Late last week Waterford hurler Stephen Bennett was hit with a ban which will keep him out of the Deise's first round qualifier game against Offaly this weekend.
Bennett's suspension is due to him grabbing the facemask of Cork back Damien Cahalane during the Munster semi-final in Thurles.
Speaking to the Waterford News And Star, Waterford selector Dan Shanahan said that he felt Bennett would not have been suspended had it not been for those pesky analysts on the Sunday Game.
I heard Jim Gavin on the radio talking about the CCCC and I don't know if Stephen would have been penalised if it wasn't highlighted on the Sunday Game to be honest with you.
We'll take it on the chin. Some other lad will come in and do the job and hopefully we'll have Stephen back for the next day.
Shanahan's comments were prompted by Jim Gavin suggesting that the Sunday Game had influenced the 12-week suspension of Diarmuid Connolly for pushing linesman Ciaran Branigan during Dublin's Leinster Championship game against Carlow earlier this month. Gavin said that Connolly's 'good name had been attacked', in particular by Pat Spillane.
Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
