Irish times today !!! - interview with Martin Fagan

Clearlier

I was interested to note that at the beginning of the interview, O'Riordan, contrary to his article where it was suggested that Fagan had doped as a way out of the sport, says that Fagan took EPO with a view to running the Houston marathon. The quote from the article is: "this was a completely irrational decision that Fagan always knew would end his career.". Towards the end of the interview he did back track on what he had said at the start.

With respect to Kimmage and O'Riordan, the former is a heavyweight journalist, the latter a flyweight. I've never seen much evidence of deep thinking on the part of O'Riordan (although I haven't read his book) whereas Kimmage is an excellent writer of articles on in depth interviews and has a depth of knowledge and understanding of drugs in endurance sport that's not matched by very many. I used to think that O'Riordan knew everything that was going on but then I found out about letsrun which is where I suspect he does a lot of his research for some articles (nothing particularly wrong with that but it took some of the gloss off his articles when I already knew everything in them). I feel that with this issue O'Riordan's desire to tell a story took precedence over the desire to dig into the details. He should have been asking Fagan the questions that Kimmage was asking him.

It's interesting to note that in referencing O'Riordan's father's upset at his performance in a race in 1975 Kimmage doesn't appear to understand the difference between clinical depression and the temporary disappointment at failure. I'm assuming here that O'Riordan's father had the latter rather than the former version.

On a slightly childish aside one of the funnier moments of that programme is where O'Riordan says "I'm repeating myself here, I'm repeating myself here".

This was an interesting interview (and I can't see Kimmage remaining on Setanta for long if that's the quality level of all his programmes) but I don't think that there was anything to change my view that I hate what he has done to the sport and to Ireland's reputation but also that I hope that he can overcome his depression. I still think that doping should carry a ban for life but also that we shouldn't go after an athlete if they do return to the sport having served their suspension.

Vinny Mulvey

In response to nick drake. If I knew your real name I could actually email you or talk to you in person but I cant so I have to address you on a public forum. I don't know why you are concerned with my views and whether I would shake martins hand or not in a race. Also I don't like how you say "Vinny Mulveys defence". I am not defending and i have never defended what martin Fagan did. He took epo and I feel the same as I do about that as I do when Cathal took epo. Both deserve a life time ban in my opinion. I think if the punishment was a life time ban then people would think twice about doing it. Instead I think people are willing to take the risk. Sure a 2 yr ban is nothing. Also a 2 yr ban sets a bad precedent for up and coming youngsters. That's just my opinion. On a human side of things I am a friend of martins and I am helping him to get help. God forbid we could be talking about Martin in the past tense and when you put things into that perspective it makes you realise there are much bigger things in life than sport.
So I can't be any clearer on my stance. I still feel the same about drugs in sport as i ever did and martin knows that but Martin needs help and I am doing my best to help him.
If you want to ask me anything else, Don't do it over a message forum. Ring me up or call down to me and I'll answer you no problem.

Burgman

Somewhat off topic I know but I am just highlighting the contrast with other sports. Interview with golfer Shane Lowry in the Irish Times last Saturday.

"I'd a good season last year (41st in the European Tour order of merit with €764,778 prize money) but it could have been better." ..... But Lowry has no intention of joining the rush into the gym for intensive work-outs. "I'm definitely not the fittest fella out there... I don't feel it's something I have to do."

So Martin Fagan would probably have been in the top 40 in Europe in his sport and can't even earn a basic living. Maybe he should have taken up golf.

Pisco Sour

Burgman wrote: »

Somewhat off topic I know but I am just highlighting the contrast with other sports. Interview with golfer Shane Lowry in the Irish Times last Saturday.

"I'd a good season last year (41st in the European Tour order of merit with €764,778 prize money) but it could have been better." ..... But Lowry has no intention of joining the rush into the gym for intensive work-outs. "I'm definitely not the fittest fella out there... I don't feel it's something I have to do."

So Martin Fagan would probably have been in the top 40 in Europe in his sport and can't even earn a basic living. Maybe he should have taken up golf.

It's just the way it is I'm afraid. There's a lot of money in golf. The likes of Lowry wouldn't compare to somebody like Derval, Gilly and Heffernan, yet he's earning 20 times what they are. It's hardly Lowry's fault though.

Poor form on his part about his lack of interest in improving physical fitness. That is a huge element of the game these days, and something which Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington have always taken very seriously, and there numbers back it up. But that's for a completely different discussion on a completely different thread entirely.

Tombo2000

04072511 wrote: »

It's just the way it is I'm afraid. There's a lot of money in golf. The likes of Lowry wouldn't compare to somebody like Derval, Gilly and Heffernan, yet he's earning 20 times what they are. It's hardly Lowry's fault though.

Poor form on his part about his lack of interest in improving physical fitness. That is a huge element of the game these days, and something which Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington have always taken very seriously, and there numbers back it up. But that's for a completely different discussion on a completely different thread entirely.

Its a very important point in my view.

Athletics is simply not run commercially enough.

I don't think it has the potential to be the massive earner that Golf is for example.

But I certainly think as a sport it could take a slice away from Tennis/ Soccer/ Formula One etc.

How often does Sky show a 5000m?

My neighbour was doing a clear out of his attic recently, he had big crates of this sports magazine from the 1950s, can't remember the name....but what struck me very clearly was that Athletics was the dominant sport of the day, it relegated soccer to the middle pages. The big names like Herb Elliott were icons. My dad still goes on about the four minute mile and what a huge event it was. I think the sport needs to recreate that sort of excitement, and can do. Maybe there are too many events, I dont know......and its easier said than done obviously. But at the basic, it doesnt make sense that 100th best golfer in the world, or a mediocre premiership footballer, or Pat Kenny, is earning as much as the best runners.....

(sorry Pat).

Pisco Sour

No need to apologise to Pat.

Interesting that Athletics has contributed more winners of the BBC SPOTY award than any other sport. In Dunedin I visited the New Zealand sports hall of fame museem and no joke nearly half of the museem was dedicated to the countries great athletes such as Walker and Snell, and it got significantly more recognition than the All Blacks. I think the fact it is an individual sport means that when somebody excels on the world stage (like Sonia, Coghlan) they get great appreciation, but the general population don't tend to care about the lesser known athletes, like they do the lesser people in other sports like football and rugby. The likes of Frankie Sheehan and John Kelly were journeymen to be fair and everybody knows who they are, while nobody remembers Mark Carroll (who I may add was anything but a journeyman in his sport).