James Brown’s lessons for the GAA

A PAUSE to begin as we salute the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, who died on Christmas Day. Brown — the hardest working man in showbusiness — had hits with classics such as Mother Popcorn, Papa Don’t Take No Mess and Call Me Super Bad (Pts. 1 & 2).
James Brown’s lessons for the GAA

And as we mention Call Me Super Bad . . . thus to Kerry footballer Paul Galvin. During the week in this newspaper the wing-forward described how his professional credibility — he’s a secondary school teacher in Cork city — had been compromised by loud criticism on television and radio of his playing style.

It’s an interesting case which raises some relevant questions beyond Galvin’s particular situation — how much criticism of a sportsman is too much? When does that criticism become too personal? Isn’t all criticism personal? Is criticising someone’s hairstyle or the spelling of their tattoos far more personal than pointing out intent to maim or scar on the sports field?

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