Pat Spillane has criticized Donal Óg Cusack for his comments about the GAA and RTE not broadcasting more Munster hurling championship games on terrestrial TV.
Over the past few weeks, several high-profile games in the competition have only been available on GAAGO, the streaming platform.
Cork and Limerick and Limerick and Clare were both on the platform, while a number of football games were on RTE.
This has sparked a significant controversy, with various individuals and organizations, including Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, Virgin Media, the GAA, and several former and current Gaelic football and hurling players, voicing their opinions on the matter.
Cusack, a Cork native, expressed his views on the Sunday Game, saying, "Hurling needs oxygen. I have no issue with pay-per-view. That's part of the landscape and it has its role to play. By next weekend, when Clare play Waterford, four of the biggest Munster games will have been on pay-per-view."
"You have to ask, 'Who is responsible for the promotion of hurling?' Because whoever it is, is not doing a good job of it. The GAA took on the trusteeship of it, and it looks like they're actually shrinking the game, not growing it. You'd have to ask, are RTÉ and the GAA exploiting hurling?"
“By next weekend, four of the biggest Munster Hurling Championship games will have been on Pay-Per-View.”
“Who is accountable?”
Donal Óg Cusack spot on here.
pic.twitter.com/a28rJRU6M8— Daniel Hussey (@DanielHussey2) May 7, 2023
Spillane, who won 8 All-Ireland football titles and 12 Munster Championships during his career, criticized the former Cork hurler for his comments regarding RTE's coverage of showing Gaelic football over hurling.
"The debate, however, has seen the re-emergence of 'the great Hurling Man,' or 'Hurling Snob' as I call him, who wants us to believe that hurling is the greatest field game ever invented," said Spillane in his Sunday World article.
"What's worse is that the great Hurling Man (by the way, I am not talking about one individual, for there is a colony of them) belittles every other sport when arguing his case. This is nothing more than a cheap shot."
Spillane also highlighted the one-sided nature of several provincial championships in the country.
"The Hurling Man fraternity ought to focus on their own game, which is dying in many counties," added the Kerry legend.
"Why not analyze why there are so many one-sided games in a supposedly graded championship?
"Take your pick: Westmeath lost to Galway by 34 points in the Liam MacCarthy Cup, Laois beat Down by 31 points in the Joe McDonagh, Sligo were beaten by Derry by 20 points in the Christy Ring; Wicklow had 24 points to spare over Louth in the Nicky Rackard, and Monaghan beat Warwickshire by 26 in the Lory Meagher.
"Instead, we were treated to snide remarks about the one-sided Munster and Connacht football finals.
"Of course, the outcomes were inevitable, but the insults flung at GAA stalwarts in Clare and Sligo by fellow association members were way below the belt.
