When Kieran McGeeney nominated RTE's trio of A-list pundits for the ice-bucket challenge and proceeded to supervise their effort, relations seemed relatively cordial.
No longer, it seems. The RTE boys' harsh criticism of Armagh's performance in the 2015 championship (criticism was surely warranted to some degree) probably ended any detente.
Talking to Orla Bannon in the Irish Examiner today, McGeeney attacked Pat Spillane and claimed he tries to use his role as a pundit to influence referees.
In fact, he didn't even use Spillane's name, referring to him instead as the 'one who likes to talk about puke football'.
It’s unfortunate we listen to what would you call them... experts, I suppose. Is that the best word I’m allowed to use? Even the one who likes to talk about puke football, he tries to influence and nobody can see that.
McGeeney went onto suggest that the general rhetoric about Ulster football is influencing referees. They are more intent on smothering physicality. Aggression is allowed breathe in other provinces. Armagh were beaten by Cavan last Sunday, a game which saw five players sent off.
I think the referees referee it in a different way. I see a lot of teams on the other side of the border playing a more physical game and being allowed to play that game. There is constant talk about Ulster football and its type.
Spillane's recent team of the millennium (so far) shows no trace of anti-Ulster bias. His XV boasts more Ulster players than players from any other province. Indeed, between Leinster and Connacht, there is only one player selected - Stephen Cluxton. There were six Munster players - well, we say Munster, they all came from one county (we'll give you a clue, not Cork). Eight came from Ulster, a number which included McGeeney himself.
Read the rest of his comments here.
