Latest news with #Cromwell
Otago Daily Times
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Goalkeep efforts help seal 5-1 win for Cromwell
Alexandra and Cromwell players get ready for the first face-off in the second round of the Battle of the Gorge in Alexandra on Friday. PHOTO: ELLA JENKINS The crowd at Alexandra's IceInline was treated to a master class in goalkeeping as Cromwell beat the Alexandra Flames 5-1 in the second round of the second annual Battle of the Gorge on Friday. It was thanks to the efforts of Cromwell goalkeeper Travis Roberts that the Alexandra team were kept to one goal. Alexandra took the first game on May 25, beating Cromwell 9-4. Cromwell began the game strongly, with plenty of pressure on the Flames. Alexandra responded with chances of their own, but despite good scoring opportunities by both sides the first period ended scoreless. The scoreless game did not last long, however, as Cromwell scored 20 seconds into the second period. Alexandra responded with a goal of their own with 11 minutes left in the period. Cromwell once again pulled ahead, scoring three goals within eight minutes. Roberts stood firm, denying Alexandra the opportunity to stay in the game. Three minutes into the third period Cromwell scored their fifth goal of the game. Despite increased pressure, the Flames were unable to get past Roberts. Flames captain Matthew Elliot said all the Cromwell team played well and they had a good goalie in net. "Full credit to Cromwell — they played well" Heading into the decider match, the Flames needed to work out how to get pucks past Roberts and to improve their teamwork, Elliot said. Elliot said the series had been great so far, and the crowd at the game was one of the best he had seen. The date of the decider match is to be determined. The Battle of the Gorge was first played last year, Cromwell winning the Champagne Gully Cup and bragging rights.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
How the French Revolution shaped history, and inspired Dickens, Batman, and more
July 14 marks the 136th anniversary of the beginning of one of the most transformative events in human history: the French Revolution. Unlike other revolutions of its era (most notably the American Revolution of 1776), it was not merely a revolt against monarchical tyranny but also a radical shift in ideology, enshrined in its immortal slogan: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity). The idea that a nation could be ruled by its people rather than royalty shook Europe's monarchy-driven mindset to its core. Unlike the American War of Independence or Cromwell's revolt against Charles I, the French Revolution was a people's uprising rather than a military campaign. It was also among the bloodiest, with the monarchy overthrown, and the King and Queen executed by the infamous guillotine before roaring crowds. Though royalty briefly returned to France, its grip would never be the same. The French Revolution changed the way the Western world looked at government, laying the foundations for democracy (introducing universal suffrage, though initially only for men) and socialism. In essence, it showed the world that people could be in charge of a nation, and that ruling was not a divine right. Few history books portray the French Revolution as dramatically as Thomas Carlyle's The French Revolution: A History. Published in 1837 and spanning nearly 900 pages, Carlisle stepped away from the conventional dry narration of the period and adopted a tone that was dramatic and almost journalist-like, painting life-like verbal portraits of key personalities, most notably the almost fanatically virtuous Maximilien Robespierre, whom he famously dubbed the 'seagreen incorruptible.' The execution of Louis XVI ('Poor Louis, Death has found thee. No palace walls or life-guards, gorgeous tapestries or gilt buckram of stiffest ceremonial could keep him out; but he is here, here at thy very life-breath, and will extinguish it'), the fighting in the streets, struggle of the common folk, the corruption of the leadership, and the trials of the erstwhile rulers are captured in vivid, at times almost disturbing detail. As with most writers of the period, Carlyle saw the French Revolution as a bloody uprising against royalty and viewed democracy with suspicion. However, his turn of phrase and vivid descriptions added a new dimension to the art of historical narration. It can get a little heavy to read, and we would recommend keeping Wikipedia handy as Carlisle does seem to assume that readers are familiar with key figures of the time, but The French Revolution: A History remains one of the must-read books on the French Revolution, almost two hundred years after its publication. The irony is that Carlye almost did not write it, as the creation of the book was every bit as chaotic as the events it described. The offer of writing the book was first presented to the famous economist and philosopher John Stuart Mill, but he passed it on to Carlisle as he was pressed for time. That was not the end of it. Carlye wrote his first draft of the first volume of the series and sent it to Mill, but his maid destroyed it by accident, which meant he had to write it all over again! He did just that, and did not just write history, but rewrote the art of historical writing. Carlyle's work of non-fiction also inspired arguably the most famous work of fiction involving the French Revolution. So impressed was Charles Dickens by Carlyle's narration of the French Revolution that he wrote a historical novel around it, A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens' book, which many consider to be among his best alongside David Copperfield, is a tragic story of love and sacrifice in the times of revolution and begins with lines that have become immortal: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…' Although A Tale of Two Cities is a love story of sorts, and also involves the imprisonment of a French doctor and his escape to London to meet his daughter, aided by a selfless Sidney Carton who dies for love, it is the scenes of France in revolution that stayed with readers. Dickens' narration of the event is very similar to Carlyle's, painting an image of anarchy, savagery, and chaos, reflecting how most of Europe viewed the Revolution. The final words of Sidney Carton as he goes to his death live rent-free in the minds of everyone who has read the book: 'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.' Those wanting a more classically historic look at the French Revolution can get the very impressive The Oxford History of the French Revolution by William Doyle. Unlike Dickens and Carlyle, Doyle's work is a little on the dry side, but is far more objective. Here you get a closer look at the events that led to the revolution, and while his profiles of characters like Robespierre, Marat and Louis XVI might not be as compelling as those of Carlyle, Doyle nevertheless provides an in-depth look at the Revolution as well as its consequences. It is slightly textbook-like (it is actually prescribed as a textbook in many universities). Still, it is perhaps the most informative and objective look at the French Revolution and at around 500 pages, is not as hefty as Carlyle's work. If The Oxford History seems a trifle dull, one can try Simon Schama's Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution, which narrates the events in vivid and lively detail. His tone is largely cynical and his stress on violence paints a rather dark and horrific picture of the event (a toned-down Carlyle), but is compelling reading nevertheless, thanks to Schama's narrative skill. The French Revolution also inspired a work that laid the foundation of the modern superhero. If that sounds difficult to believe, consider this: a hero who pretends to be flippant and uncaring in the public eye, but is a master of disguise, a swordsman who ventures out in secret to rescue innocents from villainous criminals. Well, this was Sir Percy Blakeney, or as he was better known, The Scarlet Pimpernel. Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel was published in 1905 and became a massive rage of its time, laying the foundation of a hero with two identities – a meek one on the surface and a heroic one in secret. Sir Percy Blakeney is shown pitting his wits and crossing swords with the French authorities while rescuing English and French aristocrats from the guillotine in the Reign of Terror that was a part of the French Revolution. It may be very one-sided, but it does capture the tension of those times, and is brisk, witty and entertaining writing, and contains the famous poem, spoken in jest by Sir Percy about his secret alter ego: 'They seek him here, they seek him there/Those Frenchies seek him everywhere/ Is he in heaven or is he in hell?/ That demned elusive Pimpernel.' The Scarlet Pimpernel became a series of books and even inspired a Hollywood film (starring Leslie Howard as Sir Percy). Almost twenty years later, in 1921, Rafael Sabatini used a similar concept for Scaramouche, another book revolving around the French Revolution featuring a lawyer who disguises himself as a clownish, buffoon character called Scaramouche to dispense justice in those times of terror. Like Sir Percy, he is a skilled swordsman and also extremely witty. No, we do not know whether he did the Fandango (no matter what Freddie Mercury sang in Bomenian Rhapsody), but the book is an entertaining read, although a little difficult to find these days. The Scarlet Pimpernel and Scaramouche were the forerunners of superhero characters such as Zorro, The Shadow, The Phantom, and, of course, Batman. Bruce Wayne is the modern-day Sir Percy Blakeney: a rich, famous social butterfly on the surface, an avenging angel fighting injustice and villainy in reality. In Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, Inspector Gordon reads out Sidney Carter's immortal lines from A Tale of Two Cities at the grave of Bruce Wayne: 'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.' Democracy, socialism, universal suffrage, mob justice, public execution, even Batman, owe something to the French Revolution. It was a seismic event that shook the world, inspired countless works of fiction and non-fiction, and continues to shape the narratives we tell today. It was, indeed, the best of times and the worst of times. And it's still worth reading about.
Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Plenty of ice hockey action next few weeks
Two teams from the Alexandra Flames women's league will be taking to the ice at the SIHL competition in Alexandra on July 19. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Plenty of ice hockey action is in store for Alexandra with IceInline due to host four events over the next few weeks. The first event, on Friday night is round two of the Battle of The Gorge competition between the Alexandra and Cromwell. The evening starts off with an exhibition match between the Alexandra Allsorts and Gore with the puck drop at 7.15pm. Round two of the Battle of the Gorge, the main event, starts at 8.15pm. Alexandra won the first game of the best of three series 9-4 on May 25. This is the second year the battle has run with Cromwell winning the Champagne Gully Cup and bragging rights last year. On Sunday, July 13, an inter-school tournament would give pupils a chance to try their hand at curling or ice hockey with no gear or experience required to take to the ice. The cross-ice ice hockey tournament starts at 9am and would run until 11am. The curlers take to the ice at 11.30 playing until 12.30, after which tournament participants could enjoy a barbecue lunch. On Saturday, July 19, the second round of the Southern Ice Hockey League's (SIHL) women's' tournament comes to Alexandra, with teams from around the South Island taking part in the action. The two weeks of ice hockey action would wrap up on July 20, with round three of the SIHL's U12 competition.
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Harris English's caddie is denied a U.K. visa over his past drug conviction
Harris English, right, celebrates a birdie on the 18th green with his caddie during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 27, 2021, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Harris English is spending the next two weeks in the United Kingdom for the Scottish Open and British Open, two tournaments that could be critical in his bid to play in another Ryder Cup. His caddie, Eric Larson, is stuck at home without being able to obtain a new Electronic Travel Authority visa for travel to the U.K., a regulation that now applies to Americans. Grounds for refusal include an applicant who has been convicted of a criminal offence in the U.K. or overseas for which they served 12 months or more in prison. Thirty years ago, Larson pleaded guilty to sending cocaine to friends in the Midwest. Though he wasn't a user or big-time dealer, he spent 10 years and three months in prison and was released from a halfway house in June 2006. Mark Calcavecchia hired him back and got him on his feet. Since then, Larson worked for three players at the Ryder Cup — Anthony Kim in 2008, Jeff Overton in 2010 and most recently English, with whom he has worked the last eight years. 'I guess the United Kingdom doesn't look highly on his past,' English said Tuesday at The Renaissance Club before his pro-am round. 'And apparently it's a work in progress.' English, who is No. 19 in the world and 10th in the U.S. standings for the Ryder Cup, said he didn't become aware of Larson's plight until right after he tied for fourth at the Travelers Championship three weeks ago. English said he reached out to Warren Stephens, the ambassador to the U.K. who put him in touch with his chief of staff. 'They wrote a letter. The R&A wrote a letter. The PGA Tour wrote a letter. A charity event Eric works for in the States wrote a letter. It's not for a lack of effort,' English said. 'I think it could be sitting on someone's desk at the government somewhere.' Joe Etter is filling in — for now — as his caddie. Etter, who started out working for English more than a decade ago, currently works for Davis Thompson, who is not playing the Scottish Open. Thompson, however, received the final spot in the field for the British Open next week at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland (part of the U.K.). 'Joe was my Plan B,' English said. 'Now we're going to have to get a new Plan B.' English is holding out hope that someone will pave the way for Larson to get the ETA visa he needs for U.K. entry. Larson has worked the last four years at the British Open for English and previously for Overton and Kim. 'It's just a matter of the right people seeing it,' he said. 'I didn't understand how complicated the process was. Someone could see this guy had something in his past 30 years ago, he's been fine the last 20. How long does this stay with him?' End of a streak Hale Irwin is the only player to win a PGA Tour Champions event four consecutive years, a record that will remain intact because of scheduling. The Dick's Sporting Goods Open was held in August last year. The previous two years it had been held in late June. It moved this year to July 11-13, which ultimately put an end to Padraig Harrington's bid to win the same tournament four years in a row. The Irishman is sticking to his plan of three straight weeks in the U.K. He'll be at the Scottish Open this week, eligible through the European tour from its 'Legends Category.' Harrington then will go over to Royal Portrush for the British Open as a past champion, and then Royal Porthcawl in Wales for the Senior British Open. Irwin actually won the Turtle Back Championship in Hawaii five times in a row — 2000 through 2003, and then in 2005. The tournament was not held in 2004. Glover's outlook Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, outspoken as ever, sounds to be a bit conflicted when it comes to any form of unification with the PGA Tour and the defectors to Saudi-funded LIV Golf. There is Glover the player who doesn't want to see them return. And there is Glover the PGA Tour member who wants to see the tour grow and realizes a small number of big names on LIV can help that cause. 'We have to clarify 'we' at some point,' he said last week on his his SiriusXM PGA Tour radio show. Glover said he doesn't blame anyone for deciding to cash in on the Saudi money and join LIV. But speaking for himself: 'I don't think they should be back there. I don't want them here.' 'As a PGA Tour player and somebody that dreamed of playing on the PGA Tour, and have poured my heart and soul into this tour and game for 21 seasons, I don't want somebody that chose another path, and a path of less resistance,' he said. 'I don't want them back here competing and taking part of my pie and these kids' pie that are trying to make it now.' And then he shifted to the broader term of 'we,' meaning the tour and the fans everything else. 'The top four, five, six players over there, if they were playing on the PGA Tour, would benefit all of us because our TV deal in 2030 would be great, would be bigger,' he said. 'That's the big question right now in my opinion. Does it behoove all of us as tour members, who have equity now, to grow our sport by bringing some of those guys back? I'm having a hard time with it.' Winners and stars Winning on the PGA Tour moves a player into the top category when it comes to tee times, although it's clear there is a distinction between a PGA Tour winner and a needle mover. Brian Campbell is the latest example. He won the Mexico Open in late February for his first PGA Tour title. Over the next five months at PGA Tour events, Campbell was never in the same weekday group as anyone from the top 30 in the world ranking. Only three of them were among the top 50 — Davis Thompson (No. 48) and Byeong Hun An (No. 32) at the Cognizant Classic, and Sam Burns (No. 39) at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Campbell now is one of five players with at least two individual titles this year after winning the John Deere Classic. Divots The PGA Tour's newest tournament has a title sponsor. The Bank of Utah Championship will be at Black Desert Resort the last week in October in southern Utah. It made its debut last year as the Black Desert Championship. ... Michael Kim was added to the British Open field from the world ranking. This marks the first time in his career he plays all four majors in the same season. ... The LPGA is expanding the pathway to the Epson Tour for top college players with the LPGA Collegiate Advancement Pathway (LCAP). Starting next summer, it will award 10 graduating seniors with some form of Epson Tour status and Q-school exemptions. Stat of the week Americans hold seven of the top 10 spots in the world ranking. Final word 'I remember talking about some sort of mountain and climbing up it. This is a steep, steep mountain now.' — Xander Schauffele on reaching No. 1 in the world. ___ Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Xander Schauffele is trying to flush what feels like his worst season
Xander Schauffele reacts to his tee shot on the first hold during the second round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Friday, June 20, 2025, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — The best thing Xander Schauffele has going for him in the worst season of his career is a good attitude. That much was evident Tuesday when he walked into the media center at the Scottish Open and saw his picture. It was on a wall beneath a sign that said, 'TOILETS.' 'That was heartwarming,' Schauffele said with a grin that never seems too far away. 'Summed up how I feel about what's going on right now. I actually chuckled when I saw that one.' He is the only American to win the Scottish Open over the last 10 years. He defends his title next week in the British Open, a victory that made him a double major winner in 2024, which allowed him to take his place among the elite in golf. That can feel like much longer than a year ago. Schauffele had reason to have big expectations this year. What he didn't see coming was a twinge in his ribs to start the season in Hawaii that turned out to be much worse — an intercostal strain and a cartilage tear. He missed two months with the first significant injury of his career. He has not been the same since then, with only one top-10 finish, a tie for eighth in the Masters. His greatest achievement was extending his cut streak on the PGA Tour to 67 consecutive tournaments, the longest such streak in 20 years. 'I probably downplayed it in my own mind — 'Yeah, you'll be fine, you've been playing great golf, you just came off the best year of your career' — and I've backed it up currently with the worst year of my career. It's been a hot one.' This is not where he expected to be coming into the final stretch of the year. 'The belief is good,' he said. 'I don't think I've given myself a lot of reasons to believe that I'm playing OK. It's been a pretty bad year to be completely honest. ... I think the best part of my game has probably been my mental just fortitude, whatever you want to call it, just to try to stay positive and behave as if I am playing really well. 'But coming off a year like last year, getting hurt, coming back, my expectations and playing ability have not cued up very nicely.' The injury is no longer an issue. The game has looked good at times. What he lacks is a spark, which comes from results, to get him going. Schauffele has great discipline that gets lost behind that San Diego vibe of his. He chose to not add tournaments to his schedule to make up for lost time, even though he finds himself chasing this late in the year. He won twice as a rookie, including the Tour Championship. Chasing is not something he does. The Ryder Cup is not an issue. Winning the PGA Championship and the British Open has allowed him to stay at No. 2 in the U.S. standings. But he is at No. 57 in the FedEx Cup — only the top 70 make the postseason — and these two weeks on links golf could go a long way toward making sure he gets there. 'It's been a weird year for me just from coming off the year I had last year into sort of what I did, just kind of disappearing and then playing bad coming out of it,' he said. 'So any expectation I had of whatever I thought I was capable of doing from a feel standpoint has been sort of reset, and I am in full chase mode, like a kid.' He hopes links golf will be part of the tonic. Part of Schauffele wishes he could have come earlier across the Atlantic, where he could play golf that consists of seeing the target and hitting the ball, nothing more complicated than that. 'Something about being here, you start taking your hands off the wheel, and that's how I played my best,' he said. Schauffele was in peak form a year ago. He broke through with his first major at the PGA Championship that asked a lot of him on a soft course at Valhalla, particularly the last hole. He had to stand in a bunker to play a shot from the rough with a 4-iron, the ball well above his feet, water down the right side. From there, he pitched to 6 feet and swirled in the birdie putt for a one-shot victory over Bryson DeChambeau. Two months later, he withstood rain and wind at Royal Troon with a 65 in the final round to give him a second major. He was No. 2 in the world. Scottie Scheffler was still miles ahead, but Schauffele was at a point where he felt he could win wherever he played. Those were happy times. This only feels like the worst of times. There is also something about the chase that takes him back to being a kid, when he wasn't the highly recruited star and was virtually an unknown before he earned his recognition. This feels like starting over. 'I've been spoiled to play at a pretty high level for quite some time,' he said. 'This has been a fun experience to try to get back on the horse.' ___ Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press
