Wexford senior hurling boss Davy Fitzgerald is good for the GAA.
That's the first thing I will say. Sport needs its characters, its winners, those whose passion over runs at times, but whose heart is ultimately in the right place. Life would be boring without characters that have brightened sport and made us identify with our stars, because like us, they are human. Muhammad Ali, George Best, Alex Higgins, Jimmy White, Gazza and Páidí Ó'Sé come to mind. Not all of them were perfect, but they broke through into the public consciousness in a way that other more regular champions do not.
This is not to compare Davy Fitzgerald with them, but in a GAA world dominated by anodyne sound bytes and managers that never put a foot wrong off what seems like a production line at times, his personality has been refreshing over the years.
He's not a clown; he's a man who has been steeped in the game for 30 years, playing in a minor All Ireland final with Clare in 1989, winning 2 Liam McCarthy Cups in goal with the Banner in 1995 and 1997, and then making a successful transition to management.
Inter county management brought instant success for the Sixmilebridge clubman, who guided Waterford to a first All Ireland final in 45 years in his first season in charge in 2008, before leading them to the Munster crown in 2010. A rapid impact. In his native Clare, a young team captured the nation with a surprising journey to All Ireland glory in his second season in charge in 2013. A rapid impact again. Clare could never catch lightning in a bottle once more and the impact dimmed.
With Wexford, we have once again seen a great start, in the shape of promotion, a League semi final appearance and a defeat of Kilkenny. It has come with a price, as Davy's pitch incursion against Tipperary has correctly resulted in an 8 week ban.
The GAA cannot allow a precedent whereby managers can take to hallowed turf whenever they disagree with a decision. Animation has been Davy's modus operandi and that's fine; he has divided opinion by the nature of his strong personality over many years and that's part of the fun. His tussle with Tipperary's Jason Forde and Niall O'Brien was ultimately harmless. However, the GAA and Wexford have an image to protect and there's a time when incidents such as these can become tiresome and ineffective. They set a bad example for youngsters watching.
The pre match build up to a probable Wexford v Kilkenny Leinster senior hurling championship showdown is likely to be dominated by Davy now. Maybe there is a method in the madness and the players can go under the radar. However, without his presence on the sideline, the stakes are raised. If they win, it's all forgotten and the post mortems will be positive. Lose and the oxygen in the room is dominated by it. It's too soon to be playing poker, especially if the greatest of them all, Brian Cody, is set to be leading the opposition.
