The rave thread

adrian522

Chivito550 wrote: »

2) No way do more people play hurling in Ireland than soccer, that is completely false. Hurling is played in 10 counties to a reasonable level. Soccer is played everywhere. Did you just make up that stat, because not even the most hardcore hurling fan would believe that.

In Dublin alone there are 9 divisions of adult hurling teams. I'm not doing the maths but there are a lot of people playing hurling competitvely every weekend here.

I'm not sure on the soccer front but but I'd be surprised if there were more people playing soccer unless you are including 5 a sides and the like. But yes I did make that up.

Also how many people play soccer "to a reasonable level (whatever that means)?

And why does any of this mean the Munster final couldn't be a better game than the tennis final (which is also a minority sport)

Gavlor

All Ireland hurling final > Wimbledon final

Munster final > both the U.S. And Australian open tennis final

Chivito550

adrian522 wrote: »

In Dublin alone there are 9 divisions of adult hurling teams. I'm not doing the maths but there are a lot of people playing hurling competitvely every weekend here.

I'm not sure on the soccer front but but I'd be surprised if there were more people playing soccer unless you are including 5 a sides and the like. But yes I did make that up.

Also how many people play soccer "to a reasonable level (whatever that means)?

And why does any of this mean the Munster final couldn't be a better game than the tennis final (which is also a minority sport)

We'd have to dig up stats (which neither of us are bothered doing I'm sure), but my guess is that Soccer playing numbers here would be close to Gaelic Football, and hurling numbers would be closer to that of rugby. I wouldn't count 5-a-side in that.

Tennis may be a minority sport here, but not worldwide. Not at all. I've been to 4 Australian Opens and the crowds are ridiculous. This would be the same the world over. Let's not forget the live coverage throughout the world of all slam, ATP and WTA events.

Hurling is cleaner though.

adrian522

Fair enough, not sure how clean the GAA is to be honest but I won't go there on this thread.

annapr

Hurling is a unique game... and possibly the only one we have that is really Irish... I'm with Kit and Adrian on this one, it's to be celebrated.

I'm definitely not from a hurling county, but I'd watch the Munster final any day over the Wimbledon final.

Wild Garlic

Chivito550 wrote: »

1) NFL is played in a rather large country, and is watched all over the world. Not a fair comparison. AFL maybe a better comparison, and even then that's a stretch.

2) No way do more people play hurling in Ireland than soccer, that is completely false. Hurling is played in 10 counties to a reasonable level. Soccer is played everywhere. Did you just make up that stat, because not even the most hardcore hurling fan would believe that.

3) Hurling is a very enjoyable sport. I find I enjoy it more when I accept what it is and put the likes of Ger Loughnane and Davy Fitzgerald on mute.

Soccer is indeed played everywhere, but to what level? Sh1te I'd say.
As you said about 10 counties play hurling to a decent level, however, a disproportionate amount of the top soccer clubs hail from the big smoke or very close to it.

Chivito550

Wild Garlic wrote: »

Soccer is indeed played everywhere, but to what level? Sh1te I'd say.
As you said about 10 counties play hurling to a decent level, however, a disproportionate amount of the top soccer clubs hail from the big smoke or very close to it.

The benchmark that our top footballers are judged by is off the charts compared to what our top hurlers are compared to. Our best players are compared to Messi, Ronaldo, Naymar etc, and are always going to look dreadful in comparison. Same with our athletes being compared to the likes of Kirani James and Dibaba. Who are our best hurlers judged against? Themselves. I take great issue with GAA people saying our soccer players are terrible, when the reality is that making a championship team in England is a much higher level to GAA.

I wish people would just enjoy hurling for being an exciting sport, without the need to try make it out to be of a higher standard than soccer.

Wild Garlic

Chivito550 wrote: »

The benchmark that our top footballers are judged by is off the charts compared to what our top hurlers are compared to. Our best players are compared to Messi, Ronaldo, Naymar etc, and are always going to look dreadful in comparison. Same with our athletes being compared to the likes of Kirani James and Dibaba. Who are our best hurlers judged against? Themselves. I take great issue with GAA people saying our soccer players are terrible, when the reality is that making a championship team in England is a much higher level to GAA.

I wish people would just enjoy hurling for being an exciting sport, without the need to try make it out to be of a higher standard than soccer.

Our top footballers are not playing in Ireland so soccer in this country is of a very poor standard as a result. Obviously the top hurlers are plying their trade here. Therefore standard of hurling here compared to the standard of soccer here is a lot higher.

Chivito550

Wild Garlic wrote: »

Our top footballers are not playing in Ireland so soccer in this country is of a very poor standard as a result. Obviously the top hurlers are plying their trade here. Therefore standard of hurling here compared to the standard of soccer here is a lot higher.

How do you know that? There's no external benchmark to compare our hurlers against. Our League of Ireland teams have a benchmark through European competition.

walshb

Chivito550 wrote: »

Our League of Ireland teams have a benchmark through European competition.

Yes, and they are pretty poor. We juts were never good with a ball at our feet!

kit3

While we're at it, leaving aside the standard of particular players & teams, soccer as a game is very much inferior to both hurling & Gaelic football (in my opinion :cool: )

Wild Garlic

Chivito550 wrote: »

How do you know that? There's no external benchmark to compare our hurlers against. Our League of Ireland teams have a benchmark through European competition.

Ah sure don't we beat the scots every year in shinty(think that's how it's spelt):)
Anyway I suppose you are right no external benchmark etc. etc. but I still think LOI is crap.

williestroker1

walshb wrote: »

Yes, and they are pretty poor. We juts were never good with a ball at our feet!

Roy Keane, Liam Brady, Paul McGrath, Johnny Giles, Damian Duff, etc... Yep, never very good!!

Chivito550

kit3 wrote: »

While we're at it, leaving aside the standard of particular players & teams, soccer as a game is very much inferior to both hurling & Gaelic football (in my opinion :cool: )

Gaelic Football? Ah come on now. Think I'd rather watch Messi work his magic than that. Soccer can be boring to watch at times I agree, but I find Gaelic Football a far bigger grind to sit through.

kit3

Chivito550 wrote: »

Gaelic Football? Ah come on now. Think I'd rather watch Messi work his magic than that. Soccer can be boring to watch at times I agree, but I find Gaelic Football a far bigger grind to sit through.

Couldn't disagree with you more In fact, I'd rather watch my son's U14 team battle it out than a premiership game

Chivito550

williestroker1 wrote: »

Roy Keane, Liam Brady, Paul McGrath, Johnny Giles, Damian Duff, etc... Yep, never very good!!

Frank Stapleton, David O'Leary, Robbie Keane, Steve Highway, Andy Townsend, Ray Houghnton, Steve Staunton, Ronnie Whelan.

Even the likes of Kevin Kilbane, who got slated his entire career, despite wearing his heart on his sleeve playing for Ireland, was operating at a far higher level than any GAA player.

Chivito550

kit3 wrote: »

Couldn't disagree with you more In fact, I'd rather watch my son's U14 team battle it out than a premiership game

Well I'd hope so, seen as he's your son

kit3

Chivito550 wrote: »

Well I'd hope so, seen as he's your son

Hmm, maybe not the best example I could have used

walshb

williestroker1 wrote: »

Roy Keane, Liam Brady, Paul McGrath, Johnny Giles, Damian Duff, etc... Yep, never very good!!

League of Ireland I was talking about

kit3

Chivito550 wrote: »

Frank Stapleton, David O'Leary, Robbie Keane, Steve Highway, Andy Townsend, Ray Houghnton, Steve Staunton, Ronnie Whelan.

Even the likes of Kevin Kilbane, who got slated his entire career, despite wearing his heart on his sleeve playing for Ireland, was operating at a far higher level than any GAA player.

Don't think soccer can hold a candle to the physical intensity of a high standard Gaelic football game. Ffs if those soccer players even brush off each other they're rolling around calling foul - bunch of sissies !

Gavlor

kit3 wrote: »

While we're at it, leaving aside the standard of particular players & teams, soccer as a game is very much inferior to both hurling & Gaelic football (in my opinion :cool: )

How dare you include Gaelic drag ball in the same sentence as hurling!

davedanon

In my opinion, the basic weaknesses of gaelic football, and hurling, is the fact that, unlike say soccer or rugby, there is no properly-defined way of tackling the player in possession of the ball. In soccer the ball is played with the feet, so a certain level of skill is needed to retain possession. In rugby the ball is held, but players can physically tackle each other to the ground, and then the battle for possession begins. This is a whole other can of worms in rugby, and it has its own problems, but let's not go there. In both Gaelic games the ball can be held, but the player may not be tackled. I stand to be corrected of course, since all this is based on my recollection of playing myself as a kid, but AFAIK the basic problem has never changed. The tackling amounts to a lot of slapping, pulling, pushing and shoving, and basically is a cheat's charter. I'm not arguing about skill, or excitement, levels. Both games can be exhilarating to watch, but on a purely technical level, the tackle problem makes both soccer and rugby superior as games. In my opinion.

kit3

Gavlor wrote: »

How dare you include Gaelic drag ball in the same sentence as hurling!

Ah, go eat a turnip or something

williestroker1

walshb wrote: »

League of Ireland I was talking about

Many of our internationals start with league of Ireland clubs. You stated as a nation we're not very good with the ball at our feet. That's nonsense. For a small country we've produced some very good players who ply their trade in the English leagues, but they were developed at league of Ireland level.

walshb

williestroker1 wrote: »

Many of our internationals start with league of Ireland clubs. You stated as a nation we're not very good with the ball at our feet. That's nonsense. For a small country we've produced some very good players who ply their trade in the English leagues, but they were developed at league of Ireland level.

We're good, just not very good.

Chivito550

davedanon wrote: »

In my opinion, the basic weaknesses of gaelic football, and hurling, is the fact that, unlike say soccer or rugby, there is no properly-defined way of tackling the player in possession of the ball. In soccer the ball is played with the feet, so a certain level of skill is needed to retain possession. In rugby the ball is held, but players can physically tackle each other to the ground, and then the battle for possession begins. This is a whole other can of worms in rugby, and it has its own problems, but let's not go there. In both Gaelic games the ball can be held, but the player may not be tackled. I stand to be corrected of course, since all this is based on my recollection of playing myself as a kid, but AFAIK the basic problem has never changed. The tackling amounts to a lot of slapping, pulling, pushing and shoving, and basically is a cheat's charter. I'm not arguing about skill, or excitement, levels. Both games can be exhilarating to watch, but on a purely technical level, the tackle problem makes both soccer and rugby superior as games. In my opinion.

Another issue with gaelic football, maybe not so much with hurling, is the 3 step rule. It is NEVER obeyed, and yet referees never pull players up for it. Watch any game and they run for as many as 7-8 steps without bouncing or solo-ing the ball on occasions. It is akin to the pulling of shirts in soccer rarely getting penalised, and the ball being fed into the scrum in rugby crooked, but again never penalised. Why have rules if they are never followed.

DubOnHoliday

On average in the A&R forum, the anti GAA vibes come out every 4 months, last for 2 days and then it's back to normal.

kit3

Chivito550 wrote: »

Another issue with gaelic football, maybe not so much with hurling, is the 3 step rule. It is NEVER obeyed, and yet referees never pull players up for it. Watch any game and they run for as many as 7-8 steps without bouncing or solo-ing the ball on occasions. It is akin to the pulling of shirts in soccer rarely getting penalised, and the ball being fed into the scrum in rugby crooked, but again never penalised. Why have rules if they are never followed.

It's 4 steps ..... just saying like ....

kit3

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

On average in the A&R forum, the anti GAA vibes come out every 4 months, last for 2 days and then it's back to normal.

That's about it - surprised no one has mentioned the traffic (or lack of it) on the Boards GAA forum - this comes up too although most counties have their own forums rather than boards

Chivito550

kit3 wrote: »

It's 4 steps ..... just saying like ....

Point still stands though.