Sunday 13 June 2010

RTE 2 World Cup coverage

I’m a great fan of Brian Carthy, one of RTE’s many GAA correspondents. Whenever the alarm goes off at the appointed time for the 8am news, and I remain in the scratcher throughout “What it says in the Papers” right up until the 8.30am news and its sports report, Brian’s piercing, nasal, highly irritating whine is always guaranteed to get me out of bed.

This morning he came on (at 11am, it being a weekend)  and gave a preview of the day’s great sporting events. Naomh Mhuire camogie team were playing Scoil Erin go Bragh in the Offaly regional under-14 Quinn Direct play-off qualifier. At the end he mentioned that there was a "soccer" tournament taking place somewhere in Africa. Patrick Kavanagh's "Epic" and roods of land and all that.

Actually, I just made that paragraph up. In fairness, Carthy actually mentioned the World Cup.  And you have to congratulate RTE 2 on their coverage of the tournament. You’ve the best Irish player and pundit ever, Johnny Giles, along with professional controversist Eamonn Dunphy, ex-Liverpool midfielder Ronnie Whelan, Arsenal maestro Liam Brady, and token hun Graeme Souness (but he did sign Ranger’s first-ever high-profile “Catholic” player) doing the discourse - all conducted by 72-year-old evergreen Bill O’Herlihy, and it's usually quite entertaining. And whatever Bill is taking, I want it.

So, for an armchair football fan like me, it’s great – a few weeks of always-on entertainment. A pity we’re not there. But that’s football - dodgy refereeing decisions and all.

And what about Thierry Henry claiming handball against Uruguay? But there you go. The greatest game in the world - life writ large, with all its irony.

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4 comments:

anna said...

I am even taking a mild interest myself( there is No other option available for this planet's women-not until short hop intergalactic holidays become available for us every 4 yrs).
But yes, tnat Thierry Henri handball was outrageous...and if Irish Women were outraged that shows how Outrageous it was ..
do let us know your musings on the world cup...until the brochure arrives from travel agents on Pandora I have no choice but to join in..

The Gombeen Man said...

Ah sure you might as well. Let's hope the standard of football improves though, or we'll all be off!

Germany v Australia is much better... 2-0 so far.

ponyboy drives it to the back of the net said...

Yeah Germany vs Aus - I have to tell you that not only have we a day off today on account of it being the queen's birthday but i understand that the Rudd govt are meeting in special session to legislate the rest of the week off too. A day for every goal. Sadness abounds here - no more flag waving or joy at the very luck of being Australian. Luckily I couldn't give a toss about soccer. Mind you if it was world tiddlywinks i'd be devastated.

Anonymous said...

One question for the three amateur physicians:

Does the US or the Algerian team play regularly at high altitudes??????????????

Jorge