Some of the national press gathered around a modest TV set in the Croke Park media centre to watch the Ulster final.
Ahead of what was being dubbed as a turkey shoot for Dublin against Westmeath, neither the Kildare or Laois minors were feeling the love from a select few who sat inside during the Leinster under-18 decider to keep an eye on events in Clones.
The first half was shit. As predicted.
Both teams stood off each other. As expected.
It was a cagey opening, full of respect and fear and caution. As anyone in their right mind would’ve understood.
39 minutes of drab enough football – lit up by moments of magic from Ryan McHugh and bold controversies involving the referee – came to an end but the real snorefest was only beginning. It was time for Michael Lyster to tip-toe around The Sunday Game analysts and nearly hesitate to ask them their views, at the risk of upsetting them.
Colm O’Rourke and Pat Spillane went off on their respective tirades about how little they were enjoying themselves. As predicted. But no-one was really listening anymore. No-one seemed to care.
It’s the same old story. Everyone knows how the record goes at this stage but plenty of people didn’t particularly like the sound of it the first time around. Still, we get a break in play and the nation is forced to sit around and digest the grievances of a few grumps when they could actually just be analysing the game.
BBC have been analysing the half for well over 5 minutes now. Actually analysing it. Not talking shite about whether they enjoyed it or not.
— Mark Farrelly (@MarkFarrelly131) July 17, 2016
No-one is going to argue that the Ulster final was exhilarating.
No-one wants to see every game panning out like the first Connacht final between Roscommon and Galway did.
But they don’t. The Ulster final didn’t.
Even when they do, the questions should be asked of the managers – and they are being asked.
Jim McGuinness made the point that too many teams are trying to copy what Donegal did with the wrong men. Fair point. What was missing from that article in the Irish Times is that it is mostly idiotic managers at fault for trying to fit someone else’s system to their group of players and, as expected, those managers will fail and be moved on.
Look, every time you don’t enjoy a sporting occasion, you can’t be crying to change the rules.
People want someone to police designated forwards holding their positions. Joe Brolly wants four men to contest a kickout between two 45’s – and thus wave goodbye to the traditional midfielder forever. Others are just whinging for the sake of it, offering no real solution.
Sport is a little unsatisfying – it always has been. Just because social media and new media has provided a lot more oxygen for grievances, a 132-year carpet doesn’t have to be torn up at the first sign of footprints. The first reported sign at least.
The RTÉ pundits would be looking for fundamental changes in soccer to stop teams like Portugal employing tactics to win tournaments.
They’d have run Joe Schmidt out of town long ago for neglecting style and prioritising effect.
Floyd Mayweather – one of the greatest of all time – was lambasted throughout his historic career for his defensive approach.
It’s a worldwide thing – it’s a lifelong thing – that has gathered momentum now because of the creation of new platforms for everyone to have their say.
The Ulster final was about as damp as the whole of Euro 2016 was made out to be. That’s unfortunate.
But anyone who tuned in to Clones on Sunday and didn’t appreciate Sean Cavanagh grabbing his county by the scruff of the neck and dragging them over the line, 13 years on from the first time he did it, well, that person is missing out.
Anyone who didn’t actually sit back and watch a monster at the other end in Michael Murphy refusing to give in and see the beauty in it, they’re crazy.
Anyone whose jaw didn’t drop at that injury time surge, anyone who didn’t rate Peter Harte’s score as one of the finest ever in the Ulster championship – all things considered – maybe sport just isn’t for them.
Some teams play defensively. Some games aren’t classics.
That’s a shame. That’s sport.
