Pat Spillane blasts major GAA decision as an 'embarrassment' and an 'insult'
The Kerry legend is still involved in the media . He wrote a typically entertaining column in the Sunday World and voiced his opinion on several issues.
Among them was the jubilee team celebration. Each year, the winning All-Ireland team from 25 years ago is invited to Croke Park to celebrate their achievement.
However, the GAA has changed the running order in recent years, with the jubilee team now presented to the crowd before the game rather than at half-time.
"Having the presentation of the jubilee team in front of a couple of thousand people is an embarrassment and an insult," Spillane wrote in his column.
He also criticised the organisation for their pre-final entertainment, saying the NFL will pull out all the stops for their game in Dublin this September.
"America's NFL will be here in a couple of months. They're going to take over Dublin for the week. They're going to have street parties. They're going to have fan zones. They're going to have marching bands. They're going to have a festival of American football in Dublin for the week," he wrote.
"Surely to God, when it comes to the All-Ireland senior football final and the All-Ireland senior hurling final, the GAA could up its game? Instead, it's a box-ticking exercise. They're going through the motions."
The decision to change the jubilee presentation pre-match has drawn criticism in some quarters, with Offaly requesting that their 1998 team be presented at half-time.
Kilkenny were honoured before this year's final, and the ceremony made headlines after DJ Carey's name was booed pre-match.
Carey's name was met with jeers and boos from the crowd as it was read out under an hour before throw-in.
The Croke Park stadium announcer said of the nine-time All-Star winner: "Full forward DJ Carey from the Young Irelands. He scored 1-4 on the day, claiming his third All-Ireland of five in total and he would end the year with the eighth of his nine All-Star awards. DJ is not with us today."
The five-time All-Ireland winner recently pleaded guilty to 10 counts of defrauding a number of people out of money while pretending he had cancer.
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