It’s always been one of my favourite anecdotes, but given an apparent lack of relevance to groin strains and lengthy suspensions, I’d never expected to be able to air it in this corner of the paper.

There’s a standing joke here on the sportsdesk when it comes to the Fitzgibbon Cup weekend: tell the photographers to turn their backs on the action out on the field and focus on the personalities in the crowd.

A few weeks ago, this column had a chat with Robert Lipsyte, an American sportswriter of such eminence that ringing his house was like ringing 1-800-OLYMPUS and asking for Zeus himself.

Eamon Dunphy and George Hook kissing each other.

Concussion has become the elephant in the room with ice hockey, writes Michael Moynihan

Common sense takes week off — now that is a dealbreaker.

It being exactly two centuries since the birth of Charles Dickens tomorrow, you’ll forgive our leaning on the old master this morning.

Three of the sides playing in this weekend’s Waterford Crystal senior hurling quarter-finals have managers from one club, St Finbarr’s of Cork.

If both teams or participants are praying to God before a game or contest, and only one wins, doesn’t that prove that God is on one side but not on the other?

Stephen Ferris takes questions with a look of calm, if not outright satisfaction.