Grimley: Brolly crossed the line

A dejected Paul Grimley after the defeat to Cavan. INPHOArmagh manager Paul Grimley says RTE pundit Joe Brolly took his criticism too far on Sunday.

Former Derry attacker Brolly launched a scathing attack on Grimley in his capacity as an analyst for The Sunday Game and the Armagh man admits that he will give "serious consideration" to boycotting the national broadcaster as a result:

"Once some of these guys get on their soapboxes, they do not know where the line is," the Orchard County boss states in The Irish News. "In another couple of weeks, it will be somebody else.

"People have said 'say nothing, let it go' but that would mean Brolly is getting a free run here.

"I have no problem whatsoever with the criticism he laid at me. I was responsible for us losing the match - I've no issue with that.

"But before a ball was kicked, he was already on a wee rant. He was clearly excited about having a go at me. The thing that I was most annoyed at was he brought my brothers into it.

"I took issue with that because my brothers are a long time retired and they served Armagh, Ulster and Ireland with pride and distinction.

"One thing my brothers didn't do was go around Croke Park or any other park blowing kisses to the crowd.

"I did all the interviews with the media after Sunday's match. Then I come home, put on the tape and it's like a public stoning where there is no form of comeback.

"You've got to say there is something not right about that. I didn't understand why it was so personal."

_________


It has to be said that Brolly certainly didnt hold back did he...

Fair play to Grimley... I see exactly where he's coming from and he's right to have his say

The first televised game of the championship... nnd Joe is already causing bother...

Should be a long aul summer ahead...

I dont think Grimley will be the last to man to speak up against Joe

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 21/05/2013 13:44:04    1388188

The time will come when brolly's insistance on getting personal will annoy everyone to the point of people not tuning in to see it. RTE are onto a loser with this one.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 21/05/2013 13:54:10    1388201

Fair play to Grimley for speaking up. There is another Joe Brolly appreciation thread on here saying what a great entertainer Joe Brolly. Fair enough, he speaks his mind and he is more than just soundbites. However, his form of analysis is not original. He might be entertaining but he is poor man's version of Eamon Dunphy. RTE were original when they hired Dunphy/Giles and guest to analyse soccer. They have rolled this out to rugby (Hook etc) and GAA as well. In my opinion, it is becoming stale. These guys must steep to new low levels of personal insult to be 'entertaining' despite being hired to be analysts. The bottom for RTE I suppose is that people still tune in to watch Brolly and co (then again its not like they have a choice-it is not available on other channels).

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 21/05/2013 14:01:12    1388212

Totally and utterly correct!

Brolly is a shameless 'self promoter'!......He knows well that once he says something 'controversial' people will start talking about Joe Brolly and hence his RTE punditry contract is safe for another year!!!

As Oscar Wilde said: "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about"!......and Brolly lives by this shamelessly as a GAA pundit!

I remember the time he backed Laois to win an LSFC game and when they lost badly he said "Laois are a bad team"!.....that total reversal was the time I realised he was punditry spoofer, who says daft things just to self promote!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 21/05/2013 14:05:43    1388219

Couldn't but agree more with Grimley here. Brolly obviously has a dislike of Grimley and it showed before the game. He was delighted at the end and took pleasure in sticking the knife into Grimley.

Obviously he is there to analyse but personally I think his insults cut too close to the bone. Grimley has been number two for a few years now and has a decent grasp of intercounty football so for Brolly to say that he was 'clueless' showed a certain amount of cluelessness himself.

sedico (Kildare) - Posts: 1682 - 21/05/2013 14:10:25    1388223

The time will come when brolly's insistance on getting personal will annoy everyone to the point of people not tuning in to see it. RTE are onto a loser with this one.
TheMaster
--------------------

No disrespect intended master, but sadly you are totally wrong!.....RTE will regard him as the GAA equivalent of Dunphy in the soccer, and this means they have the 'controversial character' they want for to get the public talking!!
What RTE wont understand though is that Dunphy does so whilst making sense!.....Bolly does so through incoherent daft comments with no foundation whatsoever!!

My TV license pays for Dunphy and thats fine by me and I dont even like soccer!......It also pays for Brolly and I am not happy about that bit as I am not getting the value for my hard earned money from him when he speaks his usual brand of gibberish!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 21/05/2013 14:12:28    1388228

Maybe what he said was Ott or personal and he shouldn't have gone that far but I agreed with everything he said on Sunday , give me Joe Brolly over sit on the fence Sky Sports or BBC pundits any day of the week.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 21/05/2013 14:18:42    1388234

"The Galway players just dont care about playing football".....(or words to that effect)!!

What an awful thing to say about lads who give heart and hand for their county no matter what county it is just because they had a very bad loss!!

Example: Dublin hammered by Kerry in 2009, then beat them in 2011 AI Final! Did Dublin footballers not care about football in 2009 Joe?

Im a TV license payer!.....get rid of this 'self promoter' and get a real pundit on!!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 21/05/2013 14:19:40    1388237

Brolly and Spillane have a bonus which is linked to Po faced angry ants (aunts in your case) writing letters ( pronounced litters) or posting to forums to declare their disghust(pronounced disghust)


Oh I never saw the like (leck)of it
Oh it shouldn't be allowed
Something should be done about
Aw now!

Ooooh!

potnorwindow (Cavan) - Posts: 363 - 21/05/2013 14:20:55    1388241

He proba ly did cross the line. But his comments before and after the game remain factual. If i were Grimley i would be more concerned with that. Armagh looked and played like a team with nether organization or management.

derryman (Derry) - Posts: 3246 - 21/05/2013 14:26:38    1388247

He practically said that Grimley was clueless before the game. So how was that factual? Was it based on Armaghs game against Derry in the league because you can be guaranteed thats all Brolly saw of them prior to the game Sunday. He came onto TV on Sunday fully loaded and let fire before the match even started.

He made similar commemts about Jim McGuinness in 2011 about Donegals style. We all know what happened in 2012. Grimley even said himself it was part of his overall plan.

As Snuff alluded to up above he's a bluffer and courts the media at every available opportunity.

sedico (Kildare) - Posts: 1682 - 21/05/2013 14:33:51    1388249

clondalkindub
County: Dublin
Posts: 3447

1388234
Maybe what he said was Ott or personal and he shouldn't have gone that far but I agreed with everything he said on Sunday , give me Joe Brolly over sit on the fence Sky Sports or BBC pundits any day of the week.

Have to agree , its probably there are other ways to put across your opinion without un nessecarily going for the jugular ,
We re blessed with regards to punditry in comparison to polished smile say nothing analysis dished up by soccer .
It should be remembered the people in question namely the players , coaches and refs have family friends watching in . There not the supertars on massive wages of other sports , and many are back n work following week , honest analysis call it as you see it is fair enough , but leave the personal criticisms out .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 21/05/2013 14:34:05    1388250

clondalkindub
County: Dublin
Posts: 3447

1388234
Maybe what he said was Ott or personal and he shouldn't have gone that far but I agreed with everything he said on Sunday , give me Joe Brolly over sit on the fence Sky Sports or BBC pundits any day of the week.

Have to agree , its probably there are other ways to put across your opinion without un nessecarily going for the jugular ,
We re blessed with regards to punditry in comparison to polished smile say nothing analysis dished up by soccer .
It should be remembered the people in question namely the players , coaches and refs have family friends watching in . There not the supertars on massive wages of other sports , and many are back n work following week , honest analysis call it as you see it is fair enough , but leave the personal criticisms out .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 21/05/2013 14:34:07    1388251

Joe is a bit of an anti-Dub. He never says a good word about us without qualifying it. He is so far up Ulsters collective **** all u can see are his boots

BUT

He is good TV and when I turn on the SG and I see himself or Pat, I know its gonna be a good few hours television and I am happy out.

More Joe, less McHugh.

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8170 - 21/05/2013 14:56:29    1388270

No Snufalufagus, it is yourself that is wrong. I understand perfectly the point you are making, and how that works. However, what you are not taking into account is their is a balance to be kept. What you are describing is quite an art, and there is a point where you go from colour commentator (which many people enjoy) to spiteful axe-grinder (who appeals to nobody). Brolly is in danger of moving over that threshold. You cant give out about everyone because if you do that then what exactly do you stand for? Furthermore, once you are seen to go over it, it is very hard to come back. There is a certain amount of 'fair game' that people will allow for in the interest of entertainment, if brolly were to keep crossing that line then people wont enjoy listening to him, for instance, who likes listening to someone lampoon and assasinate the character of a gaa stalward who cant offer a defence? I mean couldnt they just have had a bad game? Not much sport or entertainment in that is there? The reality is people identify with gaa people far more than soccer or rugby professionals, so the abuse they get will be taken differently. Maybe that isnt correct, but it is a fact and so these are the parameters with which brolly must deal with. At the end of the day, it is all about perception, and if people identify brolly as a wind-bag who likes the sound of his own voice, and no-longer 'the guy they love to hate', then why would they want to keep listening to him? If he wants to continue to be successful thn he cant let that happen.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 21/05/2013 15:00:37    1388277

I agree with Snuff, if anyone knows a "shameless self-promoter" its him.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12452 - 21/05/2013 15:01:57    1388279

Here we go, the Auntie Dubs have the knitting needles out!

potnorwindow (Cavan) - Posts: 363 - 21/05/2013 15:04:17    1388281

RTE's GAA coverage is just shocking, out dated like that awful tune and it needs to be taken off them. Now in relation to Brolly and co if I wanted to look at the Sunday game panel I'd just watch the real thing and tune into Apres Match. All tax payers are owed a serious apology.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4956 - 21/05/2013 15:04:38    1388282

arock
County: Dublin
Posts: 1414

1388282 RTE's GAA coverage is just shocking, out dated like that awful tune and it needs to be taken off them. Now in relation to Brolly and co if I wanted to look at the Sunday game panel I'd just watch the real thing and tune into Apres Match. All tax payers are owed a serious apology.


Couldn't disagree with you more. I love that tune - its melody heralds the arrival of championship football. I feel like jumping over the house when I hear it - and believe me thats a feat for a fella who has difficulty seeing his own feet.

sedico (Kildare) - Posts: 1682 - 21/05/2013 15:26:25    1388300

sedico
County: Kildare
Posts: 1128

1388300 arock
County: Dublin
Posts: 1414

1388282 RTE's GAA coverage is just shocking, out dated like that awful tune and it needs to be taken off them. Now in relation to Brolly and co if I wanted to look at the Sunday game panel I'd just watch the real thing and tune into Apres Match. All tax payers are owed a serious apology.


Couldn't disagree with you more. I love that tune - its melody heralds the arrival of championship football. I feel like jumping over the house when I hear it - and believe me thats a feat for a fella who has difficulty seeing his own feet.
________

I thought that tune would send most Kildare men running into the house and hiding under the bed until the end of September...

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 21/05/2013 15:29:36    1388305