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20th August 2015
10:23am BST

Sean Cavanagh plays in the heat of battle, he plays with his heart and he reacts instinctively. Sometimes, yes, he crosses the line. That incident in 2013 wasn't one of those incidents.
But he threw himself to ground McCann-esque when McManus pushed him in the chest. He was slated along with the rest of them after this season's victory for going down too easily.
It's not nice but, just like the Tyrone fans could've done when the shit and fan met surrounding the McCann dive the last day, Cavanagh's football shouldn't be tarnished with the same brush as a disappointing sideshow.
Because, when he plays, he plays with character. He plays with attitude. And he plays with the sort of drive that makes it almost impossible not to look up to him.
For over a decade, Sean Cavanagh has been singled out by opposition teams and he has never been silenced.
For over a decade, he has been shimmying onto his right - everyone knows it, and yet no-one can stop him.
For 12 years, he has answered the call of the Red Hands and he has delivered time and time again in their hour of need.
All Sean Cavanagh is really guilty of is surviving the test of time.
He has been there through all of it.
From the start of it when no-one even pondered the idea of Tyrone.
From the inception of the Spillane-coined 'puke football' because a group of men tackled at one time to help stage one of the greatest upsets in recent memory.
He was there through the second and third All-Irelands of a county that had never reached those heights and even through the hard times and the relative famine since.
Sean Cavanagh has been there and done it. He's starred in the rise of a county and now he's starring again in its comeback from the ashes.
Yeah, they've had to pull on a few coattails and kick dirt in a few eyes to get there but, yet again, they're getting there. And, yet again, Sean Cavanagh is leading that charge.
If Tyrone were away minding their own business, not challenging for trophies, no-one would give a damn.
But they don't accept that. And, by God, on Sean Cavanagh's watch, they don't even think about accepting it.
Say what you will about whatever Tyrone are up to, about whatever you hate about the team or any of that nonsense.
But never suggest that Sean Cavanagh is less than he is. Never deny him his place amongst the greats.
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