The Sunday Game

[Ciarrai_thuaidh]

1. Aidan O'Shea's dive is indefensible and any of this "oh it was coming to us" stuff is horsesh*t. I would favour a 2 strike - 1 match ban policy with feigning injury at this point before things get worse and young lads start to think (know?) you can get away with it. If a guy has a once off brainfart and does something stupid, fair enough. If he does it twice in the same year though, 1 match ban.

2. No, Aidan O'Shea is not the first or only player that has done this. Aidan O'Mahony from my own county went down embarassingly in 2008 against Cork (having received a light smack in the face). Don't think he did anything like it again thankfully. There have been many other instances of it. Peter Canavan headbutted Mike McCarthy's arm in 2003 and got him booked in another example.

3. Il Bomber and anyone else with a Tyrone persecution complex need to catch themselves on. McCann has copped himself on this year which is good to see, but that dive last year was awful AND is worse than what O'Shea did as it had 1 purpose - to get a man red carded. So Mickey Harte or anyone else moaning about it still is only embarassing themselves.

4. Where Il Bomber does have a point is that, yes Whelan was a thug who mysteriously avoided around 10 red cards in his career. He isn't the worst analyst in my opinion but yes he's totally biased when it comes to Dubin. I blame RTE for that though. no guy should have anything to do with a game their own county is playing. RTE have this annoying habit of doing just that. Martin Carney co-comentating on Mayo and Donegal games for example (Tommy Carr and himself are insufferable no matter who is playing, "it must be said"  )

[From the Bunker]

1. Aidan O'Shea's dive is indefensible and any of this "oh it was coming to us" stuff is horsesh*t. I would favour a 2 strike - 1 match ban policy with feigning injury at this point before things get worse and young lads start to think (know?) you can get away with it. If a guy has a once off brainfart and does something stupid, fair enough. If he does it twice in the same year though, 1 match ban.

2. No, Aidan O'Shea is not the first or only player that has done this. Aidan O'Mahony from my own county went down embarassingly in 2008 against Cork (having received a light smack in the face). Don't think he did anything like it again thankfully. There have been many other instances of it. Peter Canavan headbutted Mike McCarthy's arm in 2003 and got him booked in another example.

3. Il Bomber and anyone else with a Tyrone persecution complex need to catch themselves on. McCann has copped himself on this year which is good to see, but that dive last year was awful AND is worse than what O'Shea did as it had 1 purpose - to get a man red carded. So Mickey Harte or anyone else moaning about it still is only embarassing themselves.

4. Where Il Bomber does have a point is that, yes Whelan was a thug who mysteriously avoided around 10 red cards in his career. He isn't the worst analyst in my opinion but yes he's totally biased when it comes to Dubin. I blame RTE for that though. no guy should have anything to do with a game their own county is playing. RTE have this annoying habit of doing just that. Martin Carney co-comentating on Mayo and Donegal games for example (Tommy Carr and himself are insufferable no matter who is playing, "it must be said"  )

Don't forget the King of the Dive - JOD! He though us a thing or two in Limerick in 2014. Not to mention last years Munster final.

[omaghjoe]

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.

Dont agree Zulu for a start didnt a Tyrone player get a yellow for diving in last years semi, even tho he didnt dive?
Sly fouling and impeding an opponent is the cause of this, the ref doesnt see it so the player goes down to demonstrate to him it is.
Simple question Why is one worse than the other?

I think there is more of a tolerance for it because its always been there, and I even at the pleasure of being coached how to do this at the dark arts academy up here in Tyrone.
Funny thing is tho I often encountered it outside of Tyrone as well, and know I know that these fellas knew how to do it without the aid of the dark arts academy just done it instinctively no coaching required

[omaghjoe]

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?

Its reached breaking point, the people have had enough and there is going to be a revolution.

[Zulu]

Not sure I follow OJ. I would say off the ball pulling and dragging has reduced and lads are coached to tackle and defend properly more often now. Anyway, are we now saying if defenders foul it's ok for forwards to dive? If so, where does that lead us?

Defenders used to pull the jersey and forwards used to grab a defenders arm and pull him down and while neither are right I think both are short of players diving with minimal contact. If diving becomes the norm then football will become as unwatchable as soccer.

[Il Bomber Destro]

3. Il Bomber and anyone else with a Tyrone persecution complex need to catch themselves on. McCann has copped himself on this year which is good to see, but that dive last year was awful AND is worse than what O'Shea did as it had 1 purpose - to get a man red carded. So Mickey Harte or anyone else moaning about it still is only embarassing themselves.

Not the point.

McCann's may have been the worst dive you will ever see but a dive is a dive.

There has been a huge difference between the way McCann (and Tyrone) are treated when they were out of line compared to everyone else.

When Tyrone step out of line they are savaged, the track record of misdemeanors, including incidents which are hotly contested, last years  incident in the minor game where some horrendous accusations were leveled at two Tyrone minors were proven to be incorrect but it didn't stop people bandying it about.

Dublin, Kerry or Mayo, do not have their litany of transgressions brought out when they cross the line and there is a fairly big list of them too over the past number of years. When it comes to media reporting on the GAA, there is one rule for Tyrone and another rule for everyone else. Certain teams seem to be guarded from any sort of criticism or highlighting of their untoward ways, fair play to Brolly on calling O'Rourke out on his very obvious bias towards Kerry the other week.

The most disgraceful incident I saw in last year's championship was the disgusting attempt from Johnny Cooper to do Diarmuid O'Connor - it barely got a mention, Whelan passing it off as not a big issue.

[omaghjoe]

Not sure I follow OJ. I would say off the ball pulling and dragging has reduced and lads are coached to tackle and defend properly more often now. Anyway, are we now saying if defenders foul it's ok for forwards to dive? If so, where does that lead us?

Defenders used to pull the jersey and forwards used to grab a defenders arm and pull him down and while neither are right I think both are short of players diving with minimal contact. If diving becomes the norm then football will become as unwatchable as soccer.

Why?

[trileacman]

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?

Its reached breaking point, the people have had enough and there is going to be a revolution.

It's the end of the neoliberal.

[Stall the Bailer]

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.

Sorry but I totally disagree with that. It is the responsibility of ever GAA member for the promotion and integrity of our games.

[Ciarrai_thuaidh]

1. Aidan O'Shea's dive is indefensible and any of this "oh it was coming to us" stuff is horsesh*t. I would favour a 2 strike - 1 match ban policy with feigning injury at this point before things get worse and young lads start to think (know?) you can get away with it. If a guy has a once off brainfart and does something stupid, fair enough. If he does it twice in the same year though, 1 match ban.

2. No, Aidan O'Shea is not the first or only player that has done this. Aidan O'Mahony from my own county went down embarassingly in 2008 against Cork (having received a light smack in the face). Don't think he did anything like it again thankfully. There have been many other instances of it. Peter Canavan headbutted Mike McCarthy's arm in 2003 and got him booked in another example.

3. Il Bomber and anyone else with a Tyrone persecution complex need to catch themselves on. McCann has copped himself on this year which is good to see, but that dive last year was awful AND is worse than what O'Shea did as it had 1 purpose - to get a man red carded. So Mickey Harte or anyone else moaning about it still is only embarassing themselves.

4. Where Il Bomber does have a point is that, yes Whelan was a thug who mysteriously avoided around 10 red cards in his career. He isn't the worst analyst in my opinion but yes he's totally biased when it comes to Dubin. I blame RTE for that though. no guy should have anything to do with a game their own county is playing. RTE have this annoying habit of doing just that. Martin Carney co-comentating on Mayo and Donegal games for example (Tommy Carr and himself are insufferable no matter who is playing, "it must be said"  )

Don't forget the King of the Dive - JOD! He though us a thing or two in Limerick in 2014. Not to mention last years Munster final.

You and your lot really need to move on from Reilly-gate, for your own good. And by the way, there was no dive from O'Donoghue in that game, but I suppose there's no point even talking to you.

[Ciarrai_thuaidh]

3. Il Bomber and anyone else with a Tyrone persecution complex need to catch themselves on. McCann has copped himself on this year which is good to see, but that dive last year was awful AND is worse than what O'Shea did as it had 1 purpose - to get a man red carded. So Mickey Harte or anyone else moaning about it still is only embarassing themselves.

Not the point.

McCann's may have been the worst dive you will ever see but a dive is a dive.

There has been a huge difference between the way McCann (and Tyrone) are treated when they were out of line compared to everyone else.

When Tyrone step out of line they are savaged, the track record of misdemeanors, including incidents which are hotly contested, last years  incident in the minor game where some horrendous accusations were leveled at two Tyrone minors were proven to be incorrect but it didn't stop people bandying it about.

Dublin, Kerry or Mayo, do not have their litany of transgressions brought out when they cross the line and there is a fairly big list of them too over the past number of years. When it comes to media reporting on the GAA, there is one rule for Tyrone and another rule for everyone else. Certain teams seem to be guarded from any sort of criticism or highlighting of their untoward ways, fair play to Brolly on calling O'Rourke out on his very obvious bias towards Kerry the other week.

The most disgraceful incident I saw in last year's championship was the disgusting attempt from Johnny Cooper to do Diarmuid O'Connor - it barely got a mention, Whelan passing it off as not a big issue.

But it IS the point. McCann attempted to get an opponent red carded (successfully). That is the worst type of what we are talking about here. That is much worse than what AOS did although both are disgusting to see. And yes, Tyrone got pilloried last year because they were doing an inordinate amount of acting the Boll*x. Get over it. More than any other team, Dublin included.
THIS year, they have cut nearly all of that out it seems and are better off for it. Concentrating on football, but playing hard and on the edge at the same time. THAT is absolutely to be lauded, so i don't get Mickey going back into last year's instances, moaning about McNulty looking for a penalty against Kerry etc.

I guess everyone is going to stand up for their own county and I wouldn't expect any Tyrone fan to contradict Harte much, so not expecting you to agree with me, but it doesn't really matter that much.

[Wildweasel74]

What would Meath of the late 80`s make of these bunch of pussy foot cheaters and pansies that lie down now a day from slightest contact, they've re a blight on the gaa,

[Zulu]

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.

Sorry but I totally disagree with that. It is the responsibility of ever GAA member for the promotion and integrity of our games.

I agree 100%, the above is a quote from Billy Joe Padden.

[Zulu]

Not sure I follow OJ. I would say off the ball pulling and dragging has reduced and lads are coached to tackle and defend properly more often now. Anyway, are we now saying if defenders foul it's ok for forwards to dive? If so, where does that lead us?

Defenders used to pull the jersey and forwards used to grab a defenders arm and pull him down and while neither are right I think both are short of players diving with minimal contact. If diving becomes the norm then football will become as unwatchable as soccer.

Why?

Well I certainly agree the forward grabbing the arm is very annoying and pulling a jersey is a foul but they would fall under the 'cute' category that exists in all contact sports I imagine. They can also both be punished if caught whereas diving is simply cheating in a way that reflects poorly on the sport, makes the game more difficult to ref and often results in the wrong player getting punished.

If you push a guy in the back to get the ball you are technically cheating to gain an advantage but to me that is not comparable to diving, likewise pulling a jersey or a defenders arm. If it is for you then fair enough but if a kid takes a bar of chocolate and a stockbroker takes peoples pensions both are technically stealing but only one is shamefully.

[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.

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.

The point of the posters that defended Lynn in this incident said that he was poked in the eye and went down - which would be a sort of natural reaction to getting poked in the eye. The video is conclusive that he was not poked in the eye. There is no need to go down - crouched or not -  from the contact made by the Down player in this video.