Should Tyrone speak to RTE

[Jayop]

I want to know what Collie Holmes' sleeping habits are that require him getting a room himself!

Probably just snoring. I know you wouldn't want to share a room with me the night before you play in an all Ireland.

[imtommygunn]

Could be that sleep apnia. I once shared a room with a mate with this and rooming with someone who you think could die imminently isn't good for your sleep patterns either!

[seafoid]

Peter Canavan: All of Tyrone united behind RTE ban

August 24 2018

If you have never been there then it is hard to judge. So if Mickey Harte decides that he doesn't want to deal with RTE after a tasteless sketch on radio then I think Tyrone people are okay with that. Being honest, whether the Tyrone football team co-operate with the broadcaster is not something that I consumes us in the county.

Probably the only surprise about this whole episode was that it became a story this week. Monday's statement only confirmed what we already knew. RTE were not welcome in Garvaghey. That's been the way of things since 2011.

Confusion reigned over the leaking of the letter to RTE regarding Brian Carthy's role, and whatever your take on that, the sketch was wrong. Plain and simple. I think there's a broad acceptance of that.

In Mickey's eyes, the response after that was inadequate. You can only imagine the pain he was going through at the time and how much worse that made things. The aftermath wasn't dealt with in a satisfactory manner so Mickey felt he had to make a stand. I think people here know he's a principled man and they admire him for that. People know what Mickey and his family have gone through and fully understand his decision.

So, in truth, the news was there was no news. RTE breathed life into a non-story with their statement. It was released at just the same time the Tyrone All-Ireland press day was kicking off.

You could say that seeing as we are preparing for an All-Ireland final they had to clarify their position with relation to their coverage of the biggest game of the year. However, if you were of a more sinister mind, you could interpret the statement, and in particular its timing, as something designed to put pressure on Mickey and the team.

I know there were moves afoot a few years ago to try and bring the dispute to an end. Mickey wasn't for moving and the players followed suit. They went to the county board and told them they were going to stand behind Mickey. It's not like they are being made to do this against their will. It was out of a sense of loyalty to their manager.

And once you are out of that group, then you're free to do what you want. You see that with a few former Tyrone footballers working with RTE in a variety of guises. And I know Mickey has no issue with those players now.

I've been asked a few times if this row is part of an ongoing unease between Tyrone football and RTE that can be traced back to the 'puke football' comment and on to the 'following them around like a bad smell' line from Colm O'Rourke and maybe a few other barbs in between.

And there probably are those who feel Tyrone are regularly on the receiving end, whether this is due to their disengagement with RTE or their style of football, one never knows.

Honestly, I think, as a county, we are past that. We know now that when you are at the top table, people talk about you in very different ways. It just comes with the territory. You can see a bit of that in the way the conversation around this Dublin team has changed. For many, the top dogs are there to have their chain yanked.

There's a new man at the top of RTE sport now in Declan McBennett, who is of a GAA pedigree. His initial soundbites have been positive. He's come out and stated that personal attacks won't be tolerated. And maybe time will help heal that wound but it really hasn't been given much oxygen in the county this week. It seems like it's a bigger issue for other parts of the island than for Tyrone.

We're more interested in getting ready for the game. Mickey has proven down through the years that he's a master of getting his team right for the biggest days. And he has a track record of pulling something different out of the hat and when it comes to All-Ireland finals. This final puts two of the great modern managers against each other. Mickey is sitting on a three wins from three record in finals. Jim Gavin's is even better, having won all four of the deciders he's been in.

And these are the weeks where management teams earn their corn. When you're a player, you can only fine tune at this stage. Managers, however, are presented with a whole new set of problems and how they deal with them is key.

And the RTE row, along with distributing match tickets and organising post-match banquets and all the other little extras that come with a final, are all just distractions. In these weeks, small things can become big things quite quickly. I remember I got caught up a little with the ticket scramble before the 1995 All-Ireland final. You spend the week before the match trying to please everyone and make sure they're sorted. In that scenario, you're only wasting valuable energy.

There'll be loads of different personalties to handle this week. I have seen lads who are hyper in the build-up to a big game, other lads will be relaxed. A few will just want to be left alone with their thoughts. It's up to the manager to handle his group as he sees fit.

I see Limerick chose to travel up on the train the morning of their final. That's obviously what John Kiely felt would work for his lads. I heard Brendan Cummins tell a story about how, before an All-Ireland final, he heard the floodlights were going to be switched on. He hadn't planned for that and he said it threw him for a while.

With Tyrone back in 2005, Collie Holmes used to get a room of his own because of his sleeping habits. That's not something you want to learn when you're trying to get some rest the night before an All-Ireland final. They are small things but they're vital too.

Nervous energy will be coursing through lads and it can put you in strange situations. The day before the '05 decider, myself and a few others went for a few holes of golf. That game ended when Brian McGuigan drove a buggy into a pond in CityWest. The fact that Kevin Hughes was in the passenger seat might explain the mishap.

I read this week that in the hours before the 2008 final, Colm Cavanagh and Tyrone's sub keeper at the time, Johnny Curran, went for a few games of tennis. I know a lot of teams play cards when they are in camp. But you don't need someone losing a week's wages the night before the game either. Those are some of the little, seemingly innocuous things that can quickly become detrimental to the team if they aren't managed correctly.

And that's what both managers will be trying to do over the next week and a bit. They'll look to remove the variables, foresee any problems and head them off.

There's hundreds of little decisions to be made and whether management get them right or wrong will go a long way towards deciding whether their team plays to its potential on the big day.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/tyrone/peter-canavan-all-of-tyrone-united-behind-rte-ban-37246496.html

« 
It seems like it's a bigger issue for other parts of the island than for Tyrone.« 

Maybe the board is different

[ONeill]

I want to know what Collie Holmes' sleeping habits are that require him getting a room himself!

Sleeps in Armagh pyjamas.

[BennyCake]

I want to know what Collie Holmes' sleeping habits are that require him getting a room himself!

Sleeps in Armagh pyjamas.

Maybe the missus insists on it. Otherwise no action!

[omagh_gael]

I want to know what Collie Holmes' sleeping habits are that require him getting a room himself!

Sleeps in Armagh pyjamas.

There's grounds to remove his AI medals for thon.

[RedHand88]

Tg4 tonight aired a show that RTE could only dream of. The production value was excellent and it really articulated the ups and downs of that extraordinary group of players.
This is a proper build-up to the all Ireland.

[Gold]

Fanstastic programme

What Tyrone have went through is harrowing

Harte is some man

[Owenmoresider]

Tg4 tonight aired a show that RTE could only dream of. The production value was excellent and it really articulated the ups and downs of that extraordinary group of players.
This is a proper build-up to the all Ireland.

Missed the early part of it so will have to watch it again,but it was an excellent production for sure.

[lenny]

Tg4 tonight aired a show that RTE could only dream of. The production value was excellent and it really articulated the ups and downs of that extraordinary group of players.
This is a proper build-up to the all Ireland.

It was a good enought program but that is just a ridiculous claim and shows the incredible bias tyrone people have developed against rte. When harte goes over the next couple of years the rte boycott will very quickly be forgotten about.

[RedHand88]

Tg4 tonight aired a show that RTE could only dream of. The production value was excellent and it really articulated the ups and downs of that extraordinary group of players.
This is a proper build-up to the all Ireland.

It was a good enought program but that is just a ridiculous claim and shows the incredible bias tyrone people have developed against rte. When harte goes over the next couple of years the rte boycott will very quickly be forgotten about.

It was fitting that the only negative clip from the show was a clip from RTE.

[Jayop]

Very true and it was the only mistake they made leaving that bitter old bollox in there.

[seafoid]

Tyrone football is a personality cult built around the great helmsman in the great patriotic war against RTE. You could see it last year when Sean Cavanagh said a few things. The county runs a system of juche or media self reliance  It is only when Kim Jung Mickey goes that free speech will be possible.

[BennyHarp]

Tyrone football is a personality cult built around the great helmsman in the great patriotic war against RTE. You could see it last year when Sean Cavanagh said a few things. The county runs a system of juche or media self reliance  It is only when Kim Jung Mickey goes that free speech will be possible.

Wtf are you on about?

[Jayop]

Tyrone football is a personality cult built around the great helmsman in the great patriotic war against RTE. You could see it last year when Sean Cavanagh said a few things. The county runs a system of juche or media self reliance  It is only when Kim Jung Mickey goes that free speech will be possible.

Wtf are you on about?

Not worth asking.