Kilkenny defeated Waterford by 0-25 to 0-14 in this National Hurling League game played at Nowlan Park today.
This match was competitive for the first 30 minutes. Unfortunately it was spoilt by the sending off of Waterford's Michael Brick Walsh. Referee Michael Haverty administered yellow cards liberally throughout the game. This was a clean game. The referee is the real story. Admittedly he is applying the rules as he sees fit. However in my view he was too fussy.
Croke Park authorities are out of touch with reality. Hurling is a physical and skilful game. It is a game for men. It is not soccer. Once the game is played in a clean and sporting manner the role of the referee should be minimal. Croke Park is a determined to ape the idiocy prevailing in soccer. Increasingly players are exasperated with much of this yellow card nonsense emanating from GAA headquarters.
The sending off of Michael Walsh in the 35th minute of the first half for a second yellow card effectively finished this game as a spectacle. In my view it was a harsh decision. The referee should have given him a final warning.
In the first half Kilkenny appeared sharper. They were quicker to the ball. The Waterford forward line was poor. However this is partly explained by the fact that high balls were raining in from outfield. In addition the forwards were largely static and failed to move off the ball sufficiently. The experiment of playing Declan Prendergast in the forward line is a failure. It must be discontinued.
The second half was one-way traffic. Kilkenny looked exceptionally sharp. However Brian Cody would have welcomed a stronger test again a 15 man Waterford team.
The problems in the Waterford full back line have not been ironed out. Neither Richie Foley or Kevin Moran is a full back. It is time for a radical reorganisation of the defense. Ken McGrath should play at full-back and Michael Brick Walsh should play at centre back. This would provide a strong central spine. The defence should be built around this. Some will argue that this is robbing Peter to pay Paul. However I see no alternative.
The forwards must move off the ball. Also low ball should come in to the forward line. Shooting from hopeless positions must be abandoned. It is time for more ground hurling.
The National Hurling League should be used for more experimentation. It is important to unearth more talent.
As of now Tipperary must be favoured to win the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Tibetan monks lead protests against China
This video comes from Russia Today
Beijing has set a deadline of Monday for demonstrators in Tibet to surrender. Chinese officials say the violence in the last few days has left ten people dead. But exiled Tibetan leaders put the death toll at a hundred and claim many more protestors have been injured.
Undoubtedly the Tibetan people will face even greater repression as a result of these demonstrations. The Chinese Communists devoid of any semblance of moral scruple will use the same jackboot tactics as were successfully employed by the Burmese Government in its crackdown on the 2007 uprising by Buddhist monks. Did not the Chinese Government school the Butchers of Burma in advanced techniques of military repression?
The following places the demonstrations in a historical context:
"Today from the legal standpoint, Tibet to this day has not lost its statehood. It is an independent state under illegal occupation. Neither China's military invasion nor the continuing occupation by PLA has transferred the sovereignty of Tibet to China.
As pointed out earlier, the Chinese government has not claimed to have acquired sovereignty over Tibet by conquest. Indeed, China recognises that the use or threat of force (outside the exceptional circumstances provided for in the UN charter), the imposition of an unequal treaty or the continued illegal occupation of a country can never grant an invader legal title to territory. Its claims are based solely on the alleged subjection of Tibet to a few of China's strongest foreign rulers in the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries..."
- Dr. Michael C Van Walt Van Pragg (International Lawyer) The Status of Tibet
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Six Nations Rugby-English young bloods too strong for Ireland at Twickenham
England comprehensively defeated Ireland on a score of 33-10. Ireland opened this game in whirlwind fashion and after ten minutes led England by 0-10. An expansive Irish move led to a try by Rob Kearney. Ronan O'Gara converted and it was 0-7. Iain Balshaw was penalised for holding on. Ronan O’Gara duly converted the penalty. This was the final Irish score. In the first twenty minutes-ably marshalled by Ronan O’Gara- Ireland played an exciting brand of open rugby.
Cipriani the twenty year old English out-half orchestrated the English revival. Gradually the English pack asserted its dominance. A penalty by Cipriani made the score 3-10. Sackey scored a fine try for England and Cipriani duly converted. It was 10-10 and the writing was on the wall for Ireland. A penalty by Cipriani made the score 13-10.
The first half had its share of errors but nevertheless it was brimful of exciting rugby.
In the second half England assumed total dominance. Further tries from Matthew Tail and Noon, both converted by Cipriani and penalties converted by Cipriani made the score 33-10. Ireland did not fail for want of effort. However the centre pairing of Horgan and Trimble lacked the cutting edge of O’Driscoll and Darcy. The loss of Geordan Murphy in the first half further weakened Ireland as an attacking force. Several promising Irish attacks broke down as the moves lacked the required subtlety to unlock the English defense. Generally Irish moves broke down for lack of support as Irish players regularly found themselves outnumbered. The English forwards dominated.
Cipriani, Noon , Lipman, Croft, Borthwick, Shaw were among the English stars.
For Ireland O ’Gara, Luke Fitzgerald and Kearney had their moments.
In recent years Eddie O’Sullivan has failed to blood sufficient new players. Now the day of reckoning has arrived for Ireland. It is time to rebuild the team. Whilst new players such as Fitzgerald, Kearney, Heaslip and Buckley have been blooded they need much more playing experience to compete at higher levels. Fortunately there is a reasonably good pool of talent from which to draw. In 2007 Ireland produced a fine U-20 team. Ireland can recover.
Brian Ashton has fashioned a new English side brimful of exciting young talent. The future for England is bright
Cipriani the twenty year old English out-half orchestrated the English revival. Gradually the English pack asserted its dominance. A penalty by Cipriani made the score 3-10. Sackey scored a fine try for England and Cipriani duly converted. It was 10-10 and the writing was on the wall for Ireland. A penalty by Cipriani made the score 13-10.
The first half had its share of errors but nevertheless it was brimful of exciting rugby.
In the second half England assumed total dominance. Further tries from Matthew Tail and Noon, both converted by Cipriani and penalties converted by Cipriani made the score 33-10. Ireland did not fail for want of effort. However the centre pairing of Horgan and Trimble lacked the cutting edge of O’Driscoll and Darcy. The loss of Geordan Murphy in the first half further weakened Ireland as an attacking force. Several promising Irish attacks broke down as the moves lacked the required subtlety to unlock the English defense. Generally Irish moves broke down for lack of support as Irish players regularly found themselves outnumbered. The English forwards dominated.
Cipriani, Noon , Lipman, Croft, Borthwick, Shaw were among the English stars.
For Ireland O ’Gara, Luke Fitzgerald and Kearney had their moments.
In recent years Eddie O’Sullivan has failed to blood sufficient new players. Now the day of reckoning has arrived for Ireland. It is time to rebuild the team. Whilst new players such as Fitzgerald, Kearney, Heaslip and Buckley have been blooded they need much more playing experience to compete at higher levels. Fortunately there is a reasonably good pool of talent from which to draw. In 2007 Ireland produced a fine U-20 team. Ireland can recover.
Brian Ashton has fashioned a new English side brimful of exciting young talent. The future for England is bright
Friday, March 14, 2008
Obama's Pastor: "God Damn America"
Racism is endemic in the Clinton campaign. However Obama must distance himself from Rev. Jeremiah Wright or face the wrath of the voters. The Rev Wright states that "The government gives them (African Americans) the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people," he said in a 2003 sermon. "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme." He said that the United States had brought on al Qaeda's attacks because of its own terrorism.
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Rev. Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001.
"We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost," he told his congregation.
The Democratic Party is the real racist party.
Barack Obama's mentor Rev Jeremiah Wright - Hillary aint never been called a .....
Barack Obama's mentor, Jeremiah Wright of Trinity UCC (United Church of Christ) preaching on the notion of a black Jesus being oppressed by white people and his tirade against Hillary Clinton stating that, "Hillary ain't never been called a...."
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Clintons hypocrisy on the race issue stinks
Hillary Clinton’s hypocrisy on the race issue stands condemned. In the course of her New Hampshire primary campaign she decided to launch an exocet in the form of the race card. She said that while Martin Luther King talked about equality, it took a president like Lyndon Baines Johnson to do the real work of getting civil rights passed. Essentially she was stating that Martin Luther King was all talk and no action just like Barack Obama. Responsibility for the ugly racial squabbles within the Democratic Party rests with Clinton and not with Obama.
Former Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro quit her links to the Hillary Clinton campaign yesterday after she attributed Barack Obama's success to the fact that he was black. Her remarks have created a political storm. Ferraro in introducing the race issue had merely taken her cue from Bill and Hillary Clinton. Of Ferraro's comment, Hillary Clinton said: ''I certainly do repudiate it and I regret deeply that it was said. Obviously she doesn't speak for the campaign, she doesn't speak for any of my positions, and she has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee.'' Of course Hillary required her resignation. This is a meaningless gesture. Ferraro has done the dirty work for Hillary by keeping the race issue on the boil. Secretly Hillary is happy with Ferraro’s comments. They serve to widen the chasm between Caucasoids and African Americans.
Last night Hillary Clinton apologized to leaders of 200 black community newspapers for any offense caused by her husband's comments on January 26th comparing Barack Obama's victory in the South Carolina primary to Jesse Jackson's in 1984 and 1988. This was an ugly smear designed to couple Obama with Jackson who is detested by a large segment of the white community.
Bill Clinton’s comments -at the behest of Hillary- fanned the flames of racial division. There is evidence that this tactic has worked in states such as Ohio.
On March 13th almost seven weeks after the event Hillary decided to “apologise” for Bills comments. Her hypocrisy stinks to high heavens. Did Bill resign? Of course not. This “apology" is a meaningless gesture.
Whilst Democrats squabble on the race issues the GOP promotes African Americans such as Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
Hillary Clinton should withdraw from the campaign. She is a divisive influence. It is time for the US to elect John McCain.
Former Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro quit her links to the Hillary Clinton campaign yesterday after she attributed Barack Obama's success to the fact that he was black. Her remarks have created a political storm. Ferraro in introducing the race issue had merely taken her cue from Bill and Hillary Clinton. Of Ferraro's comment, Hillary Clinton said: ''I certainly do repudiate it and I regret deeply that it was said. Obviously she doesn't speak for the campaign, she doesn't speak for any of my positions, and she has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee.'' Of course Hillary required her resignation. This is a meaningless gesture. Ferraro has done the dirty work for Hillary by keeping the race issue on the boil. Secretly Hillary is happy with Ferraro’s comments. They serve to widen the chasm between Caucasoids and African Americans.
Last night Hillary Clinton apologized to leaders of 200 black community newspapers for any offense caused by her husband's comments on January 26th comparing Barack Obama's victory in the South Carolina primary to Jesse Jackson's in 1984 and 1988. This was an ugly smear designed to couple Obama with Jackson who is detested by a large segment of the white community.
Bill Clinton’s comments -at the behest of Hillary- fanned the flames of racial division. There is evidence that this tactic has worked in states such as Ohio.
On March 13th almost seven weeks after the event Hillary decided to “apologise” for Bills comments. Her hypocrisy stinks to high heavens. Did Bill resign? Of course not. This “apology" is a meaningless gesture.
Whilst Democrats squabble on the race issues the GOP promotes African Americans such as Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
Hillary Clinton should withdraw from the campaign. She is a divisive influence. It is time for the US to elect John McCain.
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