Joe Brolly is one of the most controversial but entertaining Irish sports personalities and in 2014 he has cemented himself as one of the most quotable pundits around. Here are some of his best quotes of this year ranked in order of their ridiculousness.
10. Sneaking in to the list is Joe expressing his view on Jim McGuinness and how he will be viewed by GAA historians in the years to come, during his Gaelic Life article on Footebola.
I suppose we shouldn’t complain. Gaelic football has had a great run of it for almost 130 years. Sooner or later a Jimmy McGuinness was bound to come along. But in bringing success to his own team, he has destroyed the game.
9. Again staying with that Donegal piece; this time with a fantastic reference to the one hit wonder "Jimmy's Winning Matches".
When Jim McGuinness introduced football into Ireland in 2001, it initially caused shock and nationwide anger, not to say panic. But we were powerless to stop it, since as even black lads from Senegal quickly realised, it was winning matches.
8. Joe once again giving GAA fans a history lesson.
News flash: In wake of shock discovery that Sam Maguire was an IRB assassin, All Ireland to be renamed "The Free State Press Corps Trophy
7. The fantastic title to a Gaelic Life piece that he wrote bemoaning the GPA.
What would I know? I'm just a Derry fucker
6. Joe going off on a serious tangent to illustrate his point about the patriotism of Irish men during a Gaelic Life article about Brian Cody.
A friend of mine told me a story once about a drunken night in Dublin when she was a university student. She fell in with a student from Cavan and they ended up back in her place. After a bit of passionate kissing on the sofa, she suggested they move to the bedroom. Just as they were climbing into the bed, he suddenly stopped and said to her “There’s something I want to do.” “What is it?” she said. He hesitated for a second, then blurted out “ Ah fuck it I’m just going to do it.” As she looked on in bemusement, he stood bolt upright and sang the whole of Amhrán na bhFiann at the top of his voice. At the height of his passion, that was what came into his mind.
5. One of the many brilliant lines from his recent exchange with Stephen Hunt.
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.
4. Joe wrapping up an interview with the Irish News with his usual literary fair and style.
3. Another gem of his that he threw out in the Gaelic Life when talking about this years All Ireland champions.
If Tyrone introduced puke football, then on Sunday in Croke Park, Kerry were the little girl in ‘The Exorcist’ whose head revolves as she machine-guns the walls with a torrent of vomit
2. I don't think that anyone anywhere would ever have thought that Keane would some day be compared to any of the Kardashian girls. That's what happened when Joe went on Off the Ball.
Keane is just, you know he is interesting and for the media it is fantastic, it’s like having a soccer coaching Kardashian.
1. It's really his use of the ridiculous that earns this quote the top spot for this year. Much like the image of Keane and Kim gabbing over drinks, comparing the backlash O'Rourke received over his GPA article to the Israeli lobby is not a comparison too many would come up with.
A fortnight ago, Colm O’Rourke criticised the GPA for their elitism and was subjected to a co-ordinated backlash that would have done the Israeli lobby proud.
