Why Does The Irish Media Hate Conor Mcgregor?

powerjuggler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di6Rxe3cJx0&feature=youtu.be

Donal55

powerjuggler wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di6Rxe3cJx0&feature=youtu.be

I wouldn't say its only the media. A lot of the citizenry cannot stomach him either.

Richard Hillman

He makes middle ages to older people quite uncomfortable. He's not a diddly-eye Irishman that has this persona of false modesty and playing themselves down. He is a product of Celtic Tiger Ireland. A man that never lived in the begorrah times of feeling insecure and inferior to others.

It's a change of the guard and the old timers are frightened of it.

whippet

The media tend to be the mouth piece of the general population and in general (outside of his manic fan base) don't have a whole pile of time for him.

Personally i can't stand the fella .. respect his achievements.. but listening to him and listening to others talking about him is like jihad on my brain

powerjuggler

Many of the Irish National Newspapers have run derogatory stories on Mcgregor. Win, Draw or Lose against Floyd Mayweather, Mcgregor's achievements and quick rise to fame have already given him Legendary status. So what is this all about? If Ireland reached the World Cup Final in Football the team would be worshipped by the press, so why the double standards.

StupidLikeAFox

He's loud and brash and doesn't come across as a nice person

Personally I think it's all an act, he's doing it to build the profile and I turn his cut of the PPV. He can also back it up in the ring. But if you are going down this road you will piss people off. He kind of reminds me of Michael OLeary

begbysback

They like to hate him - surely they understand he's just acting, playing a part to put bums on seats. I guess the media do know this and are playing their part too...

It's all just a show, and everyone playing their role - when floyd hands Conor his ass on a plate then we'll see the real Conor - but only after the show is over - then people will warm to him.

ooter

If he spoke with a country accent and said things like "pull like a dog" and shteak and shpuds" and never actually won anything they'd probably love him and ministers and the fourth estate would be meeting him coming off the plane.

cletus

We're living in a bubble here. The vast majority of the Irish population don't give a shït about Conor McGregor either way. He enters their consciousness in only the most oblique of manners, if at all.

I sat at a table yesterday with six work colleagues , male and female and a variety of ages. Talk of the fight came up, mostly centered around the money being made. I was asked my opinion on the fight, but unanimously they declared mma not a real sport, too barbaric etc.

Regarding the media, their job is to sell content to the public, so that content mirrors the interest of that public

FixdePitchmark

I was watching the carry on with the promotional stuff.

Call me old fashioned - but for two professional guys to be screaming like that so close to each other and the tirade of abuse, would put people off.

I'm not a massive UFC fan. But love any sport and think there has to be at some level an element of respect between 2 guys like that at the top. McGregor has been in the dark ages with some of his lose talk.

He has said so much himself.

He himself seems to have seen that the OTT stuff is catching up with the event and putting his art in a very dark public light.

whippet

ooter wrote: »

If he spoke with a country accent and said things like "pull like a dog" and shteak and shpuds" and never actually won anything they'd probably love him and ministers and the fourth estate would be meeting him coming off the plane.

Yeah ... those lads from cork have achieved nothing !!

Actually they are genuinely nice guys, tell a good story and people warm to them due to their achievements and personalities... McGregor on the other hand is just the total opposite with regards to personality.

Of course there are people who will hang on every word he says and swear he is the second coming .. but most normal people will take one look at the "Fxxx You' suit and ignore him for the clown he wants to be

begbysback

Mc Gregor only got this fight/money by mouthing, has worked perfectly so far - why change now?

FixdePitchmark

begbysback wrote: »

Mc Gregor only got this fight/money by mouthing, has worked perfectly so far - why change now?

Because - he is gone from alternative to mainstream - there is a big difference.

Can you go around calling people F***** and monkey :eek:

whippet

begbysback wrote: »

Mc Gregor only got this fight/money by mouthing, has worked perfectly so far - why change now?

He has played his card right for the outcome he wants ... cash and loads of it.

But himself and his supporters shouldn't be questioning why he isn't respected by the general population when he plays those cards

cletus

ooter wrote: »

If he spoke with a country accent and said things like "pull like a dog" and shteak and shpuds" and never actually won anything they'd probably love him and ministers and the fourth estate would be meeting him coming off the plane.

Denigrating the achievements or personalities of other Irish sports people does nothing to raise McGregor's likability, and in unnecessary imo

irishgeo

Alot of people haven't heard of him because it's mma. It's on BT sport which people don't want to pay extra for. They don't understand the rules and its on at stupid o clock in the morning.

begbysback

whippet wrote: »

He has played his card right for the outcome he wants ... cash and loads of it.

But himself and his supporters shouldn't be questioning why he isn't respected by the general population when he plays those cards

He's playing a game - those who understand know it will be different when the game is over - I get why it's unpopular with some folks, and I would suspect he would too...

FixdePitchmark

begbysback wrote: »

He's playing a game - those who understand know it will be different when the game is over - I get why it's unpopular with some folks, and I would suspect he would too...

It is a dangerous game. Yes his sport is a dangerous game. But that does not give you a pass to do anything - money doesn't give you a pass to do or say anything.

whippet

begbysback wrote: »

He's playing a game - those who understand know it will be different when the game is over - I get why it's unpopular with some folks, and I would suspect he would too...

I understand the game alright .. but understanding it is different to liking it.

Somehow I don't think he'll retire modestly with his huge bank balance and go working with Christina Nobel ...

Autochange

Why does the Irish media ignore half of the corruption and rubbish that goes on in this country? Because they choose to. Mcgregor is working class who made it big by fighting. Its frowned on by our rich elite overlords

TheCatSpangler

He's a skanger, knacker, scumbag, etc. Not my words. He talks with the wrong kind of accent, dresses the wrong way, and so forth.

Autochange

Had no trust fund or Daddy didn't set him up with any bushiness connections

neonsofa

irishgeo wrote: »

Alot of people haven't heard of him because it's mma. It's on BT sport which people don't want to pay extra for. They don't understand the rules and its on at stupid o clock in the morning.

Genuine question, are you being sarcastic?

Inviere

Because it's run by a group of middle class toffee nose hacks who pounce on any opportunity to deride McGregor, and turn the other way when he does something positive, makes history in MMA, or puts Ireland in a positive spin on the world stage. Media bias and all that jazz. Though I have to say, Ryan Tubridy is always very gracious to McGregor, and shoots down fearful cries of 'blood sport' from the diddlie diedle brigade.

Sure, he's not to everyone's taste, that's fine...he's loud, brash, outspoken etc...but what people should realise is, those are massive promotional tools. Ali, Tyson, so many of the big names in combat sports all used those same tools to elevate themselves and become household names. Nice guys finish last in the land of combat sports, certainly where money is concerned.

McGregor knows this, exploits it, and has been wildly successful at it too. I don't think he gives a hoot whether complete strangers on the internet judge him, at the end of the day, the people around him and close to him all know the real him, and stick by him. Judging him for his in camera persona is naive, and keeps people safe in their bubble of ivory.

eurokev

Irish people are begrudgers. Pure & simple.

McGregor in a few short years has reached a level of stardom no other Irish person, not to mind sports person has ever achieved. Is there a more famous/recognisable sports person alive at mo?

He is virtually the face of mma, which whether people like it or not is the fastest growing sport in the world. He has the most famous athletes and sports people in the world posting videos of themselves imitating him on their heavily followed social media accounts.

He has hoards of supporters from every walk of life/ and corner of the globe willing to spend thousands to watch him perform.

He puts on incredible shows inside and outside of the cage/ring. He knows how to promote himself better than anybody I can think of. Whether you like him or not, you know what he is at!!
The people who follow him closest and the longest realise that most of the brashness is for show, and realise what a decent guy he really is.

And all this from a guy from crumlin, who was an apprentice plumber a few years ago, on the Dole even more recently. A guy who could not be more prouder of where he is from. A guy who constantly puts himself out there to be shot down.
A guy who kept the same friends/ partners all the way through his rise. Whose family are always the first people he celebrates/mourns with. I could go on on.

The guy is an absolute legend. We are very lucky to have such a star from our small country to follow. I don't think we will ever see the likes of him from Ireland in our lifetime again.

Hopefully wonderfullife sees this soon and gives us another epic post

CatFromHue

While many seem to want to believe it's due to where he was born it's really to do with his actions.

There have been many people from rough areas who the media love so I think people need to get those chips off their shoulders.

Most of our olympic boxers come from rough areas and it's never a problem. Bernard Dunne is another example who went into the pro game and was treated like a hero. The same goes for soccer and GAA players too.

Autochange

eurokev wrote: »

Irish people are begrudgers. Pure & simple.

McGregor in a few short years has reached a level of stardom no other Irish person, not to mind sports person has ever achieved. Is there a more famous/recognisable sports person alive at mo?

He is virtually the face of mma, which whether people like it or not is the fastest growing sport in the world. He has the most famous athletes and sports people in the world posting videos of themselves imitating him on their heavily followed social media accounts.

He has hoards of supporters from every walk of life/ and corner of the globe willing to spend thousands to watch him perform.

He puts on incredible shows inside and outside of the cage/ring. He knows how to promote himself better than anybody I can think of. Whether you like him or not, you know what he is at!!
The people who follow him closest and the longest realise that most of the brashness is for show, and realise what a decent guy he really is.

And all this from a guy from crumlin, who was an apprentice plumber a few years ago, on the Dole even more recently. A guy who could not be more prouder of where he is from. A guy who constantly puts himself out there to be shot down.
A guy who kept the same friends/ partners all the way through his rise. Whose family are always the first people he celebrates/mourns with. I could go on on.

The guy is an absolute legend. We are very lucky to have such a star from our small country to follow. I don't think we will ever see the likes of him from Ireland in our lifetime again.

Hopefully wonderfullife sees this soon and gives us another epic post

I dont know about this begrudge thing that keeps coming up.Why is it supposedly an Irish thing? Can you just not like someone without being called a begrudger? I hate Bono for example. i think he is an insufferable arsehole . That is all. Nothing more nothing less.

CatFromHue

there are loads f working class people who have been very successful in sport and there's never any problem. to say it's just cos of where he's from is head in the sand stuff.

Schwiiing

CatFromHue wrote: »

While many seem to want to believe it's due to where he was born it's really to do with his actions.

There have been many people from rough areas who the media love so I think people need to get those chips off their shoulders.

Most of our olympic boxers come from rough areas and it's never a problem. Bernard Dunne is another example who went into the pro game and was treated like a hero. The same goes for soccer and GAA players too.

Dunne also had humility and modesty and carried himself with a bit of class on his way to a world title in the same 'combat sport' sphere McGregor is in.

He surely made a few quid in his day but we never had pictures of him standing on a rented Rolls Royce and poncing about in a private jet.

Same with Harrington, O Driscoll, O Connell, O Sullivan etc. All reached the top of their respective sports and carried themselves with dignity and class. No one ever begrudged them their success.

Clegg

You can't have a proper discussion about McGregor. There are legitimate criticisms about his behaviour to be made, but if you make them you're a begrudger or are thumbing your nose at the working class.

whippet

So because I don't like a fella who wears a suit with '**** you' all over it I'm a silver spooned middle class snob?

The stereotyping that is been done by McGregor fans is bizarre. Massive chips on shoulders.

eurokev

Autochange wrote:

I dont know about this begrudge thing that keeps coming up.Why is it supposedly an Irish thing? Can you just not like someone without being called a begrudger? I hate Bono for example. i think he is an insufferable arsehole . That is all. Nothing more nothing less.

In my experience I have found that a lot of people in this country tend to not like people who have done well for themselves and enjoy the fruits of their labour.
I frequently hear people deride such people without even really knowing them, I have probably done it myself too.
Sure somebody can just not like somebody, but all too often the real reason for dislike is in all honesty is jealousy of what the other person has/ achieved.
It probably isn't an Irish thing to be fair, it's probably a human/primal thing. We all want to be the alpha male deep down I suppose.
And yes, bono is an a**hole, lol

willowthewisp

I'll give you one reason.
He walks out on stage in front of an international audience and has Worn a suit with f*ck you all over it.

Autochange

willowthewisp wrote: »

I'll give you one reason.
He walks out on stage in front of an international audience and has Worn a suit with f*ck you all over it.

He is known worldwide for his attitude and persona which has made him a multimillionaire. He will be 100 million dollars richer after Saturday. That is the character he has to play to now.

eurokev

Schwiiing wrote:

Dunne also had humility and modesty and carried himself with a bit of class on his way to a world title in the same 'combat sport' sphere McGregor is in.

Schwiiing wrote:

He surely made a few quid in his day but we never had pictures of him standing on a rented Rolls Royce and poncing about in a private jet.

Schwiiing wrote:

Same with Harrington, O Driscoll, O Connell, O Sullivan etc. All reached the top of their respective sports and carried themselves with dignity and class. No one ever begrudged them their success.

Schwiiing wrote:

Dunne also had humility and modesty and carried himself with a bit of class on his way to a world title in the same 'combat sport' sphere McGregor is in.

Schwiiing wrote:

He surely made a few quid in his day but we never had pictures of him standing on a rented Rolls Royce and poncing about in a private jet.

Schwiiing wrote:

Same with Harrington, O Driscoll, O Connell, O Sullivan etc. All reached the top of their respective sports and carried themselves with dignity and class. No one ever begrudged them their success.

Bernard Dunne reached absolutely nowhere near the level McGregor is at. Its nowhere even remotely close. I have met him though and he was the soundest guy ever to be fair.
The other people you've named again can't compare to McGregor in any way at all. It's just a completely different level of celebrity and stardom.
McGregor really is getting close to being at a Muhammed Ali kind if level the way things are going.
Comparing him with other Irish sports people is a bit ignorant and shows a clear lack of knowledge.
Rory Mcillroy could maybe come kind of close to where McGregor is, but not really tbh

willowthewisp

Autochange wrote: »

He is known worldwide for his attitude and persona which has made him a multimillionaire. He will be 100 million dollars richer after Saturday. That is the character he has to play to now.

That is well and good, but it doesn't mean we have to like him, or think that his behaviour is poor.

FixdePitchmark

whippet wrote: »

So because I don't like a fella who wears a suit with '**** you' all over it I'm a silver spooned middle class snob?

The stereotyping that is been done by McGregor fans is bizarre. Massive chips on shoulders.

Yes when McGregor first turned up to late late - what was that 4 years ago - he was totally and utterly charming

As I said - I looked in to see what the hype was all all about.

People going on about accent is balls - he has just changed. you can have a working class accent and be classy or not.

Kirk Van Houten

McGregor is an amazing athlete and has managed to carve out a niche in MMA that he has been handsomely rewarded for. But to carve out that niche he has to create a character/persona for self promotion that for a lot of people is unlikeable and for some boarders on racism.
I believe it is all an act and done for the media to promote himself or the fight. However threads like this, and some MMA fans in general claiming that the media treat him badly is laughable. They are reacting to the act Conor is putting on. They are doing what Conor needs, they are feeding the McGregor machine and the media are effectively printing the money for Conor. This is all a game and Conor and the media need each other - its a symbiotic relationship where one needs publicity and the other needs to fill print or airtime or get clicks.
The idea its only because he's from the wrong side of the tracks is also laughable. As others have said so many of the nations top boxers have come from similar backgrounds with little of the same treatment. The media have taken a dislike to Conor because his persona is dislikeable.
I admire him as an athlete and for what he has achieved. However I don't like what he does to promote himself and the MMA fan boys who defend his casual racism are just as bad.

riffmongous

eurokev wrote: »

Bernard Dunne reached absolutely nowhere near the level McGregor is at. Its nowhere even remotely close. I have met him though and he was the soundest guy ever to be fair.
The other people you've named again can't compare to McGregor in any way at all. It's just a completely different level of celebrity and stardom.
McGregor really is getting close to being at a Muhammed Ali kind if level the way things are going.
Comparing him with other Irish sports people is a bit ignorant and shows a clear lack of knowledge.
Rory Mcillroy could maybe come kind of close to where McGregor is, but not really tbh

The dislike is nothing new though, people and the media haven't liked McGregor for a good while, even since when he was at a level lower than any of those guys mentioned

wonderfullife

whippet wrote: »

Yeah ... those lads from cork have achieved nothing !!

Actually they are genuinely nice guys, tell a good story and people warm to them due to their achievements and personalities... McGregor on the other hand is just the total opposite with regards to personality.

The treatment of Annalise Murphy and the O' Donovans last summer shows where we are as a media and as a nation.

We celebrate losers. We always have and always will.

They all received pretty substantial funding from Sport Ireland to compete in obscure niche sports in the Olympics. They went out there, they competed and they lost. So, they come home to massive parties in Dublin and Cork, to Late Late Show appearances, to magazine covers and everyone has a warm fuzzy feeling inside. It's a love-in from the media and the public.

To quote Conor from 2014:

"But you said congratulations I'm now No. 9, if you think I celebrate being No. 9 you're highly mistaken my friend".

Just over 2 years later he was the featherweight world champion, 3 years later the lightweight world champion. No funding along the way, no leg-ups or assistance from the government just sheer determination.

People don't even bother to scratch the surface of his character and see the tremendous loyalty, kindness, humility, sacrifice and dedication in the man, all they want to see are the fight promotion antics which serve a very practical purpose in a sport where more people watching translates to more income to bring in for his family.

Conor's a winner. The O' Donovans are losers. Annalise Murphy is a loser. Come back to me in 2020 when they win gold at the Olympics and I'll be the first to congratulate them.

In the meantime, the media can continue to celebrate losers and people can continue to dislike Conor, while he's busy winning and inspiring a whole generation of younger people to work hard to chase their own impossible dreams.

FixdePitchmark

This was fantastic the way Mayweather turned it on its head.

When there was no baying drunk mob.

.ak

Because the Irish media like most things in this country are 5 steps behind everyone else.

Why does every other country's media love Conor? Why is he a global superstar? Because he's a wet dream for a producer; naturally good speaker, engages in every question, never repeats himself, a constant stream of great material quotes and attitude and usually a few funny lines. Look how the media scrum to get at him in Vegas.

The Irish media wouldn't have a clue how to use any of his soundbites or even how to illicit them. Being interviewed by most Irish presenters is a kin to being drowned by a mouse peeing in your mouth; you just want to get it over with.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Because he acts like a prick and is an incredibly boring individual.

People in Ireland don't tend to like people who blow they're own trumpet and it has nothing to do with begrudgery (as I'm sure that world will be thrown out in response) more to with the fact that people who blow their own trumpet tend to be painful to listen to and you just want them to shut up.

.ak

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Because he acts like a prick prick and is an incredibly boring individual.

He may act like a prick, but unsure how anyone could call him boring.

Truth is the Irish media wouldn't know what to do with him; they'd be afraid to do an interview as it might upset the viewers.

I literally cannot stand watching anything on Irish produced TV, any sports I'll always watch on English or American channels. Why are we so bad at this game?

Dirty Dingus McGee

.ak wrote: »

He may act like a prick, but unsure how anyone could call him boring.

Truth is the Irish media wouldn't know what to do with him; they'd be afraid to do an interview as it might upset the viewers.

I literally cannot stand watching anything on Irish produced TV, any sports I'll always watch on English or American channels. Why are we so bad at this game?

He's terribly boring for a large amount of people.

A few curse words and a load of shouting does not make somebody interesting.

snowflaker

No government support??? He was on €188 for long enough!

He's very dislikeable. He's devsive and he has a fairly chequered past tbf

riffmongous

wonderfullife wrote: »

......

That's a load of nonsense wonder, I don't remember anyone ****ting on Katie Taylor back in 2012

walshb

This rant/dissing at other sports competitors to try and big up Conor reeks of desperation..it doesn't even warrant a rebuttal.

weldoninhio

Autochange wrote: »

He is known worldwide for his attitude and persona which has made him a multimillionaire. He will be 100 million dollars richer after Saturday. That is the character he has to play to now.

His 'character' has to hang around with Irish gangland criminals??

.ak

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

He's terribly boring for a large amount of people.

A few curse words and a load of shouting does not make somebody interesting.

I've only heard that in his Floyd/Diaz pressers.

If you actually bothered listening to his proper interviews he's very articulate, sharp as a whip, and controversial.

He's the definition of interesting sports persona; most sports people are not blessed with that and just trot out the same soundbites.

That's why, as I said above, every other countries media scramble to get talk time with him.

road_high

I'm not sure which is worse tbh- McGregor himself who's just playing an act to make money or the mindless idiots that "follow" him and think is some kind of talent.
I don't think ever the phrase "money can't buy you class" were more apt for an individual. They should put his name beside the word crass in the dictionary.