In today’s Hospital Pass, we look at the most honest assessment of the All-Ireland semi-final yet and question whether Bernard Brogan was as good as his word on Sunday night.
Despite the fact that it’s been over 48 hours since the game and the fact that an even bigger encounter awaits at headquarters in a few days time, the fallout from the Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final is ongoing.
We have already let our feelings be known about what a certain Dublin-based paper had to say about the game yesterday, while Jim McGuinness quite rightly pointed out that he had no duty to appease the naysayers and that his job was simply to put medals in his players’ pockets.
Earlier today, The Irish Examiner carried quotes from the man with the greatest farmer’s tan of all time, Pat Spillane, who was steadfast in his refusal to back down from his caustic criticism of Donegal after the game.
Later on, you had Donegal selector Rory Gallagher, who couldn’t help getting involved in a little argy-bargy at the coalface, defending his charges from all the criticism they have faced in the last couple of days.
As a pundit paid to proffer his view and a selector of one of the teams involved, both Spillane and Gallagher were intimately linked with what went on Sunday, but perhaps the most honest assessment of what has been described in various quarters as anti-football or even puke football, was from Liam Rushe, the Dublin hurler who could have been in Pat Gilroy’s side had his career taken a different path.
“The most entertaining thing (about the game) was probably Joe Brolly and Pat Spillane at half-time. Hopefully football won’t go that way. Looking at that, I’m glad I’m playing hurling to be honest,” he said.
When the analysis is better than what’s happening on the pitch, you know something’s wrong, but you can hardly call Rushe a liar. Thankfully, it’s not likely to be the case when the two greatest exponents of Rushe’s chosen sport go to battle this weekend.
Quiet night in, Bernard?
Continuing on the All-Ireland semi-final theme, are we the only ones that greeted Bernard Brogan’s post-game comments with a degree of skepticism? Not in regard to how hard it was to break Donegal down, of course. That was evident for all to see.
No, we’re talking about him saying that he wouldn’t be heading out on the lash with the Dublin lads to celebrate, because he had more pressing matters at hand.
“I have my accountancy finals starting today so I’m going home to study. There won’t be any major celebrations out of me,” he revealed.
Really, Bernard? You’ve just received man of the match in the biggest win in Dublin football since 1995 and you’re not going to let off some steam to celebrate? Not even a few cans or a bottle of buckie back in gaff to let the feeling of satisfaction well and truly sink in?
We’ll just have to wait until he reveals his results. Then we’ll really know if he was telling the truth or if it was all porkie pies.
