Now..

This is not a Diarmuid Connolly debate.

This is not a Jim Gavin debate.

Simple question. After last sundays SG show, and Brolly's comments on Spillane, Who's side would you guys be on ?

For me, I usually love Joe Brolly's rants and stuff, he is entertainment in a drab enough panel of football analysts on the sunday game (bar Whelo and O'se who are very good at actually analyzing the game). I know im in the minority in that regard, but I feel ill be in the majority here in thinking that Joe Brolly's and Dessie Dolan's comments on Pat Spillane last weekend were shocking. Or am I wrong ? Do you guys agree with Joe ?

Think it is very unfair to go in hard on Spillane for doing his job whether you agree with him or not without the bloke being there to stand up for himself.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 28/06/2017 22:50:23    2007169

Team Brolly

oakleafersir (Derry) - Posts: 808 - 29/06/2017 01:13:43    2007216

Im usually on Team Brolly but Spillane did nothing wrong on the Sunday game. What Connolly did deserved a 12 week ban. End of. The CCCC can't unsee what Connolly did. The only thing is that it got more attention than other incidents and other times when players layed a hand on an official.

HurlingSnob (Dublin) - Posts: 220 - 29/06/2017 02:02:57    2007223

Brolly is a great writer and usually id be on his side over spillane.

But this time i think brolly is wrong and i think even he knows it as he has rowed back a bit on his comments saying he was just having fun.

carlovia (None) - Posts: 1517 - 29/06/2017 07:01:46    2007231

What exactly did Spillane do wrong.He just highlighted that Diarmuid Connolly misbehaved.It's what pundits are supposed to do.

I'm not particuallrly fond of either of them on TV and I find the pundtry on RTE tiresome at this stage but Spillane doesn't deserve any flack for what he did.He didn't make it personal like Brolly has in the past he just highlighted an indiscretion that happend in a game.

In truth this whole thing was probably orchestrated by RTE to gain attention for itself and it's product so best not to pay any attention to it.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 29/06/2017 07:49:53    2007235

I'm no lover of either of them in general.

In this case Brolly was totally out of order. To call out a colleague like that when he's not there to defend himself was shocking. Talk about the incident, that's fine, don't mention Spillane.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4201 - 29/06/2017 08:43:40    2007251

Usually not a Fan of Spillane but in this instance he was only doing his Job and giving his opinion.


Team Spillane.

InishowenMan (Donegal) - Posts: 216 - 29/06/2017 09:06:05    2007264

I am with Brolly on this one, Spillane revealed his obvious Anti-Dublin bias which is widely held reflected right across the country - take any juvenile team down the country and people will know what i am talking about. Brolly was right to address the "real" issues, the ref's report etc which revealed the serious flaws in this shambolic disciplinary system, he has always maintained just because there is a rule doesn't mean it is right and just because there are sanctions do not make them right - how else are they to be changed? Brolly has consistently exposed the unnatural justice at the heart of the GAA rules and disciplinary processes. He is articulate, coherent and makes his points and is prepared to back them up and his attack on Spillane needs to be examined in that light. Spillane was rightly called out for what he said. Brolly and Dolan did what Gavin did separate three things, one accept Connolly was wrong, the officials where totally wrong, the disciplinary system is wrong, three wrongs never make anything right. Spillane addressed one of these issues and in my view is wrong because of this.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4895 - 29/06/2017 09:12:30    2007265

Team Brolly, Spillane was wrong.

Cuckoosinging (Roscommon) - Posts: 992 - 29/06/2017 09:19:53    2007270

The whole thing is a farce at this stage.
A 12 week ban for what Connolly actually did was harsh. But instead of people debating the seriousness of what Connolly did they should have been debating the punishment itself. The rule, as written leaves no room for ambiguity and so the CCCC's hands were tied. As usual it was very clumsily handled and has led to the furor we've seen the past few weeks.

I for one am sick of the whole lot of it. Connolly is serving his ban and the Dubs didn't look too badly off for it last weekend. Everyone needs to grow up and stop acting like children. "He said, she said etc". It's infantile sniping and is taking away from what's been an improved Championship that what we've seen in the last number of years. Galway, Down and Kildare have gotten their mojo back and we're slowly but surely getting close to the business end of things. Lets' get on with the football lads and leave the bitching to the clowns on reality TV. Lord knows I hear enough of that crap when the wife is in charge of the remote control.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9108 - 29/06/2017 09:27:39    2007277

Wouldn't have time for either however Spillane did nothing wrong. Just commented on the incident, didn't go over the top. It will be interesting the next time both Spillane and Brolly are in the studio together. Bit of tension I would say.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 29/06/2017 09:32:07    2007278

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12115 - 29/06/2017 10:07:19    2007294

I notice Dessie Dolan is getting a free ride and he actually initiated it. Odd.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12115 - 29/06/2017 10:08:41    2007296

Personally i think the spirit of sportsmanship is in question, if a pundit predetermines an agenda to influence sporting outcomes thats wrong.

The question was posed by Brolly why would "Kerry's Pat Spillane want Dublins star forward missing the bulk of the championship", cause, motive execution.

Shouldn't punditry be fair and impartial.

A pundit influencing sporting outcomes isnt right, i would feel the same way about any pundit if the same thing happened to any other county.

The fact he was damned by his colleagues who obviously no parameters of the morality of the occupation speaks volumes.

Its becoming clear that they all wield to much power in the games administration, development and governance.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 29/06/2017 10:31:15    2007313

Absolutely with Spillane on this one. Brolly's carry on on telly Sunday was not on. And Dolan just agreed with everything he said. Why wasn't Joe jumping all over Sky? They showed the game live and highlighted the incident afterwards multiple times. But he never mentioned them. Spillane did precisely zero wrong.

kildare73 (Kildare) - Posts: 854 - 29/06/2017 10:39:50    2007321

Bizarrely my previous post was blocked so I'll keep it even shorter this time = it's for ratings folks, it's all ratings, nothing more.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 29/06/2017 10:54:30    2007335

People are generally on whatever team they think they agree with or is backing their team. I seen people go mental at Brolly/Spillane but when they are praising their own team its "ah they are not bad" - sports fans are fickle. We all are.

On this particular issue, I could not find much wrong with what Spillane said either...he quoted the rule book.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 29/06/2017 11:05:14    2007344

Spillane is right, Brolly just saw a chance to kick at Pat. (Brolly also said Cooper needed the players around him to be a great player but is Connolly not in similar situation? Remember St. Vincent's semi-final defeat.)

suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1667 - 29/06/2017 11:47:18    2007365

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13704 - 29/06/2017 12:42:05    2007399

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4201 - 29/06/2017 12:43:09    2007400