Despite "poor" 2010 - no change of top golf earner

Sport's first (US dollar) billionaire: Tiger Woods

Despite gettting divorced, losing several major sponsors and not winning an event on the PGA Tour in 2010, Tiger Woods was still top golfing earner of the year with a take home pay of US$74.2million for the year just ended. Tiger's 2010 earnings were down US$48million on his 2009 income. 
"Lefty": Phil Mickelson (right) was golf's 2nd highest earner; pocketing a "mere" US$40.2million in 2010; but can still manage to force a smile.

"Would I swap an All-Star for a Leinster medal? In an instant" - says Louth's Paddy Keenan: Leinster Football Final is GAA talking point of 2010:

Flashpoint: Meath's last-gasp winning "goal": 2010 Leinster Football Final

Louth reached the 2010 Leinster Football Final - their first in 53 years - but were cruelly denied a deserved victory with a "goal" (pictured above) from Meath's Joe Sheridan that should never have been allowed. Sheridan fell over the goal-line with the ball and finished by throwing it into the net to give Meath a two point lead with time up! The scenes at the final whistle (which was the next whistle) - where the referee was assaulted by fans (pictured below) of the "Wee County" - were outrageous - but that doesn't ease the disappoint for Louth players - none more so than Louth's first ever All-Star Keenan (pictured above).

Of course that incident at the end of the Leinster Final has brought the issue of goal-line technology in GAA back onto the agenda, and Croke Park are reviewing the possibilities of introducing same for the 2011 season.

The GAA has also reviewed rules regarding crowds and crowd control as a direct result of flashpoints at the final whistle of the 2010 Leinster Football Final - and now fans are barred from entering the playing area at the final whistle - with a nine-foot perimeter fence having been erected around the ground at Croke Park and other grounds around the country.

2010 Vodafone GAA All-Star Football team:

Brendan McVeigh (Down), Peter Kelly (Kildare), Michael Shields (Cork), Charlie Harrison (Sligo); Paudie Kissane (Cork), Graham Canty (Cork), Philip Jordan (Tyrone); Paddy Keenan (Louth), Aidan Walsh (Cork); Danny Hughes (Down), Martin Clarke (Down), Johnny Doyle (Kildare); Colm Cooper (Kerry), Bernard Brogan (Dublin), Benny Coulter (Down).

2010 Vodafone GAA Footballer of the Year:
Dublin's Bernard Brogan (pictured right)

Ibrox Disaster: 2nd January 1971 remembered:

Today marked the 40th anniversary of the Ibrox Stadium Disaster - where 66 fans (including an 8 year old boy) lost their lives in a stadium crush on Stairway 13 late in the New Year's Old Firm game of that year. It is believed that a child fell from its father's head, which caused a domino effect and a massive pile-up of bodies (as much as six feet high many reports claimed).
Rangers played Celtic at Ibrox today (where Celtic won 0-2) and both sets of players wore black armbands. Rangers released a commemarative jersey for the occasion and there was a one minute silence (pictured above) before today's game. Thankfully, the minute silence was impeccably observed. There will be a memorial for the dead in Glasgow, tomorrow, 3rd January.

Players represented Rangers at funerals(below)

The 1971 Ibrox Disaster led to a complete refurbishment of Ibrox Stadium (known as Ibrox Park back then) and it is now a top-of-the-range European stadium: awarded UEFA five-star status (now known as Category Four).

Ibrox (below): now a top European Stadium

2nd January 1971: ALWAYS REMEMBERED

World Soccer magazine announces annual awards: Year ending 31st December 2010:

Recognition for Pass Master:
Xavi is "World Soccer" Player of the Year 2010
2nd January 2011: Xavi equals Barcelona appearance record (549)

Respected football magazine: "World Soccer" (still going strong after 50 years) has announced its annual awards.
In a World Cup year; a player that has had a successful World Cup, is always likely to feature prominently on the awards list, and 2010 was no different. World Soccer Player of the Year 2010 is the effervescent Barcelona & Spain World Cup winning star: XAVI (with almost 26% of the vote ahead of Lionel Messi with 24% and Wesley Sneijder with 17%).


World Soccer Young Player of the Year 2010:
Thomas Müller: (46% of vote)


2nd. Mezut Özil (27%)
3rd. Gareth Bale (8%)






World Soccer Team of the Year 2010: World Cup Winners Spain (63% of vote)


2nd. Internazionale (16%)
3rd. Barcelona (5%)

Irish Celebrities: Who is the Most Popular??

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BRIAN O'DRISCOLL is the Answer (i.e. BOD is Ireland's most popular celebrity), according to an Irish TV3 poll - and here, here I say!

This is the one man who the New Zealand All-Blacks feared enough to take out of a game (on the 2005 Lions Tour) - compliments don't come much higher than that.
He's put his body on the line, time after time, after time for Ireland - he truly loves his country.
And more than anything - he's a nice guy.

"He's God - no - he's BOD!"

Newscaster Anne Doyle (third) and chat show host legend Gay Byrne (second) completed the Top Three.



In BOD we trust

Redknapp on Beckham: Hands up for Sexy Becks!

Beckham: glad to return to London

Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp is poised to sign one David Beckham on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy. Speaking of the signing, Redknapp says: "Fair play to him: he could spend the next three months doing nothing in California, waiting for the Major League Soccer season to start in the United States, but he doesn't want to do that. One thing for sure is that he isn't coming here for the money. He (Beckham) doesn't need to do anything for the money. And he'd be fantastic to have around the place. He's a local lad, has a great work ethic, he's so professional and I've seen how helpful he is with younger players - he's a fantastic role model" - here, here Harry, here, here.

Redknapp: hands up for Becks

Eagles tell boss Burley to fly away:

George Burley pictured above as Scotland boss (from Feb. 2008 - Nov. 2009)

The latest footballing managerial casualty is Crystal Palace boss George Burley. The sacking comes minutes after Crystal Palace slumped to a 3-0 New Year's Day defeat at Millwall. The former Scotland boss leaves the Eagles in the relegation zone, but just two points from safety. I would think that more important than sacking their manager would be investment in players, but what do I know eh? I do know however that constantly replacing managers does nothing for stability at a football club.