Ah, Bando.
A long running “betting” column in the Times of a Wednesday. Basically about fictional bus driver from Clontarf that likes gambling and his hugh heinz. The tagline is “Against the Odds” and is signed off by a Roddy L’Estrange.
We reckoned before it was a committee job and strongly suspected “a high profile former Irish sportswriter” was centrally involved.
Apparently it’s Quinn thoiugh.
Worth going back through the archives. It should really be released in a book format.
No, but people have to open their eyes and ears sometimes.
I wouldnt agree at all.
There are a lot of people out there who believe that it is wrong not to have an interest in the past. I wouldnt hold freedom of choice against anyone in that regard. People have every right to be disinterested in the past
Fucking hell! I agree the football pantheon etc stuff is garbage but I don’t see how you can say that about him and then praise the likes of Lowe. Much as I like Sid Lowe, he does fuck all analysis that you’d see. Round ups and reports, translating Marca headlines etc. When he co-commentates on Spanish TV he is excellent though.
When writing on the Madrid Barca business recently, Delaney has about the levellest head around without the partisan stuff of Hunter or the post ironic guff spouted by some of the Guardian online crowd.
While talking about the Guardian, Auclair really pisses me off.
Micheal Atherton is one of the best cricket writers.
Hunter’s manner on the radio annoys me. Endless false flattery out of him for how brilliant the questions he’s been asked are or how “absolutely spot on” Ken or whoever’s talking to him’s point is.
Vincent Hogan, Martin Breheny, and Cliona Foley are arguably the three worst gaa ‘journalists’ in the country. Hogan and Breheny are particularly offensive.
Martin Breheny offensive??? I dont think he has ever said a wrong word in his life
He’s a fucking dreadful journalist, and I’d grave reservations about anyone who can’t recognise that themselves. He generally does two articles; sensationalised nonsense on a ‘dramatic’ gaa ‘crisis’, and lists.
Don’t forget about how he’d restructure the football championship, or how teams who lose their first round game have to wait so long for their first qualifier match.
I started the Mackey book, but kept forgetting what page I was on which meant I ended up rereading the same thing… It’s my attention span you see, or lack of, that’s the problem.
[quote=“Watch The Break, post: 175070”]
He’s a fucking dreadful journalist, and I’d grave reservations about anyone who can’t recognise that themselves. He generally does two articles; sensationalised nonsense on a ‘dramatic’ gaa ‘crisis’, and lists.[/quote]
Can’t believe you didn’t notice how ‘x event is worth y to the GAA’ or vice versa. Replays, dublin doing well/badly, qualifier draws etc etc. always the cash windfall or cash shortfall angle. It’s actually bordering on satirical he does it that much. A pure bluffing safe official jeeayay merchant. Does anyone give one fuck about his opinion of players or games? Given how long he’s around that’s some indictment
What paper does he write for Balbec?
[quote=“Fitzy, post: 175074”]
What paper does he write for Balbec?[/quote]
Uk times
Keith Duggan is excellent. Hugh McIllvaney is always worth a read. Gerry Thornley is awful. John O’Sullivan can be good. Sean Moran is excellent. Stephen Jones is an excellent wum. Neil Francis is not a journalist he is a columnist and a funny enough one at that even though he just talks through his hole. Graham Hunter is a complete spoofer. I don’t recognise anybody who writes for the Independant as a journalist.
That’s the one that gets me the most. How many Mondays of the year is the back page splashed with something like:
[size=5]€1,000,000 Bonanza for GAA[/size]
GAA chiefs are smiling this morning after a bumper weekend of GAA action…
Donn O’Sullivan is probably the best Irish Sports Journalist around these days
:shakefist:
He was shown up badly with his analysis of the knockout stages of the senior football championship
GAA Writers
Best :
Christy O’Connor by a country mile, pity he does not get more column inches.
Damian Lawlor is pretty good.
Enjoy Davy Fitz’s columns in the Star during the summer too.
Shane Stapleton is one who writes good articles on the Eircom website too and well worth a look imo.
Worst :
Breheny is the anti christ of positive GAA writing, closely followed by Cliona Foley. Hogan is way too arty farty with his language when GAA writing so he is a close 3rd.
:o 
For fuxake harry!?!?