Round the world by train: Stop spreading the news

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

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The journey comes to an end in the Big Apple. Kevin Burke’s final stop is in New York City.
In two weeks crossing America, I’d encountered almost every American stereotype – the cowboy, the Amish, the corn-growers, the hippy, the gun apologist. There was still time, on the last leg of the trip, to tick off [...]

The international Parochial wall to sports growth

Friday, May 17th, 2013

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With a pair of German teams playing in England to decide Football’s Champions League in 8 days, Emmet Ryan looks at the regional demographics of the secondary sports in each country and examines the difficulty each have in cracking opposing markets.
Football is the undisputed king in England and Germany. Both possess leagues in the top [...]

Round the world by train: Take me out to the ball game

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

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The long road is nearly over, we rejoin Kevin Burke for the penultimate leg of his journey in Chicago for a trip to Wrigley Field.
In 1994, we received the letter most Irish families receive at some time – long-lost American relations were coming over looking for the family left behind in the Aul Sod. After [...]

Hiding in plain sight, Euroleague hits London

Monday, May 13th, 2013

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The crowds were hardly fantastic, the locals didn’t really know it was going on, yet for three days London was unquestionably the capital of European Basketball. Emmet Ryan on the Euroleague Final Four and Nike International Junior Tournament (NIJT).
The Olympic redevelopment mustn’t have hit this part of Greenwich. Walking two miles from Blackheath to the [...]

Malcolm Gladwell doesn’t understand how the human body works

Sunday, May 12th, 2013

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In response to Malcolm Gladwell’s recent argument in favour of using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in cycling, Emmet Ryan looks at the areas Gladwell glossed over or ignored and explains why the human body isn’t like a Formula 1 car.
Really, this again. The pro-PEDs movement has had its champions in the mainstream media in the [...]

30 years since Alex Ferguson’s first ‘greatest’ moment

Saturday, May 11th, 2013

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Comparisons between eras are futile and often detract from the larger point. On the 30th anniversary of Aberdeen’s European Cup Winner’s Cup Final triumph, Emmet Ryan reflects on the first place where Alex Ferguson performed miracles.
‘Stand Free wherever you may be,
We are the famous Aberdeen,
We don’t give a fuck
whoever you may be,
We are the famous [...]

50 minutes of madness

Friday, May 10th, 2013

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Tomorrow FC Barcelona aims to reach its fourth European semi-final of the season but there’s a good chance most of you haven’t even heard of the sport they are playing. Emmet Ryan takes you inside the world of Rink Hockey, where players on wheels wield sticks.
While at a Basketball game at Palau Blaugrana last month, [...]

Ferguson, time to say goodbye

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

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In the first of our columns looking back on the career of Alex Ferguson, Henry Bridge gives his take on the extent of his legacy at Old Trafford.
Nothing lasts forever. But we thought Alex Ferguson might. He never wanted to finish early. We thought they’d have to carry him out of Old Trafford in a [...]

Because Journalism matters

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

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It began with a disagreement over who did what to support a school. It’s now turned into a case of a parliamentary assistant yanking a bunch of papers from a shop. Emmet Ryan on how 36.6 per cent of the Lucan Gazette’s print run went missing and why this matters to all of us.
First the [...]

Jump Shots: Euroleague Final Four preview with Simon Jatsch

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

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With the Euroleague Final Four taking place in London this weekend, Emmet Ryan spoke to Simon Jatsch of in-the-game.org. Jatsch’s site provides comprehensive statistical analysis of every team in player in Europe’s top club Basketball competition. Ahead of this season’s show-piece event, Jatsch takes us behind the numbers for all the Final Four participants and [...]