 20th at the Open Championship. Last week’s tied 17th in the W.G.C. is clear evidence that Grace’s game is in excellent nick and he seems primed for a charge at a maiden major victory. With so many sub-plots surrounding the favourites, Grace is another form golfer who will arrive at Whsitling Straits free from any external pressure.

This week’s PGA Championship will hopefully mark the high point in what has been a tremendous year thus far for golf. A virtuoso performance from Spieth at Augusta, an age-defying, gritty performance from the same man coupled with a Johnson meltdown at Chambers Bay and a classic shootout at St. Andrew’s. We have seen the emergence of some quality golfers and, of course, the sublime rise of Jordan Spieth as Rory McIlroy’s likely sparring partner for years to come. McIlroy has the best game on tour but Spieth has the best putting and incredible composure for a twenty-two-year-old. You feel the world number-one will have to dig phenomenally deep to hold off not only Spieth but the rest of this tremendous field with a number of the big guns coming to the boil at just the right time. There is an undeniable wave of optimism surrounding Irish golf this week and imagine the excitement which would greet a maiden major win for Shane Lowry or an incredible comeback victory for Rory McIlroy. Statistics and circumstances suggest otherwise but anything is possible in this curious, oddly magnificent old game.

 

U.S. PGA Championship 2015 Picks

  1. Shane Lowry e/w @ 50/1
  2. Brooks Koepka e/w @ 40/1
  3. Louis Oosthuizen e/w @ 33/1
  4. Branden Grace e/w @ 70/1
  5. Danny Willet Top 10 @ 8/1
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English Premier League

Premier League Preview 2015/2016

And so, after what seems like a ten minute interval the relentless machine that is the Barclay’s Premiership –fresh from the obscene BSkyB deal- rolls back around on Saturday lunchtime, as England’s new biggest spenders, Manchester United entertain north London’s second biggest team, Tottenham Hotspur.

Frankly, we’ve been looking to the 2015/2016 Premier League season with incredibly mixed feelings. England’s top flight will always hold a special, irreparably nostalgic, place in our hearts –who can forget waiting as Teletext cruelly played with your emotions at 4:45 on a Saturday afternoon- but there is so much wrong with modern football. The aping of North American sports has seen the inevitable growth of corporate influence while modern players –can we please blame social media for this- have become far more self-absorbed and precious than their predecessors.

Nonetheless, and for all our griping, we still can’t help but get excited about the coming season. About whether Van Gaal’s aping of Manchester City will pay dividends? If Arsenal’s Community Shield victory is just another false dawn to add to Arsene Wenger’s burgeoning collection? Whether Chelsea will roll on machine-like? Or what ludicrous Deepak Chopra-like comments will faux-sage Brendan Rodgers earnestly gift us this season? And will Sky Sports self-important presenter Jim Whyte spontaneously combust from all the excitement on Transfer Deadline Day?

Agents might disagree, but the current transfer deadline situation seems ridiculous. When teams kick-off their season managers should be safe in the knowledge that this is the squad they will have at their disposal until the January desperation sales. This applies in particular to clubs who are trying to thwart the advances of the Chelsea or Manchester United. In virtually every other sport, the squad/roster has been finalised in advance of the season’s opening round of fixtures. Modern-day managers have a difficult enough task as it is, so in the interest of fairness the Premier League should act appropriately.

Now, on to our pre-season outlook for each team and our picks for champions, top four and the three unfortunates to take the plunge to the almost impossible to escape, Championship (or Division 2 for any of our more seasoned readers)

Arsenal: Last year’s F.A. Cup winners seem to have found some steel as witnessed in Sunday’s Community Shield victory over Chelsea. A 6-0 defeat to the same opposition in last year’s league may have proven decisive. At some point, the unrealistic dream of aesthetic perfection had to give way to practicality. Wenger’s continued stubborn refusal to pay heed to a fundamental aspect of a winning team, a defence, saw fans patience eroded to its breaking point. The squad is overflowing with quality midfielders, but as it’s not under 12s you can’t just start your best players all the time, regardless of their position. Petr Cech has arrived to emphatically deal with Arsenal’s ongoing problem position, but the squad will not be complete without a top-class striker, perhaps Karim Benzema to both complement and challenge the frustrating Olivier Giroud. Another, perhaps final, league title would be just rewards for a fantastic servant of game and club, but Mourinho’s Chelsea should prove that little bit too elusive.

Prediction: 2nd. Nearly men once more.

Aston Villa:  Saved in the nick of time by stopgap Tim Sherwood, ‘Villa will be expected to find it very tough this season without streaky, though immensely talented Christian Benteke and progressive, though overrated because he’s English, midfielder Fabian Delph. Sherwood, however, appears to have shopped well with Ghanian Jordan Ayew and Frenchman Jordan Veretout the standout signings.  Delph’s departure to Manchester City –carried out with the commonplace deception and greed of modern footballers- will hopefully see him pilloried on his bench-warming return to Villa Park. Last year’s FA Cup final appearance will have brought fleeting memories of the 80s glory days but, for now, survival will be Sherwood’s prerogative.

Prediction: 14th. The 90s seem but a faint memory now.

Bournemouth: Winners of the Championship last season under the tutelage of Eddie Howe, a man who played an instrumental role in saving Bournemouth from the reaper like claws of administration in 2008. Howe departed for seemingly fresher pastures of Burnley in 2011 but has since returned to guide the Cherries to two promotions in three seasons and probably earned himself the freedom of the town in the process. Bournemouth will, as all those before them, have their work cut out, but Howe has spent wisely with the addition of experience in Sylvain Distin and former Leeds winger Max Gradel. Look out for ready-made stars in buccaneering full-back Simon Francis and free-scoring midfielder Matt Ritchie. Unfortunately though Chelsea defend more smartly than Brentford. We love a Cinderella story but fear it may be one and done for Bournemouth. Regardless of what happens, Howe will be a God forever in this town.

Prediction: 19th. But they’ll go down swinging.

Chelsea: Defending champions possessed of the best manager and player in the league in Jose Mourinho and Eden Hazard respectively. Curiously, there have been very few additions to the squad save for the reclamation project of Radamel Falcao’s career. Mourinho, though ferocious, knows the gentle approach to instilling confidence in a player and obviously sees the Colombian as a project worth investing in. The potential of this squad to rest on their laurels is minimal and Mourinho rightly feels that a settled squad is a happy squad. John Stones signing from Everton is imminent and Diego Costa and Falcao’s fitness, or lack thereof, in the next three weeks may necessitate the acquisition of another number nine. The likely challengers, except perhaps for Arsenal, are possessed of too many unknowns. An improvement on last year will be required, but Mourinho will know and demand this. This is a formidable, wizened, understated team and there is no side currently more resilient. Anything other than a repeat of last season would be a surprise.

Prediction: 1st. A second back-to-back Premier League success of Mourinho’s Chelsea career.

Crystal Palace: Mercifully, for all parties concerned, Alan Pardew defected mid-season to Crystal Palace to end a tumultuous, bizarre reign over Newcastle. Pardew is a souf’ London boy through and through and an adopted Geordie he most certainly was not. On returning home, Pardew seamlessly steered ‘Palace to safety and there is optimism in south-east London that relegation need not even be contemplated this year. For all his grating traits, Pardew is a quality manager, one who maximises the potential of seemingly limited players. Yohan Cabaye’s signing was a fantastic coup and Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford should prove a bit of a wildcard. This year is really about consolidation for Crystal Palace, and so as long as a poor start is avoided Selhurst Park –home of a near unmatched atmosphere- will be treated to the somewhat alien sensation of enjoying their football in the spring.

Prediction: 12th. The welcome sight of mid-table mediocrity.

Everton: Was last season an anomaly or is Roberto Martinez a sort of Wenger-lite, a man who truly believes in pure football over results? The problem is that, despite Martinez protestations to the contrary, Everton spend two-thirds of last season playing toothless, ineffective and most importantly losing football. Everton have been on the brink of Champions League football for the past decade so anything less than a top six finish for the Spaniard will raise serious, but perhaps overstated, concerns on Merseyside. There has been little in the way of transfer activity so the hope for Toffees fans is that Bill Kenwright pulls out the cheque book as Gerard Delofelou is the only real signing of note thus far. Always blighted by a lack of financial muscle it is very difficult to see Everton even break into the eight this season. Perhaps, after all, David Moyes did help the club consistently punch above its weight.

Prediction: 11th. The loss of John Stones may just open the floodgates.

Leicester City: As one head-banger goes another walks in. Admittedly from different ends of the eccentricity spectrum, Leicester City will be no more the duller for the replacement of Nigel Pearson with Premier League old-boy Claudio Ranieri. The Italian oversaw the beginning of the Roman Abramovich era and after a pan-European journey gets an opportunity to step into the Leicester City hot-seat. City’s end of season form was spectacular and the squad has been bolstered with seven new signings led by Japanese star Shinji Okazaki. While it was a shame to see Pearson go on the back of shameful, racist behaviour of Leicester City youth players –fatally for Pearson his son was involved- Ranieri will bring a different kind of passion and energy, topped off by an endless stream of golden quotes. Ranieri may not be stable, in the normal sense of the word, but the world needs eccentrics and most importantly he has ample experience. A good start will be more than half the battle

Prediction: 15th. The raucous King Power Stadium may well prove the difference.

Liverpool: While there are crucial seasons in store for a number of players and managers, no club faces a more important nine months than Liverpool. Liverpool need to finish in the top four and prove that they are worthy title contenders. Gone, for the second season running, is their star attacking player, and while we wouldn’t even for a millisecond place the newly departed Raheem Sterling in the same bracket as Luis Suarez, this recurrence has to be alarming for manager, owners and fans alike. Liverpool seem to be have recruited more wisely this summer –frankly the bar was set at an almost subterranean level after last year– and despite criticism on Merseyside, we think Christian Benteke can flourish in attack. James Milner won’t uproot trees but he’s durable and experienced, while Roberto Firminho –purely on the basis that he’s Brazilian- should provide a spark in attack. The defence can still creak however and Rodgers occasional and bizarre separations from reality can’t mask the fact that the team can appear rudderless at times. While Steven Gerrard’s presence last season was almost entirely spiritual it will interesting to see whether Liverpool can prosper without their heartbeat of the last decade.

Prediction: 5th. May not be enough for Rodgers to survive.

Manchester City: Manuel Pellegrini must know that only victory –in the Premiership or Europe- will keep the wolves from the door. Last season’s defending champions were overly reliant on the outstanding Sergio Aguero and to a lesser extent, David Silva. The remaining stars of the side, Yaya Toure –perhaps still smarting from not getting a birthday greeting from the owners- and captain, Vincent Kompany did not approach anywhere close to their best over the course of the season. The necessity to anglicise their squad has seen the protracted arrival of Raheem Sterling and also midfielder Fabian Delph. City lacked bite last year and the hope must be that Aguero, Silva and Sterling will build a rapid understanding to form an attacking triumvirate so beloved of modern managers. However, there is little depth behind Ageuro and, further, a lot will depend on whether the performances of Kompany and Toure last season were merely symptomatic of post- World Cup blips as opposed to being signs of genuine regression.

Prediction: 4th. Probably the end for the likable Chilean, Manuel Pellegrini.

Manchester United: The post-Sir Alex Ferguson years have seen considerable change for the Premier League era’s most successful club. The whole throw a gritty, Glaswegian –David Moyes- into the mix and hope he turns into a carbon copy of Ferguson quite clearly did not work. The club then turned conservatively to veteran Dutchman Louis Van Gaal, who has been given the keys to a seemingly bottomless war-chest to throw endless millions at the club’s problems –ironically a process which Manchester United fans criticised their cross town rivals for at the start of this decade- and after a year of relative consolidation the club will be expected to challenge once more for the Premier League title. The main departee is Angel di Maria –who was never given a chance and is now receiving largely unwarranted criticism from the academics on Twitter- while the major signings, thus far, are Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay. Schneiderlin and Depay may well prove the shrewdest bits of business this summer while reinforcements are sure to arrive out wide and more importantly to shore up last season’s aimless, porous defence. As with last season, this team will take time to gel. Probably too much personnel upheaval to challenge in May but if Wayne Rooney excels in a new ‘Rooneycentric’ attack, the old swagger may just reappear.

Prediction: 3rd. Need to find a settled starting XI to avoid losing ground early on.

Newcastle United: Despite a reasonably impressive record in his time over Newcastle –given the pithy transfer kitty on offer- Alan Pardew just wasn’t fit to cut it up north. His mid-season replacement John Carver managed to steer the club, almost despite himself, to safety and now Yorkshireman Steve McClaren steps into one of the most difficult roles in English football. Owner Mike Ashley, as loathsome as he is, is obviously no fool. Geordies love their football and he knows that while they detest him, they will never abandon their team despite their recent travails. To his credit, Ashley has been uncharacteristically flaithiúlach this summer, although this may have been a pre-requisite of McLaren taking on the role. Exciting youngster Ronaldo Aarons is expected to make the leap this year and Dutch international Georginio Wijnaldum will introduce genuine threat in what was an often acerbic Newcastle attack last year. Meanwhile, marquee signing Aleksander Mitrovic comes with the always interesting, ‘highly talented/head-the-ball’ tag attached. One more centre-back required though for a defence that can sometimes resemble a hungover Sunday League team. Still, McClaren has had success on the continent and should get the best out of Newcstle’s Dutch contingent.

Prediction: 9th. A pleasantly surprising season on Tyneside.

Norwich City: Managed to negotiate the minefield –and incidentally one of the most thrilling stages of the season- of the Championship playoffs, after coming past Ipswich in the ‘Old Farm Derby’ and eventually Middlesborough in the now even more valuable playoff final. An immediate return to the Premier League is a fantastic achievement and this came about largely as the appointment of Alex Neil as manager in January. Neil is a fiery, archetypal Scotsman and he managed to turn around a talented, probably self-pitying squad in a remarkably short period of time. The fact many of the squad have already tasted Premier League football will be of huge benefit. Of the newly promoted sides they’re the most likely to stay up, but new additions Robbie Brady and Youssef Mulumbu won’t be enough so one would expect Neil will acquire a new striker before September 1st. Promoted sides need to make their home ground a hostile, fortress and Neil will hope his attitude seeps into the players and fans alike.

Prediction: 16th. Hindsight may prove otherwise but the most likely of the promoted sides to survive.

Southampton: The thinking man’s club, Southampton have proven a breath of fresh air since their return to the Premiership three seasons ago. Mindful of the fact that they simply could not compete with the big-spenders, the club took the sensible, patient approach of developing an outstanding academy and scouting network. Thanks to Matt Le Tissier, Southampton will hold a soft spot in the hearts of anyone who grew up watching football in the 90s. Despite a fan-base both patient and realistic enough to know –they’ve known the toils of League One football- that competing for the title is probably a bridge too far, anything less than the top eight will be disappointing after last year’s tremendous showing. Tipped by some for relegation Southampton bolted out of the blocks, ultimately finishing seventh. The sharks have circled again this summer with Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin departed for Liverpool and Manchester United respectively. The latter’s replacement, Dutch midfielder Jordie Clasie, may prove one of the buys of the summer but another striker is required to assist Graziano Pelle. Southampton may not challenge realistically for the Champions League spots, but the club are set for a lengthy residency in the Premier League, something their fans could only have dreamt of three years ago.

Prediction: 8th. May surprise again but this seems more realistic.

Stoke City: Now a Premier League staple, Stoke are undergoing a considerable reconstruction under the tutelage of Mark Hughes. Once feared, mostly by Arsenal, for their unique brand of grindhouse football under Tony Pulis, the team actually began to play some of the most attractive football in the league last year. Pulis’ reign should not be discredited but after five years of ‘it’s our house let’s kick the shit out of them’, it was good to see Hughes attempt to evolve the team’s style. Stoke’s fans are incredibly enthusiastic, hostile and loyal –the perfect combo- and are smart enough to know that survival counts over style but they will no doubt appreciate their team’s new approach. A number of signings from Barcelona and Real Madrid, including the once highly touted Ibrahim Afellay, suggest that the movement away from the ‘Rory Delap’ blueprint will continue in earnest. If Hughes can integrate his new signings quickly –as with most mid-table clubs- then we have a feeling that Stoke may improve beyond last season’s best ever finish of ninth.

Prediction: 7th. This is the year Bojan Krcic may reignite.

Sunderland: Who would miss Sunderland if they fell through the trapdoor to the Championship this season? Exactly.

Prediction: 18th. Hung on by the skin of their teeth in recent seasons. Not this time.

Swansea City: Another side, who like Southampton, recruit wisely and sell when the price is right. Fears abounded when Gary Monk stepped into Brendan Rodgers shoes but the affable Welshman has actually continued on brilliantly from where his predecessor left off. Another side who keep the ball on the ground and one of the best teams to happen upon on Monday Night Football for a bit of entertainment. As in previous summers the incoming players are largely unknown but do keep an eye out for Andrew Ayew, a highly regarded attacking midfielder from Marseille. It’s extremely difficult to see Swansea improving on last year’s terrific eight placed finish but as long Monk ensures his side are looking down their nose at hated rivals Cardiff City, the fans won’t mind.

Prediction: 10th. Interesting to see how they perform with expectations raised.

Tottenham Hotspur: Life as a Spurs fan must be frustrating. A big club but not a huge one. Constantly challenging but never really succeeding. Spurs have hung around the periphery of the top four for the best part of a decade now but a propensity to sell their best players means they will never really compete with the likes of their North London superiors Arsenal or the Manchester clubs. Somewhat chastened by largely wasting the €100 million from the Gareth Bale sale, Spurs have thus far this summer only recruited defenders. Much will centre around Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane, and the latter’s sophomore season will confirm whether last year was an outlier or a sample of great things to come. Another striker is required to make the big-four take note and they face a difficult opening assignment at Old Trafford tomorrow. Making a statement there would be a good way to quieten the doubters.

Prediction: 6th. The squad hasn’t been bolstered enough to truly challenge.

Watford: Watford are an odd one. Despite, last season, mowing through three managers before finally settling on Slavisa Jokanavic they were promoted. Now, despite gaining promotion, Jokanavic is also gone, replaced by Quique Flores, a man who obviously has no regard for job security. Flores comes with serious pedigree, having managed in Spain and Portugal’s tope leagues for over a decade but he will have his work cut out here. Watford certainly haven’t been frugal, spending over €30 million – they will expect a serious contribution from former Spurs midfielder Etienne Capoue- but it is current fan favourite Troy Deeney, scorer one of the most dramatic goals in Championship history, that will be relied on to lead the line. Whatever the outcome Watford will bring a brand of enterprising football but it’s a hard to imagine a scenario where Watford can extend their return to the Premier League beyond a solitary season.

Prediction: 20th. Even their fans will struggle to see how Watford can survive.

West Bromwich Albion: Tony Pulis’ first full season in charge of the Baggies. Don’t expect this to be the season where Pulis throws his footballing philosophies out the window and tries to create a Barcelona of the midlands. Direct and some might say stylistically crude, Pulis knows how to take a team –invariably a side near the bottom- and instil them with military discipline, street toughness and resolve. Stoke City and Crystal Palace will attest to his effectiveness. West Brom will never be far from the news this year as a result of their signing of Republic of Ireland midfielder James McLean. McLean, intelligent though somewhat provocative, has drawn the ire of British fans and media alike, for his refusal to wear a poppy and more recently, his decision to turn away during a rendition of God Save the Queen. Pulis is in danger of starting the new season with a fairly toothless attack though, with Saido Berahino’s move to Spurs imminent. Even with Berahino, goals will be a problem so West Brom fans will likely be in for a nervy May.

Prediction: 17th. Pulis’ experience will be crucial in the run in.

West Ham United: Sam Allardyce was, without question, the most harshly treated manager in the Premier League last year. Having guided his side to almost certain safety by February –this, remember, the same team who played in the Championship as recently as 2012- fans of the Hammers openly booed Big Sam for refusing to play ‘West Ham’ football. West Ham have tasted relegation twice in the space of eight years so it seems a bit trite to mourn to cry for the great teams of the 70s when there are more pressing concerns, such as survival, at hand.  Even the occasionally brilliant side of Carrick, Cole, Defoe and the wondrous Paolo di Canio suffered the ignominy of relegation in 2003. Perhaps Allardyce’s greatest sin was his unwillingness, particularly at this stage of his managerial career to even consider a creative overhaul. Former West Ham player, Slaven Bilic takes the reins this year, tasked with bringing joy back to faces of fans in the East End. Dimitri Payet’s arrival brings genuine optimism, the former Marseille man lighting up Ligue 1 for the last two seasons. If he can smoothly transition into English football –no easy feat- then there is hope for West Ham’s unjustifiably expectant fans.

Prediction: 13th. Bilic will need time and patience to give the fans what they want.

Final Predictions 

Champions: Chelsea

Champions League Places: Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City

Relegated: Bournemouth, Sunderland, Watford

Bet Selection: Wayne Rooney leading scorer e/w @ 11/1

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Sport and Culture

Times Change But Some Attitudes Stay the Same

The last few weeks have provided a stark reminder that cultural outlooks and sport are inextricably linked when it comes to the blight of racism. While racist gibes at sporting events can often be limited to the mindless few recent events in two far-flung corners of the globe suggest that certain national attitudes refuse to evolve. In Russia, Ufa midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong reacted angrily to Spartak Moscow’s supporters as a result of their making repeated monkey noises at him and was subsequently sent off. The fact that only the actions of former Arsenal player Frimpong were punished while the lobotomised sections of the crowd escaped censure show just how seriously the Russian Football Union are tackling the problem of racism in their domestic game. Annoyingly, Frimpong’s experience is neither novel nor surprising –indeed Congolese defender Christopher Samba suffered a similar fate last year when he reacted inappropriately to fans incessant abuse and had to be substituted at half-time due to his distressed nature- but the fact that the RFU have, on this occasion, completely exonerated the racist element in the crowd smacks of a worrying display of institutional apathy.

Brazilian striker Hulk, of Zenit St. Petersburg, has already voiced his concerns at the level of racism which he fears will prevail at the 2018 World Cup but one wonders and worries if the Russian authorities care enough to first acknowledge the problem and latterly deal with it. Russia did not wake up a racist country and it would take a fool to suggest that the geniuses on the terraces can be enlightened in less than three years. Further, and this must be noted with emphasis, racism is not a problem confined to Russia but its prevalence in Russian football –a better measure of the attitudes of the masses than most- make one wonder just how accurate a reflection this is of Russian attitudes. On a human level, the mass tirades of racism aimed at black players are disgusting and on a greater global level one wonders how a country should be awarded soccer, and sport’s, greatest tournament when their own domestic game is so grossly intolerant of foreign, and particularly African players. The recent events are not shocking –to say as much would be disingenuous- and perhaps that is the most jarring aspect of all.

Equally dismaying is the controversy presently surrounding Australian Rules football and indeed Australian cultural attitudes. Sydney Swans star forward Adam Goodes, a proud, vocal Indigenous Australian, has been subjected to mass racist abuse –thinly veiled as standard Australian ‘banter’- for having the temerity to celebrate his ethnicity while challenging boorish, ignorant ‘Stralian football fans for their dim, narrow-minded views. As a result, he has taken a self-imposed break from the game and is seriously mulling over the idea of bringing the curtain down permanently on a storied career.

The furore surrounding the two-time Bronwlow Medal winner -incidentally won by the extraordinary Jim Stynes in 1991- which doubles as a piss-weak excuse for demonising Goodes dates back to 2013, when he took exception with a 13-year-old girl calling him an “ape”, leading to her ejection from the MCG. The youngster apologised and Goodes openly accepted her remorse, but it’s probably fair to say that her remark was somewhat unknowing and more the result of an environment where racism is commonplace. Kids don’t usually lick their behavioural traits off the grass. Fans took Goodes to task for essentially picking on a child, rather than looking at the bigger question of why a child is yelling a racial slur at a brilliantly talented, thoughtful sportsman.

The pot really came to the boil a fortnight ago when Goodes’ teammate Lewis Jetta –also an Indigenous Australian- celebrated a goal by recreating an Indigenous war dance and throwing an imaginary spear at a section of the anti-Goodes, Perth crowd. Critics –see latent racists- described Jetta’s act as inflammatory, which seems perplexing as New Zealand’s famed haka, itself an ancient Maori war dance is lauded the world over. How is it not patently clear that the angered response of the crowd to Jetta’s celebration is a perfect example of the ignorance and disrespect shown by some Australians toward an ancient, proud culture? Indigenous players booed when they embrace their culture? For Christ’s sake, join the dots.

Goodes has plenty of risible traits –like Cristiano Ronaldo he’s immensely talented but is deemed to milk free kicks through deception- and if the crowd ribbed him on this basis one could understand. Quality players, particularly flamboyant players –think Ronaldo, Chris Ashton, Lar Corbett, Deion Sanders-  have been hated in a sporting context, in itself a backhanded compliment, by opposition fans the world over, since time immemorial. That Australians are hiding behind this excuse is ridiculous and frankly insulting. Indeed, on a separate occasion –and there are many- a fan was ejected after not so sagely advising Goodes to, “Get back to the zoo!”. The fans riposte was to cast the statement off as “banter”, a word that is irksome when used flippantly and incorrectly to describe insulting comments. To further his case he absurdly decried the situation as, “political correctness gone mad”.

The sad part of all this is that many in Australia would agree with this bogan. Even Australian cricket legend, Shane Warne, rather dimwittedly seems to think that Goodes is subjected to abuse because, strictly in a football sense, fans don’t like the way he plays and carries himself. We’re probably giving Warne more credit than he deserves, but this was in effect the gist of what he was saying. Social media, and namely Twitter –home of the instantaneous, badly thought out opinion- rightly, on this occasion, jumped down Warne’s throat. Again Warne’s attitude typifies the view of many Australians. Not for a second are we saying he is a racist but he, like many others, is unaware that this perceived banter and gamesmanship are bare-faced racism.

Unsurprisingly, an opinion has sprouted –championed by News Limited columnist and political commentator Andrew Bolt, who was found to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act in 2009 for two articles he produced in 2009- that Goodes behaviour has actually been inflammatory, piqued by his own war dance in the Indigenous Round and to quell the controversy he should refrain from celebrating his culture. How could this stance be any further from reason? Multiculturalism demands acceptance and integration in order to foster appreciation. Customs should be shared and celebrated. We are clearly outsiders looking in, and an Australian could very well tell us to ‘piss-off down from our Irish high-horse’ but you don’t need to be heavily immersed in Australian culture to realise that Adam Goodes is being pilloried for being proud, open, thoughtful and challenging.

Billionaire businessman James Packer, had this to say, “He’s (Goodes) an Australian of the Year, I think he’s an amazing role model and to hear people booing him is something that I’m ashamed of as an Australian.” Despite perceptions to the contrary, it seems times have not changed for an alarming number of Australians. It’s 2015 and racism is sadly alive, kicking and thanks, as ever, to ignorance prospering.

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Open Championship 2015

Open Championship 2015 – As the Dust Settles

Zach Johnson victorious with an assist from the Bible, while McIlroy is missed but not that much.

In a continuation of a summer of unseasonably high winds, the Open Championship saw a Monday conclusion for only the second time since 1860 –the other being 1988 – with Zach Johnson picking up a second major victory, eight years subsequent to his maiden success at Augusta. A devout Christian, Johnson relied on a biblical verse –Psalms 24:17 as it happens- to provide focus and calm throughout his final day’s play, right up until Louis Oosthuizen’s putt rolled by the cup on the twenty-second and final green of Monday’s play to give Johnson a deserved if unexpected win. Truly though, it was Johnson’s terrific handling of inclement conditions allied with an extremely fluent putter which led to victory for one of the world’s tidiest –in a sporting context- and most consistent players over the last three years. In the early afternoon, the leaderboard was an unsettled jumble of names with the top five positions in constant rotation particularly as the front nine holes were negotiated. The elements do not aid a player around the entirety of a links course however, and through the back nine the wind at St. Andrews bore its teeth, putting a defiant halt to any highfalutin notions of a course record.

Jordan Spieth, discarded by history, for now at least, by just a few inches was valiant in defeat, while his playing partner, Jason Day -after four seconds at majors in serious nearly-man mode- was left to rue some pretty ordinary iron play on his way back as he too missed the playoff by a shot. Without dwelling on Spieth –particularly in a week where he tied for fourth- it is hard to ignore the nervelessness and resilience that are to forefront of his game, not to mention his phenomenal putting, which will assuredly lead to many more successes at major championships. Spieth’s achievements will, and indeed already have demanded endless attention, so it would be remiss, and frankly ignorant to ignore the Champion Golfer of the Year, Zach Johnson. Humble and earnest, the archetypal mid-westerner, the thirty-nine year old was philosophical in noting that his patience this week garnered the ultimate prize after he missed out on a playoff with Spieth and Tom Willis just a week earlier at the John Deere Classic.

It was somewhat interesting that Johnson was led to say that it was the Bible that provided him with patience, while also acknowledging that his management of the course and superb putting were equally important in getting him over the line. Sportspeople, Americans in particular, are well known for crediting a large chunk of their ability and prowess to God –in their preferred form- while often overlooking the fact that it was their immense skill, dedication and ability which probably lead them to success. And, Zach Johnson is as god-fearing a man as the state of Iowa has produced. Putting your beliefs or lack thereof aside, Johnson’s reliance on the bible’s teachings is no more preposterous or unusual than attending a sports psychologist. The benefits of psychology to sportspeople are unquestioned, but if Johnson has found solace and direction in a book –as many others have- then why not?

Testing the general attitude after Monday’s final round, it was difficult to say that there was excitement surrounding the American’s victory. It goes without saying that, as a two-time major winner, the thirty-nine-year-old is an immensely talented golfer. Nonetheless, colourful characters are far more appealing and it is unfortunate –purely from a superficial aspect- that Johnson’s blandness is, oxymoronically, his standout characteristic. One suspects he could not care less but with so many romantic (Paul Dunne, Padraig Harrington) and historic (Jordan Spieth) possibilities available the Open Championship 2015 ended on somewhat of an anti-climax, although in the context of a three-way four-hole playoff that may be a hard point to sell.

A quick word on Rory McIlroy. While any tournament is the lesser for his absence, it is fantastic to see that golf does not rely on his presence in the same manner it used on Tiger Woods in the 2000s. For many reasons –none more obvious than Tiger breaking down the stuffy, antiquated, interminably white door of golf for minority competitors- Woods was a unique, once in a generation player whose impact was farther reaching than perhaps any sportsman before or since. Woods broke down barriers and made golf cool, accessible and appealing for quite literally millions of people. McIlroy does have remarkable box office draw however, as proven by the global adulation garnered on him after last year’s double major triumph. Still, his loss has undoubtedly been tempered by the earlier than expected arrival of Jordan Spieth as a true player but also by the more pronounced depth in the field. In any event, McIlroy’s absence proved comprehensively that the show goes on, while also whetting the appetite for his and Spieth’s countless, future showdowns.

The recent dominance by McIlroy and Spieth has made many of us overly expectant that virtually every major in the foreseeable future will be a two man argument. While they are undoubtedly the two best golfers in the world, they are not the best every week as proven so clearly by Zach Johnson. Spieth and McIlroy may eventually take each other to different planes of brilliance –as Federer and Nadal once did- but the chasing pack are not going to step aside and wilfully admire their exploits. This week the elder empire struck back. And, with thanks to an impeccable putter and some reassuring scripture, the thirty-nine-year-old Zach Johnson railed, ever so politely, against those who say golf is becoming the exclusive preserve of young men.

             

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Open Championship 2015

Open Championship 2015 – Preview

Open Championship – Old Course, St. Andrews 16th – 19th July 2015

According to all-time leading major winner, Jack Nicklaus, “if a golfer is going to be remembered, he must win at St. Andrews.” Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, the two greatest of all-time have conquered the storied Old Course twice. This week Jordan Spieth has the chance to join some rarefied air with a maiden victory on perhaps the most famous golf course in the world. Victory for Spieth in Scotland would see him match Ben Hogan as the only other winner of the first three majors of the year while simultaneously leap-frogging the unfortunately sidelined Rory McIlroy at the summit of their game. All this at the Home of Golf, St Andrews, a course that possesses a palpable sense of magic for golf fans the world over.

McIlroy’s now well-documented ankle ligament injury brought about as the result of a game of five-a-side soccer –as it is actually often referred to in Ireland- came at an incredibly inopportune time for the County Down man. Obviously, injury is never greeted enthusiastically but to do so just a fortnight before attempting to defend the Open championship with a fast charging Spieth in the rearview must be particularly jarring. The Texan is on a seemingly unstoppable surge at present and next Sunday we could well see him add the penultimate leg of the yet to be accomplished quest of winning all four majors within the calendar year.

Fans of generic American courses probably won’t agree but for us The Open Championship –always played at a links course- is the finest of all the majors. And there is no more impressive setting for a tournament than the fabled St. Andrews Links near Fife on Scotland’s eastern coast. Links golf has a certain rawness and elemental magic to it, something which parkland courses, for all their serene beauty, can rarely offer. Augusta National admittedly proffers a different, more sedate kind of charm. A true links is a wild beast, often largely dependent on the whims of both the elements and the ocean. If the wind starts to blow then players are faced with the type of challenges they rarely encounter on the regular Tour.

St Andrews though is not quite as punishing as the likes of Carnoustie or Royal Birkdale, the scenes of Padraig Harrington’s famous, dual triumphs. The Old Course’s expansive fairways invariably allow for Uzi-like waywardness off the tee, but those who do end up in the rough will pay for their sins. The key to mastering the venerable, Old Course –which has seen a number of alterations since Louis Oosthuizen destroyed the field when the Open was last staged at St Andrews in 2010- is forming a strategy to avoid the multitudinous bunkers while negotiating the sprawling double-greens. Even casual fans will be familiar with the ominous ‘Hell Bunker’ on the fourteenth and the ‘Road Hole Bunker’ on the approach to the penultimate green.  Patience is key and learning when to kowtow to the wind and when to ride it equally important. Of course, last year’s champion is a frustrated observer so there are probably the guts of forty players who will fancy their chances. Tiger thinks his game is in a pretty good place, but two good rounds do not a rejuvenated championship golfer make. As ever we will have a look at the favourites before moving a little further down the market for some value.

The Favourites

The unflappable Jordan Spieth (6/1) unsurprisingly tops the betting market following McIlroy’s ill-timed injury. The Texan is still proving somewhat of an anomaly to experts and the ever-burgeoning community of statistics devotees. For anyone who cares to examine Spieth’s stats here they are. And, for those who don’t here’s a brief synopsis. A distinctly average driver of the ball, Spieth is almost as likely to find the rough as the fairway. From the rough however he proves exceptionally accurate which we find somewhat confusing. How does he miss fairways with alarming regularity yet show unerring accuracy when shooting from the less favourable rough? In any event, the world number-two really makes the step up to the elite class as a result of his superb putting, incidentally the area in which McIlroy’s game seems to flag the most. The twenty-one-year-old doesn’t smash it like McIlroy or unstoppable-era Woods, but he has a phenomenal ability to scramble, almost peerless putting and the unflappable composure -of which there is no known statistical measure- possessed of true champions. This week though, Spieth’s lack of familiarity with links courses counts against him and he is of no interest at that price. Still he was relatively unfamiliar –caddy knowledge aside- with the obscure, otherworldliness of Chambers Bay and he still excelled there. Amongst Spieth’s many talents is his ability to plot his way around pretty much any course -or golfing intelligence as you will hear mentioned umpteen times this week- which makes him impossible to rule out. Still, prohibitive at that price.

Of more interest of the short prices is Dustin Johnson (12/1) who so agonisingly threw away the U.S. Open last month. Johnson is a fine links player but until he proves he can do it on the Sunday of a major championship we’re more than willing to look elsewhere. And so, on to our deeply considered picks.

Rickie Fowler (16/1)

True, Fowler is too short at that price after last week’s victory in the Scottish Open but that victory in itself makes the affable Californian difficult to ignore. Fowler has really matured in the last couple of seasons, performing fantastically well at the majors – his Chambers Bay nightmare aside- since engaging the services of veteran swing coach, Butch Harmon. Second in Hoylake to the imperious McIlroy last year we would have fancied Fowler’s chances of going one better this year even before the ill-fated game of five-a-side. Even at this shortened price we’ll give Fowler the nod over Spieth- whose inexperience surely has to tell one of these days- particularly as Fowler was only bettered last year, as mentioned, by a near untouchable McIlroy.

Shane Lowry (40/1)

On the back of last year’s tied ninth in Hoylake and a similarly fantastic showing at Chambers Bay, we feel the time has come for Shane Lowry to stake his claim to a maiden major championship. The Offaly man’s jolly demeanour belies genuine grit and he certainly isn’t the type who will be phased when the wind begins to blow with real intent. No stranger to a visit from the red mist Lowry seems to have curtailed his habit of trying to win back dropped shots immediately through naked aggression and sometimes poor decision making. Already possessed of a fantastic short game, if the rest clicks then we’re very confident that the Claret Jug can make its fifth journey to this island since 2007 and it’s first ever to the midlands.

Brooks Koepka (50/1)

You may recall that we’ve been on this European Tour alumni’s bandwagon for a while now and after a solid 19th in Chambers Bay and tied 22nd in Aberdeen last week, there’s little question that Koepka is ready for the challenge of St Andrews. Again the accommodating width of the fairways will suit the American’s occasionally scatter-gun driving. Some of the younger Americans become a little disheartened by the dual threat of howling winds and occasionally hellish rough but the well-travelled Koepka has seen this all before. If the putter gets hot, Koepka will almost certainly be in the thick of it come Sunday evening.

Victor Dubuisson (66/1)

The longest odds of all of our picks, Dubuisson merits, what we believe to be well-founded attention this week. An introspective, attention shy type Dubuisson is shrouded in a relative veil of mystery, a pleasant rarity in a modern sportsperson. A proven performer at major tournaments the Frenchman tied for ninth in last year’s renewal of the Open. Further, after an injury laden season the world number thirty-seven has happened upon some timely form with top twenty finishes in each of his last three events. Dubuisson’s phenomenal ability to scramble –likened to Seve Ballesteros by no less than Nick Faldo- is highlighted by this truly ridiculous shot in the 2014 WGC Accenture Match Play final against Jason Day. Being a Frenchman, his temperament is almost lazily questioned –shyness nowadays equating to media unfriendly- but a confident Ryder Cup debut suggests Dubuisson can more than handle the pressure. Given past performance and recent form this looks far too big a price.

So, as with the U.S. Open we’re looking to the youngsters to step up to the plate in Scotland.  And with rain threatening to appear on Sunday the new breed’s power and length will become ever more prominent. Whatever the outcome, by Sunday evening someone will have joined a very elite group of champions at the nigh-on sacred Home of Golf. We’ll stick with Rickie Fowler to confirm his ascendancy to the top table of world golf but don’t be surprised if Victor Dubuisson usurps him.

2015 Open Championships Picks

  1. Rickie Fowler e/w @ 16/1
  2. Shane Lowry e/w @ 40/1
  3. Brooks Koepka e/w @ 50/1
  4. Victor Dubuisson e/w @ 66/1
  5. Eddie Pepperrell Top 10 @ 16/1
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The Ashes 2015

The Ashes 2015 Preview

A preview of the 2015 Ashes Series with our predictions and players to watch over the summer.

And so, the biennial clash of two fiercely proud -some might say arrogant- nations commences today in Cardiff as England and Australia square off in the first test of this year’s Ashes series. A series steeped in tradition, the moniker was first applied in 1882 after Australia’s first ever series victory on Australian soil. A mock obituary appeared in a British newspaper, The Sporting Times, stating English cricket was dead and “the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.” As a symbolic gesture after England’s victory in 1883, England captain Ivo Bligh was presented with a small urn –this is itself is a quirky story– containing “the Ashes of Australian cricket.” Ever since a tiny replica urn -symbolic of the vanquished side’s game- has been presented to the winning captain in what has become the most trumpeted rivalry in international cricket.

England and Australia. It would be difficult to conjure a more self-important sporting nation than the former –indeed the victorious England side of 2005 were awarded MBEs for winning a two team cricket series- while the Antipodeans approach and play their sport with complete, unapologetic, though invariably well backed-up, arrogance. It is fitting that these two nations should play out such a grandiose contest every two years. There really is no other sport where a stand-alone rivalry is granted such an unprecedented level of attention in both the public and media fora. Aussies hate the Poms while England love nothing better than to stifle the incredibly brash, in-your-face Australians. Nonetheless, if one chooses to dip for the first time into what is generally perceived in these parts as an incredibly boring game, there is no better cricketing experience than the Ashes.

Test cricket is completely different to what we saw earlier this year at the limited overs World Cup. Played over five days with both sides batting for two innings each, the side with the most runs after five days wins but they must bowl out the other side’s entire line-up. If a side is still batting at the end of day five without surpassing the other side’s score then the game ends in a draw. The wicket and crease are prepared differently for test series. For example English bowlers like to swing and seam the ball –this article explains these terms perfectly- but as day four and five approach cracks appear in the pitch and this is when spinners come into their element.

This year’s series sees Australia, led by Michael Clarke, attempting to retain the urn for the first time since 2003. England ended years of heartache and downright humiliation with a thrilling victory in 2005 –their first since 1987- bringing to an end an unprecedented era of Australian dominance fronted at various times by greats such as sledging king Merv Hughes –more on that later- Steve Waugh, Glenn McGrath and the most prolific leg-spinner of all time, Shane Warne. Warne’s fist ever delivery in Ashes cricket in 1993 –‘the Ball of the Century’– to a hapless Mike Gatting has gone down in cricketing lore, not only for its brilliance but for the singular impact it had in reintroducing leg-spinners to cricket.

Along with Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff –a genuine, modern-day, English folk hero- the man who really swung that 2003 series in England’s favour was the now exiled, Kevin Pietersen. Twelve years ago the English public were unconvinced as to whether this highly touted, South African import would deliver. Over the next six weeks he answered that question emphatically, smashing Warne and co. to all corners of English grounds as the unproven maverick became the doyen –Freddie aside- of the English summer. There’s no great point in retracing our steps as Pietersen’s enforced absence this summer has already been well-documented and the English public –save for Pietersen’s dickhead mate, Piers Morgan- have for the most part moved on. Nonetheless, expect any English failing to be tied, whether logically or not, to Pietersen’s absence.

Following the 2005 breakthrough, England actually won three of the next five series although these wins were bookended by humiliating 5-0 whitewashes on Australian soil. This summer however England will enjoy home comforts and raucous home crowds, led by the highly irritating though admittedly passionate Barmy Army. Also, as we mentioned above the ball swings in the air in English conditions –mainly it seems due to cloud cover- and James Anderson, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker is peerless in this department.

English cricket was somewhat in the mire for the last twelve months with the probably sulking shadow of Pietersen looming large in this period. 2014’s whitewash ‘Down Under’ was followed by this year’s World Cup abomination, with the English performing considerably worse than a vastly less well-resourced and frankly inferior side in Ireland. A drawn test series against a West Indian team shorn of its stars bore bad omens for the fast approaching series against New Zealand, a team who in terms of attacking style and low-key demeanour proved the antithesis of the beleaguered English. Yet, what a difference a few weeks makes. England drew the test series (five-day games) and recovered to win the one-day series (50 over games) against the World Cup runners-up to give English cricket an incredibly timely boost before the arrival of Australia. The upturn in performance resulted from England taking a very un-English approach, releasing the shackles and playing with reckless abandon. Australia will still be the favourites, but Alastair Cook’s England have every chance, boosted further by the injury-enforced retirement this week of the hugely important, swing-proficient Australian bowler, Ryan Harris.

The above-mentioned New Zealand series was notable for the absence of sledging –the hot topic in this summer’s gaelic football championship- but really an age-old mainstay of all sports. If England invented cricket then Australians are the unquestioned founding fathers of sledging: relentless verbal insults aimed at an opposing batsmen with a view to weakening the batsman’s mental resolve. While New Zealand ignored the use of insults there is absolutely no chance that England or Australia will decline the opportunity to ruffle their opponents’ feathers. After the recent series against the ‘Black Caps’ was played in fantastic spirit, Anderson –a serial sledger- attempted to mount the high horse, disingenuously asking for the upcoming Ashes to be played in the absence of any nasty verbals. The Australians, however, saw right through this. We’re inclined to respect the Australians for their frankness, not because we’re particularly fond of sledging, but because both sides will engage in the thorny psychological wars. We’ll take a straight criminal over a dodgy cop any day of the week.

There seems, however, to be a different level of vitriol -probably media driven- between the current sets of players. This isn’t helped by the fact that Australian opener David Warner –a guy who would be as divisive as Kevin Pietersen if he were English but is loved in Australia- punched English batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar in 2013, in the build up to that year’s Ashes series. Warner has reportedly calmed down –that is according to himself- but we’re certain that once the series starts all bets will be off. Australian coach Darren Lehmann openly encourages his players to take on the opposition mentally and England’s pair of Anderson and the risible Stuart Broad are as mouthy as they come. So, frankly, something has to give. Despite the relative paucity of information about cricket players –at least compared to their soccer counterparts- it seems they are a decidedly prickly, bitchy, irritable bunch. Between Warner’s antics, the furore surrounding Pietersen –indeed English director of cricket and former teammate Andrew Strauss was caught calling the South African a “cunt”, unaware that he was live on air- and the perceived nastiness on the pitch there is no chance this series will pass without some form of widely-debated indiscretion.

The series will be tighter than the Aussies expect though they rarely expect a challenge let alone contemplate being beaten. Nonetheless, England may be riding on the crest of a deceptively, insubstantial wave, as, despite their self-congratulatory summer thus far, they have achieved little in terms of consistency. Additionally, today’s test is new coach -incidentally an Australian- Trevor Bayliss’ first game in charge following the tumultuous spring. Expect drama, countless barbs from both camps and believe us, despite the duration of each test, truly thrilling cricket. The home side will battle gamely but we expect Australia’s proven class to tell. Australia to win this lengthy production and ride not so quietly into the sunset.

Our Prediction:  Australia to win series 3-1 (9/2 generally)

While the sledging of recent series has been marked by a dearth of wit there are some classic sledges from earlier Ashes series, where even the victim may have allowed themselves a concealed smirk. Here are a couple of our favourites:

Merv Hughes to Graeme Hick

Hughes, a notoriously chippy, mountain of a man aimed this at batsman Graeme Hick with the Englishman going through a period of hopeless swishing of the bat, unable to score.

Hughes: “Mate, if you just turn the bat over you’ll find the instructions on the other side.”

Glenn McGrath to Michael Atherton

Revered Australian fast-bowler Dennis Lillee originally devised this eternally popular set-up, used on this occasion by Glenn McGrath against former England captain, Michael Atherton.

McGrath: “Athers, it would help if you got rid of the shit at the end of your bat.”

Atherton earnestly looks at the bottom of his bat.

McGrath: “No, no, the other end.”

James Ormond to Mark Waugh

The little known England bowler James Ormond was preparing to bowl to Mark Waugh – a fine player but never regarded as being in the same league as brother Steve- leading to a more subtle, English response.

Waugh: “Fuck me, look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here? There’s no way you’re good enough to play for England.”

Ormond: “Maybe not, but at least I’m the best player in my family”.

And, the classic Ashes sledge courtesy of legendary English all-rounder, Ian Botham.

Ian Botham to Rodney Marsh

Botham, like Hughes was never one to play the game with his mouth shut. As the Englishman prepared to bat, Aussie wicket keeper Rodney Marsh decided to put him off and was as emphatically as is possible put back in his box.

Marsh: “So how’s your wife and my kids?”

Botham: “The wife’s fine – the kids are retarded.”

The Captains

Alastair Cook (England) – Possibly the most boring batsman in the world, Cook is an obdurate opener who when locked in can make massive scores. Accusations of conservatism challenged by new found freedom in New Zealand series. Can be a bit wibbly-wobbly when the concentration wanes. Needs big scores to lead England.

Michael Clarke (Australia) – Definitely taking a lead from Machiavelli in declining the notion of inspiring love from his players. A tricky character but superb batsman when in form. Also an aggressive, creative captain who will attack rather than defend against batsmen. Terrible injury history may slow him while pre-series form is poor. Needs to step up like he can.

Players to Watch

England

Joe Root- An absolute revelation this year, the baby-faced Yorkshireman is the absolute darling of the expectant English public. Appearance belies his steely demeanour. If he has the series he is capable of, England will compete.

Moeen Ali- England’s spinner is tasked with replacing retired great, Graeme Swann. The Australians will target the relatively untested Ali so if he crumbles England lose. End of.

James Anderson- England’s leading all-time wicket taker. An incredible ability to move the ball in the air and as combative as they come. Will happily mix it with the Australians in what will definitely be his last home Ashes series.

Australia

David Warner- Loathed in England –water off a duck’s back for an Australian- Warner is incredibly explosive with the bat.  When firing, Warner has the ability to take the game away from opposition bowlers. Arguably Australia’s most important player and definitely Public Enemy Number One.

Steve Smith- Once pilloried by the English media Smith is now ranked the best test batsman in the world. The English still think they have seen something that makes him vulnerable and believe he can’t cope with English conditions. It would be fantastic to see Smith prove his obstinate set of doubters wrong.

Mitchell Starc

The other Mitchell, Johnson that is, destroyed England last time round but he may on the wane this time round. Mitchell Starc has proved a revelation, bowling with immense pace and aggression and though unpredictable at just twenty-two has the potential to become the dominant figure in this year’s series.

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US Open 2015

Spaghetti (North) Western Provides Gripping Finale

So, after what will most likely be the only major tournament to ever be played at Chambers Bay, the irrepressible Jordan Spieth -with a little help from his caddie– ruled supreme once more to continue a truly incredible year for the Texan. Even Lionel Messi and Dan Carter weren’t this measured at such a young age. We won’t pretend we stayed up until 3 a.m. to watch what by all accounts was an incredible ending but it seems former good-time guy Dustin Johnson will be rueing his missed opportunity for quite some time. A double-bogey by Spieth on seventeen seemed to have fatally damaged his chances of victory and even after a birdie on eighteen the Masters champion looked wistful –longing for a chance to go at seventeen again- as he headed toward the scorer’s shed.

Enter D.J., who had destroyed the vast majority of the seventy-second hole of the tournament –the 601 yard eighteenth- with a thunderous drive and subsequent five-iron approach to twelve feet. Eagle for victory or birdie for an eighteen hole playoff and a return to this lunar-like creation to go toe-to-toe with the twenty-one-year-old, Spieth. A three-putt par? Unthinkable. But, of course, given the nature of sport and these curmudgeonly greens, a dramatic three-putt was exactly what ensued. Johnson, despite staying at the top of the leaderboard all week is probably still wondering ‘what the fuck just happened?’ Spieth, almost sheepish in the immediate aftermath of his victory will no doubt be exultant today, having broken another of Tiger’s records- youngest winner of both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. Spieth’s victory at Augusta confirmed his arrival as a genuine week in week out rival for world number one Rory McIlroy. This weekend’s outcome means McIlroy must surely better Spieth’s result in next month’s Open Championship if he wants to somehow thwart his fast-charging rival. We’re inclined to think that McIlroy will come to St Andrews in a heretofore unforeseen mode of steely determination.

As was to be expected Chambers Bay played as a de facto links course meaning Spieth will have little or no fear coming to the home of golf, St Andrew’s – as true a links course as one will encounter- next month. Rory McIlroy, as defending champion, will want to set down a very clear indicator to Spieth that he has no intention of stepping aside for the ultra-impressive world number two. Spieth’s ascendancy to the same plane as McIlroy may have been expected by some, but few would have expected it to happen so rapidly –save for the usual masters of hindsight. It’s worth mentioning once more that Jordan Spieth has replaced Tiger Woods, not once but twice in the record books this year and that we may be dealing with a true phenomenon. Given the scale of both McIlroy and Spieth’s achievements at such young ages there must be concern –for other players- that these two are going to leave very little major silverware behind for the chasing pack. The truth is, golf never had a true rivalry when Woods was in his absolute pomp –though honourable mention goes to Phil Mickelson- so we should actually savour the fact that these two uber-talents are going to push each other to their uttermost limits for who knows how long. What we and, frankly, the rest of the world thought before the Masters- that Spieth would be the true challenger to McIlroy- has now been emphatically confirmed.

If bad publicity is better than none at all then the aesthetically challenging, bobbly, fescue greens of Chambers Bay have assured mass attention for the course and the game of golf this week. A clearly enraged, Gary Player –nine-time major winner- either completely out of touch with world affairs or using the word in a sporting context described this year’s U.S. Open a ‘tragedy’. In all honesty, the greens did prove at times to be badly prepared and a little bit loopy. And, for those who rely on their putter to pick up strokes, the most powerful weapon in their armoury was negated by the sort of obscure greens that Salvador Dali might have crafted on one of his more introspective days. Johnson will no doubt feel in the inner recesses of his mind –rightly or wrongly- that it was the putting surfaces and not his lack of composure that cost him a maiden major victory. The languid, vacuous Carolina native seemingly could not get a putt to drop for him throughout Sunday’s final round –a fate that has befallen many runners up on a multitude of courses- so perhaps it was his own putting and not the dodgy greens which ultimately cost him. In any event, Johnson reputedly has the ability to forget any bad events which have befallen him – which probably helped him more than once in the last few years- so by Wednesday he may well have forgotten this heartbreaking defeat.

As the tournament concluded the players ire at the greens was there for all to see on the medium of moderation –Twitter. As expected Ian Poulter was in with his two-cents although at this point, and despite the accuracy of his points on this occasion, you really have to wonder does anybody really care about anything the Englishman says. Henrik Stenson, ordinarily the consummate, laid-back Scandinavian described his experience, pretty fantastically, as like ‘putting on broccoli’. Meanwhile, we warned you that one of our pre-tournament picks, Billy Horschel, could lose the rag  if things started to unravel. Well, they did. So, rather delightfully, we got this. Horschel was quick to point out, not unreasonably, that he is “a really good putter” so the unpredictable greens really blunted his offense. If in pursuit of entertainment, then keep an eye on Horschel. He can be, for want of a better word, a bit of a jerk but he’s highly entertaining and nowhere near as polite or composed as Jordan Spieth.

While the often peculiar behaviour of the greens does merit criticism –particularly the uneven nature of the surfaces- we find it strange that the massive breaks were condemned and pilloried while the same breaks in Augusta National are revered for their unique trickery. Maybe it’s just a case of horses for pristine courses. Anyway, while everyone moaned incessantly, Jordan Spieth –whose putting is incidentally one of his stronger suits- went relatively quietly about his business. Sometimes if you want a job done it may be best to ask a fortitudinous Texan with a seemingly endless ceiling of potential.

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