Messages

Enright looks to be about as good a corner back as there is at the minute. It'll be an interesting battle assuming they mark each other.

[I'm not convinced Radcliffe is guilty]

Linford was actually caught in a comeback from retirement race.

Farah, as well as working with Salazar, has been seen training with an ethiopian guy who's currently serving 2 years for doping.

I'm not convinced Radcliffe is guilty - I don't think she was at it. She has handled it pretty badly though.

No on Gunnell or Holmes too.

For some reason I'd be in the same boat.

Call it gut or naivety but a lot seems to be based on the fact she broke a world record that remains unbroken. I've read articles in support of her that outline her track record and cross country background as been indicators of her potential over longer distances on the road. Her record was achieved on a perfect day for marathon running on a fast course with a male pacer more or less the whole way, all these fall into place and its unusual to do so. She has challenged the record herself, so not as if she hasn't got close to these times before. The depth of womens marathon running is way off the mens field, so the challenges aren't there to push to this time yet.

The articles and speculation about her alleged guilt seem to be a lot of hearsay and indicators rather than hard factual information.

Maybe she is guilty and it will come out later but to me she seems like someone trying hard to prove her innocence and feels that the other way to do so is speak out and deny it. In those cases it can be very difficult to deny something when you aren't sure of what exactly you are supposed to have done, when you did it and why it has come out how. She can only comment on her bloods that many argue is a flawed procedure with many possible variants.

I'm open to the fact she could have juiced but i'd give her the benefit of doubt.

Yeah likewise I would give her benefit of doubt but would be open to the fact she may have. She won world cross so proved her strength there but just didn't have the speed to kick on in the track. Strength a bigger factor than speed, within reason(Look at Farah in London), in a marathon. She was 4th in an olympic(or was it world) 10,000 so not like she had absolutely no pedigree on track either. There is this perception that she was a failed athlete until the marathon but that is nto the case.

Didn't know that on Gunnell Johnney. Maybe jury out on her too!

I would have said a lot of money is spent on tests.

One of the big problems is that it's a reactive business. The guys doping are one step ahead of the testers. You have to reveal what you're testing for and then with blood results etc the doctors / chemists stay within these parameters.

Then the testers will find new substances etc which will be made illegal and the guys guilty will just move on to the next thing and stop with that.

Then there is the unavailability for testing. Reading Chambers book there was a simple trick. Fill your mobiles message inbox then they can never leave a message and you are uncontactable. You then make yourself contactable when whatever is out of your system.

There are things with whereabouts but it you could probably make it plausible enough to make yourself unavailable.

If they were to go back to samples from the 80s and 90s then a lot would be found guilty too but whatever was taken then wasn't illegal. Even in cycling EPO was ok up until a certain point (not exactly sure on this but maybe late 90s?). Armstrong had it in his blood before it was banned.

On the brits ohorugu I think missed 3 tests and was given a bye ball.

Linford was actually caught in a comeback from retirement race.

Farah, as well as working with Salazar, has been seen training with an ethiopian guy who's currently serving 2 years for doping.

I'm not convinced Radcliffe is guilty - I don't think she was at it. She has handled it pretty badly though.

No on Gunnell or Holmes too.

They're not to be paid this time apparently...

You're not suggesting they aren't though

Robinson trying to be a bully boy as usual. Be interesting to see how that pans out. The whole thing is damned if it does and damned if it doesn't. As long as no one starts any of the shit again i, like most people, wouldn't be too bothered either way.

[they live in a fear that if they give "them 'uns" too much they'll just push for a united ireland.]

Erm. If the DUP and UUP walk out, would that not make Sinn Fein the defacto leaders of NI? A quick legislative change and hey presto, 32 County United Ireland!

Lol. Sshh there's enough paranoid people out there who would believe that and cause trouble!

I don't believe the DUP would have went had it not been for the UUP. I also believe that was mainly attention seeking.

In my view unionist politicians(mainly) have never fully wanted proper peace, equality etc. Their true colours come out every january. They come out with their petitions of concerns, with their "pacts" to make sure alliance or SF don't get in etc.

They have no interest in true democracy or equal rights and they live in a fear that if they give "them 'uns" too much they'll just push for a united ireland.

Is that not a genuine fear though as that is one of Sinn Feins main aims which they make no bones about?

Well pretty much so i dunno how it can work at all. The whole thing has always been incredibly fragile and this illustrates it.

Where we go from here who knows.

It's hard to say who's in for player of the year at this stage.

I don't think there's been a year where there have been less standout candidates. Usually there's one guy near a cert but hard to pick one this year. The big guns in dublin kerry have been a bit quieter.

Bernard Brogan or David Moran I guess?

Not getting Brogan being mentioned in PotY conversations. Maybe it's because I gave the Leinster championship as much effort viewing as many of the team's gave playing but he's been good passing the ball but not much more than that. Beat in the air regularly by his man in the Mayo game. If I had to pick a Dublin player for PotY at this stage it would be Jack Mc or Ciaran Kilkenny.

Likewise I thought Moran was very ineffectual against Tyrone so he has to show well in the final to have any chance. PotY is a bit of a crapshoot this year.

Would agree moran was quiet against tyrone so he would need a big final.

When brogan gets the ball you're f**ked. Simple as that. Maybe he didn't get it as much as he could have against mayo but he is lethal when he has it. Unmarkable.

Happy days. You'll be fine touch wood.

It's hard to say who's in for player of the year at this stage.

I don't think there's been a year where there have been less standout candidates. Usually there's one guy near a cert but hard to pick one this year. The big guns in dublin kerry have been a bit quieter.

Bernard Brogan or David Moran I guess?

Erm. If the DUP and UUP walk out, would that not make Sinn Fein the defacto leaders of NI? A quick legislative change and hey presto, 32 County United Ireland!

Lol. Sshh there's enough paranoid people out there who would believe that and cause trouble!

I don't believe the DUP would have went had it not been for the UUP. I also believe that was mainly attention seeking.

In my view unionist politicians(mainly) have never fully wanted proper peace, equality etc. Their true colours come out every january. They come out with their petitions of concerns, with their "pacts" to make sure alliance or SF don't get in etc.

They have no interest in true democracy or equal rights and they live in a fear that if they give "them 'uns" too much they'll just push for a united ireland.

How is the body holding up BM? All ok ?

[Edit] That is not intended to cause any paranoia!

Good idea about planking a couple of bottles on the training route, not sure if I'll be able to do that in Amsterdam though! 

I just can't drink a half decent sip when I'm on the move and I really don't want to stop at all. I realise it's buck stupid but there ya go!

Lol - I did mean training runs!!

Yeah you will just need to bite the bullet. There will be plenty of water on the course I would say so no need to carry it. Don't know many who carry water in marathons. Your entry fee pays for that stufff...

Belfast plastic cups too.

He has to be one of the worst UUP leaders in their history. Completely spineless and incapable. The man was supposed to be intelligent - I dunno what happened there.

Agreed. We could really do with something against Poland.

Croatia have much better players so preferrably wouldn't play them.