Whelan Apology - Acceptable ?

Aido c

Here is what he said about the tackle on McGarrity, props for steping up and apologising, your thoughts ?

“Despite some of the things that have been said and written, it was never my intention to hurt Ronan,.......

I was fully focussed on trying to win the ball, but he got to it and secured possession before I expected. As I was in full flight, my momentum carried me through and I caught him late. You just don’t grind to a halt when your chance of winning the ball is gone.......

When a player gathers the ball, the next object is to dislodge the ball and deny him clean possession, but Ronan had a firm grip of the ball.....

It looked worse than it actually was, but I’m sorry I ended his involvement in the game eventually....

I hope Ronan makes a hasty recovery allowing him to play in the final and I wish him and Mayo every success against Kerry...."

RedPeppers

i dont think so, he ment to do him and he did. He nearly took the head off him. How he can come out with that load of crap is just amazing.

squire1

Thats not an apology, it's an excuse. Nobody can say for sure that he meant to do what he did but my first impression was that he meant to take out McGarrity and that didn't change when I saw it in slow motion replay. Whelans past history and the fact that he was being destroyed by McGarrity at the time reinforces the idea that he meant to take him out. Rush of blood to the head maybe but it seems to happen all to often with Whelan and it's not the first time he has gotten away with it either.

"it looked worse than it actually was" What does that mean? McGarrity was pummelled from the side while he had his eye on the ball and had to be substituted as a result.

Culchie

He would have been better saying nothing than that.

He was being outplayed in Midfield, he was getting frustrated, we all could see it, he had the opportunity to take out the man, and he took it .... it happens in Gaelic, especially when the stakes are so high.

I would say McGarrity would understand that as well....it just happens.

However, the ref should have punished it (because he did see it clearly), and Whelan (if he is going to comment) should just hold his hands up and tell the truth..... "Sorry Ronan, you know how it is, I was getting cleaned in midfield, I lost the head...nothing personal"

monosharp

What an absolute load of horse manure. Who does he think is going to believe that muck of an excuse ?

Unless he mistook McGarritys head for the football then he meant to do it, and knew exactly what he was doing.

What kind of idiot would believe that was an accident ? Whelan should have kept his mouth shut or just apologised straight instead of lying through his teeth.

kc66

He is a dirty player. Remember the hit on Nigel Crawford?? as the ball was being thrown in against Meath last year. Blatant punch to the head in front of the ref and he wasnt sent off. Hes getting away with it too long.
As already said, that is an excuse he gave, not an apology.

DUB

What a surprise the anti-Dublin brigade arent having any of it. Some of them even know what Whelan's intentions were.

DUB

kc66, Where were Nigel Crawfords hands when Whelan boxed him?

Mossy Monk

DUB wrote:

What a surprise the anti-Dublin brigade arent having any of it. Some of them even know what Whelan's intentions were.

so you think it was an accident? take off the blue tinted glasses

squire1

What has him being from Dublin got to do with anything?

Culchie

DUB wrote:

What a surprise the anti-Dublin brigade arent having any of it. Some of them even know what Whelan's intentions were.

I'm not Anti-Dublin at all, I think they are sound.

Anti-StupidFeckingExcuseOfAnApologyBrigade ... Maybe

Aido c

I think he definatly spent more time 'spinning' than 'apologising'

Waylander

My opinion would be that if he wants to apologise to Mc Garrity he should do it in person, or by telephone, not through a national print media. I think he should have been sent off, and I think the GAA should look at the tackle, but I also think that any apology is an issue for Mc Garrity to accept, and noone else. Dub I think you were a bit harsh on culchie and some of the other posters there, they are not really part of the anti Dublin brigade.

squire1

Waylander wrote:

My opinion would be that if he wants to apologise to Mc Garrity he should do it in person, or by telephone, not through a national print media.

Spot on. But in fairness to Whelan, he probably has done this already. I'd hope so anyway. They are both amatures and as the saying goes "they all have to get up for work on a Monday morning"

Carcharodon

Come on, it was a bad tackle, rush of blood to head, intentional, unintentional or what not.

It happens.....

I have been involved in loads of games where things which were ten times worse occured.

Its not like he mowed him down with his car while drunk or anything...

These things happen in sport all the time, he was wrong, should of got red card probably in some peoples opinion, move on and forget about people

speck

I think a lot of you wouldn't be happy no matter what whelan said. He could crawl across hot coals to prove he was sorry and it wouldn't be enough because you just don't like him. May not have been the best apology, but at least he made one.

As for the tackle ... Not saying he should have done it or it was ok. we all agree it was bad. But I feel it was more of a case of cause and effect rather than Whelo being dirty

Don't want to get into a whole hill end prematch debate but

Cause :Mayo head for the hill to provoke the Dubs and get a reaction from the players/fans

Effect : The fans went crazy, Players none too happy either. Whelo went in for the tackle (a little harder than he normally would maybe !)

charba

speck wrote:

Cause :Mayo head for the hill to provoke the Dubs and get a reaction from the players/fans

Affect : The fans went crazy, Players none too happy either. Whelo went in for the tackle (a little harder than he normally would maybe !)

Was that not the desired effect for the Mayo lads. They wanted to ruffle the Dubs feathers? I mean you could see that Whelan even needed restraining at the hill end before the match even started.

Anyway as pointed out earlier I hope that he has apologised to Ronan in person, cause it doesnt matter how much we debate it here it wasnt any of us who got hurt. least whelan said one thing right, lets hope Ronan is okay for the final, because he has been one of the players of the season and he deserves to play in the Final!!

speck

charba wrote:

Was that not the desired effect for the Mayo lads. They wanted to ruffle the Dubs feathers? I mean you could see that Whelan even needed restraining at the hill end before the match even started.


Anyway as pointed out earlier I hope that he has apologised to Ronan in person, cause it doesnt matter how much we debate it here it wasnt any of us who got hurt. least whelan said one thing right, lets hope Ronan is okay for the final, because he has been one of the players of the season and he deserves to play in the Final!!

Thats my point, he was so p****ed, you could see it he was first away from the team photo and charging to the hill ... I just think all that anger showed in his game. Had he been sent off I think there would have been more than a few Mayo people thinking the "It worked we got him to do something stupid and get himself sent off '


It goes without saying none of them would deserve to miss the final and he's a great player

niallo32

kc66 wrote:

He is a dirty player. Remember the hit on Nigel Crawford?? as the ball was being thrown in against Meath last year. Blatant punch to the head in front of the ref and he wasnt sent off. Hes getting away with it too long.
As already said, that is an excuse he gave, not an apology.

Crawford had his hands and fingers in Whelans eye. Whelan was trying to break free from Crawfords grip.

Moyles gouged Darren Homan in the same game and he nearly lost his eye.

Dcully

Pathetic excuse of an apology,better off shuytting his mouth.
It was a terrible tackle and should have gone for it.

cruiserweight

speck wrote:

I think a lot of you wouldn't be happy no matter what whelan said. He could crawl across hot coals to prove he was sorry and it wouldn't be enough because you just don't like him. May not have been the best apology, but at least he made one.

As for the tackle ... Not saying he should have done it or it was ok. we all agree it was bad. But I feel it was more of a case of cause and effect rather than Whelo being dirty

Don't want to get into a whole hill end prematch debate but

Cause :Mayo head for the hill to provoke the Dubs and get a reaction from the players/fans

Effect : The fans went crazy, Players none too happy either. Whelo went in for the tackle (a little harder than he normally would maybe !)

Or how about

Cause : Whelan is being cleaned out at midfield

Effect : Went in to show McGarrity

Or maybe nobody knows what he was thinking!Whelan has a history in the recent past of over the top dirty tackles! Last year against Wexford and in the recent championship game against Meath there are examples of dirty tackles for which he should have been sent off!

Anyway his statement is more of a justification rather than an apology!

As for the teams warming up, in a neutral stadium no team has a right to warm up at any particular end! Mayo were out first and choose to warm up in front of the Hill!

niallo32

cruiserweight wrote:

Whelan has a history in the recent past of over the top dirty tackles! Last year against Wexford and in the recent championship game against Meath there are examples of dirty tackles for which he should have been sent off!

He was sent off against Wexford last year - funnily enough, Lambert wasnt sent off with him, when he shoulder charged into Whelans face when Whelan was walking back from his first booking.

cruiserweight

niallo32 wrote:

He was sent off against Wexford last year - funnily enough, Lambert wasnt sent off with him, when he shoulder charged into Whelans face when Whelan was walking back from his first booking.

I know he was, I am talking about the first yellow that he got for kicking a player in the chest, it should have been straight red!

speck

[
Or maybe nobody knows what he was thinking!Whelan has a history in the recent past of over the top dirty tackles! Last year against Wexford and in the recent championship game against Meath there are examples of dirty tackles for which he should have been sent off!

Anyway his statement is more of a justification rather than an apology!

As for the teams warming up, in a neutral stadium no team has a right to warm up at any particular end! Mayo were out first and choose to warm up in front of the Hill![/QUOTE]

Firstly, Was only talking about the Dublin- Mayo match. Not whelans history, he is not the only player with a few dodgy tackles in his past (think most teams will admit this ) even so he is a good player and he said sorry.

Secondly, As you want to do the whole hill end thing. I never said Mayo had no right to warm up at the hill end, or that dublin fans own the hill for that matter. Lets face it the hill on dublin match day is full of dubs, the team like warming up there for many reasons.. tradition.. all the rest.., most other teams go to the other end as that is usaully where most of their fans are.

cruiserweight

speck wrote:

Firstly, Was only talking about the Dublin- Mayo match. Not whelans history, he is not the only player with a few dodgy tackles in his past (think most teams will admit this ) even so he is a good player and he said sorry.

Fine then, it was a dirty cowards tackle! He should have been sent off!He should not use the media to try and justify his actions and say it is an apology!

speck wrote:

Secondly, As you want to do the whole hill end thing. I never said Mayo had no right to warm up at the hill end, or that dublin fans own the hill for that matter. Lets face it the hill on dublin match day is full of dubs, the team like warming up there for many reasons.. tradition.. all the rest.., most other teams go to the other end as that is usaully where most of their fans are.

You are the one who brought up the hill and offered it as a possible excuse for Whelan's tackle!

speck wrote:

Don't want to get into a whole hill end prematch debate but

Edited because I don't want to get into another stupid arguement!

speck

Fair enough, I just think he's dammed if he dose, dammed if he don't

Aido c

speck wrote:

Thats my point, he was so p****ed, you could see it he was first away from the team photo and charging to the hill ... I just think all that anger showed in his game. Had he been sent off I think there would have been more than a few Mayo people thinking the "It worked we got him to do something stupid and get himself sent off '

It goes without saying none of them would deserve to miss the final and he's a great player

I think you are going a bit overboard on the whole cause and effect thing. As a neutral, mayo had every right to pick either side of the pitch to warm up on, that it just a statement of fact whether Dublin like it or not.

Whelan’s tackle could have lost him a UFC fight, 'no striking to the back of the head or spine' There is a reason this is not allowed in UFC and there is no excuse for seeing it in an amateur sport.

As for the black art, the art of spin - I just wish for a change, that somebody would stand up once an a while and say ' I was riled up by the affront to our supporters when we lost the hill for warm up, it was my intention to play the man, looking now at what could have been the consequences I apologize unreservedly’. How hard would that have been?

yop

He should have gone to Ronan in person, putting it in public has only stirred it all up again, as this thread proves.

We all know what he did was out of order, yes he should have got red, if he said it was a stupid tackle then it was better than to come up with that strange excuse, at least he wished him well.

It happens, he knows he will be a watched man now and refs might get an edge on him.

WellyJ

Legend TBH

Seámus-Púbach

such a ****in tinker.... same category as Tommy Dowd from Meath some years back

johnnyc

Whelan is a dirty player full stop. If he had reached the all ireland there wouldn't be any apology