In all of his Sunday Independent columns over the past few weeks, Colm O'Rourke has gone to battle with those forces (without fail, emanating from the north) who would do down the Sunday Game.
Today, it is the GAA President, Aogan O'Fearghail. One would have to admire his willingness to take on all comers. The new GAA President has chosen to regard the role of TV critic as being part of his brief. O'Rourke said he would have been content had O'Fearghail just called the show tiresome and left it there.
It was the complaints about 'constant negativity', the references to that nefarious and apparently homogeneous organism 'the southern media', and the threats over future broadcasting deals that riled O'Rourke.
The GAA President then railed against its constant negativity. I did not realise that part of my role was to be a propaganda organiser for the GAA... What does the President want? Poodles to glorify the great organisation? Most people will recognise the silliness of his comments in that regard.
After scoffing at the 'southern media' line of complaint and asserting that Kerry, Mayo and Dublin would be treated similarly had they the same record as Tyrone, O'Rourke took a jab at the GAA's relationship with Sky.
Maybe he thinks it is right that pensioners had to be ferried around by bus and taxi in Donegal and Mayo to watch the All-Ireland quarter-final. Who is doing a better job of promoting the GAA. Maybe O'Fearghail should give RTE some credit.
Towards the end of his segment on Tyrone, O'Rourke alleged that he had abused, insulted and threatened with 'physical confrontation from Tyrone supporters before, during and after last Sunday's game'.
