After getting shot at the villa of a leading drug gangster Jamie can't go on turning a blind eye to his new "friends" in Spain. A bullet has a funny way of taking all the glamour away. The game is up. No longer can he say he was just "socialising with friends". He can now no longer deny that he knows what these people are about. Neither can Matt Macklin. If they stay associated with these people they will lose a lot of fans and lose credibility. They will probably also suffer career damage too. Hopefully both men see sense here.
Why professional athletes would want anything to do with gangsters prone to extreme violence & murder is beyond me. They are delusional if they think the relationship will end anything other than bad. At best they will be finanically ripped off & at worst they will be maimed or even killed.
Because they see them as cool guys and in the case of some they help them out financially a lot when they were younger and didn have money (eg pablo Escobar with many Colombian footballers)
It's baffling to me. I know the gutter press in this country probably exaggerate things but there is no denying that Matt Macklin has been in company with these people on numerous occasions. This crowd are allegedly responsible for the bulk of the drugs in this country (Ireland) and are seemingly literally global level players in the drugs industry. All the muggings assaults, break ins human misery etc that stem from that. I know that as newcomers to Spain, being young, the sunshine, the holiday atmosphere etc the appeal of hanging out with other ex pats etc it is probably tempting to get sucked into things you wouldn't do at home. Also over there in the sunshine Jamie and Matt don't see the blood on the streets back in Ireland. But where do Jamie and Mack think the Villa came from? The money? Why anyone would want to be associated with this is beyond me. Least of all Matt, who is a decent guy, pleasant etc intelligent, articulate well educated. He has lots of good people around him too. Isn't his sister a solicitor? He is pally with some of the best hurlers in Ireland too. I know it's hard to confront a grown man about the way he conducts himself but Surely at least some of these decent people in his circle must have said "er..Matt...can I have a word.....
I don't think Macklin really understood what he was dealing with and probably now he is in far too deep to just walk away without insulting some people. I am speculating here though.
Whether Sky Sports will want to be associated with Macklin now is something that we will have to wait and see. I'm pretty sure RTE will have absolutely nothing to do with him. But I could be wrong.
Hearn said he wanted to make the Lee fight but reading between the lines that looks unlikely as it stands.
Lets get this straight both will not be allowed to walk away ...both know too much there has to be a retaliation to the shooting of Jamie its the way things work in the underworld.
See, thats the thing Lirva. How could Macklin NOT "really understand" what he was dealing with? The dogs in the street know about there guys. Maybe, just maybe, if it was fighters like Murray or Barker you could give 'em a "fools pardon" - not the sharpest those two, bless 'em. But Mack is no way stupid. Far from it. As for Barry Hearn and SKY - surprisingly - even amazingly - it seems that Jamie and Mack have "dodged a bullet" career-wise, at least for now. (If you'll forgive the awful pun) Hearn is talking of rescheduling the cancelled bill. Remember Jamies fledgling broadcasting career with Sky is at risk here too. Hope it all sorts itself out.
Did not realsie that either were involved or assoseated with gangsters. Any links or is it just rumors??
Ok. Firstly Mack has spent more time in Ireland than many Paddys do. He has played our National Sport - Hurling - to a very high standard. He is as expert as anyone else on all things Irish. Secondly - these guys are not just some small time Paddy Palookas. This is an international syndicate with global reach. This goes way beyond the Irish underworld.