Gibbons Gets Early Shot at First Base
The News Review:
- Gibbons Gets Early Shot at First Base
- Varsity rivals face off in age-old contest
- Fuel for friendship
- For every triumph, there’s a disaster
- Ireland captain ready to step out of shadows
Gibbons Gets Early Shot at First Base
Washington Post – Mar 1, 2007
“Really, I’m prepared for anything,” he said. “I’m a starter, but if they want me as a reliever then I’m ready mentally and physically to whatever they choose. “Markakis’s Special FanCount Cal Ripken Jr. as a fan of Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis, who is already being mentioned as the next great home-grown Oriole. Ripken and Markakis spoke recently at an autograph signing. “Nick’s career is off to a great start,” Ripken said. “It seems as though he is just starting to come into his own and is a player who Orioles fans can really get excited about.
Varsity rivals face off in age-old contest
Washington Post – Mar 1, 2007
There is even a certain professionalism at the NorthAmerican university level, where players are carefullyrecruited. Oxford and Cambridge make do with whatever fatebrings their way. Some of the talent is home-grown, with a handful of Britishplayers on both teams, but much comes in the form of foreign,mostly Canadian, students. Skill levels vary massively. One Oxford player this seasonused to be in the Ontario Hockey League, a grade below the NHL. Another never played an organized game until two months ago. "Nobody is going to be looking up at the stands to see ifscouts are watching," said Graham Reynolds, a law student atOxford who played on the team last year and coaches it now… No one has yet found hard evidence of that game, though thetwo teams tout it as fact and the British Ice HockeyAssociation has recognized it. Talbot said it might be a mistake or a case of someonecreating "instant tradition. " He is still scouring the recordsbut an 1895 tie-up is the earliest he has discovered so far. Whatever the truth, the varsity match has its own uniquelore. Many players have gone on to become big names — not in icehockey, but in science, business and politics, including formerCanadian prime minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lester B. Pearson, who captained Oxford in the 1920s. FIERCE RIVALRYThe fierce rivalry between Cambridge and Oxford is hardlyexclusive to ice hockey.
Fuel for friendship
economist.com – Mar 1, 2007
”
George Bush has also spent a lot of time thinking about fuel recently. Earlier this year he called for America to cut its projected petrol consumption by 20% over the next decade, largely by using more ethanol and other biofuels. Mr Bush implied that most of the 35 billion gallons (130 billion litres) required would be home-grown. At any rate, he has not tried to remove the 54-cent tariff America levies on most imported ethanol in deference to its powerful farming lobby. Nonetheless, on March 8th Mr Bush and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, are expected to strike a deal intended to boost biofuels.
For every triumph, there’s a disaster
Telegraph.co.uk – Mar 1, 2007
The Queen herself wins the award for Best Dressed Royal; last summer’s Buckingham Palace exhibition of her sumptuous working wardrobe illustrated just how individual and considered her sense of style is. Meanwhile, the young pretender Kate Middleton – who, though not yet a royal, was one of the most monitored members of the entourage – wins Most Promising Newcomer award for her polish and measured elegance, as exhibited in her choice of sexy yet elegant suit at Rose Astor and Hugh van Cutsem’s wedding last June. Our home-grown politicians might fail to dazzle in the fashion stakes, but on the world stage, women such as Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton continued to bring polish. And the prize for the Most Stylish Politician goes to Ségolène Royal – the French socialist tipped as a presidential candidate – who has movie-star looks and a bountiful supply of Gallic chic. The year’s Most Elegant Bride was Nicole Kidman, who looked stunning when she married Keith Urban in ivory Yves Saint Laurent last June.
Ireland captain ready to step out of shadows
The Age – Mar 1, 2007
There are two other Australians in the Ireland squad —opening batsman Jeremy Bray and David Langford-Smith from Orange inNSW — and a couple of South Africans. They reflect theinternational influences on Irish cricket in the south, while thecompetition in Northern Island is heavily populated withprofessionals from the subcontinent. Ed Joyce, perhaps the best-known Irish cricketer, will representEngland in the Caribbean, but there are several other home-grownplayers in Ireland’s squad. Eoin Morgan recently struck an unbeaten209 in a first-class game against the UAE, wicketkeeper NiallO’Brien’s father, Brendan, represented Ireland in soccer, andsteepling Boyd Rankin, at 203 centimetres, is a fast bowler ofgreat promise. Although Ireland has never played at a World Cup, losing toScotland and Kenya in previous qualifying stages, Johnston believesthere have been some significant developments since qualifying forthis one. Aside from more regular games against county teams and nationalteams touring Britain, Ireland last year played its first fullyfledged one-day international against arch-rival England atStormont in Belfast, which is tipped to host a made-for-televisionseries between heavyweights India and Australia this year. “There were 7000 people there.