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Time of India
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Why Bobby Bonilla gets paid nearly $1.2 million by the New York Mets every July for a decision made 25 years ago
Bobby Bonilla will be receiving approximately $1.2 million from the New York Mets today.(Image via Stephen Dunn /Allsport/Getty Images) Bobby Bonilla, one of the most talented and popular players in the history of MLB, has a pretty deep and interesting connection with today's date, 1st July. Since 2011, the MLB legend has received a whopping $1,193,248.20 from his former team, the New York Mets, on 1st July. Interestingly, he would continue to receive this amount until 2035 when he would be well into his 70s. Bobby Bonilla will receive approximately $1.2 million until he is 72 years old for a decision he made in 2000 The reason why Bobby Bonilla continues to receive $1,193,248.20 from the New York Mets even though he left the team and the league long back, goes back to the year 2000. Twenty five years ago, the New York Mets had signed a pretty interesting deal with the MLB legend, Bobby Bonilla. At that point in time, Bobby Bonilla did not receive a whopping $5.9 million from the New York Mets but agreed for the team to make him an annual payment for 25 years. In 2000, this amount was decided to be approximately a whopping $1.2 million, which Bobby Bonilla would be receiving for 25 years from 1st July 2011. But that is not all; keeping inflation in mind, an interest rate of 8% was negotiated between the New York Mets and Bobby Bonilla. Now, even though it has been decades since Bobby Bonilla took the stadium, he continues to receive $1,193,248.20 every year from the New York Mets since 2011 and will continue to receive until 2035 when he is expected to turn 72 years old. 1st July has now turned into a memorable day for the New York Mets' fans and the management. Under the leadership and management of Steve Cohen, the New York Mets celebrate this day as the 'Bobby Bonilla Day'. While this arrangement between Bobby Bonilla and the New York Mets is a bit interesting and rare, it is not the only such arrangement in the league. According to ESPN, other MLB legends like Bret Saberhagen, Manny Ramírez, Max Scherzer continue to be in such arrangements with their teams, including the Boston Red Sox, the New York Mets and more. Also Read: MLB fan sparks outrage after being removed from stadium for interfering with the match in Diamondbacks vs. Giants game Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
The Citizen
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Beyond 1995: What is South Africa's real win?
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was historic, but the nation's real victory lies in overcoming centuries of division. South Africa captain Francois Pienaar holds aloft the Webb Ellis trophy as the rest of the team celebrate after their 1995 World Cup Final victory over New Zealand at Ellis Park on May 24, 1995 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images) There have been few bright, shining moments in the history of our brutal, unequal country. Two of the brightest, though, came from sport, leading many to believe that, in a sports-crazed nation like South Africa, it was on the playing fields that society's unequal playing field would be levelled. The first magic moment was on 24 June, 1995 in the Rugby World Cup final at Ellis Park stadium, when Joel Stransky's extra time drop put the nail in the All Blacks coffin for the most famous Springbok victory in history. The second was just under 15 years later, on 11 June, 2010, when Bafana Bafana striker Siphiwe Tshabalala's left boot rifled a shot past Mexico's goalkeeper to score the first goal in the first Fifa World Cup tournament on African soil. In those moments, we dreamed the impossible dream – and saw it come true. This week, as we mark the 30th anniversary of the triumph of Francois Pienaar's Boks, the euphoria of 1995 seems far off … and our current reality a nightmare more than a dream. ALSO READ: Weekly sports update: Proteas take on Zim, Springboks play Barbarians With each year that passes, 1995 and all that – Nelson Mandela, 'Rainbow Nation', 'Shosholoza', call it what you will – becomes less relevant. The majority of our population is under 30, which means they weren't even born when Madiba handed over the Webb Ellis Cup to Pienaar. So, is it the case that the dream of greatness belongs only to the older generation? That may well be the case… but it could also be that it was a naïve, unrealistic dream in the first place. Overcoming more than three centuries of racebased oppression will not be achieved simply through the good vibes of a major sporting victory. It's going to take maturity, patriotism and compromise to heal our wounds. If we get even halfway there, it will be a win. NOW READ: 'They laid the foundation': Kolbe on 30th anniversary of 1995 World Cup win
Extra.ie
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Three times the Lions got big decisions badly wrong
As the 2025 Lions tour prepares to launch, anticipation is high and the mood is overwhelmingly positive. However, history teaches us that it pays to be cautious heading into these expeditions, the heightened exposure and pressure-cooker environment can ruthlessly expose cracks in the operation, leading to bad decisions. Here are three examples from the last 40 years when the Lions got it badly wrong… Will Carling (centre) and the rest of the team wait for a Waikato conversion attempt. Pic: Anton Want/Allsport The midweek team is essential to all successful Lions tours, providing playing and morale-boosting support to the Saturday or Test the midweek team is winning, it boosts overall confidence as well as players with a spring in their step if called into Test action. Conversely, if the midweek team flops, the knock-on effects can be disastrous – as happed in New Zealand in that tour, England were by far the dominant force and it created a somewhat disgruntled midweek side, made up primarily of Scottish players who lost interest fairly early on and suffered fefeats by Otago, Auckland, Hawke's Bay and a hammering by Warren Gatland's Waikato. Richard Webster charges past Waikato players. Pic: Dave Rogers/Allsport The Scottish contingent were exposed as way off the pace but there were good players dragged down with them – notably the English pair of Stuart Barnes and Will Carling while Ireland's Mick Galwey, who had done superbly well to make the tour during a difficult period for Irish rugby. was also affected by the midweek malaise. Mick Galwey with the Lions in 1993. Pic: Dave Rogers/Allsport It was a hugely damaging experience with a chunk of players going 'off tour' – prioritising the social side over results as a rift grew within the party. 'Attitudes left a lot to be desired,' recalled Test wing Ieuan Evans years later. Ieuan Evans rounds Sam Doyle of New Zealand. Pic: AllsportUK/Allsport 'Too many were content with merely being a Lion instead of pushing themselves to the limit – they gave the impression they were on holiday. 'Some of those who played against Hawke's Bay didn't give a monkey's. They simply weren't trying. It was as if they were saying to themselves, 'We're not bothered. We're not going to get a Test place so we may as well enjoy ourselves'.' Having done superbly to tie the series 1-1, the midweek fiasco took its toll by the time of the decisive third Test and a talented Lions side lost a series they should have won. Martin Johnson, Andy Robinson and Graham Henry in 2001. Pic: Dave Rogers/ALLSPORT The 2001 Lions squad that travelled to Australia was one of the most talented groups of players ever assembled. When you look at some of the names – Martin Johnson, Brian O'Driscoll, Keith Wood, Jonny Wilkinson, Richard Hill, Jason Robinson – it was a collection of World XV icons, brimming with belief and natural ability. However, while there was no issue with their playing resources, there was a serious problem in another key area – the coaching ticket. Graham Henry is now revered as one of rugby's best-ever coaches and his record of success with Auckland and New Zealand stands up to any scrutiny. But Henry was entirely the wrong choice as coach of the Lions. Matt Dawson in action for the Lions in 2001. Pic: Adam Pretty/Allsport For a start, he was the first southern hemisphere Lions head, a fact which did not sit well with a lot of people — including a cohort of his players. His personality (stereotypical gruff Kiwi) was also at odds with creating the right spirit to mould four cultures into one over a short sense of 'humour' veered more towards put-down than punchline, which quickly created a gap between the head coach and his players that was never bridged. And, to top it off, Henry's coaching philosophy — in tandem with his equally intense assistants Andy Robinson and Phil Larder — was to work the players into the ground, to the point where injuries proved corrosive and players clearly ran out of juice as the tour progressed. Austin Healey playing for the Lions against the ACT Brumbies in 2001. Pic: Dave Rogers/Allsport The 2001 Lions tour documentary is highly watchable (the last one that is) and it is clear from that account just what a slog it all seems mad now in the era of micro-managed media but, back in 2001, players were allowed to produce newspaper columns that did not need to be cleared by managementEnglish scrum-halves Matt Dawson and Austin Healey were two who had such columns and both laid into the touring experience with the coaching, and Henry in particular, getting a proper kicking. The passage of time has not lessened the sense of just how 'off' it all was and, just to add to the 'what were we thinking?' vibe over appointing Henry, four years later he coached the All Blacks to a 3-0 series romp against the Lions. All Black match captain Richie McCaw and coach Graham Henry during the All Blacks captain's run at Lansdowne Road in 2005. Pic:Perhaps Henry's rank unsuitability for the 2001 task was summed up by a speech he gave on that tour, captured on the tour documentary, in an attempt to motivate his spoke about how the Lions were not respected or rated in Australia and New Zealand, how people did not think they were skilful enough, fit enough or strong enough.'And I should know,' Henry concluded, 'because I am one of them.' Inspiring stuff. Lions coach Ian McGeechan (centre) in 2009. Pic:After the 2005 calamity, there was a lot of pressure on the Lions heading to South Africa four years later. Ian McGeechan was the safe pair of hands entrusted with getting the Lions back on track and he immediately brought the tour back to tourists lost a superb series 2-1 and, although their sole victory came in the dead-rubber third Test when the Springboks had rotated their team, there was lots of respect for how the Lions had played as credibility was if you place sentiment to one side and subject McGeechan's performance to some clinical scrutiny, his selection for the first Test in Durban has to be seriously questioned. Lions forwards Alun-Wyn Jones, Paul O'Connell and Lee Mears in 2009. Pic:The Lions had gone extremely well in the build-up but the Test series was always going to be a different beast and the dogs in the Durban street knew the Boks were going to bulk up to bully their 2009 South Africa team was enormous, packed with leviathans like 'Beast' Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies — and that was just in the forwards. In order to beat them, the Lions needed to muscle up in the forwards before they could even think about playing rugby but McGeechan went for the more mobile route that had worked in meant starts for the front row of Gethin Jenkins, Lee Mears and Phil Vickery with Alun-Wyn Jones also picked in the second row and Tom Croft at blindside flanker. All good players but they could not compete their opponents when it came to size. South Africa's Jean de Villiers with teammate Bismarck du Plessis tackles Brian O'Driscoll. Pic: Duif du Toit/Lee Mears was a solid hooker and good at the basics but Mears was only 5ft9in tall up against yjr 6ft3in Bismark Du in the second row was early into his career and not ready for the raw power and nous of Bakkies Botha, who was three inches taller and nearly three stone heavier. Tom Croft was a superb top-of-the-ground backrow but only weighed in at 94kg, against the likes of Smith and Spies who were both around the 118kg mark. Springboks take part in a film shoot on Table Mountain ahead of the Lions tour. Pic: Carl Fourie/The frustrating aspect to it was that there were bigger Lions alternatives available. Loosehead Andrew Sheridan was a 6ft5on, 20st beast of a man, second row Simon Shaw was 6ft9in and pushing 20st, while Adam Jones at tighthead and Matthew Rees at hooker were big lumps also. The Lions also had access to the likes of Nathan Hines and Donncha O'Callaghan who had experience of playing in the backrow and the size to match the McGeechan opted for 'Lions Lite' and got caught it turned out, the Boks blitzed the Lions in the first 25 minutes and by the time the tourists got over their shell-shock, there was too much ground to make up — although they gave it a valiant try. For the second Test, the penny dropped and the Lions bulked up considerably — dominating the Boks for large chunks of the game and looking set for a famous win save for a freak Morne Steyn penalty. McGeechan did so much right for the Lions over the years, but his 2009 first Test selection was definitely not his finest hour.
Wales Online
05-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Colin Jackson leads Welsh athletes urging government to back London 2029 World Championships bid
Colin Jackson leads Welsh athletes urging government to back London 2029 World Championships bid Olympic 110m hurdles silver medallist Jackson, Iwan Thomas, Jeremiah Azu, Dai Greene, Christian Malcolm and Joe Brier, are among the signatories in a powerful open letter calling on ministers to bring the World Athletics Championships to London in 2029 Colin Jackson of Great Britain in action during the qualifying round of the men's 110 meter hurdles at Olympic Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia (Image: Mike Hewitt /Allsport ) Colin Jackson and several leading Welsh athletes have called on the Prime Minister to back a bid to bring one of the world's biggest sporting events back to the United Kingdom. Olympic 110m hurdles silver medallist Jackson, Iwan Thomas, Jeremiah Azu, Dai Greene, Christian Malcolm and Joe Brier, are among the signatories in a powerful open letter calling on ministers to bring the World Athletics Championships to London in 2029. Also joining the list of more than 100 supporters are Sir Mo Farah, Dame Kelly Holmes, Jonathan Edwards, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Paula Radcliffe, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Dina Asher-Smith and Daley Thompson — a cross-generational group of sporting legends united in their belief that this is a rare opportunity to inspire the nation, foster unity and create a lasting legacy. The involvement of the athletes lends additional support to the London 2029 campaign, spearheaded by Athletic Ventures — a collaboration between UK Athletics, London Marathon Events and the Great Run Company. (Image: Popperfoto via) The bid outlines plans for a world-class Championships at the London Stadium, calling for just one year of public funding in 2028, estimated at £45million, and projecting a national economic boost of over £400million. Article continues below 'I'm delighted that these athletes have put their support behind this letter," said Jack Buckner, UK Athletics chief executive and co-founder of Athletic Ventures. "It shows that athletes know more than anyone else the value of a major sporting event on home soil and what it means. 'We know what home support can achieve and when our greatest athletes from past and present are unified with one message, their call should not be ignored. This is a bid rooted in credibility and ambition,' 'Bringing the World Athletics Championships to the UK will have a huge impact on an entire sport. Everything from the massive boost in participation for local athletics clubs, to the opportunity for Wales to host teams from across the world as they finalise their preparations in training camps. 'We have the chance to deliver a World Championships that lifts the nation, inspires the next generation, and showcases Britain at its very best. We're ready. Now we need the government to stand with us. The 2029 bid process is due to commence this summer, with organisers urging ministers to commit in the coming weeks to secure the Championships for the UK. Great Britain won ten athletics medals at last year's Paris Olympics, their best return in four decades. London's Diamond League meeting is established as the biggest in the world, selling out in record time last week, while Birmingham will host next year's European Championships. And to underline the sport's grassroots appeal, a record-breaking 1.1 million people have applied to run in next year's London Marathon. 'This is the moment to deliver something extraordinary,' said Hugh Brasher, event director of the London Marathon and co-founder of Athletic Ventures. Article continues below 'London 2029 is not a risk; it's about return on investment for the UK. Generations of athletes know the inspirational power of a home Championships but this is about more than medals. It's a vision for what this country can achieve. 'With government support in 2028, we will deliver the greatest World Championships yet: commercially robust, community powered, and globally resonant. It is set to deliver more than £400 million in economic and community impact across the UK. The time to act is now.'
Irish Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Recalling Catherina McKiernan's once-in-a-lifetime London Marathon victory
The plan was to sneak in with my dad and act like one of the proper running journos. It might have worked too, if only there weren't so many other chancers like me trying to spoof their way into the elite finish area of the London Marathon . Accreditation please! Can it really be 27 years ago this Sunday? Because there is still so much clear recall of my part-fluke and part-fate experience of witnessing Catherina McKiernan winning the 1998 women's race by almost half a minute. If her London Marathon victory proved a once-in-a-lifetime moment for McKiernan, it still feels the same for most of us also there on the day. As a fledgling freelancer with a bank account to match, getting to London made little sense financially, but perfect sense spiritually. McKiernan had won the Berlin Marathon the previous September in 2:23:44, the then fastest debut in women's marathon history. And her very appearance in London marked an unprecedented moment in Irish athletics history: a Cavan woman among the leading favourites to win. Nothing could beat being there, especially not a cheap last-minute flight. READ MORE As it turned out, no one could come near to beating McKiernan, who finished 28 seconds ahead of two previous winners in London – Scotland's Liz McColgan, and Kenya's Joyce Chepchumba – in a race that prided itself on bringing together the best marathon runners in the world. The way the so-called marathon majors are going now, it's becoming increasingly difficult to imagine how any other Irish athlete will ever repeat this feat. Never say never, but who knows? There's been a lot of talk and debate lately about who Ireland's greatest sports person of all time is. We ran our little poll on this fanciful subject last week, and it was no surprise Rory McIlroy got 23 per cent of the responses, still fresh off his Masters win, completing a career Grand Slam earlier this month. Catherina McKiernan on her way to winning the London Marathon in April 1998. Photograph: Inpho/Allsport This is a little different from debating the greatest Irish sporting moments, or indeed sporting achievements. Which is where McKiernan's victory in London in 1998 will always rank so highly in the Irish stakes for me. Not just because of the esteem around the event, and the great modern tradition of the Sunday morning coverage on the BBC. But also because it came at a time when Irish women were still only beginning to scratch the surface of the upper echelons of world sport. The night before Paula Radcliffe won the 2002 London Marathon, she had a dream about McKiernan, as if some unconscious reminder of how that 1998 victory had made such a critical impression on her. Radcliffe explains this in her foreword to McKiernan's 2005 autobiography, Running for My Life. Normally, Radcliffe would sleep soundly before any race, yet somehow McKiernan came to mind, whom she'd known since the World Cross Country was staged in Boston in 1992. That was the day McKiernan made her global breakthrough to finish second in the women's race, while Radcliffe won the junior women's title. 'In many ways it inspired me even more to see the way she ran, how close Catherina came to winning the gold medal,' Radcliffe writes. 'Even winning the silver medal was really impressive. She was young and yet determined and able to run with the best of them.' Later in Running for My Life, McKiernan's writes about her own influences and motivations ahead of her London Marathon. After going on to win four successive silver medals in the World Cross Country, and helping Ireland to team bronze in 1997, she skipped the event for the first time in 10 years in March of 1998, despite showing excellent form. So while the event was staged in Morocco, McKiernan was away at altitude training in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was not an easy decision, especially as McKiernan was preselected for Marrakesh, but London had to take priority. Sonia O'Sullivan after winning the 8,000m event of the Cross Country World Championship in Marrakesh. Second placed was Britain's Paula Radcliffe. Photograph: Getty Images On the first Saturday morning in Albuquerque, which coincided with the first day of the World Cross Country, McKiernan called home to her mother Kathleen, who gently informed her that Sonia O'Sullivan had just won the gold medal in Marrakesh. That was also the first year of the new long-course and short-course races, and O'Sullivan also came out on the Sunday and won the short-course gold. 'I am not an envious person and I always loved to see Sonia and other Irish athletes win wearing the green, white and gold,' wrote McKiernan. 'I'd run the World Cross Country nine times and finished second four times. The first year I decide not to run, Sonia wins ... A part of me was delighted for Sonia, but I knew I had made a huge effort to win that title over the years and had just come up short. I think it was only natural to feel a little upset.' It was a stunning comeback for O'Sullivan, whose unbeatable form had deserted her in the previous two years. It also reinforced McKiernan's mindset going into London: 'If there was one race in my whole career where I went to the starting line knowing I would win, it was the London Marathon in 1998.' Despite experiencing an upset stomach at about 15 miles, everything else went perfectly to plan. Unlike my plan to spoof my way into the finish area. Later that evening, at the Tower Hotel where the elite athletes stayed, one of the first people to drop in to congratulate her was O'Sullivan, and straight away McKiernan congratulated her back. Before the year was out, O'Sullivan won a European Championship 5,000m-10,000m double in Budapest, and McKiernan would also win the Amsterdam Marathon in 2:22:23, which still stands as the Irish record, on the day missing the world record by just 96 seconds. Which, together, unquestionably, make up some of the greatest Irish sporting achievements, not just in a once-in-lifetime sense, but unlikely to be repeated.
