Unpopular GAA opinions you hold

Tom Joad

keane2097 wrote: »

Why do people still engage?

Good question! poster has been given a one-week ban for trolling. Remember don't feed the trolls.

Can we now move on please!

TCDStudent1

Hulk Hands wrote: »

The rule where a team a team down to 14 men or less even in normal time, can go back to 15 men in extra time because its a 'new game'. One of the stupidest rules in all of sports, never mind GAA

Strange rule alright. However, I like the rule that allows you to bring on more subs when you enter extra time. Its something that I think soccer could benefit from as well.

My unpopular opinion: Sideline cuts are not as great a skill as some commentators suggest they are.

rn

• In the current system apart from finals, no other game should be played in Croke Park before AI 1/4 finals.
• Pairc Ui Caoimh re development is a complete waste of money given the capacities of Semple and Gaelic grounds and the number of games. The money should instead be spend on purchasing & building new GAA facilities in "new" major urban areas around the country with a view to creating new clubs.
• The GAA should look after financially their inter county players and panels much better. There should be education and business funding schemes available for retiring inter county players who need to start proper careers after spending years putting their careers on hold to meet their training commitments.

davidfitz22

freddiek wrote: »

Dublin footballers whose parents come from other counties should not be eligible to play for the Dubs.

But if they are born there and and raised there are they not dubs themselves?

zombieHanalei

rn wrote: »

[*]The GAA should look after financially their inter county players and panels much better. There should be education and business funding schemes available for retiring inter county players who need to start proper careers after spending years putting their careers on hold to meet their training commitments.

I don't really think this is a problem at all, as it stands many players hold down good (and in some cases well paid) careers while they are playing with their county, never mind once they retire.

Also, there are countless examples of players who train with county senior, county U21, club senior, club U21 and a third level college team while attending college. Plus once do graduate from college, their chances of attaining employment are greatly enhanced by their public profile they have gained by being part of their county panel!

Hamstrings59

Dublin people who refer to hurling or Gaelic football as "the gah" really bugs me, "he's handy at the aul gah ya know" etc etc

zetecescort

All attempts at scoring from frees in football should be kicked from the ground to stop players gaining yards/improving the angle

TCDStudent1

zombieHanalei wrote: »

I don't really think this is a problem at all, as it stands many players hold down good (and in some cases well paid) careers while they are playing with their county, never mind once they retire.

Also, there are countless examples of players who train with county senior, county U21, club senior, club U21 and a third level college team while attending college. Plus once do graduate from college, their chances of attaining employment are greatly enhanced by their public profile they have gained by being part of their county panel!

It very much depends I think. I read an interview with a Clare hurler recently where he works in Dublin and discusses his schedule. Doesnt sound easy to maintain intercounty hurling with a career you want. Here is a link:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/it-was-nice-in-the-limelight-but-you-cant-live-off-things-like-that-30348493.html

sonnky

zetecescort wrote: »

All attempts at scoring from frees in football should be kicked from the ground to stop players gaining yards/improving the angle

IMO, they should use the vanishing spray from the world cup. Would really help in the GAA

nice_guy80

sonnky wrote: »

IMO, they should use the vanishing spray from the world cup. Would really help in the GAA

Padraig Joyce would have been screwed. great man to steal 3/4 metres

Dirty Dingus McGee

The stealing of a couple of yards by free takers is a very minor issue and to be honest anything that makes scoring a free easier and discourages fouling should be encouraged.

zetecescort

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

The stealing of a couple of yards by free takers is a very minor issue and to be honest anything that makes scoring a free easier and discourages fouling should be encouraged.

Not a minor issue in hurling though for some reason

iDave

The Kildare team of 08-13 was the most overhyped team in the history of GAA

Nidgeweasel

iDave wrote: »

The Kildare team of 08-13 was the most overhyped team in the history of GAA

They really were. A kick away from an AI final mind you but people were calling them a top 3/4 team and all this carry on.

iDave

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

They really were. A kick away from an AI final mind you but people were calling them a top 3/4 team and all this carry on.

I just never understood why they were held in such high regard. Ran Dublin close once or twice fair enough but the best teams they beat in that period were poor Meath and Derry teams. Ran out of steam in ET against Donegal having been proclaimed the fittest team going.

nice_guy80

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

They really were. A kick away from an AI final mind you but people were calling them a top 3/4 team and all this carry on.

that was a quarter final they lost v Donegal. Donegal lost the semi final to Dublin

iDave

nice_guy80 wrote: »

that was a quarter final they lost v Donegal. Donegal lost the semi final to Dublin

Think its Down 2010 hes referring to

Nidgeweasel

nice_guy80 wrote: »

that was a quarter final they lost v Donegal. Donegal lost the semi final to Dublin

You're a year ahead of yourself.

CurryFlavoured

In their defence, Kildare were unlucky to be beaten by Down and Donegal and had terrible goal decisions go against them in both games. They had a couple of tough losses to Dublin in Leinster as well, it was a good team that consistently did well but they seemed to fall at the end of the crunch games when it really mattered. They were a little overhyped but fairly unlucky to come out of that era with zero medals, they weren't AI winning material but they could have won a leinster.

Nidgeweasel

CurryFlavoured wrote: »

In their defence, Kildare were unlucky to be beaten by Donegal and had terrible goal decisions go against them in both games. They had a couple of tough losses to Dublin in Leinster as well, a leinsit was a good team that consistently did well but they seemed to fall at the end of the crunch games when it really mattered. They were a little overhyped but fairly unlucky to come out of that era with zero medals, they weren't AI winning material but they could have won ter.

They were three points up in extra time. There's unlucky and then there's not being good enough. For me, that falls into the latter category, even with the poor square ball call.

iDave

CurryFlavoured wrote: »

In their defence, Kildare were unlucky to be beaten by Down and Donegal and had terrible goal decisions go against them in both games. They had a couple of tough losses to Dublin in Leinster as well, it was a good team that consistently did well but they seemed to fall at the end of the crunch games when it really mattered. They were a little overhyped but fairly unlucky to come out of that era with zero medals, they weren't AI winning material but they could have won a leinster.

They were talked about as if they were a top 4 team though. Top 4 teams make their own luck. The other top 4s all won titles in that period.
The question was never asked, were they a top 4 team or an average team with a bit of bad luck?
As for winning Leinster, they were very poor during that period. One final amongst preliminary, QF and SF defeats.
One thing that always made me chuckle was the media referring to the great qualifier record they had but never asked why were they always in the qualifiers?

CurryFlavoured

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

They were three points up in extra time. There's unlucky and then there's not being good enough. For me, that falls into the latter category, even with the poor square ball call.

Nah. If the officials did their job Tomás O'Connor would have scored that goal and puts Kildare 6 ahead in a low scoring game (out of reach). Any time you have a big call like that against you in a game you've been unlucky, although I agree that they should have seen the game out in ET anyway.

CurryFlavoured

Top 4 team was probably pushing it, I'd say they were a top 6 team though capable of going close in Leinster and consistently making QFs or SFs in championship. They were a solid consistent side that lacked that bit of spark or something special (bar Dermot Earley and Johhny Doyle for periods).

'Average team with a bit of bad luck' is harsh imo. I'd say they got a lot of bad luck - 2 big goal calls against them against Down + Donegal, and the late free against Dublin (although I'd say they would have lost in the replay anyway). They were a good side but just didn't seem capable of pushing through and beating the elite sides, they were very close against Tyrone and Dublin a couple of times but fell short. They should really regret the Dub games in particular, 2 chances to beat 14 man Dub sides in tight games, if you win either you probably go on to win Leinster. That was a major screw up on their part.

Nidgeweasel

CurryFlavoured wrote: »

Nah. If the officials did their job Tomás O'Connor would have scored that goal and puts Kildare 6 ahead in a low scoring game (out of reach). Any time you have a big call like that against you in a game you've been unlucky, although I agree that they should have seen the game out in ET anyway.

And that's the crux of it for me. You get bad calls etc and you have to move on. The fact of it is, they manoeuvred themselves into a very strong position and then let it slip. Not good enough.

It comes down to your way of thinking. For example were Ireland unlucky not to qualify for the World Cup in 2010 or not good enough? I'd say not good enough personally. Yes something went against them but you need to beta the ref sometimes too. Great teams and successful teams do that. Kildare were neither and didn't.

CurryFlavoured

So because Kildare weren't a great side that could come through a terrible refereeing decision they didn't deserve to win? Ridiculous, and we aren't saying they're a great side, we're saying they were unlucky not to make the SF. I wonder had the bad call gone the other way would you be as harsh on the losing side.

You're Ireland comparison is way off as well, if they hadn't got that goal it probably goes to a lottery pen shootout, if Kildare had scored that goal it was basically game over. The fact is that it would have been extremely likely that they would have been in the SF had the ref done his job, hence they were unlucky. Not 'not good enough' whatever that means here anyway.

Nidgeweasel

CurryFlavoured wrote: »

So because Kildare weren't a great side that could come through a terrible refereeing decision they didn't deserve to win? Ridiculous, and we aren't saying they're a great side, we're saying they were unlucky not to make the SF. I wonder had the bad call gone the other way would you be as harsh on the losing side.

You're Ireland comparison is way off as well, if they hadn't got that goal it probably goes to a lottery pen shootout, if Kildare had scored that goal it was basically game over. The fact is that it would have been extremely likely that they would have been in the SF had the ref done his job, hence they were unlucky. Not 'not good enough' whatever that means here anyway.

If Donegal were three points up coming into the closing period of extra time and got beat I would be fúcking furious and not at a referee/umpire for wrongly cancelling a goal at the start of the second half.

Ireland should have defended the Henry incident better, and had umpteen chances to score themselves. They didn't, got done by a piece of cheating and missed the world cup. Nobody's fault but their own.

If either of those teams had have been good enough, the would have progressed. Ignoring the two bad calls, because they had been in a position to make that irrelevant anyway.

Amprodude

Cork will never knock Kerry out of championship again and wont beat them in a Munster Final in Killarney for the next 20 years at least. Dont try defend that especially all the deluded Cork football fans out there.

Hulk Hands

Why is there such a tendency in GAA for every manager and player to talk themselves down and talk up the opposition? It's usually met with a response from the media along the lines of 'ah o'Mahoney/Galvin/Horan' is being cute and playing a bit of mind games. Well if their playing mind games it's basically the opposite of what every top paid professional manager in other sports is doing. A very GAA only phenomenon

Realt Dearg Sec

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Why is there such a tendency in GAA for every manager and player to talk themselves down and talk up the opposition? It's usually met with a response from the media along the lines of 'ah o'Mahoney/Galvin/Horan' is being cute and playing a bit of mind games. Well if their playing mind games it's basically the opposite of what every top paid professional manager in other sports is doing. A very GAA only phenomenon

Well, that's not really you're opinion, you're stating an absolute fact. It's a strange one alright now you mention it. But it's there in the culture of the game and if a manager did say something even as modest as "I'm confident we can win" it would probably be seen as setting himself up for a fall. Just because it's not really done.

Hulk Hands

Ah after this many pages I think we're past the need for it to be an unpopular opinion! Best thread on here in a good while

Nidgeweasel

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Why is there such a tendency in GAA for every manager and player to talk themselves down and talk up the opposition? It's usually met with a response from the media along the lines of 'ah o'Mahoney/Galvin/Horan' is being cute and playing a bit of mind games. Well if their playing mind games it's basically the opposite of what every top paid professional manager in other sports is doing. A very GAA only phenomenon

Its a very irish thing that. Sure even the all ireland speech 'could have went either way' and it probably totally one sided.

Its not even cute hoorism because its so blatant. Has Martin McHugh ever backed Donegal publically!? 'tough test etc hard to say etc'.

iDave

The GAA should tell the do-gooders to take a running jump on alcohol sponsorship. The Guinness Pro 12 is on the way. Will Rugby be held to the same high moral standard I wonder?

bruschi

iDave wrote: »

The GAA should tell the do-gooders to take a running jump on alcohol sponsorship. The Guinness Pro 12 is on the way. Will Rugby be held to the same high moral standard I wonder?

you mean like the Heineken cup? or what was the magners league?

nice_guy80

iDave wrote: »

The GAA should tell the do-gooders to take a running jump on alcohol sponsorship. The Guinness Pro 12 is on the way. Will Rugby be held to the same high moral standard I wonder?

highly doubtful
sure you are even allowed buy alcohol at rugby games and bring it back to your seat/terrace
nothing like that at GAA games

iDave

bruschi wrote: »

you mean like the Heineken cup? or what was the magners league?

The old Magners, heavily rumoured to be doing a with Guinness. Meanwhile the GAA constantly panned for doing deals with the same brand.

nice_guy80 wrote: »

highly doubtful
sure you are even allowed buy alcohol at rugby games and bring it back to your seat/terrace
nothing like that at GAA games

Actually think Croke Park have it right. Get your drink at the bar if you want but don't be inconveniencing people actually watching the game by getting up and down and bringing your drink to the seat.
Like going to Rugby games but can be a pain with all the bandwagoners getting up and down.
Most county grounds down even have a bar.

Fr Tod Umptious

iDave wrote: »

The GAA should tell the do-gooders to take a running jump on alcohol sponsorship. The Guinness Pro 12 is on the way. Will Rugby be held to the same high moral standard I wonder?

No rugby will not be held to the same standard.

People are more likely to give out about Guinness sponsorship of the Hurling Championship (which ended completely a few years back) before they will bring up the fact that over the past few years the two most important rugby competitions in this country have had drink sponsors.

I think it’s great that the GAA has no national competition sponsored by a drinks company.
The less exposure alcohol gets the better in my eyes.

Male, 40s, with children, occasional drinker

nice_guy80

Local clubs shouldn't be held to same standards as a national level body.

I mean, in some parishes the pub is the only business that could feasibly sponsor a club

zetecescort

Very little outcry over all rugby except 6 Nations going from terrestrial tv compared to the rubbish the GAA had to put up with over the Sky deal also

adrian522

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

No rugby will not be held to the same standard.

People are more likely to give out about Guinness sponsorship of the Hurling Championship (which ended completely a few years back) before they will bring up the fact that over the past few years the two most important rugby competitions in this country have had drink sponsors.

I think it’s great that the GAA has no national competition sponsored by a drinks company.
The less exposure alcohol gets the better in my eyes.

Male, 40s, with children, occasional drinker

RBS Six Nations
Rabo Direct Pro 12

Only 1 rugby competition that I can think of has a drinks sponsor over the last few years and that is organised at European level.

Fr Tod Umptious

adrian522 wrote: »

RBS Six Nations
Rabo Direct Pro 12

Only 1 rugby competition that I can think of has a drinks sponsor over the last few years and that is organised at European level.

For many years the Pro 12 was called the Magners League, and it seems it will now be the Guinness Pro 12
And the European Cup was called the Heineken Cup, not sure what the new incarnation of that competition will be called.

If in case you want to be pedantic I'll edit my post to the fact that over the past few years the two most important club rugby competitions in this country have had drink sponsors

Alvin Holler

adrian522 wrote: »

Only 1 rugby competition that I can think of has a drinks sponsor over the last few years and that is organised at European level.

The autumn internationals have been sponsored by guinness for a few years.

Royce McCutcheon

CurryFlavoured wrote: »

In their defence, Kildare were unlucky to be beaten by Down and Donegal and had terrible goal decisions go against them in both games. They had a couple of tough losses to Dublin in Leinster as well, it was a good team that consistently did well but they seemed to fall at the end of the crunch games when it really mattered. They were a little overhyped but fairly unlucky to come out of that era with zero medals, they weren't AI winning material but they could have won a leinster.

As a Kildare man I may bea bit biased here but I do think injury problems played a part to a certain extent. In 2010 Kildare were missing their first choice midfield pairing after 15 minutes when Daryl Flynn went off concust to join Dermot Earley on the sidelines whereas in 2011 they were missing these two again along with Hugh Lynch who did his cruciate before the Meath game. They were far from All-Ieland winning material for most of the 08-13 period but considering how close they were these 2 years these factors have to be considered

adrian522

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

For many years the Pro 12 was called the Magners League, and it seems it will now be the Guinness Pro 12
And the European Cup was called the Heineken Cup, not sure what the new incarnation of that competition will be called.

If in case you want to be pedantic I'll edit my post to the fact that over the past few years the two most important club rugby competitions in this country have had drink sponsors

But Rabo direct were sponsoring one of those competitions over the last few years is exactly my point. And the other competition is outside the jurisdiction so the government don't have much say in how that gets sponsored.

Also I thought the government rowed back on banning drinks companies sponsoring events and the GAA were voluntarily "going in other directions" as it were.

klairondavis

Royce McCutcheon wrote: »

As a Kildare man I may bea bit biased here but I do think injury problems played a part to a certain extent. In 2010 Kildare were missing their first choice midfield pairing after 15 minutes when Daryl Flynn went off concust to join Dermot Earley on the sidelines whereas in 2011 they were missing these two again along with Hugh Lynch who did his cruciate before the Meath game. They were far from All-Ieland winning material for most of the 08-13 period but considering how close they were these 2 years these factors have to be considered

Losing Flynn in 2010 was an absolute killer. He was playing great football that summer.

We probably didn't have the two or three top quality players that we needed during 2010-2011. Johnny was the main man but he lacked consistent support. Kavanagh, Smith and Leper were all very capable on their day but they were too inconsistent to help propel the team from a contender, to become a winner.

freedominacup

I hope I'm not reposting something already covered. Inter county players need to be dealt with on either a soccer or rugby basis. Either they are club players who are released by their clubs to play inter county matches or they are county players who may be released by their county manager from time to time to play club matches.

Once a counties involvement in inter county competition ends they would revert back to club players. Either way the club all ireland championship should start the week after the all ireland final in both codes. Any county which doesn't have champioships finished in time would be subject to a minimum cut in funding of 1000 per club as well as being excluded from entering a team in the competition. In other words club champioships and leagues should be played over the summer and completed in early autumn regardless of any inter county consideration.

The football itself needs to be changed. Modern tech needs to be embraced. No other football is the same today as it was thirty years ago.

Johnny_Fontane

The GAA are solely responsible for the Garth Brooks Fiasco.

Fr Tod Umptious

adrian522 wrote: »

But Rabo direct were sponsoring one of those competitions over the last few years is exactly my point. And the other competition is outside the jurisdiction so the government don't have much say in how that gets sponsored.

Also I thought the government rowed back on banning drinks companies sponsoring events and the GAA were voluntarily "going in other directions" as it were.

My point was that rugby is not held to the same high moral standard when it comes to drinks sponsorship.

When the debate about drinks sponsorship comes up, the (lazy) media will be full of indignation about drinks sponsorship within the GAA, when in fact no GAA national competition has had a drinks sponsor for a number of years now.

At the same time there will be little mention of the fact that the biggest club rugby competition, the European Cup, has had a drinks sponsor, and may have one again in it's new format, and in the past the Pro 12 has had a drinks sponsor and will again in the future.

And your point about a government not having much say about a sponsor is invalid also, in France, where sporting events cannot have drinks sponsorship the European Cup was known as ‘The H Cup’

iDave

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

The GAA are solely responsible for the Garth Brooks Fiasco.

The GAA needs to take a serious look at itself over this fiasco, it hasn't come out of it very well. Hopefully this will lead to better regulation and an attempt to foster better relations with the residents.

To say they are solely responsible is nonsense however.

iDave

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

My point was that rugby is not held to the same high moral standard when it comes to drinks sponsorship.

When the debate about drinks sponsorship comes up, the (lazy) media will be full of indignation about drinks sponsorship within the GAA, when in fact no GAA national competition has had a drinks sponsor for a number of years now.

At the same time there will be little mention of the fact that the biggest club rugby competition, the European Cup, has had a drinks sponsor, and may have one again in it's new format, and in the past the Pro 12 has had a drinks sponsor and will again in the future.

And your point about a government not having much say about a sponsor is invalid also, in France, where sporting events cannot have drinks sponsorship the European Cup was known as ‘The H Cup’

This was my original point. When GAA negotiates with Diageo there is an outcry, when Rugby does it no one bats an eyelid.
The IRFU sat on the board of the old ERC and new EPRC as well as Celtic rugby so could easily veto a deal with Diageo but never have. But never get the same criticism.

Johnny_Fontane

iDave wrote: »

The GAA needs to take a serious look at itself over this fiasco, it hasn't come out of it very well. Hopefully this will lead to better regulation and an attempt to foster better relations with the residents.

To say they are solely responsible is nonsense however.

If you go back to the root of this (which in my mind) is the meeting between Aiken and the GAA in January before gigs were announced. Croke Park knew that 3 One Direction gigs were already planned. Aiken came to them with the 5 GB gigs and they made a decision to run with it. Even though they had known that Christy Cooney had been in the room in 2009 with the residents, as president of the GAA, when Croke Park agreed to only 3 concerts per year.

You could blame Aiken aswell, but the GAA had the first call to make.

Just my opinion, but they could be sued from all angles on this.