Celtic defeat Rangers 3-0 in Scottish Premier League showdown

Celtic hammered Rangers 3-0 at Ibrox park to move eight points clear in the Scottish premier league .

Celtic went 1-0 up after just 17 minutes when Gary Hoper scored from the edge of the penalty area.

It was Hooper again after 27 minutes when he got on the end of a cross from the left and poked the ball home.

Kris Commons completed the rout with a 25 yard drive past McGregor in the 69th minute.

Nate Montana for Montana State is no surprise -- never displayed Dad's ability at Notre Dame

Nate Montana will be playing for Montana.

It became official yesterday with the news that Montana, son of the legendary Joe, had transferred from Notre Dame to Montana State a Division IAAA team.

It brings to an end a fairy tale where Joe's son could rise up and lead Notre Dame like his dad did.

He briefly made it to No. 2 on the depth chart but faded, lacking his father's presence and incredible ability.

Nate's one chance to wake up the echoes was when he was pitched into the game against Michigan this year and it ended in failure and he never saw real playing time again.

It was always a long shot that Montana, who had left Notre Dame previously to attend junior college in California, would ever make it with the Irish but the legend of his father kept his story alive.

However,coach Brian Kelly now has more quarterbacks than he possibly needs and Nate was clearly surplus to requirements.

Pity, because he seemed a good kid and we can only wish him the best in Montana.

Ireland defeat Wales 3-0 in soccer international

Ireland handily defeated Wales by 3-0 in the first game of the new Carling Cup international soccer series at Dublin's Aviva stadium..

A brilliant Darron Gibson goal after one hour put Ireland ahead and Damien Duff added a second eight minutes later.

Finally Keith Fahey completed the rout with a goal eight minutes from the end from a free kick.

Seamus Coleman of Everton and Ciaran Clark of Aston Villa made impressive international debuts for Ireland.

Pittsburgh threw the Super Bowl away to Green Bay with interceptions

Put simply Pittsburgh Steelers gave the Super Bowl away.

Three turnovers that brought 21 points was the total difference between the two teams.

Ben Roethlisberger will long rue the two interceptions he threw which dug a deep hole for his offense.

The fact that they only came up a touchdown short of victory is an extraordinary feat in itself.

In keeping with recent Super Bowls this was a game right to the bitter end but the mistake free Green Bay Packers were full value for their victory in the end.

Aaron Rodgers has made the Packer faithful quickly forget about Brett who? and a new hero has been born on the frozen tundra back home.

Mike McCarthy has now got that critical first super bowl win on his resume while Mike Tomlin will remember this one as the one that got way.

In the end it was the franchise born in 1921 took their fourth super bowl trophy and were full value for it.

Two teams with great history and tradition clashed in Dallas but Green Bay proved that turnovers win Super Bowls as much as tradition and history.

Ireland luckily defeat Italy by 13-11 in rugby international

A drop goal by Ronan O'Gara saved Ireland's skins and they defeated Italy 13 points to 11 in a game in Rome they were very lucky to win.

Italy dominated throughout the game but were foiled by the experienced O'Gara, who cool as a cucumber dropped the winning goal with just two minutes remaining.

Italy led by 6-3 at half time but an O'Driscoll try put Ireland back in the lead. However, Italy came back and appeared to have scored the decisive try with time running out to lead 11-10.

However, Italy lost their own kickoff and Ireland gained possession

Then O'Gara, not for the first time, proved to be the hero.

Irish coaches dominate recent Super Bowl wins --will Mike McCarthy be next?

There is something about Irish coaches and the Super Bowl.

Mike McCarthy is hankering to be the third Irish coach in just four years to win America's most valuable sporting trophy.

He would be following in the footsteps of Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants and Sean Peyton of the New Orleans Saints.

If you want to look back further Bill Parcels was Bill O'Shea before he was adopted.

What is it that makes Irish Americans such good coaches?

Part of it is that they keep it simple. They are usually men of faith, with a straightforward view of the world. Tom Coughlin once studied to be a priest

They have the Irish ethos of hard work, don't stand out, stand up when you are called on and give it all for the team.

They are also good leaders of men, who have a gambler's instinct --remember Sean Peyton's call for an onside kick to start the second half last year?

That was a thrilling victory for the Saints, but perhaps the most extraordinary coaching job was Tom Coughlin beating the unbeaten New England Patriots in the super Bowl.

They were given no chance against a team that looked like the second coming of Bart Starr's Packers.

But Coughlin coached a Super Bowl winning performance that was arguably the greatest upset in the storied game's history.

If Mike McCarthy wins tomorrow it won't be such a shock. But making it to the big game with the slew of injuries he had plus the playoffs on the road was a mighty performance too.

And with the Rooney family on the other sideline, the greatest owners in sport, Irish eyes will be smiling one way or the other.

Bad Ben Roethlisberger means I will be cheering for Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl

I will be cheering for Green Bay on Sunday even though I have a lot of respect for the Pittsburgh owners, the Rooney family and the great work they have done in Ireland as well with the Steelers.

Fact is though I can't stand Ben Roethlisberger. The Pittsburgh quarterback is everything that is wrong with professional sport.
Like Michael Vick who abused helpless animals, Big Ben came perilously close to rape charges on two occasions.

I understand youthful indiscretions but following a drunken woman to a bathroom and doing who knows what there is not my idea of a trivial matter

It wasn't the first time Big Ben had gone off the reservation either . Once is bad enough , two is a rap record.

Yet the NFL star machine s busy repackaging both Vick and Roethlisberger as comeback stories, worthy of the name of heroes.

They are far from it and it is ironic that Ben plays with the Steelers, the organization that has come to symbolize class and respect in the NFL.

So call me a cheese head on Sunday in a game that promises to be an old fashioned donnybrook between two of the greatest franchise teams in American sport.

Just don't include Big Ben in the pantheon of Pittsburgh greats, not now, not ever.

Go Packers.