Diarmuid Connolly spared the GAA a whole lot of hassle

it might have been Jim Gavin who appeared in front of the media on Sunday but he could have been mistaken for Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard with his “yeah but, no but” defence of Diarmuid Connolly, writes John Fogarty.

Yeah, his player did wrong but no, he wasn’t as wrong as the pundits who criticised him. Yeah, his player wanted to serve his suspension but no, he didn’t want him to. Yeah, the ban was handed down but no, the Disputes Resolution Authority would have overruled it had Connolly pursued it. All that was missing was the “so there”.

The Vicky Pollard approach is favoured by a lot of managers who are on the side of wrong but find reason to be indignant and perhaps to distract from that very truth. For example, Éamonn Fitzmaurice appeared more exercised by the leak of Brendan O’Sullivan’s failed doping test and the revelation Kerry are fuelled by a host of supplements than the fact his player took something he shouldn’t have.