Sport

Isn't television sports coverage wonderful these days? Although football (soccer to Americans) will always be my first love, there are numerous other sports that I can watch in goggle-eyed awe. Rugby - the only sport I ever really excelled in at school - cricket, tennis, darts, snooker, indoor bowls, basketball, athletics. One of the few sports that bores me rigid is horse racing - in fact any sports that involve horses leave me feeling grossly underwhelmed.

Last evening, I watched the conclusion of the British Open Golf Championship live from Carnoustie in the county of Angus on Scotland's east coast. Sergio Garcia of Spain snatched defeat from the jaws of victory while Ireland's Padraig Harrington held his nerve to clinch his first major and a cheque for £750,00. It was tense and fascinating stuff. Golf is about form and bounce and lady luck. The changing weather meant that participants were suitably challenged. It was a great tournament.

Padraig Harrington - the first Irish winner of The Open since 1947.

You know sport doesn't matter. It is unimportant - a mere adjunct to life - but perhaps it reminds us that living life to the full must involve some frivolity and activities that take the spotlight away from the daily grind of work and sleep and getting food on the table. At times it is like a new religion - with hushed audiences, team colours, chants and pure unadulterated hero worship. Perhaps they'll make Padraig Harrington the next Pope!