Updated at 19.00
GAA PRESIDENT AOGÁN Ó Fearghail has called for pundits to be objective in their assessment of games in this summer’s championship.
The Cavan man referenced criticism of the game between his native county and Monaghan last Sunday as ‘upsetting’ and ‘nasty’.
The GAA President was speaking yesterday at Newstalk’s 2015 GAA launch in Croke Park.
His comments came just before RTÉ issued a statement that Joe Brolly was being warned about his future comments in the wake of last Sunday’s comparing Cavan’s ‘ugly’ style of football to his colleague Marty Morrissey.
Ugly
“Certainly the players in Cavan and the administrators in Cavan try to promote a game and having it described as ugly and all of that, that’s upsetting and that’s nasty,” revealed Ó Fearghail.
“I think the media does need to be objective, properly objective and certainly see when things that are good. If things need to be criticised then absolutely, have a go.”
Ex-Mayo boss James Horan believes criticism of Gaelic football has been ‘way over the top’.
“Way over the top. You got to take matches and football and seasons as they are. If you take the main game that have been shown this year, that were televised, Tyrone and Donegal, and Cavan and Monaghan last weekend, I thought they were fascinating games, played by two very good teams with a lot of skilful players.
“What I sometimes struggle with is that you watch the game yourself, and them sometimes you look at what the analysis is and what some of the media say and for me there is an imbalance sometimes in that.
There might be one negative thing or two negative things in the game and that’s all that’s focused on, sometimes, in general commentary.
“So I think it’s awful important that the game is taken on its merits, the good and the bad, but as long as there’s a bit of balance there.”
