All Ireland senior football final 2012 Donegal v Mayo

[heffo]

It's annoying when the media and figures within the GAA try to influence a referee ahead of a big game alright. Some might say he's talking out of both sides of his mouth though.

[stephenite]

Mayo will always be talked down in big games until we go and win the thing, no point in wasting time complaining about it.

[highorlow]

It's not exactly onwards and upwards if he is still harping on about last years final.

[From the Bunker]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

[muppet]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

I think Brolly knew exactly what he was doing.

However I also agree with Stephenite, Horan should say nothing until he has won Sam. Until then we are the easy target for the likes of Brolly.

[From the Bunker]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

I think Brolly knew exactly what he was doing.

However I also agree with Stephenite, Horan should say nothing until he has won Sam. Until then we are the easy target for the likes of Brolly.

Sorry Muppet, i was writing a bit tongue in cheek about Brolly and the Referee. I believe a back room coach from Mayo should have came out publicly on the Thursday and upped the anti on Brolly statement saying he was influencing the refereeing and call the referees bluff.  Brolly had put the Pressure on on Wednesday, Thursday was a time to put the pressure on the referee that he was really being told what to do by Brolly and not his own man. Speaking about it now is a waste of time. 

[heffo]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

I think Brolly knew exactly what he was doing.

However I also agree with Stephenite, Horan should say nothing until he has won Sam. Until then we are the easy target for the likes of Brolly.

I believe a back room coach from Mayo should have came out publicly on the Thursday and upped the anti on Brolly statement saying he was influencing the refereeing and call the referees bluff. 

Would've looked a bit silly & hypocritical after what was said before the semi-final.

[cadence]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

I think Brolly knew exactly what he was doing.

However I also agree with Stephenite, Horan should say nothing until he has won Sam. Until then we are the easy target for the likes of Brolly.

Sorry Muppet, i was writing a bit tongue in cheek about Brolly and the Referee. I believe a back room coach from Mayo should have came out publicly on the Thursday and upped the anti on Brolly statement saying he was influencing the refereeing and call the referees bluff.  Brolly had put the Pressure on on Wednesday, Thursday was a time to put the pressure on the referee that he was really being told what to do by Brolly and not his own man. Speaking about it now is a waste of time.

totally agree with you on this one. mayo should have issued a statement.

the problem with all the hype about defining what refereeing issues certain competing teams may pose, is that the hype exists. it's hype that's impossible not to notice given the hunger the media has in the build up to big games, and whoever reads it has to make a call on its relevance or not. like it or not, referees are swayed by managers and influential journos in the press. it's been happening in soccer for years and it happens in football too. internet forums are a bit of a battle ground too in this regard... i wouldn't be surprised if some officials read forums to take stock of the ideological positions against certain teams tactics if nothing else. i know i do.

it's seems to be part of the game. for better or worse, these days hype/briefing in the press is seen as a battleground for those who want to defend how certain teams play.

for what it's worth, mayo should've let fly themselves. it would've done them no harm making a nice balanced statement about brolly's. i thought brolly wanted us to win and was afraid we'd be damaged by an overly punitive ref who may have been swayed by general chatter about donegal fouling tactics slowing up the flow of the game to organise our defence.*






* this post in no way suggests that mayo have ever been guilty of using fouls to delay play in order to organise their defence.

     

[Canalman]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

I think Brolly knew exactly what he was doing.

However I also agree with Stephenite, Horan should say nothing until he has won Sam. Until then we are the easy target for the likes of Brolly.

I believe a back room coach from Mayo should have came out publicly on the Thursday and upped the anti on Brolly statement saying he was influencing the refereeing and call the referees bluff. 

Would've looked a bit silly & hypocritical after what was said before the semi-final.

Heffo, think the Mayo posters here honestly don't know or have conveniently forgotten what you are referring to. Can they see the irony of it all?

[From the Bunker]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

I think Brolly knew exactly what he was doing.

However I also agree with Stephenite, Horan should say nothing until he has won Sam. Until then we are the easy target for the likes of Brolly.

I believe a back room coach from Mayo should have came out publicly on the Thursday and upped the anti on Brolly statement saying he was influencing the refereeing and call the referees bluff. 

Would've looked a bit silly & hypocritical after what was said before the semi-final.

Heffo, think the Mayo posters here honestly don't know or have conveniently forgotten what you are referring to. Can they see the irony of it all?

I Know what you are talking about, the GAA made a mess of the semi-final choice for referee (No fault of Dublin). I suppose it's Goose and Gander stuff really. 

[muppet]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

I think Brolly knew exactly what he was doing.

However I also agree with Stephenite, Horan should say nothing until he has won Sam. Until then we are the easy target for the likes of Brolly.

I believe a back room coach from Mayo should have came out publicly on the Thursday and upped the anti on Brolly statement saying he was influencing the refereeing and call the referees bluff. 

Would've looked a bit silly & hypocritical after what was said before the semi-final.

It is one thing expressing concern regarding the appointment of a referee with a history of controversy involving your team, e.g. this goes on all the time in soccer, it is a different thing for a supposedly neutral pundit to stick his oar completely in on one side. I understand the Dubs being a bit sensitive on this but it wasn't an action against them, it was a genuine problem with a particular ref.

Brolly's was an attack on one of the teams, it didn't matter who the ref was, his agenda was against Mayo.

[Lar Naparka]

I think it's a pity that James had to say anything about the final now that the new season is about to commence. Time to forget Brolly; learn from previous mistakes and move on. The pity is that he said a lot in that interview that was meaningful and focussed and that showed he and his team mean to take up where they left off last year but the interview wouldn't be remembered for any of it.
And they should be in upbeat mood; they have plenty to feel satisfied about. Stuff Brolly!
I'm afraid that I think all that those who are aware of the interview will only recall the fact that Horan is still sore about Brolly and, by implication, is a poor loser.
I don't disagree with anything he had to say about the little f**ker but I don't think I'd have said it in public - not now anyway. Let the results this year do the talking for Horan and Mayo football.

[heffo]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

I think Brolly knew exactly what he was doing.

However I also agree with Stephenite, Horan should say nothing until he has won Sam. Until then we are the easy target for the likes of Brolly.

I believe a back room coach from Mayo should have came out publicly on the Thursday and upped the anti on Brolly statement saying he was influencing the refereeing and call the referees bluff. 

Would've looked a bit silly & hypocritical after what was said before the semi-final.

It is one thing expressing concern regarding the appointment of a referee with a history of controversy involving your team, e.g. this goes on all the time in soccer, it is a different thing for a supposedly neutral pundit to stick his oar completely in on one side. I understand the Dubs being a bit sensitive on this but it wasn't an action against them, it was a genuine problem with a particular ref.

Brolly's was an attack on one of the teams, it didn't matter who the ref was, his agenda was against Mayo.

Pundits on TSG aren't neutral though - neither are commentators.

E.g - Colm O'Rourke - Dublin will be beaten and their fans will be in the pub in time to watch their second favourite team play Ecquador

E.g - Kevin McStay - 'Oh no, no, no, he can't, I can't believe he's doing this, he's given Dublin a free

I can give a thousand more example too to bias from pundits and commentators.

The end result is the same - putting pressure on a referee ahead of a game to acheive a particular result. You can't have it both ways.

I don't believe Dubs are the least bit sensitive on the issue - Mayo won fair and square. Just pointing out the hypocricy.

[Lar Naparka]

Personally, i don't think Brolly's comments had anything to do with the two Mayo players getting booked in the first couple of minutes, Referees are never influenced by the Media. And besides the comments were made on a Wednesday afternoon, not enough time for the referee do dwell on or eek into the subconscious. The same comments were made by McGuinness about Kildare in the AI QF in 2011, so i don't see the big deal. It's just idle comment!

I think Brolly knew exactly what he was doing.

However I also agree with Stephenite, Horan should say nothing until he has won Sam. Until then we are the easy target for the likes of Brolly.

I believe a back room coach from Mayo should have came out publicly on the Thursday and upped the anti on Brolly statement saying he was influencing the refereeing and call the referees bluff. 

Would've looked a bit silly & hypocritical after what was said before the semi-final.

It is one thing expressing concern regarding the appointment of a referee with a history of controversy involving your team, e.g. this goes on all the time in soccer, it is a different thing for a supposedly neutral pundit to stick his oar completely in on one side. I understand the Dubs being a bit sensitive on this but it wasn't an action against them, it was a genuine problem with a particular ref.

Brolly's was an attack on one of the teams, it didn't matter who the ref was, his agenda was against Mayo.

Pundits on TSG aren't neutral though - neither are commentators.

E.g - Colm O'Rourke - Dublin will be beaten and their fans will be in the pub in time to watch their second favourite team play Ecquador

E.g - Kevin McStay - 'Oh no, no, no, he can't, I can't believe he's doing this, he's given Dublin a free

I can give a thousand more example too to bias from pundits and commentators.

The end result is the same - putting pressure on a referee ahead of a game to acheive a particular result. You can't have it both ways.

I don't believe Dubs are the least bit sensitive on the issue - Mayo won fair and square. Just pointing out the hypocricy.

Would you mind telling me Heffo, where the hypocrisy is?
I see no connection whatever between Joe Brolly going on a one-man campaign to vilify Mayo's style of play and some other commentators reacting to specific incidents.
It would be stretching the imagination, well, mine anyway, to say that O'Rourke, McStay or anyone one else was deliberately trying to influence any referee's decisions.
O'Rourke in his own droll way can be very sarcastic at times and he has had more goes at Mayo down the years than he's had at Dublin and at the time he said this, the Dubs were gettin' bet out the gate.
Sarcastic yes but deliberate policy to influence any ref at any time. Hardly, IMO.
Brolly had a lot more to say about Mayo's game plan than he said on TSG, a damn sight worse.
There was nothing cynical or premeditated about the wild, clumsy tackles a number of Mato players put in in the Dubs' match or in the AI either. I'm not making excuses for any of them but if Brolly is to be believed, mayo have taken cynicism to a new level.
Brolly was very critical of Donegal's tactics in 2011 and he lampooned the Dubs as 'the nearly men' when they imploded year after year before making the breakthrough in 2011.
No other commentator/pundit I know of ever went to the same length as Brolly to  demonise any team he takes a dislike to.
In Mayo's case this year, he is the only one I can recall who accused them of adopting a cynical, pre-planned policy of deliberately fouling as part of their overall approach.

[RMDrive]

There was nothing cynical or premeditated about the wild, clumsy tackles a number of Mato players put in in the Dubs' match or in the AI either.

*ahem*
So there was nothing premeditated to the fact that Mark McHugh, Karl Lacey and Michael Murphy all got "wild, clumsy" tackles in the opening period of the AI final?
Nothing wrong with trying to lay down your marker IMO, but don't pretend that it's a coincidence that our best players are the ones that shipped these fouls.