We need to talk about Diarmuid

[tonto1888]

I don't like the way it was made an issue of because it was Connolly.

It wasn't made an issue of because it was Connolly.

It was made an issue of because a player pushed a linesman.

It was definitely made a bigger issue of because of who it was

[Lar Naparka]

I don't like the way it was made an issue of because it was Connolly.

It wasn't made an issue of because it was Connolly.

It was made an issue of because a player pushed a linesman.

It was definitely made a bigger issue of because of who it was

+1
Of course it matters. Just count the number of pages  of this thread already. I know of no other player- even Lee Keegan- who would this amount of controversy.

[Fuzzman]

Lots of discussion going on this morning about The Sunday Game panel and Brolly v Spillane etc but thought it was very interesting that Jim Gavin took it about himself to make such a stand against RTE, Sky and especially Pat Spillane.

Most people had accepted that Connolly was guilty of pushing the linesman and so deserved his 12 week ban. Gavin admitted that himself in his interview yesterday yet he still deemed it necessary to stand up for his player and use rather strange language like
"I have a duty of care for the player and I firmly believe there was an attack on his good name."

I don't know did he say that tongue in cheek or did he really believe that Diarmuid still has a good name.
Yes he's entitled to a fair hearing and not have his past failings be brought up and be held against him but I don't think anything that Spillane, O'Rourke and others said was in any way an attack on his good name. They simply told the truth that Diarmuid broke an important rule and that he has indeed been sent off a lot before and has had a charge of criminal conviction held up against him.

I think Gavin is using this now as a siege mentality tool to help motivate his squad for the summer ahead as it was a surprise to many that he came out fighting like this yesterday. He's usually a man who promotes how well his team play the game "the right way" so it seemed strange that he dug up all this stuff again and brought Connolly right back into the limelight again. Many would argue he should have just let sleeping dogs lie.

Then RTE go overboard last night bringing in Brolly and yes man Dolan to say Gavin had a point and that Spillane was out of order. We all know Brolly loves to stir the shit and especially when it involves Spillane who he has had many a spat with.

I would imagine it is a ploy by Gavin and the Dublin set up to gain leverage in the future that they are being picked on because the are always in the limelight and they get unfair biased treatment unlike other counties who can slide under the radar much easier when they do something wrong. It puts pressure on the CCCC to up their game and prove Gavin wrong.

This article sums it up perfectly for me and I wonder does Gavin actually want to weed Connolly out of his panel altogether now at this stage perhaps as every year it's the same shite for him to deal with.
https://www.balls.ie/gaa/jim-gavin-3-367859

[Main Street]

Gavin's being immature, do the Dubs really need this enemy, conspiracy crap, out to get us, paranoia?

Brolly's being disingenuous, he knows the CCCC can review any incident regardless of the ref's report and refer the incident back to the officials for another viewing. And he's trying to peddle the line that the shunted Connolly was provoked because he's Connolly and therefore top players need protection, special treatment. A fair enough sentiment in certain circumstances, but not this one.
Shunting goes on in the game all the time when an opposition player hangs onto the ball after a free kick has been awarded against him and he's roughly shunted around until the ball is hatched. Shunting is not directed at a player because of his reputation, it's because he's delaying the free kick.
The referee's action should be immediate, bring the ball forward, no ref should indulge in protecting the player who's provoking the situation by delaying the free kick.
It's rare to see player take his  anger out on an official by pushing him angrily.
In this instance Joe Brolly is peddling a baseless argument but one which appeals to base emotions.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/it-was-like-watching-counsel-for-the-prosecution-joe-brolly-criticises-pat-spillane-as-diarmuid-connolly-row-reerupts-35865379.html

[yellowcard]

It can only be a positive that Dublin have declared a media ban, they were the masters at saying nothing anyway.

[The Hill is Blue]

Lots of discussion going on this morning about The Sunday Game panel and Brolly v Spillane etc but thought it was very interesting that Jim Gavin took it about himself to make such a stand against RTE, Sky and especially Pat Spillane.

Most people had accepted that Connolly was guilty of pushing the linesman and so deserved his 12 week ban. Gavin admitted that himself in his interview yesterday yet he still deemed it necessary to stand up for his player and use rather strange language like
"I have a duty of care for the player and I firmly believe there was an attack on his good name."

I don't know did he say that tongue in cheek or did he really believe that Diarmuid still has a good name.
Yes he's entitled to a fair hearing and not have his past failings be brought up and be held against him but I don't think anything that Spillane, O'Rourke and others said was in any way an attack on his good name. They simply told the truth that Diarmuid broke an important rule and that he has indeed been sent off a lot before and has had a charge of criminal conviction held up against him.

I think Gavin is using this now as a siege mentality tool to help motivate his squad for the summer ahead as it was a surprise to many that he came out fighting like this yesterday. He's usually a man who promotes how well his team play the game "the right way" so it seemed strange that he dug up all this stuff again and brought Connolly right back into the limelight again. Many would argue he should have just let sleeping dogs lie.

Then RTE go overboard last night bringing in Brolly and yes man Dolan to say Gavin had a point and that Spillane was out of order. We all know Brolly loves to stir the shit and especially when it involves Spillane who he has had many a spat with.

I would imagine it is a ploy by Gavin and the Dublin set up to gain leverage in the future that they are being picked on because the are always in the limelight and they get unfair biased treatment unlike other counties who can slide under the radar much easier when they do something wrong. It puts pressure on the CCCC to up their game and prove Gavin wrong.

This article sums it up perfectly for me and I wonder does Gavin actually want to weed Connolly out of his panel altogether now at this stage perhaps as every year it's the same shite for him to deal with.
https://www.balls.ie/gaa/jim-gavin-3-367859

That's a very nasty comment coming from someone who chooses to hide behind a nom de plume.

Amateur sportsmen should not have to endure personalised attacks from anonymous trolls.

[Tubberman]

Lots of discussion going on this morning about The Sunday Game panel and Brolly v Spillane etc but thought it was very interesting that Jim Gavin took it about himself to make such a stand against RTE, Sky and especially Pat Spillane.

Most people had accepted that Connolly was guilty of pushing the linesman and so deserved his 12 week ban. Gavin admitted that himself in his interview yesterday yet he still deemed it necessary to stand up for his player and use rather strange language like
"I have a duty of care for the player and I firmly believe there was an attack on his good name."

I don't know did he say that tongue in cheek or did he really believe that Diarmuid still has a good name.
Yes he's entitled to a fair hearing and not have his past failings be brought up and be held against him but I don't think anything that Spillane, O'Rourke and others said was in any way an attack on his good name. They simply told the truth that Diarmuid broke an important rule and that he has indeed been sent off a lot before and has had a charge of criminal conviction held up against him.

I think Gavin is using this now as a siege mentality tool to help motivate his squad for the summer ahead as it was a surprise to many that he came out fighting like this yesterday. He's usually a man who promotes how well his team play the game "the right way" so it seemed strange that he dug up all this stuff again and brought Connolly right back into the limelight again. Many would argue he should have just let sleeping dogs lie.

Then RTE go overboard last night bringing in Brolly and yes man Dolan to say Gavin had a point and that Spillane was out of order. We all know Brolly loves to stir the shit and especially when it involves Spillane who he has had many a spat with.

I would imagine it is a ploy by Gavin and the Dublin set up to gain leverage in the future that they are being picked on because the are always in the limelight and they get unfair biased treatment unlike other counties who can slide under the radar much easier when they do something wrong. It puts pressure on the CCCC to up their game and prove Gavin wrong.

This article sums it up perfectly for me and I wonder does Gavin actually want to weed Connolly out of his panel altogether now at this stage perhaps as every year it's the same shite for him to deal with.
https://www.balls.ie/gaa/jim-gavin-3-367859

That's a very nasty comment coming from from someone who chooses to hide behind a nom de plume.

Amateur sportsmen should not have to endure personalised attacks from anonymous trolls.

Oh save us the piety - you're as bad as St Jim!
Connolly's behaviour on and off the field is there for all to see.

[The Hill is Blue]

Lots of discussion going on this morning about The Sunday Game panel and Brolly v Spillane etc but thought it was very interesting that Jim Gavin took it about himself to make such a stand against RTE, Sky and especially Pat Spillane.

Most people had accepted that Connolly was guilty of pushing the linesman and so deserved his 12 week ban. Gavin admitted that himself in his interview yesterday yet he still deemed it necessary to stand up for his player and use rather strange language like
"I have a duty of care for the player and I firmly believe there was an attack on his good name."

I don't know did he say that tongue in cheek or did he really believe that Diarmuid still has a good name.
Yes he's entitled to a fair hearing and not have his past failings be brought up and be held against him but I don't think anything that Spillane, O'Rourke and others said was in any way an attack on his good name. They simply told the truth that Diarmuid broke an important rule and that he has indeed been sent off a lot before and has had a charge of criminal conviction held up against him.

I think Gavin is using this now as a siege mentality tool to help motivate his squad for the summer ahead as it was a surprise to many that he came out fighting like this yesterday. He's usually a man who promotes how well his team play the game "the right way" so it seemed strange that he dug up all this stuff again and brought Connolly right back into the limelight again. Many would argue he should have just let sleeping dogs lie.

Then RTE go overboard last night bringing in Brolly and yes man Dolan to say Gavin had a point and that Spillane was out of order. We all know Brolly loves to stir the shit and especially when it involves Spillane who he has had many a spat with.

I would imagine it is a ploy by Gavin and the Dublin set up to gain leverage in the future that they are being picked on because the are always in the limelight and they get unfair biased treatment unlike other counties who can slide under the radar much easier when they do something wrong. It puts pressure on the CCCC to up their game and prove Gavin wrong.

This article sums it up perfectly for me and I wonder does Gavin actually want to weed Connolly out of his panel altogether now at this stage perhaps as every year it's the same shite for him to deal with.
https://www.balls.ie/gaa/jim-gavin-3-367859

That's a very nasty comment coming from from someone who chooses to hide behind a nom de plume.

Amateur sportsmen should not have to endure personalised attacks from anonymous trolls.

Oh save us the piety - you're as bad as St Jim!
Connolly's behaviour on and off the field is there for all to see.

Says you - another anonymous troll.

[Fuzzman]

Are you for real "The hill is Blue"?

If you look Diarmuid up on Wiki it says:
Diarmuid Connolly (born 7 July 1987) is a Gaelic footballer and hurler with the St Vincents club who plays inter-county for Dublin. Connolly is known for his ability to score in difficult situations anywhere on the pitch. He is also regarded as one of the most talented players in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

In June 2017, Connolly received a 12-week ban after physical interference against linesman Ciaran Branagan during Dublin's win against Carlow in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Leinster Senior Football Championship.[3][4]

Personal Life
In 2014, Connolly was spared a possible jail sentence and a criminal conviction for an unprovoked attack on a man in a pub in August 2012 where Connolly fractured the victims eye socket.[5]

So if somebody from a different country knew nothing about him and his GAA career and they looked him up online they would probably come away thinking he sounds like a very talented footballer who has won loads of medals who has had interfered with an official and got a lengthy ban. He also has a criminal record.

Those are facts that are there in the public domain as black and white and not just opinion or hearsay.
Are you saying I am a troll now for simply stating the facts on a GAA discussion board?

I've met Diarmuid many times in the pub after Dublin games and know he can be quite the pleasant gentleman as they found out this weekend up in Donegal. I've defended him at times over how Lee Keegan targeted him last year and how referees often don't give him enough protection and that's when he takes the law into his own hands.

Are you saying you think Diarmuid Connolly still has a good name and is thought highly off in most circles?
I presume you know him personally and is why you are taking such exception to that part, which I can understand but I think most balanced Dubs would admit that Diarmuid has had a shady past but he's done a lot to right that.

[mup]

So what if they are anonymous?

The facts about Connolly speak for themselves. Just because he happens to be an inter-county footballer it doesn't grant him immunity.

[Syferus]

I'm sorry, but what has he done to right it, Fuzz? There's a straight line of indiscipline through his entire career.

[ashman]

Connolly broke the rules , was found guilty , appealed , the original verdict was unturned , he accepted .  Dublin are being utterly pathetic and this reeks of throwing the toys from the pram .

They will still win the AI and the gloating  will start about defiance and "beating the odds" . 

[J70]

Yes, no one is insinuating anything or making "revelations" under an internet pseudonym for which they can't be held accountable (at least in the immediate term). Connolly is an extraordinarily gifted, high profile, sportsman playing for the leading team in the country. He also has had public brushes with the law.
That's in the public domain. This is not somebody throwing some unsupported rumour up on the gaaboard (which has happened a number of times).

[Captain Scarlet]

Apart from a well known assault case off the pitch Connolly has a poor record on it. The arguememt for him seems to be dreging up any incident from an opposition team to justify anything he has ever done...
I know there is tribalism in the GAA but are Dubs not annoyed he keeps doing stupid shit?! Say what you like but he broke the rules and is now suspended for 12 weeks over a line ball!
What do the rest of the panel think, surely they must be sick of it all too.
The other thread where the clip of him dropping the knee v Kildare is just needless filth but that too has descended into dragging every similar incident up. Any Dub fan who can look at thst and defend it is fooling themselves.

[J70]

How does he get on in club football?

Do the mere mortals he comes up against at that level try to wind him up and provoke him?

Although I'd imagine he's often marked by Dublin colleagues and other intercounty players.