Direct comparisons between the incidents involving Dublin boss Ger Brennan and Donegal manager Jim McGuinness are irrational, according to GAA president Jarlath Burns.
Brennan received a 12-week ban for an altercation with Galway strength and conditioning coach Cian Breathnach McGinn during Dublin's Division 1 league defeat at Pearse Stadium on 22 March.
McGuinness came on to the field at half-time of Donegal's SFC round-one win over Kerry last Saturday week and appeared to push Diarmuid O'Connor.
Upon resumption, referee Sean Hurson red-carded Kerry's Micheál Burns and spoke to both McGuinness and Kingdom boss Jack O'Connor.
The Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) ruled that all incidents were dealt with on the pitch by the referee and neither team would face further sanctions.
Much debate ensued about what was perceived as two very similar incidents being treated differently.
Dublin refused to speak to media following their round-one defeat to Louth on Sunday, with former Dubs player Paul Flynn telling The Sunday Game "there is a sense in Dublin that there is a bit of injustice in the way that Ger has been treated."
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland programme ahead of the second-round draw, Burns was asked about the controversy.
"What we stress is very important in our association is that once you give the referee a whistle and send him out to referee a match, we are not going to re-referee the game," he said.
"It's just giving the position to the referee that...whatever is in his report is sacrosanct.
"In the second game, the Donegal-Kerry game, the circumstances were different. When we read the referee's report, he had referred to it and that was enough. He had decided not to suspend anybody, not to send anybody [else] off.
"So there is a difference there and we have to respect that difference. The referee is the sole arbiter of what happens during the 70 minutes.
"Both of those things happened in isolation.
"So if the Kerry-Donegal thing hadn't happened, I don't think there would have been any more debate.
"Or if the Ger Brennan thing hadn't happened, I don't think there would have been any debate about the Kerry-Donegal thing.
"It's just trying to explain to people that the sole arbiter of what happens on the pitch is the referee and it is not the remit of the Central Competitions Control Committee to re-referee a game.
"Otherwise, you would be forced to go back over every incident that happens and say the referee saw that or he didn't see that.
"And remember there's a fourth official there as well who also has citing ability and in the schmozzle, if you want to call it that, at half-time in the Kerry-Donegal match, all of the officials were there.
"They saw it and whenever the CCCC impose a sanction, they have to make sure [it is] going to be robust enough that it will pass at hearings, appeal and DRA [Disputes Resolution Authority].
"And there was a feeling there that at a hearing or at an appeal that it wouldn't go any further. And I think it's more embarrassing to lose something like that [on appeal]."
Asked if the GAA would consider using a citing commissioner, as in rugby, to review any incidents post-game, Burns added: "I don't necessarily agree with that.
"Our CCCC do a fantastic job. If you look at the league, we had 314 games throughout the league.
"There was one issue at the very, very last day at half-time that created anything that you could call controversial.
"And it has only been cast into the spotlight because of another issue that some people maybe are comparing irrationally, if you want to call it that, because you're not comparing the same thing.
"As I said, comparison is the thief of contentment."
Brennan's ban will end on Saturday, 13 June at midnight making him available to oversee Dublin's Round 2B clash away to Cavan, if that game is scheduled for the Sunday.
Burns added: "Hopefully we can move on from this. The one area I do feel for Ger is that the place where a manager wants to be on the day of a match is on the sideline, in the changing rooms.
"I really felt for Ger, he got 12 weeks at the worst possible time that you could get 12 weeks, which is in the very last game of the Allianz League.
"I felt for him in that. Dublin took that the whole way to the DRA and it proved that our procedures were robust on it. There is a difference.
"In Ger Brennan's case, he got a red card. The referee made it very clear in his report what had happened and it was minimal contact with a player, that's the ban.
"If Dublin decide that they want to change that, they can bring a motion to Congress and change it, obviously."
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