Why Does The Irish Media Hate Conor Mcgregor?

Dirty Dingus McGee · 25-08-2017 07:46AM

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

If that's all you're basing your judgement of him on.......then it's no wonder you feel the way you do about him.

That generally all I've heard from him.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 25-08-2017 07:50AM

mdwexford wrote: »

Try and educate yourself a bit if you are going to comment.

Remember just because you find him interesting doesn't mean everyonr else has to.

Every time I've heard him speak he's been unbeleivably obnoxious.

Why has he acted like such a jackass in the build up to the fight or in the build up to the fight against Aldo aswell.

if you act like he does beleive it or not a lot of people aren't going to like him because of it.

CalamariFritti · 25-08-2017 07:55AM

Justified or not some of martial arts sports has more than a whiff of unrefined, lowly, a crude spectacle for the great unwashed. And MMA would definitely be considered in the rougher end of things as opposed to say judo or classic boxing for example. Combine that with the loudness, brashness, rude in-your-faceness displayed during off stage antics and I can see how a great portion of society would find it hard to identify with that.

Then with this particular fight there is also the element of pure circus. One of them isn't even a proper boxer of any kind of stature. Are they even in the same weight class properly? They're putting it on for the money alone and hype it to the hilt when from a sporting perspective it seems really a nothing event. Like a pre season match between Real Madrid and Boca Juniors played in LA. Sounds great on paper but who cares really.

By the way to some degree I'm only being devils advocate. I wouldn't diss anyone for liking it but personally I would be indifferent about it. He's definitely not a huge sportsman or celebrity in my world. I'd have about as much interest in it as I would have in figure skating.

neonsofa · 25-08-2017 07:57AM

Jesus I'm a mother in my late twenties and if I'm wearing sweats I'll tuck them into my socks, now admittedly I don't wear them outside the house (bar getting into the car to do drop offs for family). It's to keep warm, that's all. I know he does it out and about but Tbf he is a celeb just like the rest and many of them go around in the most ridiculous fashion and nobody judges their character for it. He's rough around the edges and he puts on an act but he's not harming people, he is doing something he loves, getting money for it and living life how he probably always dreamed to. Im not a fan of his or the sport, i personally find it is over super quick which baffles me for all the hype prior but that's just me. I also think he's extremely witty when not in all out persona mode.

Eyes Down Field · 25-08-2017 08:17AM

Django99 wrote: »

However bad Irish begrudgery supposedly is, American begrudgery must be through the roof! Millions of Americans hate Mayweather and are cheering for McGregor, all because they can't stand to see another American be successful!

Correction. They can't stand to see a black American be successful. Especially a guy who bases his public image on flaunting the fruits of his labour.

walshb · 25-08-2017 08:30AM

This thread makes the boxing and MMA thread on the fight appear so classy!

threein99 · 25-08-2017 08:32AM

He's an arrogant mouth piece ? what is there to like ?

Birdie Num Num · 25-08-2017 08:36AM

Richard Hillman wrote: »

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.

He is the epitome of the modern diddly-eye Irishman and happy to be the stereotype. I agree a product of the crassly phrased Celtic Tiger Ireland and he represents the bullsh*t fighting Irish, crassly cocky, 'that's not how you pull a pint a Guinness, this is how you pull a pint a Guinness' brigade.

weldoninhio · 25-08-2017 08:51AM

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Both Conor McGregor and Mixed Martial Arts have divided people into groups of fanatic fans and fanatic opponents. And then there's the media!

The media as we know handpick certain individuals they will push all the way. They will either ignore or criticise others. CMcG does not fit with what the Irish media want which is tameness and blandness. Tame boybands, tame modern country music trash, etc. is what they want to portray and they find cute little sports-stars like the O'Donovans who too hold a cleancut image. One thing CMcG is not is bland and cleancut. He is the polar opposite and is therefore the opposite to what current Irish media sell. Because he is the polar opposite, I have to say I like CMcG overall. Flawed he is certainly but he worked hard with little media support to get where he is.

Bull****. Colin Farrell was never out of the papers when he was drinking, f*cking and partying around the States.

realdanbreen · 25-08-2017 08:52AM

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.

But he doesn't speak with a country accent he speaks with an accent that you might overhear while your home is being burgled or your phone is being robbed. Also I don't recall hearing the O'Donovan brothers ever being childishly racist, 'dance for me boy' or ' I'm Black from the bellybutton down'.
In fact I cannot recall an Irish sportsman that was so despised by his own people and that is down to McGregor himself.

weldoninhio · 25-08-2017 08:54AM

Axwell wrote: »

I am not saying they should be swept under the carpet but I don't believe that it is the primary reason people dislike him or at least wasnt to begin with. In my opinion they already disliked him on points 1-3 pretty much from the beginning of his career in the UFC and those who werent aware of him from Cage Warriors etc got their first glimpse of Conor McGregor. In the early stages of the UFC he quickly gained a huge amount of people (and media attention) who hated him for the points I made before comments like you highlighted started becoming part of his interviews, media tours and press conferences in later fights.

I disagree, when he first joined the UFC he was brash, funny and quick-witted. That turned into a nasty streak as he got bigger and bigger. And it's kept getting nastier and nastier ever since.

cletus · 25-08-2017 09:03AM

Whatever about how the media view McGregor, he sure does a good job of bringing out the worst in boards posters, on both sides of the argument

kilns · 25-08-2017 09:04AM

The simple fact is if he was a decent humble guy he would never have the profile he does now and would have never been allowed share a ring with Mayweather, he is great at selling a fight. He is not even the best pound for pound fighter in UFC but he is the best fight seller by a mile
He creates headlines because of what he does and what he says, I hope its all an act cause if its real I dont blame anyone for hating him.
The ESPN article was embarrassing and an insult to Crumlin

ooter · 25-08-2017 09:07AM

cletus wrote: »

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

In my opinion, finishing anywhere other than 1st in an event is not an achievement, but we do moral victories well in this country.

realdanbreen · 25-08-2017 09:08AM

Django99 wrote: »

However bad Irish begrudgery supposedly is, American begrudgery must be through the roof! Millions of Americans hate Mayweather and are cheering for McGregor, all because they can't stand to see another American be successful!

I think it might be more to do with Mayweather having done time for beating his woman. It doesn't say much for McGregor that half of Ireland is hoping a convicted American woman beater will knock McGregor unconscious.

martingriff · 25-08-2017 09:11AM

I don't like McGregor it's not because he is successful it is not because he is rich or it is not because we hate to see a successful Irish person. I just don't like his persona how he acts. I remember when he was starting out himself and 2 other MMA fighters came on the Late Late Show.

All had there persona but when asked about MMA the 2 answered to get fans McGregor was al me me me how I will knock people's block off. He had not even fought in UFC yet

ooter · 25-08-2017 09:12AM

wonderfullife wrote: »

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.

Excellent post.

Birdie Num Num · 25-08-2017 09:13AM

wonderfullife wrote: »

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.

Put Conor McGregor in a competitive situation where he can't pick and choose who is opponent is and then come back to me. It's less than a year since he was saying he doesn't need Mayweather. He didn't need a job as plumber either and choose to go on the dole to concentrate on what he does. He didn't lose his job, trawl the country for work before that option. Athletes have gone to the Olympics as bus conductors and performed. One even went as a soldier and came back with a gold medal 25 years ago. What McGregor has done is made a lot of money. Even if he wins tomorrow, which he should, against an ex boxer it doesn't really mean a lot except more cash in his pocket.

realdanbreen · 25-08-2017 09:14AM

ooter wrote: »

In my opinion, finishing anywhere other than 1st in an event is not an achievement, but we do moral victories well in this country.

In achievement terms A lot of people would regard coming first in a 'sport' like cage fighting as pretty much the same as being the owner of a winning Pitbull terrier. I would have way more respect for a champion bare knuckle fighter than I would for a champion cage fighter.

BillyBobBS · 25-08-2017 09:15AM

threein99 wrote: »

He's an arrogant mouth piece ? what is there to like ?

I dunno maybe the fact he a self made multi millionaire and well on his way to being the most successful Irish sportsperson ever?

He is where he is today because he's a marketing genius. Some people are never happy, if he was still on the dole living in the box room in mammies house people would be moaning and yet here's a guy who's gone and done what he's done inspiring literally hundreds of kids to get off the couch away from the X Box and get down the gym and be active.

I think because he's rough around the edges and doesn't speak in a put on American D4 accent it upsets the Montrose media circle jerk. And that makes me very happy indeed

cletus · 25-08-2017 09:19AM

ooter wrote: »

In my opinion, finishing anywhere other than 1st in an event is not an achievement, but we do moral victories well in this country.

Really? A silver medal in the Olympics is not an achievement? What about Paddy Barnes' bronze? Or Sonia O'Sullivan's Silver?

I get the Roy Keane take on being there to make up the numbers, but medalling in the Olympics not being an achievement is a stretch, even for this thread

weldoninhio · 25-08-2017 09:19AM

BillyBobBS wrote: »

I dunno maybe the fact he a self made multi millionaire and well on his way to being the most successful Irish sportsperson ever?

He is where he is today because he's a marketing genius. Some people are never happy, if he was still on the dole living in the box room in mammies house people would be moaning and yet here's a guy who's gone and done what he's done inspiring literally hundreds of kids to get off the couch away from the X Box and get down the gym and be active.

I think because he's rough around the edges and doesn't speak in a put on American D4 accent it upsets the Montrose media circle jerk. And that makes me very happy indeed

Have you got a link to this Irish sportspersons success scale??

threein99 · 25-08-2017 09:20AM

BillyBobBS wrote: »

I dunno maybe the fact he a self made multi millionaire and well on his way to being the most successful Irish sportsperson ever?

He is where he is today because he's a marketing genius. Some people are never happy, if he was still on the dole living in the box room in mammies house people would be moaning and yet here's a guy who's gone and done what he's done inspiring literally hundreds of kids to get off the couch away from the X Box and get down the gym and be active.

I think because he's rough around the edges and doesn't speak in a put on American D4 accent it upsets the Montrose media circle jerk. And that makes me very happy indeed

All valid points but none of those disprove my arrogant mouth piece comment. His sporting ability can't be disputed I just can't warm to someone who performs like he does in those 'Press Conference' tours.

Gravelly · 25-08-2017 09:23AM

I wouldn't be a McGregor fan by any means, and the persona he projects certainly isn't designed to ingratiate him with people. However I have a huge amount of respect for what he has achieved. He is one of the most dedicated sportspeople I know (and I know a bit about the dedication required to be good at a sport), and he works himself as hard as any sportsperson I've seen. His rebound after losing to Diaz says it all. I doubt his personality in real life is as brash and confrontational as the one he uses to sell his fights - he is, at the end of the day, just using the same tactics to sell himself and his fights as many did in the boxing world before him, most notably Ali. I hope he wins against Mayweather, even though I am much more of a boxing fan than an MMA fan. McGregor is Irish, and, aside from rubbing people up the wrong way, seems like a harmless guy outside the ring. Mayweather isn't Irish, and is a scumbag outside the ring.

Dantian · 25-08-2017 09:28AM

He's a character produced by a savvy individual with a good management team - few sporting figures and fewer boxers are remembered simply for being 'good' because no matter how good you are, there is someone better - you WILL be beaten eventually - you'll get too old, too slow, too broken to fight and your career will be over.

By creating a character of this cheeky 'you know nattin' full of himself showman, he is creating a product that will be wanted long after he is done fighting. Someone that will have his own sports show, or do the dinner circuit because people want to see how outrageous he is in person. Like this fight - he ISN'T going to beat Mayweather or at least the chances are SUPER slim. But either way - it's a crowd drawing fight, with lots of hype and 'story' behind it more like WWE wrestling than competative martial arts - and if he somehow manages to win -well...that'll gaurantee his place.

It's bloody genius! I'm not a fan of MMA, or indeed boxing (imo it's still 2 brains and 4 fists in a race to early onset parkinsons) but I can respect the way he is handling his career. Either he isn't the fisty rapscallion he appears at fights and he's incredibly business savy OR he has some very good representation who knows how to make a product that lasts. Fair play to him

ooter · 25-08-2017 09:30AM

realdanbreen wrote: »

But he doesn't speak with a country accent he speaks with an accent that you might overhear while your home is being burgled or your phone is being robbed.

And that's it in a nutshell.

Wanderer78 · 25-08-2017 09:30AM

BillyBobBS wrote:

He is where he is today because he's a marketing genius. Some people are never happy, if he was still on the dole living in the box room in mammies house people would be moaning and yet here's a guy who's gone and done what he's done inspiring literally hundreds of kids to get off the couch away from the X Box and get down the gym and be active.

Marketing is a form of manipulation, it's not our proudest creation, it certainly shouldn't be applauded. I will agree though that he has inspired many, and I wish him the best, but genius certainly isn't a term I'd use to describe him. only certain humans are truly worthy of that title, and they are few and far between

kilns · 25-08-2017 09:32AM

wonderfullife wrote: »

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.

So when McGregor loses on Saturday to Mayweather you will call him a loser too?
Or when he lost to Nate Diaz was he a loser too?

ooter · 25-08-2017 09:34AM

cletus wrote: »

Really? A silver medal in the Olympics is not an achievement? What about Paddy Barnes' bronze? Or Sonia O'Sullivan's Silver?

I get the Roy Keane take on being there to make up the numbers, but medalling in the Olympics not being an achievement is a stretch, even for this thread

Probably an achievement to those individuals but at the end of the day they lost, people may choose to celebrate that but I wouldn't.

Dantian · 25-08-2017 09:36AM

kilns wrote: »

So when McGregor loses on Saturday to Mayweather you will call him a loser too?
Or when he lost to Nate Diaz was he a loser too?

NOT AT ALL! Not even sure how you got that from what I said.

He will lose, because thems the breaks - but it was a bloody smart move to have the fight at all!!

He could have made a career 'undefeated' having boring fights against guys he KNEW he could beat but having these BIG 'grudge matches' or taking on boxers like Mayweather when he himself isnt a professional boxer is effing balsy and a great business move for him.

professional atheletes win and lose all the time because thats the nature of their job, like stockbrokers making money and losing money but McGregor has transitioned from sportsman to business man and thats how you go from being rich to wealthy.

Why Does The Irish Media Hate Conor Mcgregor?

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