Challenger to Rico in gobbledegook championship!!!

**Mr_T** · 08/04/2005, 9:21 AM

See here for a sample of the literary prowess of a young Donegal Democrat journo who looks like mounting a serious challenge to Damian Richardsons crown as the most incoherant man in the eL. He's actually a very good journo who writes great reports and previews, but his use of the english language is Rico-ish in the extreme.

Wonder how Rico feels about this challenge to his domination of the "never use one word where 10 will do" school of writing.

**patsh** · 08/04/2005, 10:35 AM

Don't think that is goobledegook, and Rico NEVER writes gobbledegook. I think it is clearly understandable, if a little flowery.

I don't understand the attitude to Rico and this guy. Maybe Alan Foley is a little too fond of his adjectives and simil�s, but I'd prefer his, and Rico's, prose anyday over the usual clich�s and hackneyed phrases of so much of what passes for "sports-writing" in this country.

Compared to the dross that we read and hear usually, give me Rico and this kind of article ANYDAY.

Just listen to Matthews, Doolin, Fenlon, Collins, or worst of all the $hels ballboy after a game, King, Scully or some other gobdaw on TVMoron. ANYTHING is better than that sh*te.

**James** · 08/04/2005, 10:38 AM

im with patsh on this one.
I never fully comprehended the attitude of people to Ricos prose, every other manager you could predict almost exactly what they said.. of game of 2 halves, the boys done well, luck didnt go our way, decisions like that go against you sometimes in football, im not looking further then our next game ..blah blah blah

**OneRedArmy** · 08/04/2005, 11:14 AM

Rico occasionally uses words in the wrong context as he clearly doesn't fully understand them. Fact.

Contemporaneous anyone?

Speaking in an overly elaborate way using big words isn't big and it isn't clever at his age. Much more difficult to speak clearly and deliver an effective message, less is more.

But I agree, I'd listen to him any day over Scully and Kinger and I can only take 2 mins of Dolan's happy-clappy spin every fortnight before I feel like committing mass genocide.

**Mr_T** · 08/04/2005, 12:04 PM

I'm simply saying that his prediliction towards continuous utilisation of a myriad of complex grammatical constructs mitigate against clarity and facile comprehension of his literary offerings.

Thats all.

Seriously though, not overly criticising either, just that in both cases the overall output often does not actually make sense. Otherwise, its different, but after a while it can get tiresome.

**pete** · 08/04/2005, 12:19 PM

Ricos Ramblings are great. doesn't mean we can't all have laugh about it though.

Kinger & Scully are cliche ridden. Never have an original thought & rarely seem to check their facts (King said city would do well if could improve away form dispite fact we scored more points away than at home last season.)

**bluemovie** · 08/04/2005, 12:22 PM

Fair play to Rico, he actually made me get out the dictionary to look up 'extemporaneously' last week on TV3. What other football manager can you say that about? Dennis Wise?

A little education is a great thing.

**BobtheDrog** · 08/04/2005, 1:49 PM

this weeks eircom league focus on aertel is about him

**aido_b** · 08/04/2005, 2:24 PM

Thank god for the microsoft thesaurus looks like that journo knows how to use it! jaysus im still trying to figure out that feckin match report!

**Slash/ED** · 08/04/2005, 3:12 PM

Originally Posted by patsh

I don't understand the attitude to Rico

What attidue towards him? I'd say Rico is one of, if not the most popular people involved in the Eircom League and all people are doing is light heartedly taking the p�ss, which he has done himself and clearly can see the funny side of it.

**patsh** · 08/04/2005, 5:00 PM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

What attidue towards him? I'd say Rico is one of, if not the most popular people involved in the Eircom League and all people are doing is light heartedly taking the p�ss, which he has done himself and clearly can see the funny side of it.

The attitude that somehow it's dificult to understand him and he is speaking/writing at a level above what most eL fans can understand.

**LukeO** · 08/04/2005, 5:14 PM

While we are on the subject of Rico, check out dangerehere.com's "translation guide for the locals" here

**CollegeTillIDie** · 09/04/2005, 10:09 AM

If I may quote the Great man from one of his programme articles for Shamrock Rovers when they played at the Santry Siro....
"It's always the same..sometimes......" pure magic

**BohDiddley** · 09/04/2005, 5:46 PM

Originally Posted by patsh

Don't think that is goobledegook, and Rico NEVER writes gobbledegook. I think it is clearly understandable, if a little flowery.

I don't understand the attitude to Rico and this guy. Maybe Alan Foley is a little too fond of his adjectives and simil�s, but I'd prefer his, and Rico's, prose anyday over the usual clich�s and hackneyed phrases of so much of what passes for "sports-writing" in this country.

Compared to the dross that we read and hear usually, give me Rico and this kind of article ANYDAY.

Just listen to Matthews, Doolin, Fenlon, Collins, or worst of all the $hels ballboy after a game, King, Scully or some other gobdaw on TVMoron. ANYTHING is better than that sh*te.

Yes, and we should make it mandatory for every post on foot.ie to start 'Regarding the contemporary situation'.
You're right about some of the guff spouted by some pundits, but they can be excused, at least partly, because they are talking extemporaneously, as Rico might say. This guy actually sat down, thought about, and wrote those words.

**Fair_play_boy** · 11/04/2005, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by patsh

The attitude that somehow it's dificult to understand him and he is speaking/writing at a level above what most eL fans can understand.

Are you insinuating that:
comprehension of his grandiloquence
and intellectual munificence
reveals our mental non-performance?

**Sheridan** · 12/04/2005, 9:51 PM

Originally Posted by patsh

The attitude that somehow it's dificult to understand him and he is speaking/writing at a level above what most eL fans can understand.

...and thus the mantle of infallibility passes, pontiff-like, from Dolan to Rico, eh patsh?

**patsh** · 13/04/2005, 7:40 AM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

...and thus the mantle of infallibility passes, pontiff-like, from Dolan to Rico, eh patsh?

Hmm, haven't heard too much from you lately.
As for your "smiley", as a man who seems to pride himself on the English language, maybe you might actually read my posts.
It has NOTHING AT ALL to do with Pat Dolan, it was an answer to a $hels fan regarding the attitude towards the language and vocabulary Rico uses in his notes. I dare say you have no difficulty in understanding those same notes, and neither have I. Whether he writes those notes as a $hels/Rovers/Cork manager is completely beside the point.
However, I guess it would be much to simple for you to believe that I'm talking about the subject of language, and eL fans understanding of it, especially when you can avail of an opportunity to make some smart-ass comment about Cork City. Or is it because he was once the manager of Rovers, and you simply cannot move on?

**patsh** · 13/04/2005, 7:42 AM

Originally Posted by Fair_play_boy

Are you insinuating that:
comprehension of his grandiloquence
and intellectual munificence
reveals our mental non-performance?

No. I am quite clearly insinuating that some eL fans somehow prefer to pretend they are thick!

**Fair_play_boy** · 13/04/2005, 7:49 AM

Seriously tho, Patsh, you gotta admit that some of Rico's verbiage is a little over the top. The best English is simple, not the variety pioneered by Michael Ellard.

**patsh** · 13/04/2005, 9:47 AM

Originally Posted by Fair_play_boy

Seriously tho, Patsh, you gotta admit that some of Rico's verbiage is a little over the top. The best English is simple, not the variety pioneered by Michael Ellard.

I know he is heavy on the verbiage, my point is that no matter what level of vocabulary he uses, his notes are still clearly understandable and this attitude of needing a dictionary to understand him is tripe.