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I always had great time for Sean Kavanagh as a footballer despite all his sneaky antics over the years. He has the all stars and All Ireland's to back it up but the facts of the matter are Lee Keegan absolutely cleaned him out the last day.

Whether Keegan could have done this during Kavanaghs hay day I seriously doubt but unfortunately for Sean his best days are well behind him.

The whinging from him in the Irish Independent article is a bit embarrassing. In fairness to Mickey when he made his comments it was straight after the game and he probably didn't have time to compose himself but Kavanagh has had a couple of days to settle and he come's out with this shite.

I get the impression that after watching Mayo v Westmeath, Sean reckoned he was going to have a field day against Mayo as he dragged Kevin Keane around the field picking up handing frees as he hit the deck with the slightest touch but unfortunately for him the wrong Westport man picked him up. That's when plan B came into operation. Advice at half time seems to have been take a yellow with Keegan and he'll have to watch hi,self. Not a bad plan lads and has worked wonders for Sean in the past but unfortunately he was dealing with a different animal on Saturday and the plan totally backfired when Kavanagh couldn't resist the temptation of taking O'Shea out of it.

If anyone should feel hard done by here its Keegan. He gets on with the job in hand playing to the limit without mouthing or slobbering but has now finding himself a target of opposing teams as a result of whinging managers and lazy journalists.

What was Keegan meant to do on Saturday. Stand back and admire this once great player in the twilight of his career or mark him like every other defender is expected to do.

Last year he checked Connolly's run off the ball three or four times, he then dragged him to the ground in a headlock and got Connolly to react and get sent off. He picked up a second yellow against Galway last year when he was up to his old tricks with Damien Comer and he was at them with Cavanagh on Saturday. He is skilled and well versed in the dark arts but you seem to have the blinkers on in admitting this.

I think Cavanagh should just take it on the chin and get on with it but I'm sure had it been O'Shea who was sent off your viewpoint would have been a lot different.

Kerry have both mobility problems and pyschological problems when it comes to Dublin.

I would be very surprised if they beat them. I do think Kerry would beat Mayo in the final but at the same time I think Mayo have a much better chance of beating Dublin as they don't seem to have the same fear of Dublin that Kerry have at this time.

I was listening to newstalk off the ball this evening - they where really pushing the Tyrone and the dark arts theme again - was it that bad? Thought it was a strange angle on an intriguing game.

Its just the standard now at this stage.
Tyrone certainly did get in the face of Aidan o'se, and if they want to criticise that, i have no problem with that, but i dont know how you can single Tyrone out for the 'dark arts' when Lee Keegan spent the whole game trying to get Cavanagh the line.
Personally i dont like it, from either Tyrone or anyone else, but there are alot of pundits out there who need to either accept it as part of the game, or else or call all teams and players out for it, not just Tyrone & Donegal.

Bullshit. I was at the match. Coming out for the second half, Cavanagh shouldered into the back of Keegan as he had his back turned. Keegan reacted and grabbed his shirt, Cavanagh pulled him down on top of him and Keegan kept a hold on him. The opposite was what was going on, Cavanagh wanted Keegan sent off as he had him tucked in his back pocket and it was the only card, excuse the pun, Cavanagh had left to play. Gough gave him a chance from another tackle before he finally got his second yellow. The second yellow was probably unlucky as I think he was trying to hit the ball, but you put yourself in that situation, that's what happens.
"keegan" instigated it, is the same tired owl shite that the Dubs come out with every time Diarmuid Connolly loses the head with how annoying Keegan can be as a man marker who just wont go away. Some of these boys can give it, but they just cant take it.

There was an incident before that in the first half where keegan was grappling with cavanagh and actually had him by the leg and had it lifted up waist height. This happen right in front of the linesman, but again the referee went ove rand warned both players, instead of dealing with keegan.
Like i said, I dont deny Tyrone were at the same sort of stuff with O'se, but lets not try and pretend it doesnt go on with all teams, and especially in this game from keegan.
ull keegan down on top of him' Keegan had cavangh pFrom what i seen of the one at HT cavanagh didnt pinned to the floor by the neck.

Correct, there was an incident before half time where Keegan had his leg in front of linesman. But are you trying to say he just randomly caught a hold of Cavanaghs leg? No he bloody well didn't. Again it was Cavanagh who couldn't handle the fact that Keegan was never more then an inch away and tried to side him out of the way but Keegan was having none of it.

Same after ht .... as others have highlighted, Cavanagh shouldered Keegan in the back - unprovoked.

So could someone actually pick out something illegal that Keegan instigated .... Or else just tell precious Sean and Saint Mickey to shut up and take their medicine

Well that's a lie. Bit rich to lecture about not making things up when that is what you're doing.

Donegal and Tyrone fans who take the position that 'everyone is at it' fail to realise that THEY are the common denominator.
Other teams are at it when they play YOU because they know the level of jig-acting they're going to face.
We will see little or nothing of this sort of behaviour in the semi-finals.

The most posionous game last year was Dublin and Mayo. Free staters have a hypocrisy complex, all you have to do is look at how they view the 1916 rising in comparison to the troubles. They never want a fair fight, they are like Commodus in Gladiator, they want to fight a wounded opponent with all the advantages tipped in their favour and the biased media coverage they show against Ulster teams is as evident as the day is long.

Lee Keegan has been a common denominator in flash points in the past two years with Damien Comer, Diarmuid Connolly and Sean Cavanagh.

http://www.donegaldaily.com/2015/08/06/mayo-manager-worried-that-donegal-players-will-target-aidan-oshea/

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/football/eamonn-fitzmaurice-there-was-basically-rape-and-pillage-going-on-394851.html

http://www.98fm.com/reader/523.686/24508/0/

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/football/rory-gallagher-says-michael-murphy-targeted-331221.html

[throughout his career as he takes an awful lot of illegal interference when he carries the ball.]

Maybe your comprehension skills are poor but I've actually agreed that Cavanagh does it a lot in the very first few words in my previous post. He has had to grow wise to winning frees throughout his career as he takes an awful lot of illegal interference when he carries the ball.

You are right and we are all wrong, we had forgotten that the players should have parted to allow Cavanagh to carry on unimpeded.  How dare anyone attempt to tackle or hinder him.

Catch yourself on, Cavanagh was driving through and he always had two options, break the tackles and score/hand off for a score or get a free and score (see Aidan O'Shea).  He opted as he has frequently done when unable to break the tackle and tried to fool the officials by pulling the tackler down on top of himself.  Lucky not to get his marching orders at this stage for this offence. 

Cavanagh was frustrated on Saturday by his own inability to master his marker and get into the game, fair play to Keegan, he did his job and better, he outscored Cavanagh. It's sad for Cavanagh but that's how sport goes, you get older and your powers wane, what was possible before becomes much more difficult now and also they change the rules to get you. 

O'Rourke could get away with his punches in the days when the game was savage and often brutal, when being sent off was no bother, it was a badge of honour, and officials turned a blind eye, no media interference to worry about.  It was a world away from today's sanitised game where goading specific opposition players to their breaking point is planned and orchestrated as a team tactic.

Wow, that sort of hypocrisy is quite unbelievable.

O'Rourke could get away with punches when he was deliberately breaking the rules and attempting to injure or debilitate the opposition, that is far, far more serious than shouting in a guy's face. It's much more trampish and cowardly than goading the opposition and I think it tells the type of guy you are when you can accept that and not another.

Cavanagh was fouled a couple of times in the build up to pulling the arm in, he doesn't get much protection from referees, if anyone saw Peter Crowley hanging out of him last year then they know what he has to put up with on a regular basis. As usual, the media like to pick out Sean Cavanagh for specific treatment, I didn't see the same uproar when Gavin moaned about Connolly being targetted or Rory Gallagher moaned about Michael Murphy being targetted or Fitzmaurice with Kieran Donaghy or Connelly last year on Aidan O'Shea.

The different that Tyrone are viewed in similar instances to other sides continues and there are none so blind as those who bury their heads and deny it happens.

Forget it Bomber, you'll never understand.

I guess I won't.

Punching an unsuspecting victim is not manly, it is anything but honest. But loads of people tend to hark back to the days when they could get away with this.

The goalposts have changed, violence was the underhand action to get a player off his game, now with video evidence it has turned to provocation.

The hierarchy of gamesmanship makes me laugh.

One particular incident that showed this up was Brolly's meltdown over Sean Cavanagh in 2013. In the match which followed that game, Michael Shields deliberately handled the ball on the goal line to prevent a Dublin goal, the difference was Shields definitely stopped a goal being scored by deliberately breaking a rule. Dublin got no score out of said incident, in contrast to that of Cavanagh, we don't know for sure McManus would have scored, they got a free, Cavanagh got a yellow and Monaghan got a point. The Shields incident wasn't even really discussed bar from saying it was a penalty. What was worse with what Cavanagh did?

There are certain things which for some bizarre reason are treated with much greater contempt despite the fact that the act being carried out is for the same impact with the same cynical intent.

Funny thing about the Brolly meltdown is that the tackle made by Cavanagh on McManus was one that many, many players would have done. For me the time he grabbed Darren Hughes Arm and pulled him to the ground only for Hughes to get booked was far worse in my opinion as it is something you have to practice to perfect.

I agree and Cavanagh is a big culprit in holding the arm in when being tackled. However a lot of the time I think it's to do with bringing a foul to the attention of the ref. For instance on Saturday where he got the free given against him for it, he was definitely fouled by Keegan moments before so decided when the hand went in next time he would get his free.

Are you actually serious? Cavanagh is at that all he time and I was glad to see the ref give the free against him for it on Saturday

Maybe your comprehension skills are poor but I've actually agreed that Cavanagh does it a lot in the very first few words in my previous post. He has had to grow wise to winning frees throughout his career as he takes an awful lot of illegal interference when he carries the ball. He should have had a free before he locked Keegan's arm in on Saturday.

Forget it Bomber, you'll never understand.

I guess I won't.

Punching an unsuspecting victim is not manly, it is anything but honest. But loads of people tend to hark back to the days when they could get away with this.

The goalposts have changed, violence was the underhand action to get a player off his game, now with video evidence it has turned to provocation.

The hierarchy of gamesmanship makes me laugh.

One particular incident that showed this up was Brolly's meltdown over Sean Cavanagh in 2013. In the match which followed that game, Michael Shields deliberately handled the ball on the goal line to prevent a Dublin goal, the difference was Shields definitely stopped a goal being scored by deliberately breaking a rule. Dublin got no score out of said incident, in contrast to that of Cavanagh, we don't know for sure McManus would have scored, they got a free, Cavanagh got a yellow and Monaghan got a point. The Shields incident wasn't even really discussed bar from saying it was a penalty. What was worse with what Cavanagh did?

There are certain things which for some bizarre reason are treated with much greater contempt despite the fact that the act being carried out is for the same impact with the same cynical intent.

Funny thing about the Brolly meltdown is that the tackle made by Cavanagh on McManus was one that many, many players would have done. For me the time he grabbed Darren Hughes Arm and pulled him to the ground only for Hughes to get booked was far worse in my opinion as it is something you have to practice to perfect.

I agree and Cavanagh is a big culprit in holding the arm in when being tackled. However a lot of the time I think it's to do with bringing a foul to the attention of the ref. For instance on Saturday where he got the free given against him for it, he was definitely fouled by Keegan moments before so decided when the hand went in next time he would get his free.

Who did Colm O'Rourke sucker punch?

"If a back was giving me a lot of hassle and there was nothing being done about it I often let him go out in front for the ball and, just at the right moment, I'd give him an unmerciful box behind the ear."

Colm O'Rourke.

" ... in a League play-off against Down in '93 I gave DJ Kane a box in the mouth which drew some blood and he wondered out loud for the rest of the match whether the incident would be on television that night or in the Sunday Tribune the following Sunday. "

Colm O'Rourke

McNamee was excellent last year but he's been very poor this year.

Don't get some of the flak going McCarron's way, thought he had a good game and was one of the players who really tried to push us over the line near the end.

The weaknesses now are obvious, we lack a target man in the full forward line, Cavanagh is more comfortable out the pitch and does his best work there. I'd really like to Niall McKenna given an extended run there or Danny McNulty get a go.

The free taking issue is a serious on, teams know where they can foul us and get away lightly. Sadly I don't really see much of a solution here.

I can't think of many players who will add to the team now that aren't there. I'd imagine Joe McMahon is done now, would hope Justy and Sean Cavanagh give it another year.

Mark Kavanagh is a very classy player, think he will get a chance next year. How is Conan Grugan going for Omagh these days, would he warrant a recall?

Forget it Bomber, you'll never understand.

It's not down to understanding, it is a continued defence of trampish behaviour that is both organised and accepted as part of the team tactic, e.g. Justin McMahon on Michael Murphy in Ballybofey was one of the most disgusting examples of a plan organised by members of the team management and a player willing to implement.

Sucker punching an opponent is the definition of trampish behaviour.

Forget it Bomber, you'll never understand.

I guess I won't.

Punching an unsuspecting victim is not manly, it is anything but honest. But loads of people tend to hark back to the days when they could get away with this.

The goalposts have changed, violence was the underhand action to get a player off his game, now with video evidence it has turned to provocation.

The hierarchy of gamesmanship makes me laugh.

One particular incident that showed this up was Brolly's meltdown over Sean Cavanagh in 2013. In the match which followed that game, Michael Shields deliberately handled the ball on the goal line to prevent a Dublin goal, the difference was Shields definitely stopped a goal being scored by deliberately breaking a rule. Dublin got no score out of said incident, in contrast to that of Cavanagh, we don't know for sure McManus would have scored, they got a free, Cavanagh got a yellow and Monaghan got a point. The Shields incident wasn't even really discussed bar from saying it was a penalty. What was worse with what Cavanagh did?

There are certain things which for some bizarre reason are treated with much greater contempt despite the fact that the act being carried out is for the same impact with the same cynical intent.

The reaction of some people on here to 'sledging' shows that all is fair game. There is an element of it in most teams but there are a few teams that seem to use it as an organised tactic. Tyrone, Donegal, Dublin a few years back. It's wrong. I know my own club has been involved in it but I don't agree with it. There has to be clear stance on it by the refs and rule makers. The one thing I think we have prided ourselves on over the years is the 'honesty' and 'manliness' of our games. I believe a lot of that has been eroded. Maybe we children of 80's and 90's football have rose tinted outlooks but there is an ever increasing sleaziness creeping into the game. I frankly don't like it and don't care if people think I'm talking bollix. It's there and it's not nice. I played in a win at all costs team but never relied on gutter sniping to win a game. I often answered someone but it was just on response to a verbal attack.

What was honest or manly about the likes of Colm O'Rourke sucker punching lads in the head?

What i am saying is years ago mouthing lead to the violence, stricter penalties on striking as seen this reduced but not the lead cause of men leading to strike, in most cases mouthing.

So does pulling jersey off the ball, kicking heels, shouldering into lads after they've given a foul away. How many times was Aidan O'Shea slapping away at a lad on the ground after a free had been given on Saturday? There are many ways to provoke a player, the hierarchy of gamesmanship is a bit weird.

There were lads on here going into hysteria over Neil McGee bending a fella's finger back a few months back when there were far worse acts happening every other week on the field.

I would rather have some lad roaring in my face than giving me sly digs in the ribs, clipping my heels or trodding on my toes off the ball. It is relatively harmless if it's just pretty banal insults and trash talk, if it something more sinister then its out of order.

This type of mouthing  which we see now on a regular basis, Donegal and Tyrone been the prime offenders didnt go on year ago, there be a quick comment but no regular harassment through the game. Reason been a player back then didn't think twice about hitting a man, McKeever on T Ryan, McGilligan on G Ryan, M Lyons on anybody, P`O Se etc, if you continually kept on at players you knew you were going to get hit and hit seriously legally or not. Half these hard men these days would shut up pretty quick if they knew there antics would entail a visit to the local dentist

So you are saying that

Mouthing = bad
Violence = good

Bizarre logic.