Pat Spillane..

Gael85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118816654#Comment_118816654

Would agree with them three. I like Fitzmaurice and McStay not the worse(to be fair managed at intercounty). Gooch and Cavanagh are terrible, offer nothing . Would like to see Dara O'Cinneide as presenter. Cantwall and Cahill are brutal.

Gael85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118816887#Comment_118816887

And don't where ever is is been played. He will come out"down town Killarney"etc

Gael85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118815119#Comment_118815119

He was nearly crying when they lost to Tyrone in 03 and came out with the bitter puke football jibe and last year was the cute hoor nonsense. kerry can be beaten by the better team. Loves the sound of his own voice and offers no analysis on modern game, all about pursuing his own agendas. Should have been shipped out 15 years.

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118815949#Comment_118815949

Brollys opinion was based solely on what he thought would antagonise people the most, more fool anybody who thinks they were getting honest thoughts from him. Nothing but a snide little troll.

Coillte_Bhoy

And will someone teach canning how to pronounce Osisn ffs, it's not O-sheen

StupidLikeAFox

They are all fairly shite tbh and you rarely get any insight from any of them, whether they are recent players or not. Fitzmaurice probably the best of a bad bunch

Pointing out that "the win today will give the team a welcome boost going into a tough game next week", pointing out that the player who scored 6 points "had a great game" or pointing out the team that conceded 20pts have "work to do in their defense" is neither analytical nor insightful, and that's usually the level of "analysis" that you are treated to

Denny61

Tbh I prefer spillane. He says it like it is ...too Many pc snowflakes can't deal with that..honest to goodness criticism...the rest put Me in a coma

M three

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118814895#Comment_118814895

Eamonn Fitz, jesus wept. The man would make millions if he did podcasts for insomniacs. He's so droll he'd make watching paint dry seem exciting by comparison. He is definitely not suitable for tv or radio. Perhaps if he can type he could try a newspaper column but that would be it.

Beechwoodspark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118817926#Comment_118817926

have to agree. As bad as things are, we don’t want or need brolly back. The wannabe eamo dunphy of the gaa.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118815285#Comment_118815285

All Irelands won 30+ years ago mean nothing when analyzing a game in 2022

Beechwoodspark

I had the pleasure of being in the company of Spillane and a number of other legends of the game about ten years ago in a golf club. I was there by chance but fell into their company.

Spillane is a living encyclopaedia of football. I often think radio would be a better medium for Spillane. Given time and space he is a very shrewd analyst.

spakman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118825995#Comment_118825995

Talking shite down the golf club where they're well used to hot air and self-importance - perfect place for him!

M three

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826055#Comment_118826055

Spillane's snide remark to the ex Mayo footballer proves that spillane should definitely not be on tv

joe35

What I don't like about RTE is it always seems to be forwards analysing the game.

Football has become very defensive and yet the never praise the work rate or analyse the defensive system.

Always remember Spillane saying, if Colm Cooper wasn't playing well, "it's because Kerry aren't getting good quality ball into him"

Cooper was being marked out of the game, but no way was it the corner forwards fault. Will never give credit to the defense

M three

No sign of spillane on last nights highlights show. Have RTE finally copped on and binned him?

Amprodude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118847754#Comment_118847754

He will never be on when Kerry lose or will have a bitter taste in his mouth.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118847754#Comment_118847754

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118847798#Comment_118847798

Neither.

RTE just rotate their panelists.

M three

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118847922#Comment_118847922

Missed opportunity by RTE if they havent binned spillane. Its a far more watchable show when he's not on it.

Blackjack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118817265#Comment_118817265

McConville is top class, whether he's on Telly, Radio or any podcast (and he does seem to be on a lot) but he's very insightful, and calls out bullshit when he hears it. I'd have him as top of the pile.

Whelan is a good analyst of the game too, as is Tomás. Cooper is only OK to be honest. I've not seen Boyle on the TV but he is good on Radio and podcasts too. He's very new to it and he does need to polish up a little on the delivery but the insight is very strong.

I really do like Eamon Fitz on Co comms - he doesn't have the most exciting voice to listen to but he would in my view be ahead of the rest on Co-Comms. What he has to say is very insightful and he adds a lot in terms of pointing out subtleties in the game that are more often than not missed by others.

Kevin McStay is good in spots - he does some in-depth stuff at times which is very very good and is, to my mind, the only one that can do so on RTE at any level near to what Canavan does on Sky (which is far and above anything RTE can do). Kevin is not good on co-comms however. To be fair to Kevin he's one of the only one of the older bunch that has had the stones to get involved in management.

Spillane can be OK at times but he's part of the history of the game now and is a bit cliché ridden. To biased to really be considered seriously anymore.

I'd nearly say the same about Seán Cavanagh. Not sure he adds much other than arguing with Spillane when Spillane tries to throw a dig in about Tyrone. Pretty sure he was lining himself up for the job when he was coming to the end of his career with the fawning guff angles of his comments that were being published.

I really don't know how RTE can justify using or paying Colm O'Rourke - if a lad has any sort of personal style other than a short-back-and-sides haircut and Sunday-going-to-mass shoes he'll have some comment about it. The game, how people express themselves, and the training has moved on so far from what this guy knows about that you'd nearly expect the old Pathé reel logo to appear when he's about to talk. He seems to get all his guidance from the era of Archbishop John McQuaid.

Dessie Dolan - "you'd have to say" that he just isn't at the races at all.

Pauric Lodge is probably the best of the Commentators in terms of being able to tell you what's happening. Darragh Maloney is decent without being in any way exceptional.

I find Ger Canning and Marty Morrissey to be quite annoying.

Cantwell is OK - she'll never be a Michael Lyster though.

It's a shame really as when you look through the list above, The ones that get the greatest number of appearances are the ones that should be put out to pasture.

Thank god for TG4 (who's commentary and analysis is very very good) otherwise our license fee would be hugely misappropriated for the GAA coverage. The shame there is that so many people don't understand it. I'm fortunate enough in that regard.

Personally when it comes to watching games my preference is to watch on TG4 or Sky Sports. They offer a much better package and in game analysis. If only they would do a "League Sunday" format show too, now that would be something else.

awec

Colm O'Rourke is as dull as dishwater, I think he's far worse than Spillane.

The RTE hurling line-up is much stronger than the football one IMO.

M three

Is there any way a petition can be started to convince rte to bin both spillane and o'rourke?

Should easily get 50,000 to 100,000 signatures. But then again rte obviously dont listen to their customers that much do they...

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118855564#Comment_118855564

I'd disagree with you about Cantwell.

I think she is better than Lyster.

She's more willing to call out the likes of Spillane and make them explain themselves than just allowing them to ramble on.

I'd agree with the rest of what you said.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118858693#Comment_118858693

As others have said the one that needs retiring is O'Rourke.

Spillane is grand really, annoying at times but grand otherwise.

Blackjack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859125#Comment_118859125

Perhaps she has that quality but I still think she’s a bit biased. Hard to see who else could do that job as well.

I may also be ignoring my own bias having met Mr Lyster and having found him to be a very decent skin. It was on occasion of my being in the service/catering industry and meeting some of that stature who was as respectful and polite as he was quite a surprise, he was willing to give more than just the time of day, which I thought was nice.

Fr Tod Umptious

Just on the The Sunday Game host thing.

Younger readers may not know this but back in the mid 2000s Spillane himself used to host The Sunday Game.

spakman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859943#Comment_118859943

And it was very uncomfortable for everyone - Pat included I'd say!

M three

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859140#Comment_118859140

I think in this day and age we need to do better than 'grand'. Its not ireland of the 1950's.

If a player on the field was just putting in a 'grand' effort supporters would go nuts. Why should a paid pundit like spillane, or o'rourke, who earn money off the backs of players immense efforts be able to get away with a 'grand' effort?

Add to that spillanes immature, pathetic, ill informed digs. For example the one aimed at the recently retired Mayo footballer. Cantwell immediately rebuked Pat for that.

Sultan of Bling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118860236#Comment_118860236

What did he say and about whom?

Treble double

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859125#Comment_118859125

Agree. Think Cantwell is a big step up on Lyster. I think the love for Lyster is just nostalgia. I would have Lyster as slightly better than Des Cahill, but only in RTE land would Cahill get a presenting job.

Treble double

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118855564#Comment_118855564

I think Fitzmaurice gives brilliant insights into the present day game. Picks up on things on co comms that the usual talking heads don't and explains them to the viewer. He would be equally good on analysis. He managed and won with a top level inter county team while in his 30s and the deep thought he has put into the game comes across.

In the past I thought that mcstay was your typical bluffer, doing little research, throwing out the clichés and picking up the few pound. Since he returned after a stint of inter county management I find him alot more interesting and what he says carries a bit more weight. I still get a vibe of him winging it at times, like I feel he wouldn't stress himself about putting a bit of research into the lower tier teams etc.

The rest are a much of a muchness.

Brolly no loss either, analysing games was beneath him. I don't know what he was at other than wanting to be the centre of attention. He felt the game was a sideshow and the viewers were tuning in to see him pontificating.