Ewan McKenna on Irish Rugby- Time to Put up or Shut Up

Muahahaha · 18-10-2019 10:53pm #1

McKenna has another of those articles that will cause controversy. He's already stuck the boot into horse racing and now its the time of rugby.
Full article here, its a long read but very interesting to read his views, even if many will not agree with them
https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-2019/ewan-mackenna-there-is-no-room-left-for-nearlymen-for-heroic-losses-its-time-to-put-up-or-shut-up-38605064.html

Maybe they can together dredge up their finest of days and create easily their greatest. They say every problem is an opportunity in disguise. And there's one good way to shut up doubters, and it's a lot more convincing than merely ridiculing those doubts.

But what we do know is there is no room left for nearly-men, for heroic losses, for hard-luck stories, for tears on the pitch, for homecomings celebrating failure, for oh-captain-my captain. This is elite sport, not Belvedere College.
You perform and you are then judged on your results.

We've had four years of noise since the last tragic episode, as if a lad dragging pots and pans along a cobbled street. We're gone deaf listening to the clank and the never-ending clatter.

Finally it's time to put up or shut up.

Akrasia · 18-10-2019 10:58pm

He's a sh1t stirring gowl

Just ignore him

Podge_irl · 18-10-2019 11:06pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

very interesting to read his views

No it isn’t. It’s tedious beyond compare.

CatFromHue · 19-10-2019 12:08am

It's a typical MacKenna article. There is a point buried in there but he goes so big on emotive language but not so much on facts or context that it ends up a bit of nonsense.

For example.

Look at the horror over a not-fit-for purpose World Cup bid being rightly rejected.

I don't remember this happening, if anything there was more annoyance at the thought that we could ever compete with France.

Look at the anger when not everyone gets behind this team and won't accept the talk having failed to see the walk

I don't remember seeing this anywhere either.

Ronan O'Gara reduced to tears in 2011 would have been moving if that wasn't a pool game; Ian Madigan in 2015 overwrought by victory would have seemed fitting if it was a knock-out match.

He really has no time for context does MacKenna. ROG's last RWC after playing for the team for so long, thousand of miles away from his young family, and I'm not sure how much game time he thought'd get. Madigan I'd imagine thought he'd never play in any big game for Ireland.

The top teams all show up in the best shape with the highest expectations, but while we massaged ours egos in advance, it's interesting that since this tournament began we've spent the majority of the days winding our necks back in.

Did he watch any of this years 6N or warm up games, I doubt anyone going into this tournament was expecting much. Hoping yes, expecting no.

19-10-2019 12:09am

Can this thread be closed please. That troll doesn't deserve the time of day or clicks to sustain his poisonous existence.

riemann · 19-10-2019 12:18am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Can this thread be closed please. That troll doesn't deserve the time of day or clicks to sustain his poisonous existence.

Yes, please shut down any discussion I don't agree with.

ClanofLams · 19-10-2019 12:24am

riemann wrote: »

Yes, please shut down any discussion I don't agree with.

Reasoned debate is always welcome. Waffle from a guy who openly admits to hating the Irish team isn’t that. Especially when he hypocritically bangs on about elitism, his father being a senior Rté journalist must have been no help to him at all...

19-10-2019 12:24am

CatFromHue wrote: »

It's a typical MacKenna article

It's beyond me why people read MacKenna when he's on the topic of rugby.

He has an incredibly childish approach to making his dislike of rugby as weel known as possible.
.
Best ignored.

19-10-2019 12:41am

riemann wrote: »

Yes, please shut down any discussion I don't agree with.

I've read a lot of his stuff. Used to regularly check his twitter.

At the bottom of it all, he hates Irish rugby. Absolutely despises it. He bends over backwards to try and make genuine points but it all stems from this hypoctrical, embittered stance. He makes a living off winding people up. Literally a professional troll. In this day and age, you get more clicks if you're outreagous and contrarian unfortunately. I don't bite anymore.

In terms of rugby analysis, he's an odious waste of space. If you're an Irish rugby fan, you should despise what he's trying to do. Did you celebrate when England beat Ireland in the six nations this year? Well he did.

Fann Linn · 19-10-2019 12:44am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I've read a lot of his stuff. Used to regularly check his twitter.

At the bottom of it all, he hates Irish rugby. Absolutely despises it. He bends over backwards to try and make genuine points but it all stems from this hypoctrical, embittered stance. He makes a living off winding people up. Literally a professional troll. In this day and age, you get more clicks if you're outreagous and contrarian unfortunately. I don't bite anymore.

In terms of rugby analysis, he's an odious waste of space. If you're an Irish rugby fan, you should despise what he's trying to do. Did you celebrate when England beat Ireland in the six nations this year? Well he did.

He has a gripe with most sports or sportsmen.
Except McGregor.

Says it all.

ClanofLams · 19-10-2019 12:51am

Fann Linn wrote: »

He has a gripe with most sports or sportsmen.
Except McGregor.

Says it all.

Saw he’s doing a book on him. Is it with co-operation of McGregor?

Fann Linn · 19-10-2019 12:53am

ClanofLams wrote: »

Saw he’s doing a book on him. Is it with co-operation of McGregor?

Ní thuigim.

ClanofLams · 19-10-2019 12:58am

Fann Linn wrote: »

Ní thuigim.

Just meant I thought he despised mcgregor too and presumed that’s what book is about but you seemed to suggest he likes him.

Yeah_Right · 19-10-2019 12:59am

Seems like a sad little man.

I see another Irish journalist (Ruaidhri O'Connor) now taking shots at Sevu Reese because he got charged with DV. I really hate "journalists" like these two.

Fann Linn · 19-10-2019 1:02am

ClanofLams wrote: »

Just meant I thought he despised mcgregor too and presumed that’s what book is about but you seemed to suggest he likes him.

That's what I heard. Has a bit of a soft spot for him but compares Lowry to a Nazi.

CatFromHue · 19-10-2019 1:03am

riemann wrote: »

Yes, please shut down any discussion I don't agree with.

He's an unreliable narrator.

If you look at my post above for a few examples where he uses stuff that either isn't true or is lacking in context, You go through the article and find a lot more examples. For any of the articles I've read of his it's the same.

He's a big fan of saying you can't criticise the rugby team but on the same weekend he'll say this you can open a Sunday paper and it'll be full or criticism.

There's also the question of a journalist having such an awfully toxic twitter account.

ClanofLams · 19-10-2019 1:04am

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Seems like a sad little man.

I see another Irish journalist (Ruaidhri O'Connor) now taking shots at Sevu Reese because he got charged with DV. I really hate "journalists" like these two.

With you on McKenna for sure. Wouldn’t be big fan of O’Connor either but domestic violence is a fairly solid reason to have a go at someone.

I understand the argument of youth, mistakes, second chances, etc and would agree with for most crimes of a similar levels in terms of legal consequences but hitting a woman is despicable.

kuang1 · 19-10-2019 1:08am

I was on the verge of asking to close this thread too.

But on reflection, maybe it will serve to assist in the downfall of this hack.

So long as no links are posted (and hence the troll himself doesn't benefit) , leave this open and let him be exposed for the failed, embittered human being that he is.

Apparently OTB no longer employ him, and he has mentioned this in a tweet or video or something... So they're also on his hate list.

Poor bastard.

What a sad existence.

NeonWolf · 19-10-2019 1:14am

Fann Linn wrote: »

He has a gripe with most sports or sportsmen.
Except McGregor.

Says it all.

He despises McGregor

Donnielighto · 19-10-2019 1:15am

NeonWolf wrote: »

He despises McGregor

Is there anything Irish he supports so?

NeonWolf · 19-10-2019 1:16am

ClanofLams wrote: »

With you on McKenna for sure. Wouldn’t be big fan of O’Connor either but domestic violence is a fairly solid reason to have a go at someone.

I understand the argument of youth, mistakes, second chances, etc and would agree with for most crimes of a similar levels in terms of legal consequences but hitting a woman is despicable.

I believe she was giving him a few digs as well , and she is still with him apparently . I think there is more nuance to that story but that’s for another day.

NeonWolf · 19-10-2019 1:19am

Donnielighto wrote: »

Is there anything Irish he supports so?

Kildare GAA.

he wrote a smashing book about Oisin McConville called the gambler.

I think he has gone a bit too far but he’s a necessary voice in Irish media . He’s gone after farah,Salazar,Dublin gaa . And he has a point. Irish rugby fans and team are fairly sacred cows. This forum is one of the more inhospitable ones on boards . It really is a circle jerk at times.

ClanofLams · 19-10-2019 1:21am

NeonWolf wrote: »

I believe she was giving him a few digs as well , and she is still with him apparently . I think I there is more nuance to that story but that’s for another day.

I don’t think so.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/107501255/waikato-rugby-star-sevuloni-reece-discharged-without-conviction-on-assault-charge

In any case I would think Reece as a professional rugby player is strong enough to restrain a woman without hitting her. Edit - Being still with him is irrelevant. There’s lots of women who stayed their whole lives with fellas that hit them - not suggesting this is the case with Reece.

CatFromHue · 19-10-2019 1:23am

They never really employed him in the first place.

He was on maybe 3 times at the most? I can only remember him being on twice so he's been on very little anyway.

He was never a regular contributor and I can't see why they would have him on again. He doesn't cover one sport in any detail and is nowhere as good or knowledgeable as the contributors they have already.

kuang1 · 19-10-2019 1:25am

NeonWolf wrote: »

This forum is one of the more inhospitable ones on boards . It really is a circle jerk at times.

Just stood up there and got an awful fright...
Drops of red liquid on the floor by my feet!

No panic though, just my bleeding heart.

Exclamation Marc · 19-10-2019 1:27am

He's an echo chamber for anti-rugby and anti-private education and he just comes off as bitter. When you actually evaluate his content and read through the headlines, you'll see that it's unsupported, colloquial, misleading and pot-stirring anti-rugby ranting with no actual value.

He made a point today of having a go at Brian O'Driscoll for wearing a Blackrock College jersey he received in the post asking what people's first rugby memories were calling it 'patronising bollōcks'. He also belittled a woman for calling back to the Chicago win a few years back for no reason. He's a lad with a potato farm on his shoulder never mind a chip.

He always reminds me of someone rabbiting on about their ex years after they broke up.

Donnielighto · 19-10-2019 1:44am

NeonWolf wrote: »

Kildare GAA.

he wrote a smashing book about Oisin McConville called the gambler.

I think he has gone a bit too far but he’s a necessary voice in Irish media . He’s gone after farah,Salazar,Dublin gaa . And he has a point. Irish rugby fans and team are fairly sacred cows. This forum is one of the more inhospitable ones on boards . It really is a circle jerk at times.

Rugby forum defensive about rugby isn't that surprising, he rips on it unfairly imo. It does have strong roots in private schools but that doesn't devalue it, just something those schools chose to compete against each other in. He's hardly ragging on hurling for only being in the south (bar Galway and recently Dublin).

Tell me how · 19-10-2019 1:55am

NeonWolf wrote: »

Kildare GAA.

he wrote a smashing book about Oisin McConville called the gambler.

I think he has gone a bit too far but he’s a necessary voice in Irish media . He’s gone after farah,Salazar,Dublin gaa . And he has a point. Irish rugby fans and team are fairly sacred cows. This forum is one of the more inhospitable ones on boards . It really is a circle jerk at times.

I'm still of a similar opinion to yourself, in terms of McKenna (I don't frequent this forum enough to have an opinion on it).

I've known his work since he started in the Tribune and think he has produced some excellent pieces. But, I don't see his current angle with the last year or so.

I think he could have made some of the same points without being as vitriolic as he has been. It's a one way street, it doesn't leave him any room to praise someone later and he tars everyone with the same brush.

Some of the rugby players are probably not too far from the Ross O'Carroll Kelly stereotype, (South Co Dublin, wealthy parents, Schools rugby was a milestone) but so what, that doesn't mean that they don't deserve to be supported or aren't deserving of their place.

I agree with the poster above who says that there is a point in his work, but, it's like a joke, if you're explaining it, there's no point.

Can't understand how a friend hasn't reigned him in on Twitter, he must be talking himself out of work there.

cson · 19-10-2019 1:57am

The Eamonn Dunphy on RTE Soccer of written journalism. Saying stuff just to get a reaction. Majority of it baseless.

Which is sad because approached in more reasoned manner there is substance to some of his points. As mentioned by others he does have some good work in the book and there's nothing wrong with being a contrarian per se, just the way he's gone about it is hard to respect.

Dave_The_Sheep · 19-10-2019 2:04am

cson wrote: »

The Eamonn Dunphy on RTE Soccer of written journalism. Saying stuff just to get a reaction. Majority of it baseless..

Far too complimentary to Dunphy to be honest.

errlloyd · 19-10-2019 3:06am

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Seems like a sad little man.

I see another Irish journalist (Ruaidhri O'Connor) now taking shots at Sevu Reese because he got charged with DV. I really hate "journalists" like these two.

RO'C is a different league. He knows a lot about rugby and his journalism is quite balanced. His dig isn't at Reece, his dig is at the All Blacks "no d*ck heads" policy. We could go back and forth on this all day and it'd be wasting a special occasion. But I think he was right to point it out. Irish fans, reading the Irish media, should know that our union chose not to associate with a player with a history of domestic violence.

Ewan McKenna on Irish Rugby- Time to Put up or Shut Up

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