The Sunday Game

[Leo]

Parkinson was a welcome addition. He was probably too honest though. Saying Reilly was a one season wonder before now, having a go at the player who fisted over instead of going for goal and a few other criticisms at individual players. That won't go down to well in the GAA. It's fine to do that in relation to Premier League players across the water who won't even have heard of RTE but not GAA players down the road.
Also, the Meath player Brian Meade will need to have his full name called out when he's being referred to, because Meath and Meade were getting pronounced the same so it was sometimes confusing which one they meant.

He's 100% right about that though.
Question: "When are you allowed to actually go for a goal?"
Answer: "When you score it."
Otherwise, fisting it over the bar is 'the right option'.
Total cop out.

Ah yes the fisted point
The last refuge of the safe option.
I can't think of another sport in the world where there is a rule that if you are on top of the goal line you cannot score with a particular option (ie handpass, or throw as it is common;u used in so-called football these days) but, sure, you've come this far you might as well shovel it over the bar and we''ll give you a point.
Daft beyond parody.

[Jinxy]

I think it's obvious that from now on the first 10-15 minutes of RTEs live coverage is going to be completely dedicated to trashing the game of gaelic football.
Really whets the appetite for the game to come.
As for Spillane and his 'statistics', it doesn't surprise me in the least that he picked a game played in a gale force wind (Tyrone v Kildare) to support his argument.
I think it's high time someone did a proper analysis of gaelic football trends over the last 30 years, that doesn't selectively pick the best examples of the past to compare with the worst examples of the present.

[rrhf]

Brollys Sub headline in the mail. Time to go Mick. And then proceeded to have a rant about older players.  Starting to dislike his approach.  I have always had a problem with Spillane I think he's like a nayin auld goat.  Next seasons rte approach must try something without these guys. They have no love for the game they represent.

[Jinxy]

After the Wexford wing-back bent the ball over the bar with his right foot into the wind and then scored another one with his left foot a couple of minutes later I thought to myself, will they even mention this in the analysis?
Probably not.

[Farrandeelin]

Problem with football panelists is that we've heard their guff before. Could they not replace or reshuffle every now and again. Hurling now has Eddie Brennan and Liam Sheedy. Surely there are a few recently retired intercounty footballers to step in.

[Jinxy]

Thank God TV3 are showing the Dublin game and I'll get to listen to some actual analysis.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Any particular reason this game is being played at Croke Park? Doesn't add anything to see a game like this being played in an almost empty stadium when it might have generated a decent atmosphere in a smaller provincial ground.

[Hardy]

I think it's obvious that from now on the first 10-15 minutes practically all of RTEs live coverage is going to be completely dedicated to trashing the game of gaelic football.

It's gone beyond a joke. We don't get that in any other sport. Soccer, rugby racing and other pundits criticise negative trends in their sport but they don't start from the position that everything about it is rubbish. The Nualas don't seem to have any genuine enthusiasm for their sport.

[Hardy]

"Look at the support angle he took" - Martin Carney analysing a Wexford score.

A prize for anyone who can tell me what that means. These idiots are just making stuff up to justify their positions as pundits. I'm thinking of opening a book on the new cliches that will be invented this year or imported from other sports to add to red zones and gain lines and even the novel concept of offside in Gaelic football, introduced last year by McStay. Shots under par anyone, or new balls, or maybe overuse of the whip. They'd make as much sense as "support angles" anyway.

[Redhand Santa]

The coverage is a disgrace, you'd nearly think they were trying to put people of football. The entire previeews and analysis focus on the state of football and not the match in hand for every game. I thought the first half was good given the conditions. Some great scores and quite open. Kavanagh was excellent. Spilllanes first comment was it was very avg and brolly said typical modern football. Turned it over after that.

[Redhand Santa]

The gaa need to step in quick and put an end to this unbalanced coverage. These pricks are only in it for self gain.

[Jinxy]

Brolly is sitting there like a lad that's just finished his dessert at a wedding.

[Hardy]

They're at it again - "135 handpasses" yadda yadda.

[cogito]

It's a joke, Im sitting at home here and really enjoying this game.

How we don't have players on who have played more recently I just don't know. Stephen McDonnell, Philip Jordan are just two that come to mind.

Would sky sports have jack charlton on doing their analyis? No, they went out and found Gary Neville because he is familiar with the modern day game and can criticise and praise it on how he sees it.

RTE's pannellists criticise it because they dont truly understand it. It's ignorance and they try to feel like their days were much better.

Ah here we go again, he is on about handpasses v kicks again.

That's it. Tele is on mute.

[Jinxy]

If Longford come out and start booting the ball into the teeth of that wind and giving the ball away left right and centre will Spillane and co. laud them for their sense of adventure?
No, it'll be "errors", "poor kick-passing" etc.