The Sunday Game

[Jinxy]

The Mayo mafia circling the wagons...

[Walter Cronc]

Billy Joe Padden - a crap footballer and now a worse pundit!

[Fuzzman]

I don't think diving is as black and white as you are trying to make out Zulu.
Yes the most obvious ones like McCann's hair flick last year was a total disgrace and I don't think you will find many "sensible" people defending it. However, even AOS dive last weekend has some vagueness about it.
Having watched it several times on replay and from different angles it does certainly look like a dive and that he made it look very theatrical. However, as those pics of the two players legs show that is is possible there was contact there but who knows for sure. The way he went down though was a disgrace and was totally playing for the penalty and this is the stuff I agree there should be a change in the rules to use video evidence after a game to suspend a player.
I think its very hard for a ref or even linesmen to make a definite call there and then unless they have a very clear view of it.

Do you agree though that often refs will not give a big strong player a free UNLESS he goes to ground?
We often see Kieran Donaghy, Aidan O'Shea and Michael Murphy getting pulled and fouled all over the place but if they try to stay on their feet then the ref tends to allow play to continue. I think this is unfair and gives a huge advantage to the defenders marking them and is the reason why so many are now getting frustrated and going to ground.

If you are not a fan of Kerry or Donaghy, like a lot are on here, its too easy to just say "Ahh sure he's able to take it and it's a man's game" etc but it's a different story if it's your best player from your own team and he's not being allowed to play due to unfair tackling.

For years forwards have learnt how to fight their own corner and how to win a free by being smart about it when your man is constantly fouling you. Are you saying its OK for the defender to cheat but not for the forward?
I think that is the crux of the problem for a lot of people.

[lenny]

Lynn clearly got fingers in the eye. He went down on wan knee to recover the hit.

He did not intentionally get the fella the line. Poor decision by referee.


Tyrone supporters are a bunch of b**tards.

Is it possible to like a team and hate their supporters. I am starting to warm to the players; but no chance the supporters, although rrhf, O'Neill and the strabane lads are funny feckers.

Lynn intentionally dived, call a spade a spade.

Derry have had a few divers, the most obvious example was in 06 in Healey Park when Hinphey got Hub Hughes sent off for very little. The younger Bradley was very fond of pulling the defenders arm in as well. However, Lynn didn't dive or even look for action against his man, he got a poke in the eye and sat down on his hunkers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WutruR79Wcs


His eye is clearly in a different part of his face to everyone else in the world.

The Derry men don't like having to abide by their own high standards and moral  compass.

That video is completely ambiguous. Totally unlike mccanns pathetic and disgusting play acting.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Discussions on diving on this board depress me because when one guy is highlighted that county's supporters often rally around him and point to other incidents. This only proves that diving is a problem NOW, not a creeping one. We even had Cian Ward (I think) of Meath equating O'Shea's dive to a defender pulling the jersey and Dessie Dolan going all soccer-speak talking about contact!! If the recently retired generation of players view diving as reasonably acceptable then what will te next generation think?

Football used to be a game that was honest at least and while some off the ball stuff couldn't be condoned, the worst excesses weren't common. Now cheating of the worst kind is a notable part of our game and instead of condemning it outright with no ifs buts or ands we defend it. I'm afraid the game is in a bad place and we need to be radical to save it.

EDIT: More mealy mouthy shite from a recently retired player, this time Billy Joe Padden -

DESPITE what some people might have you believe, it's not Aidan O'Shea's responsibility to protect the integrity and the good name of Gaelic football. That's the responsibility of the officials and the administrators.
Aidan O'Shea's responsibility is to his make sure that he does whatever he can for his team, his team-mates, and Mayo.

That's like arguing it isn't your job not to steal from your neighbours, it's the guards job to make sure you don't. In other words an abdication of responsibility for players.

100 times this. Diving should be a retrospective red. Really disappointed it wasn't acted upon at congress.

[sambostar]

I don't think diving is as black and white as you are trying to make out Zulu.
Yes the most obvious ones like McCann's hair flick last year was a total disgrace and I don't think you will find many "sensible" people defending it. However, even AOS dive last weekend has some vagueness about it.
Having watched it several times on replay and from different angles it does certainly look like a dive and that he made it look very theatrical. However, as those pics of the two players legs show that is is possible there was contact there but who knows for sure. The way he went down though was a disgrace and was totally playing for the penalty and this is the stuff I agree there should be a change in the rules to use video evidence after a game to suspend a player.
I think its very hard for a ref or even linesmen to make a definite call there and then unless they have a very clear view of it.

Do you agree though that often refs will not give a big strong player a free UNLESS he goes to ground?
We often see Kieran Donaghy, Aidan O'Shea and Michael Murphy getting pulled and fouled all over the place but if they try to stay on their feet then the ref tends to allow play to continue. I think this is unfair and gives a huge advantage to the defenders marking them and is the reason why so many are now getting frustrated and going to ground.

If you are not a fan of Kerry or Donaghy, like a lot are on here, its too easy to just say "Ahh sure he's able to take it and it's a man's game" etc but it's a different story if it's your best player from your own team and he's not being allowed to play due to unfair tackling.

For years forwards have learnt how to fight their own corner and how to win a free by being smart about it when your man is constantly fouling you. Are you saying its OK for the defender to cheat but not for the forward?
I think that is the crux of the problem for a lot of people.

I don't agree re AOS - watched the full match live on Saturday & thought he should have been blown up for charging on numerous occasions. He wins the ball & then immediately puts the head down & just runs straight. Are defenders just meant to politely let him pass? Donaghy is an unlikeable character but probably does warrant more protection as he tends to get pulled & dragged as high ball is approaching or as he's in the process of catching

[Zulu]

Fuzzman, I understand what you're saying but I wouldn't equate a dive with a pull of the jersey because if a defender fouls he can be punished for that foul whereas if a forward dives, not only does he not, usually, get punished but the defender can instead.

I agree, there are different 'types' of dives and while I can't see any reason for O'Shea to go to ground at least if there was a clear strong pull of the jersey you could say he was just 'helping' the ref to see the foul. However, I think we have seen way too many examples of really bad diving and it will only get worse if we don't deal with it.

[seafoid]

The tackle is badly defined
The GAA does not use TV evidence
the ref decides everything
the culture of cheating is gaining the upper hand

[Jinxy]

I remember John McDermott (one of the top 5 manliest footballers of all time) diving to win us a penalty against Galway in 2001.
At the time it didn't garner much publicity because (a) we were hammered, and (b) it was the most awkward dive you've ever seen in your life.
It was like watching your elderly drunk uncle trying to break-dance at a wedding.
And him a priest.

[seafoid]

I remember John McDermott (one of the top 5 manliest footballers of all time) diving to win us a penalty against Galway in 2001.
At the time it didn't garner much publicity because (a) we were hammered, and (b) it was the most awkward dive you've ever seen in your life.
It was like watching your elderly drunk uncle trying to break-dance at a wedding.
And him a priest.

The ISPCM were more interested in complaining about the result and they got the media attention

[AhNowRef]

I remember John McDermott (one of the top 5 manliest footballers of all time) diving to win us a penalty against Galway in 2001.
At the time it didn't garner much publicity because (a) we were hammered, and (b) it was the most awkward dive you've ever seen in your life.
It was like watching your elderly drunk uncle trying to break-dance at a wedding.
And him a priest.

Thats mad .. never knew John McDermott was a priest 

[seafoid]

J Mc Dermott
4 Leinsters.
2 All Irelands
Meath player

Imagine 12 year olds today. For them such a creature is unimaginable

[OgraAnDun]

Lynn clearly got fingers in the eye. He went down on wan knee to recover the hit.

He did not intentionally get the fella the line. Poor decision by referee.


Tyrone supporters are a bunch of b**tards.

Is it possible to like a team and hate their supporters. I am starting to warm to the players; but no chance the supporters, although rrhf, O'Neill and the strabane lads are funny feckers.

Lynn intentionally dived, call a spade a spade.

Derry have had a few divers, the most obvious example was in 06 in Healey Park when Hinphey got Hub Hughes sent off for very little. The younger Bradley was very fond of pulling the defenders arm in as well. However, Lynn didn't dive or even look for action against his man, he got a poke in the eye and sat down on his hunkers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WutruR79Wcs


His eye is clearly in a different part of his face to everyone else in the world.

The Derry men don't like having to abide by their own high standards and moral  compass.

That video is completely ambiguous. Totally unlike mccanns pathetic and disgusting play acting.

It's not like McCann but it's not quite 'the poor fella got two fingers/a poke in the eye and had to crouch down to deal with it'. A dive is a dive, if you watch the game you'll probably see Conor Laverty (and undoubtedly other Down players) falling over at the slightest of touches, just as there were plenty of Derry men doing it that day. Just because it wasn't as bad as McCann's doesn't mean it's something you can defend.

[Tony Baloney]

The tackle is badly defined
The GAA does not use TV evidence
the ref decides everything
the culture of cheating is gaining the upper hand

What does it say about the economy?

[lenny]

Lynn clearly got fingers in the eye. He went down on wan knee to recover the hit.

He did not intentionally get the fella the line. Poor decision by referee.


Tyrone supporters are a bunch of b**tards.

Is it possible to like a team and hate their supporters. I am starting to warm to the players; but no chance the supporters, although rrhf, O'Neill and the strabane lads are funny feckers.

Lynn intentionally dived, call a spade a spade.

Derry have had a few divers, the most obvious example was in 06 in Healey Park when Hinphey got Hub Hughes sent off for very little. The younger Bradley was very fond of pulling the defenders arm in as well. However, Lynn didn't dive or even look for action against his man, he got a poke in the eye and sat down on his hunkers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WutruR79Wcs


His eye is clearly in a different part of his face to everyone else in the world.

The Derry men don't like having to abide by their own high standards and moral  compass.

That video is completely ambiguous. Totally unlike mccanns pathetic and disgusting play acting.

It's not like McCann but it's not quite 'the poor fella got two fingers/a poke in the eye and had to crouch down to deal with it'. A dive is a dive, if you watch the game you'll probably see Conor Laverty (and undoubtedly other Down players) falling over at the slightest of touches, just as there were plenty of Derry men doing it that day. Just because it wasn't as bad as McCann's doesn't mean it's something you can defend.

I'll have to disagree with you there. I'm not saying that A Derry player has never dived but in this case it isn't clear cut as we can't see the incident all that clearly and there is substantial enough contact. Also Lynn only crouches down afterwards.