Carrzone: World title and bragging rights on the line for Lee
OVER 30,000 fight fans are expected in Thomond Park on September 19 for the WBO World middleweight title defence by Andy Lee (34-2-1, 24 KOs) against unbeaten Billy Joe Saunders (20-0, 11 KOs).
"I've received great support from the people of Limerick since I was a teenager," said Lee yesterday. "This fight will be a huge boost for the local economy. It's great to give that support back."
While co-promoter BoxNation executive George Warren refused to be drawn on the amount the fight will generate, Saunders, who's European, British and Commonwealth champion, said, "We're two travelling people.
This is for bragging rights. Andy has proved he has a punch. I've got a very good chin. He's going to need more than that right hook because I'll be bringing more than I've every brought to a fight." In what veteran pundits described as "one of the friendliest pre-fight press conferences" they'd ever seen, Lee (31) agreed with the challenger (25). "No one sees the pride that's on the line."
Is HawkEye in Croke Park becoming eccentric?
HawkEye, the point detection technology that underwent fourteen months of trials before being introduced in Croke Park in 2013 is nothing if not eccentric.
Quite often, science and technology can seem cold, ruthless and forensically efficient. Not so HawkEye, which, a bit like HAL in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, appears to have developed its own personality traits.
In the third minute of Sunday's Leinster senior football final, Diarmuid Connolly was denied Dublin's first score by data from eight high-speed cameras which triangulate the ball.HawkEye decided the ball would have hit the post, if that post had extended upwards by another few yards. Fair enough.
Luckily, there wasn't much at stake in the sixty-ninth minute when HawkEye ruled out a Bernard Brogan point, which, bizarrely, appeared on the virtual replay as inside the posts. Those who were counting an extra point for Dublin were surprised when "NIL" was screened. All very peculiar. Most people enjoyed a chuckle. But if the match had been a close contest, with tensions running high, what then?
On the eve of The Open faith is essential for golfers
A positive winning mentality is crucial in golf. Only Ben Hogan won the Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open in one year. Jordan Spieth (21) can achieve that record. "That would be cool," he says. "I didn't come here to play boring golf."
Dustin Johnson finished second to Spieth at the U.S. Open and tees off with him tomorrow. "I showed at the U.S. Open that I've got what it takes," he says. "I'm excited." Tiger Woods hasn't won a major since his personal life went into freefall in 2009. "My body's finally good," he says. "I'm starting to feel like I'm getting more consistent. I'll get there." As he gives away headphones, a disappointed Rory McIlroy tweets, "Not all's lost..."
Another Keane super strike
It’s worth seeing Robbie Keane’s goal in LA Galaxy’s 2-1 defeat of Mexico’s Club America. A high overhead long ball, controlled by Keane’s left foot, was followed by a turn that shook off a defender and wrongfooted keeper Hugo Gonzalez before a sublime right foot shot made the finish complete. On Stevie Gerrard’s debut for the MLS side, Keane’s spectacular goal was everyone’s highlight of the match. Magic.