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USA Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Review: \
Peek behind the curtains of the Fighting Irish football program Those Notre Dame fans who need something to watch before training camp starts might want to tune into the "Here Come The Irish", a documentary about the 2024 Notre Dame football season that is streamable on Peacock. Fighting Irish fans who feel the need to get fired up for the 2025 season will enjoy this look back on the Irish's 2024 campaign, from the uncertain optimism of training camp to the gut punch that was the loss to Ohio State in the national championship game. Head coach Marcus Freeman is the most prominent figure, getting plenty of interview time, and the camera follows him to various off-field functions, especially in the first episode. Several players get to do interviews, with former quarterback Riley Leonard and former linebacker Jack Kiser -- both now in the NFL -- getting the most airtime. Kiser's family life even gets featured in one episode. We see a lot of the Irish off the field, including a memorable trip to New York City, but the focus tends to be on the field. The practice field, that is. Much of the series centers around team meetings before practice, with Freeman speaking to the whole team, though we also see meetings with Freeman and his captains, as well as position-group meetings. Most of the B-roll is shot at practice on campus. The doc is, for better or for worse, a bit of Notre Dame propaganda. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but some things are ignored or glossed over. For example, alum Manti Te'o comes to speak to the team, and there is no mention of the fake-girlfriend scandal that surrounded his time on campus. While the doc may be clearly pro-Irish, it doesn't shy away from adversity such as the loss to Northern Illinois, injuries to key players like Benjamin Morrison, family tragedies, or the season-ending letdown. Freeman, Leonard, and Kiser are honest and transparent with their answers, though no one says anything too different from what they told the media in season. Nothing uttered by any player or coach will make news. Still, there are interesting peeks behind the curtain, such as Freeman's halftime and post-game speeches during the NIU loss. Freeman comes across the same way he does when doing a press conference or an on-field interview -- honest without being needlessly transparent. He sees what we're seeing when it comes to on-field play. He appears to be a good motivator -- his message is consistent, yet players don't seem to tire of it. Leonard, meanwhile, comes across as a happy-go-lucky goofball who nonetheless understands his role as a team leader and quarterback at one of the nation's most-watched programs. Kiser is clearly a team leader, as well -- he's more serious than Leonard but still able to crack a smile or a joke. Other players show a mixture of personality -- at times, it's clear these guys are still just college kids figuring things out. Other times, you see their off-field academic or career interests, and how they seem ready for the adult world, should they not make the NFL. And other times, it's pure football. There are eight episodes, ranging from about 30 to 45 minutes in length. The first episode features Freeman heavily, and sets up the season -- and there's an appearance from legendary head coach Lou Holtz. Episode two focuses on captain choice, the third episode centers around the highs of winning at Texas A&M and losing to NIU at home, the fourth episode deals with the aftermath of the NIU loss and the fifth episode centers around the rash of key injuries that hit Notre Dame. The sixth and seventh episodes center around the late-season playoff push and the playoff game against Indiana. The finale focuses on the playoff run and that disheartening ending. "Here Come the Irish" is the type of sports documentary that will get die-hard fans pumped up, and casual and new fans will learn things about the program. Even long-time fans like this author learned a few things, mostly concerning phrases and chants the team uses at practice. The peek behind the curtain is always nice, though outside of some locker-room speeches, little is learned that fans didn't already know. It would be nice if the show didn't shy away from darker chapters in Notre Dame history, and if there was any behind-the-scenes drama that didn't get reported on by the media, well, we don't really see it here. That said, the show doesn't gloss over the failure against NIU. If you come for X and O breakdowns, team infighting, intersquad drama, or an unvarnished look at Notre Dame, you'll be disappointed. If you want to learn a bit about the players and coaches, even if what you see is sanitized, you'll be happy. If you want to see what Freeman says in halftime and post-game speeches, you'll be satisfied. And if you want to get pumped for the season, well, then this is for you. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Tim on X: @tehealey
The Herald Scotland
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Why is the BBC in the dock? Why not call out Glastonbury?
The latest calumny to rock the corporation to its foundations, concerns its apparent failure to immediately stop filming an obscure singer shouting some moronic things in a field in Somerset. On that basis the world – and by that I mean the Conservative Party and the Daily Mail – have gone into meltdown, demanding the immediate arrest of anyone remotely connected to the affair, up to and including the director-general of the BBC. God help us. If that was to transpire, we truly would be on a runaway train towards the terminus of a police state. Read more by Carlos Alba Amid the froth and fury of events at Glastonbury last Sunday, it would benefit us all to draw breath and calmly consider what actually happened. One of two punk singers, both called Bob Vylan – but whose true identities we don't know because they refuse to divulge them – took time from their set to chant 'death to the IDF' (Israeli Defence Force). The performer of whom, before last weekend, few of us had ever heard, also used the phrase 'from the river to the sea', interpreted by some as advocating the destruction of Israel. From the little information that is publicly available about Bob Vylan, they are clearly more Ali G than Malcolm X. The pair hail from Ipswich, from where they have waged a near decade-long campaign of meat-headed, sixth-form sloganeering, with song lyrics like 'violence is the only language some people understand'; 'I heard you want your country back/shut the f**k up'; and 'Whitney was everything to me when I was a kid'. Prior to Glastonbury, all the talk was about the platforming of the Belfast hip hop trio Kneecap, who have form when it comes to upsetting the British establishment, through an overtly pro-Irish republican agenda. If Bob Vylan's intention was to boost their own profile by grabbing the spotlight of infamy from Kneecap, they clearly succeeded, though at a cost. Their antics have sparked an investigation by Avon and Somerset Police, cost them their relationship with their agent, and led to the imposition of a ban on them entering the United States. Someone should tell them that a minimum obligation on anyone claiming the right of free speech is to divulge who is doing the speaking. There are those however – like the Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, and former Home Secretary Priti Patel – for whom Bob Vylan are small fry, and who have their eyes on the bigger prize. Philp urged police to investigate and prosecute both the performers and the BBC, condemning the broadcaster for airing "vile hatred" that incites violence. The first test for the police, in deciding whether to bring charges, will be whether the singer's words actually did incite violence and here, the evidence is scant. Police reported a total of 145 crimes over the five days of the festival, which included 27 reports of violence against a person, 22 drug offences, 13 public order offences, and one report of 'miscellaneous crimes against society'. They didn't reveal how many arrests were made before or after Bob Vylan's comments. Historically, the number of arrests is on the low side when compared, for example, with 1999 when 244 people were arrested at Glastonbury – 70 more than the previous year. For those watching on TV, anyone simple-minded enough to arm themselves for a tilt at the Israeli army – one of the world's most formidable fighting forces – based on the ramblings of a provincial clodpole at a music festival is just as likely to be influenced by something they have read on a toilet wall. There is also the nature of the comments, and whether they constitute incitement to violence. Calling for an individual to be killed clearly is a crime, but can the same be said about a military force in a war? To express support for the victory of Ukraine, following its illegal invasion by Russia, for example, implies the inevitability that some Russian soldiers will be killed. Should that too be regarded as an incitement to violence, punishable by UK law? Issues of free speech aside, there is the question of the BBC's culpability. It is shocking that there does not appear to have been a protocol in place for the broadcaster to mute a performance that contained potentially illegal content. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has urged police to investigate and prosecute both Bob Vylan and the BBC (Image: PA) Was it beyond the wit of anyone at the corporation to use the same birdsong dubbing techniques that Channel Four used during live broadcasts of Big Brother when housemates made potentially defamatory comments? Why is all the focus on the BBC, rather than on the festival organisers making vast amounts of money platforming such acts? It's not as if organisers didn't know the potential dangers posed by Bob Vylan, who posted on Facebook ahead of their performance: "Turns out we're finally at a point where the BBC trust us on live TV! Watch us live either in the field or in the comfort of your own home!" Let's be clear, the chances of Tim Davie – or anyone else at the BBC – being successfully prosecuted for anything over this affair are slimmer than Kneecap campaigning for the Tories at the next General Election. Beyond the silly season neurosis of the Bob Vylan saga, the real villains are the Israeli politicians and soldiers responsible for the deaths of 56,531 Gazans since October 7 and the animals from Hamas who perpetrated the 2023 atrocity. Carlos Alba is a journalist, author, and PR consultant at Carlos Alba Media. His latest novel, There's a Problem with Dad, explores the issue of undiagnosed autism among older people
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams wins BBC libel case
Former Irish republican leader Gerry Adams won a libel case against the BBC on Friday, and was awarded 100,000 euros ($113,000) in damages over a report containing allegations he was involved in killing a British spy. The BBC Northern Ireland "Spotlight" investigation broadcast included an anonymous allegation that Adams gave final approval for the 2006 murder of Denis Donaldson, a former official in the pro-Irish unity Sinn Fein party Adams once led. A jury in Dublin ruled that the 2016 programme containing the allegation was libellous. Adams, 76, had said earlier he would give any damages to "good causes" if he won. At a press conference in 2005, Adams revealed that Donaldson spied for the British intelligence agency MI5. The 55-year-old Donaldson, who later admitted working as a police and British agent, was found shot dead months later in County Donegal, where he lived close to the Northern Ireland border. In 2009, dissident Irish republican paramilitary group the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the murder. The BBC programme claimed the killing was the work of the Provisional IRA, and featured an anonymous testimony that claimed the murder was approved by the political and military leadership of the IRA and that Adams "gives the final say". The BBC argued that it acted in "good faith", that its programme was "fair and reasonable" and in the public interest, and that the allegation was supported by five other sources. Adams brought the case in Dublin as the Spotlight programme could be watched in Ireland, where it was seen by about 16,000 people. An online article also had some 700 hits in Ireland during a 14-month period after its publication in September 2016. - 'Grievous smear' - The jury was asked to decide whether the words in the documentary and the online article could be taken to mean that Adams had sanctioned and approved Donaldson's murder. The BBC argued the words were presented as allegations while Adams' side claimed the accusations were put forward as fact and were a "grievous smear" and defamatory. Adams also argued the BBC broke its reporting rules and that he suffered "an unjustified attack" by the BBC. The case at Dublin's High Court lasted four weeks and included 15 days of evidence from 10 witnesses, including Adams and BBC reporter Jennifer O'Leary. In total, more than 3,600 people were killed during Northern Ireland's sectarian conflict known as the "Troubles", which largely ended after a 1998 peace accord. Adams became president of Sinn Fein -- the paramilitary IRA's political wing during the Troubles -- in 1983, and served as MP from 1983 to 1992, and again from 1997 to 2011 before sitting in the Irish parliament between 2011 and 2020. In 2018 he stepped down as leader of Sinn Fein and has always denied being a member of the IRA. pmu/jkb/jm
France 24
30-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams wins BBC libel case
The BBC Northern Ireland "Spotlight" investigation broadcast included an anonymous allegation that Adams gave final approval for the 2006 murder of Denis Donaldson, a former official in the pro-Irish unity Sinn Fein party Adams once led. A jury in Dublin ruled that the 2016 programme containing the allegation was libellous. Adams, 76, had said earlier he would give any damages to "good causes" if he won. At a press conference in 2005, Adams revealed that Donaldson spied for the British intelligence agency MI5. The 55-year-old Donaldson, who later admitted working as a police and British agent, was found shot dead months later in County Donegal, where he lived close to the Northern Ireland border. In 2009, dissident Irish republican paramilitary group the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the murder. The BBC programme claimed the killing was the work of the Provisional IRA, and featured an anonymous testimony that claimed the murder was approved by the political and military leadership of the IRA and that Adams "gives the final say". The BBC argued that it acted in "good faith", that its programme was "fair and reasonable" and in the public interest, and that the allegation was supported by five other sources. Adams brought the case in Dublin as the Spotlight programme could be watched in Ireland, where it was seen by about 16,000 people. An online article also had some 700 hits in Ireland during a 14-month period after its publication in September 2016. 'Grievous smear' The jury was asked to decide whether the words in the documentary and the online article could be taken to mean that Adams had sanctioned and approved Donaldson's murder. The BBC argued the words were presented as allegations while Adams' side claimed the accusations were put forward as fact and were a "grievous smear" and defamatory. Adams also argued the BBC broke its reporting rules and that he suffered "an unjustified attack" by the BBC. The case at Dublin's High Court lasted four weeks and included 15 days of evidence from 10 witnesses, including Adams and BBC reporter Jennifer O'Leary. In total, more than 3,600 people were killed during Northern Ireland's sectarian conflict known as the "Troubles", which largely ended after a 1998 peace accord. Adams became president of Sinn Fein -- the paramilitary IRA's political wing during the Troubles -- in 1983, and served as MP from 1983 to 1992, and again from 1997 to 2011 before sitting in the Irish parliament between 2011 and 2020. In 2018 he stepped down as leader of Sinn Fein and has always denied being a member of the IRA.
Int'l Business Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Ex-Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams Wins BBC Libel Case
Former Irish republican leader Gerry Adams won a libel case against the BBC on Friday, and was awarded 100,000 euros ($113,000) in damages over a report containing allegations he was involved in killing a British spy. The BBC Northern Ireland "Spotlight" investigation broadcast included an anonymous allegation that Adams gave final approval for the 2006 murder of Denis Donaldson, a former official in the pro-Irish unity Sinn Fein party Adams once led. A jury in Dublin ruled that the 2016 programme containing the allegation was libellous. Adams, 76, had said earlier he would give any damages to "good causes" if he won. At a press conference in 2005, Adams revealed that Donaldson spied for the British intelligence agency MI5. The 55-year-old Donaldson, who later admitted working as a police and British agent, was found shot dead months later in County Donegal, where he lived close to the Northern Ireland border. In 2009, dissident Irish republican paramilitary group the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the murder. The BBC programme claimed the killing was the work of the Provisional IRA, and featured an anonymous testimony that claimed the murder was approved by the political and military leadership of the IRA and that Adams "gives the final say". The BBC argued that it acted in "good faith", that its programme was "fair and reasonable" and in the public interest, and that the allegation was supported by five other sources. Adams brought the case in Dublin as the Spotlight programme could be watched in Ireland, where it was seen by about 16,000 people. An online article also had some 700 hits in Ireland during a 14-month period after its publication in September 2016. The jury was asked to decide whether the words in the documentary and the online article could be taken to mean that Adams had sanctioned and approved Donaldson's murder. The BBC argued the words were presented as allegations while Adams' side claimed the accusations were put forward as fact and were a "grievous smear" and defamatory. Adams also argued the BBC broke its reporting rules and that he suffered "an unjustified attack" by the BBC. The case at Dublin's High Court lasted four weeks and included 15 days of evidence from 10 witnesses, including Adams and BBC reporter Jennifer O'Leary. In total, more than 3,600 people were killed during Northern Ireland's sectarian conflict known as the "Troubles", which largely ended after a 1998 peace accord. Adams became president of Sinn Fein -- the paramilitary IRA's political wing during the Troubles -- in 1983, and served as MP from 1983 to 1992, and again from 1997 to 2011 before sitting in the Irish parliament between 2011 and 2020. In 2018 he stepped down as leader of Sinn Fein and has always denied being a member of the IRA.
