Mercy grit it out to see off Wildcats
It was old school, it was gritty, and it was a street fight. WIT Wildcats and DCU Mercy brought a fight to Neptune Stadium early on a Saturday afternoon. Emmet Ryan watched Mercy ensure they’d be going back to Dublin with a cup final to look forward to The first quarter felt like being sucked […]
Ireland impress in qualifier win over Cyprus
Ireland’s first step in the long, long, road to FIBA EuroBasket 2025 ended in success with an impressive victory away to Cyprus. Emmet Ryan watched the game from a Starbucks rather than Nicosia but still got his report in shortly after the buzzer Whatever fear that Ireland would be walking into hostile territory was dispelled […]
Raptors betting just got a lot more interesting
There has never been a bad time to take an interest in the Toronto Raptors, even at their lowest they were intriguing, but a change in Canada has made them far more fascinating. With single-game sports betting now legal in Ontario, Canada, fans and those with any interest in the Toronto Raptors now have more […]
Tough lessons well learned by Ireland on Euros return
The opening quarter removed any doubt about the result but Ireland’s first appearance in a EuroBasket qualifier since 2009 was a valuable learning experience that offered real promise for the future after a rotten start. Emmet Ryan reports from Amsterdam. It’s a step up. Everyone knew it was going to be but you don’t know […]
Kyrie’s absence has a huge impact on NBA betting
The route to back to back NBA Championships looks an awful lot easier for the Milwaukee Bucks following the news that Kyrie Irving won’t be playing for the Brooklyn Nets for the foreseeable future It’s a unique issue but one that had only one answer that was ever going to make sense. If Kyrie Irving […]
Fearless Predictions – Euroleague 2021/22 season
An old tradition of BiE is resurrected as our editor, Emmet Ryan, sticks his reputation on the line and waits for it to get battered It has been a few seasons since our long established trend of doing fearless predictions ahead of the Euroleague season (or major international tournaments for that matter) but it’s a […]
Open season in more ways than one
Fans are back and rosters look different, Euroleague’s return to normality might well be the most open season in years Before we get carried away, yes, I fully expect CSKA Moscow to be in Berlin come the end of the season. That has little to do with their roster, which is quite fun and we’ll […]
Tough draws for both Irish national teams
Ireland hasn’t participated in EuroBasket qualification for men or women since 2009 and the draws for both the men and women’s sides will prove tough tests Started from the bottom, now we’re here. Started from the bottom, now the whole team here, or teams technically in this case. After gold for the men and silver […]
What a return to international qualification would look like for Ireland
With the men taking gold in Dublin and silver for the women in Cyprus at the 2021 FIBA European Championships for Small Countries, Emmet Ryan explains what a return to the main international qualification pool would look like for Ireland Two things to bear in mind before we get to the nitty gritty. No formal […]
The long wait is over
Ireland ended a near three decade wait to complete a perfect 4-0 week and lift the trophy at the 2021 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries. Emmet Ryan was at the arena in Dublin to drink it all in That night in 1994, I was 13 years old and didn’t even know the game was […]
Carroll efficient as Ireland crush Gibraltar
John Carroll waited long enough to get his chance to play competitive hoops for Ireland. Now that he’s got it, he’s determined to stay unbeaten in competitive action while wearing a green jersey for as long as possible. Emmet Ryan watched him as Ireland moved to 3-0 at the FIBA European Championships for Small Countries […]
Interview: The Falzon bros bring the fire to Dublin
Two brothers from just outside of Boston have been the standouts for Malta so far at the FIBA European Championships for Small Countries. Tevin and Aaron Falzon are proud to be representing the nation of the family and want to claim a second straight crown in Dublin European countries tend to be quite proud of […]