Category: Sport

And there’s more

While most of the world’s TVs were full of Olympic stuff, some more ‘GB and N Ireland’ fellas were winning – in fact four of the top six golfers at the PGA Championships in the US of A qualify for the description. Rory McIlroy carries a British passport and claims to be Irish too, while the others hail from England: David Lynn, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter. Something in the water obviously!

Cricket is all about statistics, so’s Ireland

It’s all Eoin Morgan’s fault. He was the catalyst for this blog.

While reading an article about the talented “English” cricketer Eoin Morgan in the Cricketer magazine (I know, I know, I need to get a life) the Irish diaspora was mentioned in figures. Eoin Joseph Gerard Morgan was born in Dublin though when selected will bat in the middle order for England. Before we go any further I would like to say that Eoin is pronounced own or Owen, if you prefer. Don’t ask me to pronounce diaspora. Too many variables for a public schoolboy like me. Die-Asp-Or-A. Di-A-Spora. Is it something like aspirin? Och, I give up.

Anyway, It seems there are 70 million Irish diaspora worldwide, 34 million residing in the United States alone. Contrast this with the British expats that number 6 million worldwide. This means that the Irish abroad, if they had remained like the resolute second piggy and stayed at home the old country would have a population density to rival Bangladesh. The Irish that left definitely took the “Go forth and multiply” scripture to heart.

Pass it, doh!

Stratford,London, UK, 10/08/12 Picture by Graham Chadwick. London 2012 Olympic Games Men's 4x100m relay heat 1/2. Team GB

I’d like to offer OZ this incident for his much-anticipated Olympic rant: the failure (yet again) of a British relay squad to pass the baton. Now I know that as mere runners they are not used to communicating with others or controlling themselves in confined spaces – or even holding things in their hands – but p-lease! All the other teams practise and manage to do it without mishap – why not you? Btw, the girls are just as bad, in case you wonder.

Another little local difficulty

After the Solomonic Solution which rewarded a Japanese gymnast who fell so very nicely, we have the ticklish question of ‘making a bone fide effort’ while participating, which led to the disqualification of some badminton players earlier in the Games. Continue reading “Another little local difficulty”

A grand day out

Yesterday, Mrs FEEG and I trolled along to the Olympic Stadium to see the morning athletics session. It was great fun.

The journey there, after getting up at silly o’clock, was easy; a Thameslink train to St Pancreas, and then, using the Travelcard provided with the Olympic tickets, the Javelin High Speed Train to Stratford International. Very quick and easy.
Continue reading “A grand day out”