Second Captains

Eoin and Ken discuss the primacy of counter-attacking football in this season's Champions League.Sid Lowe joins us from Madrid to talk about the two very different European semi-finals the city has just hosted. And Raphael Honigstein assesses Louis van Gaal's suitability for the vacancy at Manchester United. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster face one of their biggest ever challenges this weekend, so we welcome Leinster and Ireland's Shane Jennings into studio to explain what exactly its like to tackle Mathieu Bastareaud, and what Munster can learn from Leinster's mistakes.European and World medalist Jason Quigley is the latest Irish amateur superstar to join the pro ranks. We ask Johnny Watterson about the advantages of joining Golden Boy, Quigley's potential in pro game and why he was so sought after.All this plus Ryan Giggs' pub landlord options, Keano's Man Utd links, McDevitt's 6 day week, Murph's soul poison and the madness in Limerick hurling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin and Ken reflect on the end of the David Moyes era at Manchester United, scheming Giggs, the systems failure plaguing Jose Mourinho, and the distinctively Mephistophelian arc of Raheem Sterling's second goal last weekend.Richie Sadlier joins us in studio to reflect on the fateful moments of Moyes' tortured reign and just why Giggs isn't suited to the job. And John Brewin tries to anticipate the Glazer family's next move. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Moyes gone, Giggs in for remainder of the season and the media are having a ball. Could Man United classiness, Old Trafford leak, political manoeuvrings behind the scenes, Fergie's Catch 22 and Giggs as a long term option. Ken, Eoin and Gabriele Marcotti discuss. Munster know what style Toulon will play on Sunday, but does that make the task any easier. Gerry Thornley and Liam Toland on the mood in Munster, and what options they have against the biggest team ever assembled,All this plus twitter mania, Ken's lost article, Moyes jokes, time compression, Japanese soldiers, Ken Doherty love, Sunday sports binge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin and Ken discuss Gareth Bale's magnificence and wonder whether Tony Pulis does friendlies.Diego Torres talks to us about his compelling character study of Jose Mourinho.And Scott Murray reflects on whether football really was better in the old days. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Lee was back in the ring last weekend, and Ireland's most charismatic boxer joins us in studio to talk about changing weight divisions, staying busy and Floyd Mayweather.After two years of internal wrangling, the European Champions Cup is coming, but Connacht look set to be on the outside looking in. Former Connacht hooker, now Grenoble coach Bernard Jackman looks at the new European landscape.And we talk about Murph's middle-age spread, Man City's balls and the battle of Bayonne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken and Eoin imagine the Premier League as an elaborate dinner party where Brendan Rodgers has gone from being an unwanted guest to the belle of the ball. We ask Jonathon Wilson if Steve Gerrard deserves to win the league, and Miguel Delaney explains Jose's silence.Also on the menu are drug metaphors, radio phone in frenzies, Jose in no country for old men and tee-totallers Man United. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin Ken and Murph discuss digest an incredible weekend of sport that included Steve Gerrard's wild eyed call for calm, Raheem Sterling's bird like foot speed and Bubba golf. Dublin face Derry in the league final, and we welcome Oisin McConville and Malachy Clerkin into studio to discuss second half comebacks, MDMA, shabby Mayo and Cork's need for a mean streak.Jordan Spieth's sulk, Noel O'Leary up a tree, Premier League Lord of the Rings comparisons and McDevitt's All Ireland theory also feature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin and Ken discuss some of the tearful episodes described in an exciting new book about Jose Mourinho.John Brewin and Daniel Harris reflect on fading Fergie, short term Moyes and the effective end of Manchester United's season.And Sid Lowe joins us to talk about Atletico's victory last night and the uncertain times ahead for Barcelona. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cork have been the story of the National Football League so far - with a new manager, and a stable full of brilliant young footballers we weren't sure would ever fulfil their potential. Karol Mannion and Malachy Clerkin are in studio to look at their match-up with Dublin, Diarmuid Connolly, and the other league semi-final between Mayo and Derry.Munster's Damien Varley joins us for a chat about Rob Penney's departure, new Munster, fear, positivity and facing Toulon.All this plus Ken's poor song choice, 7 degrees of Murph, the secret to rapid weight gain, Diarmuid Connolly grace and Ultimate Warrior memories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin and Ken discuss Colemania, Irish Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez's big dream, Torres 360, Chris Hughton's sacking, and the problem of always wanting more. Jonathan Wilson joins us to discuss how Roberto Martinez has built on the legacy of David Moyes. And Miguel Delaney thinks Fulham are going to pull off an unlikely escape from relegation, but at whose expense? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster once again prove they're the best clutch team in Europe, while Leinster continue to struggle against more powerful opponents. We ask Bernard Jackman and Gerry Thornley if Munster have the squad depth to go all the way, if Ulster have been mortally wounded and whether Leinster need to re appraise their strategy.The Eisenhower tree is gone from Augusta, but all the other traditions remain, for better or worse. We ask Brian Murphy to wrestle with his capitalist side, and explain what its like to see a once in a generation genius do his stuff six feet away from you.All this plus Leinster's side entrance to the colosseum, joyless celebrations, Honky Tonk Ken, The Armstrong Lie, Coleman's volleys and David Feherty's joke kryptonite. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin and Ken discuss further developments in Mourinho's management-by-sarcasm, and why Bayern Munich were like a thumbless man trying to solve a Rubik's cube.Simon Kuper describes the reaction in Paris to the home team's glorious win over Chelsea.And Raphael Honigstein on the Bavarian disappointment with Manchester United's handball-style defensive tactics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The deal which will see Sky broadcast 14 GAA championship games exclusively live this season has prompted a huge reaction - and the less people know about it, the more outraged they appear to be. We pick through the more reasonable arguments with Karol Mannion and Anthony Moyles. With a big Heineken Cup weekend coming up, we speak to bona fide Munster legend David Wallace on Rob Penney's recent comments on Northern Hemisphere refereeing, and their major show-down with Toulouse. Joe Duffy, the grassroots, socialism, Toulon egalite, and bullish rugby predictions all in the mix too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There was an interesting build up to Leinster Munster, but did Rob Penney's statements affect his own team more than the opposition? Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan look at the performances and how the game will impact on both teams' preparations for the Heineken Cup.Tiger Woods' body is letting him down once again - we ask Brian Murphy if his swing coach Sean Foley is to blame, and will Tiger ever win another major.All this plus Lawro's Harry Hill shirt, the eternal duality of Maverick and Ice Man, Ronaldinho and Kevin McManamon and why rugby is like a tense PE class. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin McDevitt has a dilemma – his beloved boys in blue are playing on Saturday evening, against their premier rivals. That’s right, Leinster… and Dublin. Should he travel to the Aviva, or Croke Park? Karol Mannion and Oisin McConville are on hand to try and convince him of the merits of the burgeoning Dublin Mayo rivalry. Steve James is one of the truly great sports movie directors. Hoop Dreams is a classic of the genre, and his new film “Head Games – the global concussion crisis” is a compelling look at how head trauma is a creeping disaster waiting to happen, and not just in the NFL. Some timely good news for An Garda Siochana, Mayo fans engraving crude messages on legal tender, and the Suarez variable also feature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the face of it Leinster V Munster doesn't have a lot riding on it but its a sellout, its a top of the table clash and there a few Munster players stewing over missing out on a 6N winners medal. We ask Alan Quinlan and Gerry Thornley about Rob Penney's statements, and if there is any takent gap between the two.The final weekend of the hurling league was made all the more dramatic by Niall McMorrow, who didn't know what score his Dublin side needed against Tipp in order to avoid a relegation playoff. We welcome Malachy Clerkin to studio to discuss the form guide ahead of the Championship.All this plus Pellegrini and ROG, Ronaldo's moan, McDevitt's Joe Namath prediction and why Munster V Leinster deserves the hype. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland are the Six Nations champions, and although it was tight, the statistics released in the last few days brook no argument - we were first in scrum, lineout, ruck, and tackle success. But are we becoming slaves to stats? And is this good or bad news for the modern-day sportsperson? And a cursory glance at this year's Allianz Football League tables reveals that Ulster football could be back on a charge - we talk to the top scorer in the history of the Ulster championship Oisin McConville about what could be a vintage summer of northern football. All that plus the rise of the machines, new Irish Times columnist Shane Lowry, Murph's ol' fella, and why club gaelic footballers hate each other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Its a special St Patrick's day episode of Second Captains, as we celebrate all thats good about being Irish, including sporting prowess, luck and the smell of fried concession stand burger meat at 9am.We talk to Denis Hickie and Eddie O'Sullivan about the difference between luck and being lucky, coming close and winning and if this is just the end of the beginning for the Joe Schmidt era.Brian O'Driscoll's retirement was like a fairytale, but we talk to US Murph about 40 year old NBA star Steve Nash, who is getting it terribly wrong as he reaches the end of the road.Proud ulstermen, a Ken apology and sporting mercenaries also feature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin is very anxious to tell people that Ireland are going to win handsomely in France this weekend… but he’s having trouble finding anyone with an alternative view to try and convince. All this confidence is good, right? Former Ireland players Reggie Corrigan and Victor Costello are in studio to tell us if we’ve anything to worry about. And in a week where ‘sure things’ are always at a premium, we talk about the greatest racehorse of them all, Arkle, who won his first Gold Cup 50 years ago this week. Cockerels are dinosaurs, Ken’s love affair with Sprinter Sacre, and people going to jail for tax evasion – no, really, ACTUAL jail – all on the menu as well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin McDevitt has had a few sleepless nights since O'Driscoll Day, and the only cure is a Six Nations Championship. He talks to Gerry Thornley and Matt Williams about the emotional recovery, creative development under Schmidt, and why France's performances up to now can be ignored.Keith Duggan met and interviewed one of the most interesting men in football, Kerry manager Eamon Fitzmaurice. We talk to Keith about the man, the county and the generation gap thats developed in the game. Using medics as human shields, Paris pain, Donegal 2011, and groovy rugby also feature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Schmidt has only made one change to his starting XV. We ask Shane Horgan and Bernard Jackman about conservatism, Sexton's form, and what is an acceptable result for Ireland.Managers not having any say over what players their club signs is a growing issue in English football. We talk to Brian Murphy about what has long been an accepted practice in American sport.Office politics, cheap pants, Leinster bias and boastful predictions also feature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a points party and everyone’s invited in the National Football League so far this year, with scoring totals up and open football the order of the day. Is this all the black card’s doing? We ask Anthony Moyles for the defender’s take. Rory McIlroy is back competing for tournaments, but the manner of his meltdown at the Honda Classic last night raises questions about his winning temperament. And Andy Lee has called out Matthew Macklin for a fight all of Ireland would love to see – we speak to Lee about whether we can expect them to get it on. Ken also has some thoughts on his driving test, and the partitioning of Dublin GAA in the interests of fairness to their country cousins, which he’d like to share. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NFL Combine is a little like the old TV show ‘Superstars’, where young college American football players perform a series of rigorous calisthenics for the benefit of professional teams seeking to draft them – US Murph tells us about one of the dafter parts of American sporting life. Formula One is an almost exclusively male environment, and author and former ITV pitlane reporter Beverly Turner says the possible introduction of one female driver for next year isn’t going to change a whole lot. Plus we hear about the French in rugby free-fall, from Grenoble coach and former Irish international Bernard Jackman. A good week for punditry, Roy Keane vs Mrs Carrick, why Hitler gave bunkers a bad name and Raymond Domenech all in the mix too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland are still alive, and we’re still fightin’ for this title, as Kevin Keegan would say. We accentuate the positives from our heart-breaking 3 point loss to England with Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley. Malachy Clerkin was at the Sochi Winter Olympics, and his walk to the Irish Times this morning was the coldest he’s been since he left Dublin. We ask him if it should ever have been given to Sochi, and if any of the sport took his mind off the hilariously temperate climate. We ask the broader question of who can actually afford to host these global sporting events any more, do we need to stop using Jonny Sexton’s Paris adventure as an excuse, analyse Ireland’s Euro 2016 group, and the silencing of Peter O’Mahony. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin, Ken and Murph discuss sycophantic rugby players, the misery of being a sub in bad weather, the death of the granny rule and yokelish Irish fans.We ask Bernard Jackman and Trevor Hogan if England's plan for a long march to Twickenham could backfire, and ask them exactly what Joe Schmidt is scheming up for what the Irish coach describes as his greatest challenge yet.We also have Martin O'Neill's underwhelming squad announcement, tension between Murph and Pierse Brosnan, the Hick from French lick, and the importance of walking slowly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world of hurling celebrated Kilkenny’s demise last summer as the end of an era – so why are they favourites for this year’s All-Ireland title? Their 1 point defeat to Clare in the opening round of the league gave us some indication of where they are for 2014. England tight-head prop Dan Cole has been ruled out through injury – former England out-half Paul Grayson surveys the damage that could cause. And Shane Horgan tells us about the newly humble English rugby player. All this plus a possible new tactical role for Mike Ross, Irish Dallaglio, Neil Francis, Sexton book, and Murph’s history as a specialist in failure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland are the reigning Women's Six Nations Grand Slam champions, and they realise the time is now if they want to grow the popularity of their sport. Their most capped player, Lynne Cantwell talks to us about success on and off the field of play. US Murph on the first gay player to declare himself for the NFL draft, and Malachy Clerkin is in Sochi, for the warmest Winter Olympics in history. Ken asks if it's ever a good idea to beat up your dad (it's not), grits, Arsenal fans and packing out Donnybrook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Second Captains this week – Gerry Thornley, Malcolm O’Kelly and Liam Toland on Ireland’s 26-3 win over Wales and managing expectations before Twickenham in 2 weeks time. Colin Jackson held a world record for 13 years but never won Olympic gold – he tells us about the pressure of delivering at an Olympics, winter or summer. And we have the solid work of Peter O’Mahony’s PR entourage, the second-row’s understanding of beauty on a rugby field, and Rene Meulensteen’s towering intellect. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Welsh players have been told by Gatland this week to strut around Europe like the champions they are. We ask Welsh legend Jonathan Davies if this suits the Welsh psyche, and we talk to former Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan about the D'arcy O'Driscoll axis, and the departure of Rob Penney.The Irish Times' Malachy Clerkin is in Sochi for the Winter Olympics so we talk to our journalistic comrade about the long list of political and social issues associated with Putin's Games.We also have US Murph on American sports stars choosing success over wealth, George Plimpton, stray dogs, an Austrian-Mexican prince, whiney journalists and airplane toilets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After assessing whether we're tougher than Paul O'Connell we launch straight into Six Nations chat with Shane Horgan and Denis Hickie, asking them if the Scottish game was any sort of a barometer for the Wales game.Paul Galvin has retired from inter-county football, and with him goes another link to the great Kerry team of the last decade. Darragh O Se tells us about his former team-mate, and passenger on countless trips to training. And we closely evaluate the singing talents of Peter O’Mahony, the Denver Broncos Superbowl disintegration, sleep deprivation and why it suits the Welsh to be cocky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of the Six Nations, we speak to Ronan O'Gara, the top points-scorer in the tournament's history about documentaries, life in Paris, and a first Spring without international rugby. The Superbowl is a ridiculous affair, but we love it. US Murph is covering it from the madness of 'Radio Row' in NYC, while Jerry Izenberg, 14-time Pulitzer Prize nominee and a giant in American sportswriting, is yet to miss a Superbowl, one of only 2 writers with that unblemished record. B-Hop gets the musical tribute an alien of his stature deserves plus there's celebrity frauds, Snoop Dogg impressions, pastor Darryl Strawberry and Christy Ring. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The week before the 6 Nations might be the most enjoyable week of the entire tournament – before your team starts losing, and before you remember that for all the pageantry, and all the brilliant occasions, the rugby can sometimes be pretty soporific. Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley are optimistic about Ireland’s chances of sustaining our interest right to the end, and injured lock Donnacha Ryan talks to us about getting back in time to take part in the drama this year.Bernard Hopkins is 49 years old, a world champion, and still one of the most entertaining boxers in the game. We speak to him about defying medical logic, unifying the belts in time for his 50th birthday next year, and being an alien. The interminable Gatland-O’Driscoll ‘feud’, Copernicus, and national anthems all in the mixer too... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United fans have had to experience some pretty low moments this season – we discuss where Phil Jones' purposeful stride towards the penalty spot ranks in the pantheon. After two biting incidents in a year, have Dublin now got an image problem, and with their big sponsorship deals, is there now more pressure on them to keep high standards.Another fan-base discovering that sport can be a cruel and unforgiving mistress this week were US Murph and his fellow San Francisco 49ers fans – we try and apply balm to his poor, wounded heart. And with the Australian Open being re-energised by coaches who are figures from our childhoods, why are we talking about Andre Agassi’s toupee obsession? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cheating in real life really pays off – so why are we so hard on golfers who step on the wrong side of a totally pointless white line? Rory McIlroy saw red last weekend, fouling foul of one of the sport’s more technical rules – Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times joins us. It could be argued that the relative strengths of Munster, Ulster and Leinster have never been more closely matched – and the impact of their director of rugby David Humphreys is a major factor in Ulster’s recent renaissance. We speak to Humphreys about the challenges for them on and off the field. We'll also speak about the brilliantly-named Jerome Champagne, who could be the next FIFA president. All that plus the first PBESO of 2014, what Richard Krajicek is up to these days, and the next link in the Gorgeous George-Muhammad Ali-Zlatan Ibrahimovic chain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A very cosmopolitan edition of Second Captains today – as we traverse the globe from San Francisco, to Sydney and back to New York in search of sporting drama. Is the Australian Open, at the height of the Antipodean summer, now almost an unplayable event? Tennis players have been suffering in the Melbourne heat, our man in Oz Matt Williams tells us how extreme temperatures are a part of Aussie life. There is trouble in the house of US Murph – he is the West Coast’s most avowed San Francisco 49ers fan, who has married into a family of Seattle Seahawks fans. We look ahead to the match this Sunday that could be the cause of some domestic strife. And we tell the story of Jesse Owens, the most famous man in the history of the Olympics. He once said – "Hitler didn't snub me – it was FDR who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram." We talk about the struggles in his life on his return to the US after the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Dictators in sport, Murph’s in-laws and other undesirables, all available to download now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leinster, Munster and Ulster are all shaping up well in the Heineken Cup, but have they progressed, and which one of the three is best equipped to go the whole way from here? The Irish Times’ Gerry Thornley and 2-time Heineken Cup winner Shane Horgan cast an optimistic look ahead to Round 6 of the pool stages… and the quarter-finals. Vitali Klitschko was one of the most dominant world heavyweight champions of the last 20 years… and now he’s running for the Presidency of Ukraine, which stands at a hugely important political cross-roads. We hear from Kiev if he’s a creditable candidate, or a puppet for forces behind the scenes. Plus we discuss the debilitating effects of the Platinum Package, Murph's shame, rough and smooth, and pint-sized Vladimir Putin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should your out-half be the first name on your team-sheet, or does healthy competition in the most important position on the field actually help your team? Shane Horgan and Neil Francis tell us who they think will be first choice in the long term, and why so many outhalves are obsessives. US Murph joins us to talk about the NFL playoffs, the lonely life of a kicker, and we outline how you can watch 26 hours of sport this weekend, if that’s your thing. And we find time to talk about Ric Flair, Victor Hugo, Napoleon, lucky generals, and all the myriad ways you can look forward to a Winter Olympics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We refuse to be affected by the January blues, so it’s the Love Edition of Second Captains @ The Irish Times as we speak to two young men embarking on their dream coaching jobs.Oisin McConville is now joint-manager of the Crossmaglen team he starred in for 20 years, and Bernard Jackman’s meteoric rise through the ranks of French Top 14 rugby continues, with his appointment from the start of next season as Grenoble head coach. In the interests of journalistic balance, we also discuss David Moyes and how getting his dream job is working out for him. All that plus quitting your job, husky McDevitt, black cards, insulting the ghost of our GAA fore-fathers, and Michael J Fox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first Second Captains of 2014, Eoin and Ken react to the news that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been confirmed as Cardiff City manager. Will he and Vincent Tan form an unlikely dream team and was he the Smithers to Alex Ferguson's Monty Burns?Shane Horgan and Eddie O'Sullivan believe we need to prepare ourselves for more transfers out of Ireland and that the IRFU should have a plan B in place with the future of Celtic League currently on unsteady ground.Plus tributes to Uncle Phil, Murph's Second Captains suspension, Shredder, and Spurs festive rampage.Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin and Murph perform a small fireworks show in studio and share an emotional embrace before wading in to their favourite moments of the year with Derval O'Rourke and Malachy Clerkin.Derval experienced the European indoors as an enthused athlete and a member of a fickle media pack, and explains the difference between male and female attitudes to mental preparation. Malachy Clerkin talks about small county celebrations, and the joy of watching Colm Cooper take on the Dublin football team. All this plus Murph explains why, for the ninth year in a row, he chose the All-Ireland hurling final as his sporting highlight, why Nicky English is hurling's soothsayer, savouring BOD, McDevitt's Murray amnesia, Lance drama, and learning to love Ireland New Zealand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've headed off together on our clydesdales to our Second Captains rural retreat, as we do every year. Normally its just the five of us, but this year Mariah Carey joins the gang around an open fire to discuss Vincent Browne, Pierse Brosnan, Kevin Pietersen and our favourite Lansdowne Road moments. We also have one of our best interviews of the year, Eamon Dunphy on the history of Ireland-England games, and we end the sports pudding with a very special Second Captains audio gift - Ken Early sings out the show... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To tie in with today's Irish Times Sports Woman of the Year awards we're releasing a special edition of the show, which includes an interview with the legendary Rosemary Smith, winner of this year's Lifetime Achievement Award, and Melissa Ludtke, an American journalist who changed things for all that followed in her path.Rosemary joins Eoin and Murph in studio to discuss how she went from being a dress designer in Ireland to competing with and beating the world's best male rally drivers, what attitudes pervaded at the time, and the incredible story of how she survived land slides, bandits and cactus flies in a race from London to Mexico.Melissa Ludtke was one of the first female sports journalists in America. She explains how tough it was to make it in the industry, and why she had to take a law suit against the commissioner of Major league Baseball to ensure she could do her job. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland in the November Series, Ireland in RWC 2011, Leinster and Northampton and Toulouse in recent weeks - how can teams' performances fluctuate so much from week to week - we try and figure out if rugby is more susceptible than most sports to ridiculous turnarounds with Eddie O'Sullivan and Emmett Byrne... and whether Munster showed us something new this weekend. Last week a pair of Michael Jordan's basekball shoes sold for over 100,000 dollars. We ask Brian Murphy about the US phenomenon of sports memorabilia and why the Flu Game in the 1997 NBA finals further burnished the Jordan legend. Ken hates SPOTY, autographs are pointless, grown men shouldn't fight 10 year olds, Millennium 50p coins and other nonsense all included. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two clean sweeps in a row for the Irish provinces in the Heineken Cup - can we take all the credit or have the English clubs sub-consciously filed out of this year’s competition already… Shane Horgan, Trevor Hogan and an England Grand Slam winner tell us what we can expect this weekend. Thermo-nuclear war appears to be the only thing that will stop an NFL match – as a couple of snow-addled games on the East Coast showed last week. We go back to the NFL championship game played in wind chill conditions of -40 degrees with US Murph. Plus we have Ken’s thoughts on Connemara vs Kerry in the ‘rugged, unspoilt beauty stakes, some unbelievably bullish rugby predictions, God narrator, and the really famous Christmas movie we’ve never heard of. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The festive season is a time for giving… and most of the time, the giving usually includes some pretty lacklustre sports books. So we have taken it upon ourselves to draw up a list of the very best books of this year, and of all time, to guide you through the season.We have enlisted some high quality help – Keith Duggan (author of the Lifelong Season and House of Pain) and Donald McRae, two time William Hill Sports Book of the Year award winner - tell us about what they look for in a great sports book, and what it takes to write one. And the learned Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times is on hand to help us pick our top 5 books of the year… and the one to avoid like the plague.All this plus why bombast and arrogance makes for a great autobiography, the slow emergence of the inner Dunphy, how Gorgeous George begat Ali who begat Zlatan and why its therefore important to 'always be outrageous'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We ask Shane Horgan and Liam Toland should a proposed extension to Rob Penney's contract be judged on the two Perpignan games. Meanwhile Matt Connor faces his biggest challenge to date away to Northampton, and we debate what changes he has made since the Schmidt era. An entire sport turning a blind eye to cheating is something we’ve sadly grown used to over the last decade or so, but has the multi-million dollar horse-racing industry got the will or the want to change its ways after recent scandals. Plus there’s watching Match of the Day without knowing the scores, Chekov's gun, a very special mile high mascot-based PBESO, apologetic managers and Tony the chimp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Photographer Billy Stickland is responsible for capturing many of the greatest moments in Irish sport, and he joins us in studio to discuss his career, the story behind the shots and how he gets so many men to take their shirts off.Last weekend Carlow hurling manager John Meyler watched his son David score for Hull, rejoiced in Mount Leinster Rangers' hurling success, and celebrated his wedding anniversary. We ask him to rank the events from 1 to 3.Ireland are the only country in the world's top 20 nations without a men's team competing on the rugby sevens circuit, and we're almost certainly not sending a side to the Rio Olympics. We speak to Alan Quinlan and former sevens international Cian Aherne about why this is the case.All this plus Carlow griping, Rooney McIlroy twitter shame, shin pad celebrations and father son sporting love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sochi is the one place in Russia where it doesn't snow, so Vladimir Putin thought it would be perfect for the Winter Games. Andrew Roth of the New York Times joins us from Moscow to talk about what will be the most expensive Olympics in history.Friend of the show and Ireland's greatest ever goalkeeper Shane Curran joins us in studio to discuss the Connacht club final, injury, Rene Higuita, and playing into your 40's.You can tell a lot about an American sports fan by whether he/she prefers Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Brian Murphy explains the difference between stats and trophies. All this plus healing Ireland's pain, a GMAC PBESO, La Cosa Nostra, and the Kanye Rossies remix. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Its a special heartbreak edition of Second Captains this week, as we wade through our nations' tears in search of the most painful moments in history.Gordon Darcy still hasn't recovered from Sunday's game but believes the team can play at that level every week, and believes if New Zealand can be consistently brilliant, then so can Ireland.Eddie O'Sullivan feels its the best performance in our history, Shane Horgan thinks the game will benefit the team, and both men re-live the pain of the Vincent Clerc try in 2007.Paul Kimmage joins us in studio to explain why he thinks Laurent Fignon's loss to Greg Lemond in the 1989 Tour de France is the most cruel defeat he has ever witnessed.All this plus stress dreams, Kearney eyes, weepy little Eoin McDevitt and Murph's top 5 moments of misery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.