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Messages - Cyril Farrell fan

#76
Cats whipped into frenzy over phantom controversy

By Tommy Conlon
Sunday September 16 2012

Judging by the reaction, Joe Canning may well be wondering if instead of criticising Henry Shefflin, he might've been better off slagging the Prophet Muhammad.

Peace be upon him. The Prophet, that is, not Joe. Scratch that. The Prophet and Joe. Actually, the Prophet and Joe and Henry too. Peace be upon them all.

But unfortunately it might be a bit late for peace. There are unconfirmed reports this weekend that the citizens of Kilkenny have taken any photo they could find of Canning and are batin' it to a pulp with their shoes. Anger is rising. Effigies are being burned. Armed uprisings are spreading like wildfire across the middle east, from Ballyragget to Mullinavat. Fears are mounting that they are getting ready to march on Eyre Square. Galway people intending to visit the Marble City for stag parties, or indeed hen nights, are being strongly advised not to travel. Or, if they must, to pretend they're from Mayo.

The Government, meanwhile, is putting emergency plans in place. Diplomatic manoeuvres are under way. The FCA is said to be on standby. Mary Robinson is organising a high-powered delegation. She will, if necessary, conduct truce talks with Kilkenny's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei Cody. Peace be upon him too.

Dear, oh dear, oh dear. Sigh. Deep sigh. The reaction has been so far over the top it has come down the other side and met itself coming back. Eddie Keher reportedly pronounced himself "horrified" by the remarks. Now, Eddie must have led a fairly sheltered life if Canning's comments were enough to horrify him. What word would he use then to describe the Rwandan genocide?

Calling the lost luggage department: a suitcase of perspective has gone missing, and a bag of proportion too. In fairness, several media outlets also lost both items in their coverage. The headlines and reportage grotesquely exaggerated the content of Canning's remarks, and their putative consequences. And reporters then wonder why players routinely serve up useless platitudes whenever they're interviewed. It's for precisely this reason.

The Irish Independent misquoted Canning with their front- page splash. It was done for maximum effect, right under the masthead: YOU'RE 'UNSPORTING' CANNING TELLS SHEFFLIN. Canning said nothing of the sort. Rather, he'd complained at a press promotion on Wednesday about one specific incident from the game last Sunday. Referee Barry Kelly had awarded Galway a free for a foul on Damien Hayes. Shefflin, explained Canning, ran 30 or 40 yards to remonstrate with Kelly and Hayes. "That's not sportsmanlike," he added.

To repeat: Canning was criticising Shefflin for one specific incident. He wasn't saying that Shefflin was an unsporting player. This isn't some abstract matter of semantics. The difference is important. One is about an incident, a single moment. The other is about a player's character; it suggests that the player's behaviour on the field is habitually unsporting. Canning did not say this about Shefflin. No one in their right mind would say it about a man of Shefflin's class. He is obviously a thoroughly honourable sportsman.

But Henry is not a saint either. He is a flesh-and-blood mortal. He is not beyond criticism. Even the most decent and disciplined of players can lose themselves momentarily in the heat of battle. Given the reaction in Kilkenny, however, Canning could be forgiven for thinking that he's insulted the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, rolled into one.

It should be said that Shefflin's supporters have reason to defend their man here. Because Canning was wrong to criticise him on this score. A player giving out to a referee and an opponent isn't news. There was nothing exceptional or objectionable about it whatsoever. The example he gave concerning Shefflin was made in a broader context. Kilkenny, he said, were "a bit cuter" at manipulating the referee; they "influenced" frees. It was if anything a backhanded compliment. And if he's right, you'd expect nothing less from multiple champions anyway.

Perhaps he was suggesting that Shefflin uses his aura -- his halo, so to speak -- to pressurise referees. But presumably that's one of the perks of being a legend. It'd be an awful waste of an aura if he didn't. Joe might one day try shining his own halo in front of a referee, to see if it works.

But he had no grounds for complaint on this occasion. And Shefflin was entitled to the defence advanced by his many spokesmen in Kilkenny; they just didn't have to start slapping their heads and tearing their garments.

Canning also revealed that his marker, JJ Delaney, wasn't best pleased when Shefflin opted to point the late penalty rather than go for goal. He obviously heard Delaney's reaction. The gist of it was that "JJ wasn't too impressed!" This was clearly said in a joking manner. No offence was intended at all. But again it was jumped on by the media and inflated into a phantom controversy.

One would guess that what Canning implied here, but didn't say, was that Delaney probably fucked the head off Shefflin for not winning them the match there and then. He wouldn't be the first member of a full-back line to swear at his forwards for missing a vital score. There was no more to it than that.

On Thursday morning, Shefflin woke up to some unflattering headlines. But Canning woke up to them too. And ultimately it was he, not Henry, who'd been screwed.

thecouch@independent.ie

- Tommy Conlon
#77
Birr must be in a big decline? It wasn't so long ago they were dominating Offaly and an annual contender for the All Ireland club.
#78
General discussion / Re: Barking Dogs
September 10, 2012, 05:23:48 PM
Shoot him!
Only joking. Rat poison is better.

#79
Hurling Discussion / Re: Na Cait v Gaillimh, AIF 9 Sept
September 10, 2012, 03:14:40 PM
Quote from: Asal Mor on September 10, 2012, 02:40:12 PM
Quote from: Cyril Farrell fan on September 10, 2012, 02:32:16 PM
I was delighted when he took the point.
His real chance to win the game was a few minutes after when he stuck a simple chance wide.

CFF - What was the mood of the Galway folowers after the game? I thought it was a great result considering we didn't really get going in the second half at all.


Mixed emotions. Having been 7 points up, there was a feeling that we lost a great chance.
On the other hand, KK got level with us with 20 to go and didn't pull away.
There was mayhem when Joe put over equalizer, though people were happy for the final whistle to blow too.

People had dismissed the Leinster final as a fluke, but yesterday was Kilkenny trying their hardest.

Galway people are now looking at Kilkenny and seeing weaknesses. The more we thought about it after, the more we felt Galway could learn a lot for the replay.
As the pints flowed, every one of us agreed that Joe Canning would have gone for goal and scored it with the late penalty.

Henry could have won an All Ireland on his own with 1-1 at the end but he didn't...or he couldn't. Kilkenny are fallible!
#80
Hurling Discussion / Re: Na Cait v Gaillimh, AIF 9 Sept
September 10, 2012, 02:32:16 PM
I was delighted when he took the point.
His real chance to win the game was a few minutes after when he stuck a simple chance wide.
#81
Hurling Discussion / Re: Looking for S.H.C. Final Tickets
September 10, 2012, 12:03:18 PM
Quote from: spuds on September 10, 2012, 11:57:44 AM
Quote from: Cyril Farrell fan on September 10, 2012, 11:49:39 AM
Tickets reduced!
€50 and €25 for the replay.
A good gesture given the economic climate.
Dublin taxi drivers will not be impressed, what can they complain about now with the GAA !
They'll find some other reason to complain.
I saw on Facebook some mother from Donegal was going mad because her children weren't getting reduced price tickets for the All Ireland. There were hundreds of responses. Lots of them complaining about the "grab all association".


#82
GAA Discussion / Re: Price reductions for replays
September 10, 2012, 11:50:50 AM
Reduced to €50 and €25 for the hurling replay.
#83
Hurling Discussion / Re: Looking for S.H.C. Final Tickets
September 10, 2012, 11:49:39 AM
Tickets reduced!
€50 and €25 for the replay.
A good gesture given the economic climate.


#84
Hurling Discussion / Re: Looking for S.H.C. Final Tickets
September 10, 2012, 11:48:49 AM
Quote from: Croí na hÉireann on September 10, 2012, 11:16:06 AM
I can beat that. A Tipp fella (maybe a rugby man as he was saying that the advantage rule needs to be changed more like rugby) who got into his seat after the game was ten minutes old said when Joseph Cooney came in to replace Hynes "Joe Cooney? I thought he retired!" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
In Tipperary that sort of knowledge would make him the expert that everyone wants on their pub quiz team!
#85
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on September 10, 2012, 01:08:09 AM
They were talking on Newstalk the other week about the Kilkenny team training and the two boys on the radio were talking about how Spanish students were going in to watch training sessions. Apparently they were taking everything in and gasping and clapping and cheering at what seemed to be odd moments.
I thought Kilkenny training sessions were strictly for over-18s?
#86
Hurling Discussion / Re: Looking for S.H.C. Final Tickets
September 10, 2012, 11:03:35 AM
Tickets were very available yesterday before the game.
I never asked the prices, but I heard they were going for less than face value.

I was sitting down and at 3:25 someone finally sat into the empty seat beside me.
He gazed around the place, looked up at the roof and turned to me and said "It's some stadium, isn't it?".
At least no genuine fan was locked out yesterday!
#87
Hurling Discussion / Re: Na Cait v Gaillimh, AIF 9 Sept
September 10, 2012, 10:57:55 AM
It was a definite free at the end. It happened right in front of me.
I was watching on television after and RTE didn't seem to have any good replays of the incident.

Brian Cody was a disgrace at the end and a lesser man than Anthony Cunningham would have laid into him!
#88
Hurling Discussion / Re: Na Cait v Gaillimh, AIF 9 Sept
September 07, 2012, 05:55:38 PM
Have ticket sorted and ready to travel. I haven't done a tap of work all day!

Hawn Galway!!!
#89
Hurling Discussion / Re: Great GAA names
August 19, 2012, 06:48:22 PM
Quote from: Asal Mor on August 19, 2012, 06:31:53 PM
Also, the Tipp minor team had three Mahers today as had the seniors - Brendan, Bonner and Padraig.  There seems to be an endless supply of top-class hurlers from the Maher dynasty.
Maher is a very common name in Tipp.
I once met a Tipp man with a double barreled surname called Johnny Maher-Maher.

#90
Hurling Discussion / Re: Lar is back...
August 19, 2012, 05:26:24 PM
Quote from: Premier Emperor on August 06, 2012, 10:32:43 PM

;D
Just out of the picture is Tommy Walsh. Lar running after him!