Sports Seasons

This Blog has become quite rugby centric over the past few weeks. That shouldn't be a surprise in the year that Ireland won the Grand Slam. Especially when me and my Nikon were at four of the five matches. The focus on rugby will continue I hope until the end of May as Munster try to retain the Heineken Cup. My Nikon (and me!) has tickets for that final in Murrayfield on the 24th of May.

Padraig Harrington, Uploaded by M+MD.

Tiger Woods
Uploaded by M+MD

Next week I won't be at the next big Sporting event - the Masters Golf at Augusta. The Irish flags will be flown by Padraig Harrington and the not wonder Rory McElroy. Tiger is of course back on the scene after a 9 month lay-off and will want to retain the Masters to show that he is really back. Phil Mickleson has come very close to stealing his No 1 spot in the World Rankings which willl give Tiger the added incentive - not that he needs one. We can look forward to more golf during the summer when Harrington will be trying to win three British Opens in a row. That is something that hasn't been done since Peter Thomson (1954-56). Unfortunately my Nikon won't get to to many of those golf events.

Then we have the All Ireland Football and Hurling championships starting in May. We will certainly get to a few of those games this summer. Kildare have had a good run in the National League and so they are setting me up to have my heart broken again this summer.

Speaking of heartbreak I have stayed very quite about Leeds. Its not that I've given up - but as they have dragged themselves back into play-off zone again I just don't want to speculate about those possibilities after our play-off heartbreak in 2 of the last 3 years. Automatic promotion looks impossible now Peterboro beat Leicester City last week-end which was probably our best chance that the gap might close.

Of course those other heartbeak kids the Irish soccer team raised our hopes with a first minute goal against Bulgaria last week-end only to play rubbish for the rest of the game and conceed a own goal in the second half for a very unsatisfactory home draw. Then last Wednesday we had almost the direct opposite outcome in Bari when Italy scored in the first 10 minutes only to be caught by a last minute goal by Robbie Keane. Another 1-1 draw - but this time away to Italy - the World Champions!

The joys and heartbreak of sport. Its just what we need to distract is in these dreadful economic times in which we find ourselves.