I think some former Armagh players and management are opening themselves up to ridicule by their reaction to Brolly. Seriously, are these the same hardened Armagh county men who gave it out physically and vocally over the past 15 years or so to their opponents, often bordering on the unacceptable? Armagh have to expect that you when play at the top level, analysis and criticism will follow if you don't get the results and performances. This running to the media, especially to RTE moaning about unfairness is very crybaby and I'm taking my ball home and telling mummy.
Look at rugby and soccer on RTE and the analysis from George Hook, Brent Pope, Eamon Dunphy, John Giles. Is what Joe Brolly said about Armagh any worse than what these analysts said about Jack Charlton, Mick McCarthy, Eddie O'Sullivan etc?? Wise up Armagh, Brolly has offered you a live head to head on TV to discuss Armagh football and the county/club conflicts. Take up the offer and quite whingeing.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9703 - 03/06/2016 20:58:59    1861349

rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 617 - 03/06/2016 21:06:22    1861352

I dont think any team including Armagh have a problem with analysis and criticism .. that is all part of the game and is what drives sites like this one. Its just that when the analysis gets personal and vile that some teams correctly react. I cant recall someone like John Giles being abusive or insulting and remember he assesses players earning €100,000 + per week. Most fair minded people see an injustice in pundits earning more on a Sunday afternoon than many players earn in a week for slagging, labeling, bullying and insulting amateur participants (not to meaning a follow up newspaper article due to having the profile of being a panelist). I recall a team being labelled as SHEEP by a high profile journalist in 2011 and reading that three of them had to face classrooms of bleating teenagers on the following Monday... journalists should be robust in their analysis but need to also exercise a duty of care to the amateurs putting bums on seats and helping them earn extra income from writing about them and their exploits.

Curlew66 (Roscommon) - Posts: 506 - 03/06/2016 21:45:57    1861369

I agree that Armagh's reaction and possibly our comments here is providing oxygen to someone who longs very much to be centre stage.. offering to discuss this on live TV with a member of the county board would only add fuel to the spotlight shining on him now ..so transparent !
Reading JB's article on Sunday morning I could tell what the subject matter of the pre match, half time and post match rants was going to be irrespective of what the match was like or who was playing. Geezer was unfortunate to become the meat in the sandwich between a huge ego of someone struggling to remain relevant with a strong need to be setting the agenda. A stronger anchor might allow more debate on the actual game in progress with less rambling off on tangents to promote someone's profile.

Curlew66 (Roscommon) - Posts: 506 - 03/06/2016 22:25:25    1861379

Interesting article by Brendan Crossan in the Irish News today on the Geezer/Brolly 'friendship'. Apparently McGeeney told Brolly, at the late Eamon Coleman's wake, that he failed to make the best of his talent at football and that he was actually a waste of space. He went on to say that it was Tohill, Heaney and Barton who made him. Not an easy pill for Joe to swallow.

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 03/06/2016 23:20:56    1861387

Was reading about that, strange comment to pass .. both of them having won one AI medal.
Most of us like Joe Brolly as a human being but his behaviour/carry on is another story.

Curlew66 (Roscommon) - Posts: 506 - 03/06/2016 23:57:28    1861392

It'd be some Craic if Mc Geeney gives him a battering next time he sees him. Lol.
Brolly is making calculated decisions to mouth off in a personal way about many people and if he can dish it out then he'd better be prepared to accept the consequences whatever they might be.
There's no doubt he's entertaining but he's a dose too sometimes. Pretending the last day to be delighted for Cavan and the Cavan lads etc etc. Does he think everybody in Cavan has forgotten his disparaging of Cavan with his remarks that Cavan were "the Black Death of Ulster football"?

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 04/06/2016 05:34:44    1861397

border Gael (Monaghan) - Posts: 894 - 04/06/2016 09:50:54    1861417

No seanie, dont think its the way for McGeeney or any other offended player/manager to go (tempting as it may appear ..) .. solves nothing and makes a victim of the offender.

You make a good point about Cavan though, a fulsome apology/retraction to MM but not even an acknowledgement to the 'ugly, black death' Breffni men... heard in Cavan that JB claiming his criticism has turned Cavan football around .. lol

Curlew66 (Roscommon) - Posts: 506 - 04/06/2016 12:08:36    1861445

Brolly can get too personal.
I like the way he pulls players up for diving/feigning injury. fair play to him for highlighting that, but if a player/manager has a bad day in terms of their performance he can go to town on them. i think he could have made his point about Mcgeeney in a far more constructive way than he did.
As for McGeeney I think hed be far more suited to a Dan Shanahan at Waterford type role in the Armagh team, working with the players face to face and motivating them and keeping tabs on them. I think thats where wed see him at his best.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 04/06/2016 16:01:00    1861493