I agree with the likes of Fitzwop and Conallach that Alan Fitzgerald threw deliberate punches - it was clearly retaliation rather than self-defence. That's not excusing McGee's appalling behaviour (of course he deserved a red card and deserves his ban, at the same time it's not like he used a chainsaw, I condemn it but I think the reaction is over the top, I have certainly seen worse), but the fact is that Alan struck and received a deserved one match ban. That's fair and no big deal in the overall scheme of things. It's early March, I suspect that this whole thing is a godsend to the media rather than anything else.
I'm hearing locally that a lot of people feel that Shane Enright did not deserve a black card, that he was protecting himself from a falling Michael Murphy. I like Shane, who was very much an unsung hero until he won his deserved All Star last year, but on the day I was certain it was a black card and looking at it on tv afterwards, I have absolutely no doubts.
In fact, in a game that had big decisions coming fast and constant, I actually thought the referee did well overall in the circumstances.
One thing I do feel is that at least one Kerry player and one member of Donegal management should have been cautioned early on dissent with an official is a black card offence, and if both kept it up, they should have walked. I know that a good referee gives leeway in accounting for understandable human nature, but I feel that GAA referees give too much latitude to mouthing.
To be honest, I couldn't care less about the McGrath Cup, I wouldn't get out of bed for it for less than ten grand (even if I was alone in bed), and I don't get too excited about the National League either. We look like staying up in Division One and that's all I want.
It's March. This 'scandal' will be long forgotten about before long.