Angry Fans
Still on the topic of TV, some people don’t like Vodafone’s new sponsorship ads. Following the weekend’s one-sided hurling games, the topic of the season – reform of the championship – gets another airing. There’s deserved praise for Cork’s footballers but some questions are raised over Kerry decisions on the sideline. Henry Shefflin. Is he more sinning than sinned against? Whatever the truth, some fans think he suffers in comparison to previous greats of the game.
PART OF the experience of the Munster final is the presence of the Seán Treacy Pipe Band from Moycarkey in Thurles, the Castlelyons Pipe Band in Cork or the Liam Lynch Pipe Band from Anglesboro in Limerick. It’s also what we are used to in the earlier rounds and it adds to the atmosphere. I don’t know whose decision it has been to start bringing the Artane Band to Munster hurling finals, but with respect, a brass band doesn’t belong there. The Munster Council should restore the tradition and greater enjoyment of bagpipe music at Munster finals.
AFR’s SHOUT:
To be honest, I’m more of a ‘brass’ man than a ‘pipe’ man myself. If it’s a windy day in Thurles the oul pipes can be a bit hard to hear at the back of the Killinan End. However, I don’t expect the Munster Council to blow their own trumpet about this decision.
TV3 SHOULD be congratulated on demonstrating how not to broadcast sporting events. Their commentators, studio panel and directors are just not up to broadcasting live GAA games. In general, their production does not look or sound right. Having the radio on for matches on TV is not working out either because the score occurs miniseconds verbally on radio before it’s shown on screen. I recommend that TV3 might make a few Euros running a show to select commentators (vote them in /vote them out) but at least let us decide. I am also surprised that no one else has expressed their disappointment at TV3’s coverage – bolstering my belief that I am the only TV3 viewer in Southern Ireland.
AFR’s SHOUT:
Sunday was the first time I got to see TV3 coverage – the Leinster hurling final. I was impressed. So, take a Yellow Card there. Matt Cooper is a good presenter. Like Billo on RTÉ’s soccer coverage, he knows enough to draw out the experts and get the best from them, but he doesn’t impose his views on the discussion. The panel were on the ball in their comments. Daithi Regan is a real ‘find’ as a panellist. Camera angles were good and the graphics were excellent. What’s your beef?
IT IS REFRESHING to see the coverage being offered by a broadcaster other than RTÉ. But, why is it that the GAA has not made a special accommodation with TG4 to ensure that the All Ireland football and hurling championships are available in Irish, given the GAA's avowed pro Irish language stance? I often hear people complaining about 'the Irish language being rammed down their throats'. In this case it is the English language that is being imposed on avid GAA fans who, 12 years after the establishment of TG4, would reasonably have expected to be able to view the premier events of the Irish sporting year ‘as Gaeilge’ live. TV3 and RTÉ are all well and good – but I want to be able to view my county’s quest for All Ireland glory, however long or short that may be. It’s time for the leaders of the Gaelic Athletic Association to tog out for the Irish language.
AFR’s SHOUT:
Broadcasting rights come down to money. TG4 have been very creative in stretching a limited budget to broadcast quite a lot of good GAA coverage but I can’t see them getting exclusive or parallel rights to live championship games. And I’m not even sure they would want such a package.
THE LAST TWO weeks in hurling have been farcical. What good has it done any of the four counties involved? The GAA need to sort out this out. I never felt as sorry when I saw Sambo McNaughton interviewed after the game on the News. These guys are playing hurling in unbelievable pressured conditions, keeping the game alive in the North. They don’t need lickings like they got these last two weeks. By the way, no blame to Galway or Waterford. They can only play what’s in front of them
I think we may expect an early announcement from the GAA top brass – or should that be the ‘top bag pipes’ about a ‘reform’ of the championships. Even they recognise things can’t go on like this. The changes will involve moving Antrim and Galway into an enlarged Leinster or ‘Rest of Ireland’ championship, while the Munster championship will continue. Their effectiveness will be somewhat similar to the activities of the stewards who attempted to rearrange the deck chairs on the RMS Titanic.
CORK WERE brilliant in the second half. I’ve no doubt they are well capable of getting to an All Ireland final. All three sending offs were harsh but the Marc Ó Sé decision was wrong. I was only yards from it and it was not a red card. It seemed to be more a case of a ref making it even. The resulting free was pointed brilliantly and this incident was the major turning point of the game. The Kerry sideline left a lot to be desired. Why were our two best forwards on the day taken off? Why did Kerry play so much short passing around the midfield area? This was the third time in six years we lost in Cork. On both other occasions we made it to the All Ireland final. All is not lost, but changes are needed and a home draw in qualifier would be handy.
LET THE message go out. ‘The Emperor has no clothes!’. The team that was rattled to the core last year by Monaghan has been thrashed by Cork. I can imagine the whinging that went on in the cars going back to Kerry. Even if they win three in a row now it will be a very much diminished achievement. Oh such joy to be alive!
FOR THE first time in a long time the Kingdom looked like they are missing something important. Galvin wasn't on that team for his pretty face and Sunday’s game showed what they were lacking. Darragh Ó Sé had one of his quieter days and he won't keep going forever. In previous years you knew Kerry would always win when it really counted but I would not be so sure this year. There is now going to be a big campaign to bring Galvin back in time for the rematch.
Cork made some half time substitutions that allowed them to change to a game of direct ball into their forwards and Michael Cussen did a ‘Donaghy’ on the Kerry full back line. Fortunately, referee Derek Fahy’s quick draw on the yellow and red cards didn’t mar a very enjoyable second half so let’s not allow his controversial decisions to overshadow a great game.
WEXFORD REALLY showed an improvement in the Leinster Final from previous years. They had a game plan and stuck to it all the way through but the goals really killed ‘em. No doubts Kilkenny were playing within themselves in the first half and were always going to win.
It’s surely a sign of the sad pass hurling has come to that yet another Kilkenny hammering of Wexford in a Leinster final is seen as an improvement. At least two of Kilkenny’s goals were down to one-handed tip tapping by Wexford backs. You’d expect better from a bunch of under twelves. There’s too much focus on Kilkenny’s prowess and not enough on the basic skills deficit of other counties.
HENRY SHEFFLIN is a great hurler but he has to stop acting the baby with refs. If someone looks crooked at him he starts complaining. Brian Whelehan, DJ Carey, Ciaran Carey, Nicky English, Brian Corcoran, Joe Cooney and Dan Shanahan have all been Hurler of the Year and they’ve all shipped way more punishment in their time than Henry. He should treat refs with more respect. It’s no accident that DJ was held in such high esteem by everyone and was always lauded as an example to kids.
AFR’s SHOUT:
Maybe great players like Shefflin are subjected to a lot of low intensity aggression from opponents that is not always visible from the stands or on TV? Hard to say. But there could be something in what you say.
VODAFONE NEED to cop on! Their championship sponsorship ads on telly using a poem by that British arch imperialist Rudyard Kipling is an insult to GAA followers.
AFR’s SHOUT:
Look at it the other way. The ad is voiced by the great Seán Boylan. Seán recites the words of Kipling’s inspiring poem ‘If’ against wondrous images from the world of Gaeic games? The old imperial warmonger must be turning in his grave. Surely we have the last laugh?
TIME FOR for me to let off some steam and you to have your red card at the ready! Cork were deserving winners in Sunday's game but the reaction from the Cork officials and supporters was ‘rich’. Fair enough to let Cork enjoy their moment in the sun, but Marc and Darragh Ó Sé , two of the country's top footballers for a number of years, were jeered as they left the pitch. On the other hand, many Kerry supporters clapped Graham Canty as he left the pitch to recognise a wonderful servant to the game of football. As the final whistle blew, some Cork fans entered the pitch and waved sullenly to the Kerry fans as they passed and songs of ‘Championes’ and ‘The Banks Of The Lee’, added insult to injury. I can take a defeat as well as the next person and I won't deny Cork their deserved success, but I hoped that this type of behavior would never enter the G.A.A, and now hope it will leave it as soon as possible.
AFR’s SHOUT:
Yer right! Here's that Red Card you were asking for. Cork fans singing ‘De Banks’ after a historic Munster final win over Kerry in football. My goodness! How provocative. What will they think of next? And how exactly do you wave ‘sullenly’ as opposed to some other way?
and His ‘n Her GAA t-shirts from the gang at Puckout.com go to Henry J Martin. We don’t expect to see a bands at Thurles or Porky Kweeve wearing His ‘n Her t-shirts any time soon. But Henry mounted a staunch defence of the bag pipes and kilts on big match days.
CATCH UP with more great conversation and craic on ‘An Fear Rua – The GAA Unplugged!’ at www.anfearrua.com
Give your views and comments to An Fear Rua himself at GAA Angry Fans in ‘The Irish Examiner’ Just drop an email to gaafans@examiner.ie and get AFR’s reaction to what you have to say. For the ‘Comment of the Week’, we have a fabulous prize of exclusive his and hers GAA t-shirts, supplied by our old pals at Puckout.com, where you can design your own club or county leisure wear.
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