2014 WAS ANOTHER great year for sport but we feel too much attention goes to the Premier League, 6 Nations and All-Ireland championships. Here we celebrate the stupid memes, the on-air curses and the general ridiculousness of the last year in sports.
1. The Harlequins award for failed espionage
Kerry team officials heard branches breaking and rustling in a tree over-looking the pitch at Fitzgerald Stadium before the All-Ireland semi-final. They confronted a man who may or may not have been spying on their training session and he fled. The man also may or may not have been affiliated with a high-ranking member of the Donegal backroom staff.
It’s all very cloak and dagger.
2. The Eamon Dunphy award for absolute nonsense spoken by a pundit
As the joke went at the time, Cooper is a two-trick pony – he scores goals and he scores points.
3. The side-splitting meme of the year award
I firmly believe things would have turned out differently for Moyes at Old Trafford had he not posed for this photo.
4. The Pat Spillane award for GAA longevity
Henry Shefflin played in All-Ireland finals in the year of my first communion, my confirmation, my junior cert, my leaving cert and when I graduated from college. So, he has been around a long time.
5. The Green Street award for the most unruly fan
This Mayo fan invaded the pitch in disgust during the All-Ireland semi-final in Limerick but that didn’t stop him from getting a hero’s welcome in Supermacs after the game.
6. The Arthur’s Day award for the beard that most resembled a pint of Guinness
I miss this beard an unhealthy amount.
7. The AC Jimbo award for the most woof-worthy goal
A goal that was so good, we were willing to overlook his absurd pronunciation of the word James.
8. The ET award for the most emotional goodbye
We’ll leave it there so.
9. The Noah’s Ark award for best game played in a monsoon
Do you want to know why I enjoyed the Kilkenny vs Limerick All-Ireland semi-final so much? Because I was sitting in the covered section, thanks be to God.
10. The George Best award for flagrant cursing on national television
Not content with one f**k, our Eamon thunders past Bill’s question with another F-bomb. Delightful.
11. The Georgie Thompson award for driving under the influence
This miniature car almost caused a massive pileup in this Top 14 game. We need cars like this off the road.
12. The Happy Gilmore award for tapping it
https://vine.co/v/OuEDIKV3Pmw
Rory did a lot of good things in 2014… this was not one of them.
13. The Brian Carney award for best head of salon quality hair
https://vine.co/v/OuH6pAULenU
Brian Cody looks a lot less terrifying with those thick, lustrous locks.
14. The Steph Roche award for the best viral screamer
It is unfair to let Diarmuid Connolly play club football.
15. The Conor McGregor award for trash talk
McGregor is so good at slagging people off that he can win his own award.
Originally published at 09.30
