Stephen Hunt drew the ire of the GAA community with his column in last weekend's Sunday Independent when he said "if GAA players tried to live with the level of commitment shown by a professional footballer, they wouldn't know what hit them."
Part of the reason behind Hunt's article was Joe Brolly proclaiming that soccer players are not role models.
In an interview with The Irish News today, Brolly has come out all guns blazing with the barrels firmly targeted at the Irish international.
The RTÉ analyst says that Hunt would not have lasted five minutes in Sunday's Ulster club final between Slaughtneil and Omagh.
I don't imagine Stephen would have lasted five minutes in the Ulster club final last Sunday. I wouldn't fancy his chances standing on the edge of the square with Patsy Bradley.
He went on to compare the Ipswich player's chances of surviving that game to that of the Christians in the Roman Colosseum.
If you look at that astounding application - lads putting their bodies on the line - and you think of someone like poor Stephen Hunt standing in the middle of that, it would be like the Christians in the Colosseum...fed to the lions.
Brolly took umbrage with Hunt disclosing that he drives the 800 yards to work because he needs the rest. The Derryman says that this is the kind of thing you would be ridiculed for in GAA circles.
It never ceases to amuse me when you see these young fellas - many of who come from very strong working class backgrounds - being described as role models because they're famous. "Johnny Giles wrote in his book that he went into soccer as a 15-year-old and 20 years later he came out as a 15-year-old. In that article Stephen said: 'I drive the 800 yards to training because I need rest.' Jesus Christ the fella doesn't know any better.
The interview concludes with Brolly reiterating his love of being a Gael.
That Stephen Hunt article...all it does is make you think 'Thank fuck I'm a GAA man.'
Audio: Stephen Hunt Attempts To Clarify His GAA Comments (It Hasn’t Gone Down Well)
Why I Think Stephen Hunt Was Right About GAA Player Commitment
Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE
