This is an edited version of a speech given by Paul Daffey to Melbourne’s Irish History Circle at the Celtic Club in February 2010. I stand before you in the GAA jersey of Kilkenny, one of the combined 32 counties of the Republic and the North, all of whom contest the annual All-Ireland Championship in [Read more]
Obituary: An untimely end to a Sporting Life
March 16, 2010 by 5 Comments
by Andrew Gigacz Visitors to these pages who are regular readers of the Age will be saddened to hear of the passing of the stalwart of that paper’s Sporting Life column, Geoff McClure. Geoff died yesterday, aged just 59, after a long struggle with cancer. For those of you out there looking to find someone [Read more]
Motor Racing: Getting in touch with one’s inner bogan
March 16, 2010 by 3 Comments
by Anne Fedorowytsch Once a year for three days I let my inner Bogan out to play. The occasion, you ask? It’s the Adelaide Clipsal 500. Hundreds of thousands of rev-heads pack into the eastern outskirts of the CBD to witness motor racing at its finest. The event offers the best from Australia’s racing scene [Read more]
Easter at Stawell
March 14, 2010 by 14 Comments
Some things just ARE. There is no preamble, no surge of anticipation. It’s a bit like sitting around the dinner table with your family. You just do it. You do it because that’s what happens at night when the day’s activities and tasks are mostly done. You sit, eat and talk. You also do it [Read more]
The House that Jack…Is Building
March 11, 2010 by 2 Comments
By Stephen George Whilst the incidence of Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees merchandise appears to increase each year, I often wonder how many of those stem from the generosity of relatives or friends that visit the north east of the United States in the northern summer leading up to our Christmas. Stephen GeorgeI [Read more]
Major League Baseball – NL West Preview: Bring on Rocktober
March 9, 2010 by 1 Comment
by Tim Ivins With spring training underway it is time to turn our minds to the upcoming MLB season. Over the coming weeks I will preview each division for the coming season. We start with the division the National League West. timivins
Crio’s Question: Got any wild weather sports memories?
March 9, 2010 by 27 Comments
EXTREME SPORTS (fans) by Chris Riordan As recounted in the “Soppy Saturday” review for this site, Flemington’s incredible hailstorm provoked widespread discussion on other awful conditions we’ve endured at the races. Sports goers often recall extreme conditions as a badge of honour. I’ll never forget the numbing rain and wind that seemed appropriate on the [Read more]
Team-mates who are the best of enemies
March 4, 2010 by 5 Comments
Andrew McLeod and Tyson Edwards are team-mates who have managed to play in the same side despite a public fall-out many years ago. The Guradian’s Lex Sim recalls some infamous soccer “friendships” in his article below. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/03/football-team-mates-enemies-knowledge Have a read and then return here to regale us with tales of your favourite sporting “enemy” team-mates. [Read more]
Motor Racing: Build it and they will come
March 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The expression build it and they will come has been an affirmation for many grand projects throughout time. The vision of an entrepreneur, the courage of an architect, has resulted in buildings and monuments that have thrilled people for centuries. The Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House and that great shrine of sporting worship, the [Read more]
Film Review: Bullock’s Blind Side is well-meaning but misses mark
March 2, 2010 by 3 Comments
Film: The Blind Side Release: 2010 Director: John Lee Hancock Starring: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates Reviewer: John Butler Anyone with an interest in the USA – and largely thanks to Hollywood, that would be many of us – would probably agree that part of the fascination lies in the many paradoxes and contradictions [Read more]
Tennis: The Garden and the Brat
February 24, 2010 by 11 Comments
My first visit inside the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’s iconic centre court was indeed memorable. Instead of paying close attention to the action, I found myself reminiscing over famous Wimbledon centre court battles of yore. A catalyst for this was the presence in the BBC commentary box of a certain brash New [Read more]
Winter Olympics: The buzz around Whistler
February 24, 2010 by 2 Comments
by Brad Carr I had an amazing few days at the Olympics. I’m now continuing my ski-trip up in Alaska, but tinged with a little bit of regret that I didn’t schedule myself a longer stint at the Games. The main thing about the Olympics is the excited, euphoric mood that engulfs it. Forget the [Read more]
Gaelic football: Farewell to a legend of the game
February 22, 2010 by 1 Comment
Sixteen championship seasons, six All-Ireland medals, four National League titles and three All-Star selections. No wonder the Irish sporting public is in mourning. Gaelic football has lost one of its greats. Darragh Ó Sé (pronounced O’Shea) made the announcement this week on the national Irish language radio station, Raidió na Gaeltachta, during an interview with [Read more]
Link: Winter Olympics are more fun
February 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The Winter Olympics, through their lesser scale, have been able to stay truer to the Olympic ideal. So enjoy the fun… Almanac Admin
Winter Olympics: A rundown on what to look forward to at Vancouver
February 14, 2010 by 5 Comments
By Brad Carr I’m writing this in Everett, on the northern outskirts of Seattle. Best known as the site of the Boeing wide-bodied jet factory (which, incidentally, I can thoroughly recommend as a tourist excursion if you’re ever in the area), it’s one of those industrial places on the fringe of a major city that [Read more]
Tennis: Hits and misses on the road to the Roger and Serena show
February 12, 2010 by 3 Comments
By Bernard Whimpress It was a bad start to the women’s part of the 2010 Australian Open draw with the best body and maybe the best legs in the tournament exiting in the first round. Out went Maria Sharapova, the 2008 champion, back on the tour after shoulder injury and seeded fourteen. But this wasn’t [Read more]
Link: The Guardian’s Youtube round-up
February 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Eddie the Eagle, Brian Clough, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank Tyson… they’re all here in this week’s excellent Youtube round-up by The Guardian. Almanac Admin
Basketball: For this Lakers fan, it’s all in the timing
February 10, 2010 by 7 Comments
By Brad Carr Many of sport’s moments come down to an element of being ‘in the right place at the right time’. An adage that has proved true for many players, occasionally it holds for a supporter also. I’ve followed the Los Angeles Lakers since 1988. At that time, when basketball was in its Australian [Read more]
American Football: The Saints finally march in
February 10, 2010 by 12 Comments
By Cade Lucas. It was gonna be great. I had all these grand pretensions of getting right into the swing of the Superbowl. It was gonna be all buffalo wings, cheese fries and Budweiser. Instead it was gluggy porridge and black coffee as I staggered out of my bedroom just in time for the kick [Read more]
WANTED – the look of a future sports journalist
February 8, 2010 by 23 Comments
By Danielle Eid Firstly, a note to all adult and full licensed Almanackers- PLEASE DO NOT BEEP at Learner drivers! The BIG YELLOW L means that we are LEARNING and we don’t know what we are doing! I’m doing my Ls and have been driving to school and stuff with my instructor. On one occasion [Read more]
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