SEB COE FINALLY resigned his role as a Nike ambassador this week, but Tony Skillington took issue with the IAAF president’s foot-dragging:

The moment he became President of the IAAF he should have done this. Have to ask if the drugs thing hadn’t broke would he have ditched a very lucrative association?

Fran Heavey wasn’t too impressed with the calibre of the opposition as John Joe Nevin beat Greg Coverson Jr on Wednesday night:

3-15-3……Ah here, if I embarked on a pro career myself right now, I’d have a better record than that and I can’t beat eggs……

Conor McGregor flew out for Las Vegas this week ahead of his UFC title showdown with Jose Aldo, and Brian O’Neill asked the most important question of all:

Did you turn off the immersion before you left ??

Sticking with McGregor, Alan Wright was impressed by his warm tribute to SBG team-mate Cathal Pendred who announced his MMA retirement:

The only time I have seen the real McGregor is straight after his fights for about 1 minute and now in that statement. Good stuff, Conor

Jack Grealish is making headlines for all the wrong reasons under new Aston Villa boss Remi Garde, and IrishGravyTrain will have no sympathy if the youngster’s clique are left out in the cold:

But how is his blood sucking Entourage of friends going to get into the Top Nightclubs and pull all these birds without him. Who is going to pay for their drinks?

Nineteen-year-old Ben Simmons is such a talented prospect that NBA teams are deliberately losing to enhance their chances of signing him. It’s a fundamental problem with the sport, writes Chalk8down:

It reflects poorly on a sport when teams can basically ‘lose on purpose’ which is what tanking is, in order to gain an advantage on securing top college talent. It doesn’t happen in the NFL to the same extent as the season is so short compared to the NBA.

Leinster’s win against Ulster on Friday night was a pretty uninspiring affair, but Josh van der Flier’s standout performance earned a rave review from Brian O’Connor:

Josh (van der Flier) has the makings of a great no. 7, an absolute pain in the butt to the opposition, turning up on cue, time and time again to put in telling tackles, winning the loose ball and tirelessly supporting the ball carriers. First genuine No. 7 for Leinster since Shane Jennings, his childhood hero must have been the great (Richie McCaw). Certainly my man of the match.

One of the moments of the week came at Parkhead as Celtic welcomed former Rangers star Fernando Ricksen, who is now suffering from motor neuron disease, as their guest of honour. Ciaran Rice writes:

Gutted for the guy. As a player I loved to hate him. Then I’d heard he had MND, first I’d saw him was last year when he attended a charity game at Ibrox and I saw the footage of him being brought onto the pitch. Jaw hit the floor. Horrible disease. I wish him all the best.

Yep, Daniel Sturridge is injured again, and Hughes The Daddy? has the answer:

Get Jon Walters in to show him what a real man is..

Matt Cooper confirmed this week that he will anchor TV3′s Six Nations coverage when it begins in 2018. It sounds like James Murphy has an important point to make but…:

For the love of …. must cut to a break

These 5 books have made the shortlist for Ireland’s newest sports writing prize