THE GAA COULD HAVE SET A PRESIDENT

But perfectionist Gavin ceding political control to campaign managers could be setting him up to fail

- BY PAT NOLAN

ONE of the more irritating phrases to emerge in sports speak over the past couple of decades is ‘control the controllables’ - and it’s one Jim Gavin lives by.

It was apparent throughout his seven seasons as Dublin senior football manager, when the team enjoyed unprecedented success, and again over the past year or so in his stewardship of the Football Review Committee.

It's widely acknowledged Gaelic football is a far better spectacle now for the FRC's intervention but even the naysayers, as few as they are, would have to accept Gavin’ supervision of the process and attention to detail has been absolutely exemplary.

When the rules were put before Special Congress on a trial basis last November, they all sailed through and will likely do so again when they're up for permanent retention this weekend.

That is unprecedented and is a credit to Gavin's diligence with regard to a project he had complete oversight of.

This presidential lark is different, however. Once taking the Fianna Fail nomination, he had to sell some of his soul. The campaign is too vast, and time-constrained, for Gavin to drive while being the candidate himself.