Conor Niland retires with upset stomach at US Open against Djokovich

Ireland's Conor Niland retired with an upset stomach after falling behind 6-0 5-1 to No 1 seed Novak Djokovich in their US Open first round clash.

Niland has been suffering from food poisoning for two days said a friend after the game was stopped with Niland clearly in distress.

He was the first Irish-born player to qualify for the US Open but his much anticipated game against the Wimbledon champion was a sad disappointment for him.

Irish qualifier takes on Novak Djokovich in US Open first round -- and thinks he can win

One man has won $28 million, the other $280,000. One man has 27 mens tennis tour titles the other has zero, one man has won 381 games on the circuit, the other 9.

Yet Irishman Conor Niland from Limerick still thinks he has a shot against world No.1. Novak Djokovich in the US Open first round tomorrow.

Niland is ranked 197th in the world and barely came through the qualifiers.

Djokovich is the choice of most leading analysts to win the whole title.

Yet Niland does not fear him. “I definitely noticed Djokovic was playing a qualifier and it was in my head a little bit, but I still only had a 1 in 16 shot of getting him,” said NIland speaking to the Limerick Leader newspaper.

“My reaction was really happy - he is the best tennis player in the world, in one of the biggest tournaments, on the biggest court, it will be a great atmosphere. I’d rather that than playing a guy ranked 75 on court 17,” said Niland.

Does NIland have a prayer? Djokovich hurt his shoulder last week in Cincinnati and who knows how the injury might affect him.

Niland said he planned to keep wearing his lucky green shirts and was hoping lots of Irish would come out and support him as they did during Wimbledon.

He joked he has as big an entourage as Federer at this stage. Because its Djokovich the match will be carried live.

“It is brilliant. I have been really lucky, people were able to watch Wimbledon and hopefully will be able to watch this,” he said.

Newsflash! Lou Holtz to cheer for South Florida against Notre Dame -- Family ties trump legendary status at Fighting Irish

Newsflash! legendary Notre Dame coach will be rooting against the Fighting Irish on Saturday when they face South Florida

Holtz is also refusing to go to the game because his son, Skip, pictured here with him, coaches South Florida.

It is the classic clash between blood and ties that bind for the coach who led the Irish to their last national championship sometime back when buffaloes roamed the prairie.

Holt has his own statue near the famed stadium at South Bend, but despite that, he knows blood is thicker than water.

"Skip Holtz is the head coach at South Florida. I've known him most of his life," Lou told NewsCenter 16 at WDNU . "A very positive and very good coach."

So Holtz will not be cheering on the Blue and Gold to win.


"It's the only time I've ever picked against Notre Dame," Lou explained. "It's not an upset. An upset is what his mother would be if I picked against her son."

Holtz will be in the ESPN studio feeling sick to the heart that he has to pick between family and fame and friendship.

He also gets far more nervous when his son coaches than he ever did when he was in charge.

"I get too nervous," Lou explains,

"I could be [coaching] in the biggest game in the world at a critical time and I would never get nervous because I was involved and could help determine the outcome of the game."

That isn't the case as the father of Skip, coach.

"When you are a spectator as I would be at this game, you get nervous because you have no control over the outcome of the game."


"I'm very proud of him and he doesn't need my help," Lou says. "Our entire family will be here to support Skip but I will be at ESPN."

Dublin qualify to meet Kerry in All-Ireland football final, defeat Donegal

Dublin qualified for the All-Ireland final against Kerry with a hard earned victory over Donegal, 0-8 to 0-6.

Despite playing a man short for the last quarter of the game, Dublin staged a fine comeback after being behind at halftime and scoring only two points in the first half.
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The game was one of the worst ever seen at Croke Park, with Donegal using a blanket defense to frustrate Dublin which led to a very low scoring match.

Dublin will now meet Kerry in the final on September 18 in a clash that will revive many memories of the great clashes between the two teams in the 1970s.

Irishman qualifier Conor Niland to face Novak Djokovic in US Open first round

Conor Niland will face world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round of the US Open.

The Irishman qualified for the tournament this week and has been rewarded with a great draw.

It is the second conscutive grand slam tournament that the Irishman has qualified for.

Meanwhile another Irishman, Louk Sorensen who also qualified, will play sixth seed Robin Soderling in round one.

Niland's match with Djokovic will likely take place at center court.

Shamrock Rovers make history and qualify for Europa league, greatest result ever for League of Ireland side

Incredibly, part-time League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers have qualified for the Europa league, where they could meet the likes of Celtic and Rangers afte defeating Partizan Begrade in Belgrade on Thursday night by 2-1, overall 3-2.

Irish radio called it "The greatest goal in the history of Irish football" and it was a penalty kick from Stephen O'Donnell! late in extra time which won it.

Rovers went to Belgrade after a 1-1 tie in Dublin and expectations were low they could grab a victory away from home.

They were even lower after Belgrade scored but a wonder goal from O'Sullivan put them back in the game.

Danica Patrick decides on NASCAR – leaves IndyCar for 2012 – VIDEO

Ending months of speculation Danica Patrick has announced that she is moving from the IndyCar circuit to join NASCAR full-time in 2012. She will run a full Nationwide schedule with JR Motorsports and as many as ten Sprint Cup races for Stewart-Hass Racing.

Speaking at a press conference, in her former sponsor Go Daddy’s offices in Scottsdale, Arizona, she said “I've truly enjoyed my experience in NASCAR, to the point that I want to do it full-time”.

In 2008 Patrick became the first woman to win an IndyCar race. She has also driven a limited schedule on NASCAR’s minor-league circuit since 2009.
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Also in 2009 Danica Patrick became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500 and finished a career-best fifth in the IndyCar standing. Currently she’s sitting at 12th with seven top-ten finishes. This season she’s posted three top-ten finishes with a career best fourth at Las Vegas in March.

In the past Danica Patrick has been criticized about her commitment to the sport. Some say that she’s more interested in racy photo shoots than racing but NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip, who is an analyst for FOX, thinks Patrick will pull this move off and show her critics.

He told AP "I've been waiting for Danica to make the commitment to NASCAR and now that she has, I believe she will surprise a lot of skeptics. She is a very focused driver and now without the distractions of another series she can put all her efforts into it.”

Owner of Stewart-Hass, Tony Stewart said “The thing you see in Danica right away is how determined she is to be good at what she does.”

Here’s a clip from FOX of the press conference:

Notre Dame's Brian Kelly picks Dayne Crist as starting quarterback for Fighting Irish

Dayne Crist will be Notre Dame's starting quarterback Coach Brian Kelly has announced.


The decision comes as no surprise as Crist was the starting quarterback last year until suffering a season ending injury.

He beat out Tommy Rees who , while not as obviously talented as Rees, found a way to win several close games.

"Dayne will be the starter and I expect him to be the starter for 13 weeks," Kelly said. "We have great confidence in his ability to lead us to a championship."

Crist ruptured his patella tendon against Tulsa -- his second year to end the season injured,

Rees took over and had four straight wins.

In the end however, Crist is far mor mobile and fits much better with a Kelly type offense.

However, Rees will be an invaluable and experienced back up --far from the scared freshman who was ushered into the Michigan game last season and immediately threw an interception after Crist was injured.

Exclusive: Robbie Keane to Join LA Galaxy

Irish striker Robbie Keane is heading to the bright lights of Los Angeles in a sensational $8 million move to the city's Galaxy soccer club, where he will team with David Beckham and American star Landon Donovan.

The move was revealed today as Keane, 31, found no takers for his services in the English Premiership. He failed to reach agreement with his last club, Tottenham, whose boss Harry Redknapp proved not to be a Keane fan. Keane has played with Tottenham since January of 2009, but has been lent out to Glasgow Celtic and West Ham United during that time.

Keane, 31, played in a scoreless draw against Croatia in Dublin on Wednesday evening for the Irish national side. He is expected to travel to Los Angeles to undergo a physical and complete the two-year deal that will see him join Beckham, who signed with the Galaxy in January 2007 in a package worth a reported $250 million.

Keane is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Irish national side, with 58 scores in 108 appearances. His devotion to playing for his country is well-known.

Keane, father of a toddler son, is married to Dublin model Claudine Palmer, who has said in the past that she would welcome a move to the U.S. "Would I like to see him play for a team like LA Galaxy? Yes, I would love that, but it changes all the time," she said 18 months ago when word first surfaced that an American move could be in Keane's future.

Golfer Rory McIlroy ‘must find a new caddy to save himself’ - Harsh ESPN criticism after Rory wrist injury at PGA

ESPN commentator Alex Dimond has stated that Rory McIlroy needs to fire his caddy JP Fitzgerald if he is to “save himself from himself” after he hurt his hand in yesterday’s first round of the PGA championship, the year’s final major.

McIlroy hurt his hand trying an impossible shot, to move the ball away from tree roots on the third hole. He needed on course treatment before continuing and may be forced to withdraw. First to criticize McIlroy was commentator Jay Townsend who clashed with McIlroy after the British Open.

"I think Rory might have hurt himself by hitting a tree root, smart play??? I'll let you all decide," was the mocking tweet Townsend sent out.

Dimond says Fitzgerald was at fault for allowing McIlroy to hit the shot. “McIlroy may have wanted to hit the shot he was presented with on the third hole - the punishment of having to chip out always seems more severe to the younger player - but JP should have seen the bigger picture” Dimond wrote.
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Dimond quoted fellow pro Luke Donald saying he “felt sick” watching McIlroy try the shot while commentator Paul Azinger warned that such injuries could be "career-threatening".

Dimond says “Considering all that, Fitzgerald should have ensured the safety-first approach was the one that was taken.

“Instead, he kept quiet - or at the least did not make his voice prominently heard - and allowed McIlroy to do the sort of damage that will almost certainly cost him his shot at this championship, and could come back to haunt him at a few more before he is fully healed.

“McIlroy keeps defending his current caddie, but. ..twice in a year, his decision-making in majors has been shown to be woefully misguided. Fitzgerald has been fortunate enough to be there for one major win, but that should be it.

“It might not be this week, or even this year, but McIlroy needs to change his caddie. If his on-course judgment can't always be trusted - and it certainly seems it can't - then he needs to have another one on hand as and when it is required.

“Otherwise he's just hurting himself. Literally and figuratively.”

Notre Dame's Brian Kelly needs to name his starting quarterback because it's Dayne Crist

Pressure is mounting on Brian Kelly to name Notre Dame's starting quarterback.

Kelly was still playing coy yesterday with only a few weeks to go before the college opener against South Florida.

"In an ideal situation, I'd like to know who the starter is before camp," said Kelly in a press conference on Friday.

"I don’t know if there's a certain date (to name a starter) other than we're only going to use the first 19 practices for the evaluation process. We're spending two weeks on South Florida. We're gonna know going into the last 10 days who the starting quarterback is."

Kelly said that he plans on naming the starter publicly and that there is no need to be "stealth-like.

So what is he waiting for?

The world and his mother knows it will be Dayne Crist, who was his favorite before injury last year.

Tommy Rees did an amazing job stepping in but will have two years to compete when Crist leaves next yea.

So come on coach, put us out of suspense.

We know it is Crist, just name the guy.

Hey, Brian Kelly, Tommy Rees, not Dayne Crist, should start at quarterback for Fighting Irish

Tommy Rees should start at quarterback for Notre Dame to open the season.

Everyone believes it is Dayne Crist who on paper outshines the junior but games are not won on paper.

Rees delivered, including an historic bowl victory last year

Some of it was not pretty but when he took over the Irish were heading for the worst season since the 3-8 one a few years back.

He steadied the ship and, in a remarkable performance against Army at Yankee Stadium proved he had it when it counted most -- on the scoreboard and in his heart.

His subsequent performance against USC was similarly full of 'adventures' but in the end he pulled it out.

At the college football level Rees has that intangible. He doesn't run well, does not have as strong an arm as Crist and is certainly not the physically powerful specimen that Crist is.

However, unlike Rees he finds a way to win games.

He overcame an horrific start to his Fighting Irish career when Rees went down against Michigan and he threw an interception right away and was replaced by Joe Montana's kid, Nate.

However, he fought back and made the starting spot his own for the rest of the season.

Crist has promised much but is injury prone and lacks the gusto for the big game.

Sure he looks better talks better, throws passes better.

But he doesn't win.

Rees does -- that is why he should be under center on opening day.

No surprise as Notre Dame's Brian Kelly reinstates Michael Floyd -- Wide receiver gets chance at history for Fighting Irish

Brian Kelly

The news every Fighting Irish fan was waiting for became public at a packed press conference yesterday in South Bend, carried live on sports cable.

Michael Floyd is back for the season opener, his drunk driving conviction effectively set aside

As if there was ever any doubt.

You are talking about the best wide receiver to don the Blue and Gold -- ever.

No way was Brian Kelly going to leave him on the sidelines.

Kelly's greatest gift this season was Floyd's decision to come back for his final year and not go with the pros.

That was all put in doubt by yet another drink related infraction his third in three years..

Brian Kelly played the suspense game for the last few months, but made it about as suspenseful as a chase between a cat and a one legged mouse.

Simply put Notre Dame without Floyd this season has no hope of a Top Ten finish and the massive national profile that goes with that

Kelly being Kelly used exactly the right kind of forgiveness,second chance language.


“Michael has to continue to make good decisions,” Kelly said. “We haven’t reached a destination point. Mike know he’s got all eyes on him. There’s an intense amount of scrutiny. There’s cynics out there who look at this as we had this put together since day one.

“We can’t change what people think, but we try to make good decisions based on the patterns that we’ve seen. And I trust Michael, based upon what I’ve seen over the past 4½ months. I expect that trust to build.”“It wasn’t just my own personal evaluation,” Kelly said “Having been in (head coaching) for 21 years, it was my gut feeling whether to take a chance on a young man, because you can’t save everybody.

“I’ve had scenarios where young men just don’t learn, and it’s unfortunate. But it is what it is. I really felt with Mike that he had made a life-changing decision. So that was a gut feeling on my part. And then there were other observations from people who were a lot closer to him on a more consistent basis. All of this, in its totality, led me to the decision that I made reinstating him."

Now with Floyd the sky's the limit

Kelly was asked if his stated policy of zero tolerance for alcohol abuse had fallen by the wayside like a drunken sinner.

“I don’t know that I spend any time thinking about that,” ,

“I’m always half full, and not half empty, when it comes to thinking in those terms.”

Floyd too played the penitent role

“I think it starts off with just making better choices, thinking before I do,” he said. “I think that’s what I need to do to - move forward. And I think it’ll keep me on a positive track and keep me doing the right things.”


“I’ve changed the friends I hang out with,” Floyd offered. “That’s an important step for me, having guys around me who are all positive and who stay out of trouble and who are good decision-makers. That’s what I’m doing now.”

What he is doing is getting a chance at history courtesy of a lenient and perfectly understandable decision by Coach Kelly to find a way to play his best player.

Starting September 3rd Michale Floyd will surely repay that second chance by Kelly.