In some quarters, the discontent is settling in before winter. The men's football championship is over for another year, with today's newspapers using the occasion to look back upon last week's victory for Dublin. The unique condition of Mayo attracts its usual level of attention, with Paul Galvin of The Sunday Times notably critical of Mayo's gameplan in the final minutes.
A couple of other writers meditate on the strength of Dublin and what it means for the future, with very few journalists or columnists critical of Dublin in any way. The exception is Sunday Independent journalist Paul Kimmage. He is critical of Jim Gavin's demeanor in the post-match press conference, citing what he believes is a "lack of empathy".
Kimmage appeared on Off The Ball's Paper Review earlier today, and elaborated on his issue with the Dublin manager.
Here's what I do have a problem with. Jim hasn't reached his chair and someone says, 'How's the heart Jim?' It was a great chance for Jim to say, 'Jaysus I need a transplant, what a game!' but instead, it looked as if a wasp had stung him: 'Fine, how's yours?'
Now, where did that come from? You have hostility straight away, from the moment he sits down. It's not that he isn't engaging, he is being hostile about this. He's won a three-in-a-row, and he hasn't even sat in his chair and he's being hostile. But ok, we'll let that pass; we'll let that pass.
So then he's asked quite early on about Mayo's failure to get over the line and the long history and all of that. And he says, 'we know what it's like, we were here a few months ago when we lost the National League final'. So he's comparing a defeat in a National League final to - how many defeats for Mayo since 1951? So now, I do have a problem. I have a problem with the lack of empathy, I have a problem with the lack of grace. I just thought, 'you must be joking'. 'C'mon Jim, this isn't you, and this isn't real, c'mon, get with it'.
The third thing was when Declan Bogue [GAA journalist] asked him about the disgraceful - disgraceful - final minutes of the game, which was an absolute blemish on the best sport I have watched this year. Three Dublin players had wrestled Mayo players to the ground in that last minute.
He's asked about this, and again he didn't engage with the question, he tried to pass it off. [Gavin's exact quote was "I think it was like that from the start. It was a very physical game, a lot on the line. Both teams going hard at it. I wouldn't expect anything else from either team"].
What is this all about? You come in here, you look like you've lost - if you turn off the sound and just watch the expressions you'd say these guys have lost - so what is the point in winning?
What is the point if there's no joy, or if you can't express that joy? Does coming in here and actually being a bit gracious toward the losers, and expressing a bit of joy, mean you can't win again next year? Well if that's the price, then give me losers. If that's what we're going to get from Jim Gavin and his team for the next four years, then I'm not interested.
Kimmage went on to ponder Gavin's issue with the media. The Star's Kieran Cunningham was on air also, and he made the interesting observation that Gavin and his management team (Jason Sherlock and Declan Darcy) are part of the 1990s Dublin generation who may feel that hype in the media may have cost them victories and All-Ireland titles.
Host Joe Molloy then attempted to crowbar in a few tweets and texts from listeners, with Kimmage unwilling to listen to them:
I'm not interested in texts. I know what they are going to say. what I want your listeners to do is: Do they hold them to account for his behaviour in the press conference?
His lack of graciousness toward the losers. Do they hold him to account? Let me tell you one thing, if Jim Gavin was sitting here right now, and I lited those criticisms he would have no defence. He would accept that this was not the way for a Dublin manager to behave. He crossed a line, and it did not reflect well on him or his team.
Joe Molloy then asked Kimmage if Gavin had a right to show disdain for the media.
Look, don't come in. Don't come in. If you have [disdain for the media] then don't come in and do it. Don't sit there and treat us like idiots. Don't sit there and be disdainful of the Mayo players and the Mayo people the way he did. The lack of empathy.
Molloy rejected the use of "disdain" and said that this comes from a position of cold-hearted ruthlessness. Kimmage's response:
I'm not interested in ruthlessness. If this is what the game has come to now, I'm not interested.
Kimmage went on to describe Gavin's behaviour as "classless", saying he would be "disappointed" if Gavin doesn't change.
The segment is well worth listening to in full over on the Newstalk.
