Brolly Feels the Wrath

[Barney]

Brolly fails to cover himself in glory again

Michael Commins

SUNDAY Game panellist Joe Brolly may well have hot ears this week. Mayo supporters are up in arms over a blistering attack launched by Brolly on Mayo All-Star player Conor Mortimer. The Derry man described Mortimer as being "no good anyway", and that Michael McGoldrick had put him "in his pocket and fed him on farts".
The comments that have raised the ire of many genuine Mayo supporters are contained in the current issue of the acclaimed Ulster GAA weekly publication, Gaelic Life. In an article reflecting on the recent Mayo v Derry match, Brolly wrote: "Bellaghy's Michael McGoldrick was easily the best player on the field, and does everything right. He put Conor Mortimer in his pocket and fed him on farts, as we used to say in primary school. Conor is no good anyway, the sort of boy Adrian McGuckin had in mind when he said he distrusted boys with 'dyed hair and trendy clothes that scored 2-5 in friendlies'."
While Conor did not enjoy one of his better days in Celtic Park last Saturday week, Mayo followers are proud of his achievement in winning an All Star award in 2006 and also being the top scorer in the '06 championship, something that could hardly be achieved by a player who was "no good anyway". He is the holder of three Connacht senior medals with Mayo and a Sigerson Cup medal with DCU, and along with Ciaran McDonald, is Mayo's most recognisable player nationwide.
Mayo GAA secretary Sean Feeney said yesterday (Monday) that the criticism was "way over the top". He said there was no substance to a lot of comments and it was a pity that sections of the media were heading that way. "Unless you're controversial, they don't want you on The Sunday Game. Sometimes you just wonder what depths people will descend to in order to become controversial and stir it up. Conor's best way to answer Joe Brolly is to return to top form again."
Former Mayo senior player and current Mayo junior football manager, Billy Fitzpatrick, who is the chief gaelic games match analyst with Mid West Radio, has also sprung to the defence of Conor Mortimer.
"Joe Brolly has no right to talk about any player in that way. It's not right to go pulling people apart like that. Conor had a great year last year and you can't argue with that. Any player can have a downturn in form and come back very much again.
"People can easily forget his great days, you can be king of the palace one day and come under fire the next. That kind of personalised criticism is very unfair. People have a life to live outside of football too and those comments can hurt. It's an amateur sport and you don't become a bad footballer overnight."
Referring to Enda Muldoon's 'lobbed' goal over the head of Mayo goalie David Clarke, Brolly said it was "a hilarious delight that genuinely had us laughing in the aisles".

[Gnevin]

Brolly fails to cover himself in glory again

Michael Commins

SUNDAY Game panellist Joe Brolly may well have hot ears this week. Mayo supporters are up in arms over a blistering attack launched by Brolly on Mayo All-Star player Conor Mortimer. The Derry man described Mortimer as being "no good anyway", and that Michael McGoldrick had put him "in his pocket and fed him on farts".
"

Jesus Joe really let fly , ffs I've heard worse from the lot of them , hardly worthy of national news

[mannix]

brolly is a poor pundit if thats the level he stoops to.Along with not having anything constructive or factual to ever say about any game i ever heard him on about he is now laughing at others misfortune.Mayo are gone for the year, how soon will dery follow and will joe be rolling around if kerry lob the derry keeper for a goal?
Justice comes to all and joe is no exception.

[magpie seanie]

I think Brolly is excellent when he has his research done and has put a bit of work into his analysis. Often times though I think he wings it and makes outlandish statements to cove over the gaps in his knowledge. He seems to have a penchant for annoying Mayo folk!

[Black and white]

Mortimer is over rated, but i suppose thats another debate. Brolly isnt trying to be controversial, that is just him, he says whatever he he is thinking and isnt worried what anybody else thinks about it but he does like to wined people up the best thing to do with brolly is not give him the attention he craves Dungiven people have known this for a long time.

[Hardy]

Brolly tells it as he sees it. Whether he's right or wrong is a different question. A newspaper column is an opinion piece. TV punditry is likewise opinion based and not the delivery of holy writ and for me Brolly gets the formula fairly right - much more interesting anyway than the bland "game of two halves" droning of the bores who will never make the Mayo papers. The appropriatre reaction is either to agree or disagree, not to whinge in the papers.

On this occasion, I happen to think he's right (that Conor Mortimer is no good) and the reaction he provoked is even funnier than his phrasing of his opinion. The Mayo people here and the Mayo News or whatever parochial "newspaper" published that extended whinge may feel free to disagree with me.

[stephenite]

Hardy, while you are certainly correct in that it is only one mans opinion - you were fairly quick to have a go at McStay for calling Geraghty lousy and sneaky earlier in the summer, but seeing as he was only giving his opinion regarding Geraghty can I take it you strongly disagree with Geraghty whinging about McStays comments in the Sunday papers??


My own view is that Brolly courts controversy with comments like this, he'll say anything to provoke a reaction and this includes some fairly close to the bone remarks about amateur players that have to face workmates, family etc after the game is over - to have comments like this aired on national airwaves is over the top in my view and unfair on players wherever they're from or whatever they've done.

[Moose]

I don't see what the problem is, brolly was right McGoldrick had him in his pocket the whole match, i can't remember any solid contribution Conor Mortimer made to the game, he was completely absent. I personally think Brolly is very good, he's funny which certainly can't be said for that fool Spillane. He's also saying what a lot of people are saying in the pub, sitting rooms. When they see somebody get lobbed after messing around with the ball as Derry did, passing it around without having a problem, sure you're going to have a laugh. He's just been honest. I was at the match and I was groaning at the way the Mayo forwards were playing. He's wrong to say that Mortimer is no good as he's clearly county standard alright but he's not at the level of the Coopers, O'Neill , Donaghys of the world.
And on another point, Mortimer should ignore any talk about haircuts, hairstyles, i'd say he'd be more worried if Brolly actually liked his haircut, it dosen't make a shred of difference. As a friend said I love the way once a player gets rid of dye in his hair or gets a short back and sides, he's suddenly "matured", such rubbish.

[orangeman]

Ok it was a wee bit over the top but overall you can't really argue with Brolly - he was telling the truth but in his own inimitable style.

[ildanach]

does anyone have brollys championship scoring record to hand. I know he has 2 ulster championships and 1 all ireland and 2 all stars.
With pat spillane, although you dont have to agree with everything he says, you have to respect him with the haul of all irelands and all stars he has in his pocket.
But with Brolly, for someone who loves to be controvertial "not the first cousin of an inter county player etc..." , i would be interested in his record.
Although Conor Mortimer did not have a good season, i don't think it justified to classify him as useless. No intercounty footballer deserves that, They go out to play the game and don't get paid for it. Mortimer likes to play to the crowd but no more so than brolly when he was blowing kisses when he used to score. Maybe he sees something of himself in mortimer?
In 04 Brolly was on about swedish maids when mayo played tyrone,then last year against dublin he couldn't praise mcdonald enough. Next year iif mortimer was to have a couple of good games he would be all over him like.

[stephenite]

I don't see what the problem is, brolly was right McGoldrick had him in his pocket the whole match, i can't remember any solid contribution Conor Mortimer made to the game, he was completely absent. I personally think Brolly is very good, he's funny which certainly can't be said for that fool Spillane. He's also saying what a lot of people are saying in the pub, sitting rooms. When they see somebody get lobbed after messing around with the ball as Derry did, passing it around without having a problem, sure you're going to have a laugh. He's just been honest. I was at the match and I was groaning at the way the Mayo forwards were playing. He's wrong to say that Mortimer is no good as he's clearly county standard alright but he's not at the level of the Coopers, O'Neill , Donaghys of the world.
And on another point, Mortimer should ignore any talk about haircuts, hairstyles, i'd say he'd be more worried if Brolly actually liked his haircut, it dosen't make a shred of difference. As a friend said I love the way once a player gets rid of dye in his hair or gets a short back and sides, he's suddenly "matured", such rubbish.

I don't think anyone has an issue with the general sentiment - my own view is that he goes out of his way to be controversial/funny (depending on whcih way you look at it), and sometimes what he says can be over the top, amateur players don't need to hear wise cracks from former players on the National Airwaves after the game, how many people are going to bring this up in front of Conor Mortimer for the rest of the year ?

Could Brolly not have said that Conor Mortimer was cleaned out of it, that it's his view that he was never quite up to the highest standard and it's a mystery how he won an All Star as opposed to phrasing it in the language he did?
Of course Brolly could have but as has been said he does it on purpose, in my view to use humour as a mask that he's a poor analyst.

I blame his parents to be honest - poor Joe never did get a proper up bringing

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

In 04 Brolly was on about swedish maids when mayo played tyrone,then last year against dublin he couldn't praise mcdonald enough. Next year iif mortimer was to have a couple of good games he would be all over him like.

Correction, it was at half-time in the Connacht Final against Galway, when Mayo were under the cosh somewhat (perhaps that's what turned it around at half-time?  ).

Regarding Mortimer, definitely overrated -- great when the lads around him are firing on all cylinders, but totally incapable of turning a game and being the difference between success and failure, as truly great players can be.  As for Brolly, delighted I'm sure with all the publicity (not to mention Gaelic Life), but perhaps bigger fools to take him that seriously!

[trig]

how can anyone agree brolly was right.
while it is obvious Brolly is only trying to me controversial he makes an ass of himself and shows himself up to be ill informed and a poor analysist.
He contends that McGolderick is the best player on the field because he kept Conor Mortimer is his pocket, yet if Mortimer is "no good anyway" then it is hardly a man of the match feat to keep him quiet.
I was at the match and I didn't see anyone laughing at Muldoon's goal, argue the skill of the scorer versus goalkeeping/defensive mistakes all you like but a comment like brolly's is just nasty.

Mortimer comes in for a good deal of criticism some justified, some not so for the very reason that he is a good player(though not top notch IMHO) but can be fustrating at times but if your going to judge him don't do it on a game in wet/greasy conditions that clearly dont suit the type of player he is

[Hardy]

Hardy, while you are certainly correct in that it is only one mans opinion - you were fairly quick to have a go at McStay for calling Geraghty lousy and sneaky earlier in the summer, but seeing as he was only giving his opinion regarding Geraghty can I take it you strongly disagree with Geraghty whinging about McStays comments in the Sunday papers??

Nice one Stephenite – I didn't see you in the long grass there.

Let's see if I can wriggle out.

Certainly I had a go at McStay, as I was entitled to. As was Geraghty. I'd have a go at Brolly as well if he said something like McStay said. I expressed my opinion that McStay is smarmy and I said it was an abuse of his privileged position to describe anyone as "sneaky and lousy". I think there's a question of degree here. I don't see much wrong in a football pundit expressing his opinion of a particular player's footballing ability. That's what he's there for. Is he supposed to keep that opinion to himself or lie and say he thinks he's great?

Saying somebody is "sneaky and lousy" is in a different league to saying they're not a good footballer. And as for Geraghty's response, I think you're just being provocative in describing it as whinging. He was quoted in the paper giving his opinion in  response to a question and he gave a straight opinion more or less calling McStay a gobshite. My previous post was suggesting that the appropriate response to an opinion you disagree with is to disagree and express your own opinion – as Geraghty (and I) did – not writing a newspaper article about how a county is outraged because Joe Brolly doesn't think Conor Mortimer is a good footballer.

How did I do?

[the Deel Rover]

6 out of 10 for effort hardy