Eamon Dunphy has taken a break from slating Paul Pogba to slate RTE instead.
The veteran RTE pundit has taken aim at the national broadcaster over their nominees for the sportsperson of the year award, and the exclusion of Robbie Brady.
Dunphy feels the footballer has been excluded at the expense of Conor McGregor, and isn’t happy about it.
Here’s the full list of nominees, and the sports they compete in for the award, which is due to be presented on December 17:
Eoghan Clifford (Cycling), Seamus Callanan (Hurling), Daryl Horgan (Football), Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal (Cycling), Brian Fenton (Gaelic Football), Carl Frampton (Boxing), Denise Gaule (Camogie), Jamie Heaslip (Rugby), Annalise Murphy (Sailing), Conor McGregor (MMA), Paul O’Donovan (Rowing), Brid Stack (Gaelic Football).
Dunphy isn’t happy with RTE only including one footballer on the list, Dundalk’s Daryl Horgan, and questions why Brady, who starred for the Republic of Ireland at Euro 2016, scoring against Italy and France, hasn’t been nominated.
For some reason, the former Millwall and Ireland midfielder appears to feel McGregor is the least deserving candidate.
The Dubliner became the first fighter in UFC history to win world titles at two weight divisions, thanks to his victory over Eddie Alvarez last month to claim the UFC lightweight title.
But Dunphy claims McGregor is more of a “celebrity” than a sportsperson.
Valid points https://t.co/8itxxRwpH4
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 6, 2016
“It is hard to figure out,” Dunphy writes in his column for The Irish Daily Star.
“It does look as if this is a mixture of a box-ticking exercise and playing to the gallery. Including McGregor and ignoring Irish footballers, especially Brady, is ludicrous.
“Horgan got in, so did the RTE chiefs think that will keep the crowd happy?”
Does McGregor know more than we think? https://t.co/Sqs3PNe71H
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 1, 2016
Dunphy then questioned the credentials of McGregor.
“As for playing to the gallery, just look at the presence of Conor McGregor on the list, ” he writes.
“McGregor is a phenomenon, but he’s a celebrity more than a sportsperson. I do think it’s the case that many media outlets, including RTE, are desperately jumping on to the Conor McGregor bandwagon.
“They see that he’s popular with young people and feel they have to do some cheerleading.”
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