Colm Parkinson consciously echoed Enda Kenny on Off the Ball yesterday, expressing bafflement at the 'whingers' bemoaning the introduction of the mark - before turning his guns on water protesters.
I don't understand the people whingeing about it. It's always a whinge, whinge! Let's see what's it like and if it's terrible, then whinge about it! Let's see does it improve the game, does it add an extra dynamic to the midfield. And the gas thing about it is, you can stay play the way you're playing! This is just for the team that wants to kick the odd one and avail of the mark. What is the whinge about here?
Aside from this refreshing take, it seems like the only people who have publicly defended the introduction of the mark are those who sat on the committee which recommended it.
Namely, Jarlath Burns and Darragh O'Sé. The latter wrote in the Irish Times today that the rule will, at least, 'get rid of bunching around a player who has caught the ball this way (over his head)' and it may signal the revival of 'the out and out midfielder'.
On 'Game On' yesterday, Ciaran Whelan painted the thinking behind its introduction as quixotic and fanciful. Today, Eamonn O'Hara did much the same, albeit in a very different style.
Jarlath Burns, Darragh O'Sé and the two-thirds majority in the Congress are akin to deluded grown men prowling around an underage disco in search of an old girlfriend who is by now a grown woman and mother.
We're not aware of any individual who has engaged in such tactics. Most people are too wise to the effects of the ageing process to believe that such a bizarre and potentially easily misinterpreted move would have a chance of success.
'Into', we believe is short for 'introduction'. KO's are 'kick-outs' rather than 'knockouts' lest there is any confusion.
Into of "mark" n hope it will encourage long KO's is like going 2 old underage disco lookin 4 an ex who's now married & has kids #movedon
— Eamonn O Hara (@EamonnOHara8) March 1, 2016
