Unpopular GAA opinions you hold

iDave

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

clearodara never got picked for u-12's.

Probably took a knock from a bigger boy too

Amprodude

The compromise rules with AFL is the biggest waste of time ever and should never be allowed. GAA amateurs against AFL pros absolute insane and dangerous.

Amprodude

The compromise rules with AFL is the biggest waste of time ever and should never be allowed. GAA amateurs against AFL pros absolute insane and dangerous.

beggars_bush

I've absolutely no problem with local club games having a minutes silence for a deceased club member etc

But to allow televised county games to do the same is crazy.

The Lost Sheep

Amprodude wrote: »

The compromise rules with AFL is the biggest waste of time ever and should never be allowed. GAA amateurs against AFL pros absolute insane and dangerous.

Wasn't really a waste of time. Amateurs against pros isn't insane and dangerous. What was so dangerous about it? (Not talking about the fights specifically talking about dangers of pro's v amatuers)

beggars_bush wrote: »

I've absolutely no problem with local club games having a minutes silence for a deceased club member etc

But to allow televised county games to do the same is crazy.

Why is it crazy for televised county games to have minutes silence for dead gaa member?

Wolf Club

Amprodude wrote: »

The compromise rules with AFL is the biggest waste of time ever and should never be allowed. GAA amateurs against AFL pros absolute insane and dangerous.

I'd agree that it's a waste of time but not because of the danger involved (well, not anymore anyway). Last year the amateurs defeated the professionals with a 100 point margin in what was the dullest sporting event I've ever witnessed.

eyescreamcone

elefant wrote: »

Considering Gaelic Football is the most popular game in Ireland, I would suggest it is an unpopular opinion.

How do you define popular?

If it's by numbers that play the sport every week then association football is miles ahead.

freedominacup

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Why is it crazy for televised county games to have minutes silence for dead gaa member?

It's been so overused as a mark of "respect" that it has lost all meaning. There have been minutes silence at some matches I've attended over the years where the person being honoured had a tenuous connection to say the least to the proceedings. I genuinely won't be surprised the day someone tries to get a minutes silence for dear departed team mascot of the four legged variety.

Realt Dearg Sec

eyescreamcone wrote: »

How do you define popular?

If it's by numbers that play the sport every week then association football is miles ahead.

I presume, since he was taking about how entertaining it is as a spectacle, he's talking about viewing figures. Which football wipes the floor in terms of attendances and tv ratings, with every other sport.

As for participation, if we're including every five a side game for hungover fat lads at the local astroturf, them participation is higher in soccer, but for real teams playing serious sport that you have to train for and make real sacrifices, there's way more football. It just doesn't lend itself to being played casually, same with hurling and, obviously, rugby. Serious soccer is a different thing altogether and you can't lump pub teams in with the real stuff just to puff up numbers.

The Lost Sheep

eyescreamcone wrote: »

How do you define popular?

If it's by numbers that play the sport every week then association football is miles ahead.

Soccer isn't miles ahead if you just count those who play in clubs, 11 a side, in full leagues and don't include every 5 a side league etc

freedominacup wrote: »

It's been so overused as a mark of "respect" that it has lost all meaning. There have been minutes silence at some matches I've attended over the years where the person being honoured had a tenuous connection to say the least to the proceedings. I genuinely won't be surprised the day someone tries to get a minutes silence for dear departed team mascot of the four legged variety.

Has it really lost all meaning. Again is there or should there be a criteria for who gets a minutes silence?

eyescreamcone

If you look at the fixtures for GAA games and for association football on any given weekend you'll find way more organised 'soccer' games than GAA games going on.
For instance in county cork there are about 20 divisions of soccer leagues.
Go to Dublin and there are pages and pages of soccer fixtures.
Not counting 5 a side with the work lads - there is way more soccer being played on this island.

Also, regarding people who watch the game - I'd imagine soccer on TV gets very high ratings.

savannahkat

eyescreamcone wrote: »

If you look at the fixtures for GAA games and for association football on any given weekend you'll find way more organised 'soccer' games than GAA games going on.
For instance in county cork there are about 20 divisions of soccer leagues.
Go to Dublin and there are pages and pages of soccer fixtures.
Not counting 5 a side with the work lads - there is way more soccer being played on this island.

Also, regarding people who watch the game - I'd imagine soccer on TV gets very high ratings.

It is remarkable for all the great numbers you say play the game on this island that we have absolutely none who are even slightly above mediocre.As for the T.V viewing public I doubt too many watch the home produced rubbish. I would think far more people could tell you who the captain of Sporting Lisbon is way before they could tell you who the captain of Shamrock Rovers is.

ultrapercy

savannahkat wrote: »

It is remarkable for all the great numbers you say play the game on this island that we have absolutely none who are even slightly above mediocre.As for the T.V viewing public I doubt too many watch the home produced rubbish. I would think far more people could tell you who the captain of Sporting Lisbon is way before they could tell you who the captain of Shamrock Rovers is.

Thats what happens when you are dealing with a sport that can be gauged on an international level. Who knows where our GAA players would rank in that type of situation, probably much the same as other sports give or take.

eyescreamcone

savannahkat wrote: »

It is remarkable for all the great numbers you say play the game on this island that we have absolutely none who are even slightly above mediocre.As for the T.V viewing public I doubt too many watch the home produced rubbish. I would think far more people could tell you who the captain of Sporting Lisbon is way before they could tell you who the captain of Shamrock Rovers is.

This comment shows an incredible ignorance of other sports.

Do you think that our best athletes, who never seem to medal in the olympics, are also mediocre?
Do you think that the GAA "legend" from down the road would perform better "because he wants it more"?

nice_guy80

eyescreamcone wrote: »

If you look at the fixtures for GAA games and for association football on any given weekend you'll find way more organised 'soccer' games than GAA games going on.
For instance in county cork there are about 20 divisions of soccer leagues.
Go to Dublin and there are pages and pages of soccer fixtures.
Not counting 5 a side with the work lads - there is way more soccer being played on this island.

Also, regarding people who watch the game - I'd imagine soccer on TV gets very high ratings.

but sure who can watch soccer on tv? I don't have sky sports.

It is much easier to run a soccer club than a GAA club. Why?
only 11 players needed for a team.
smaller field needed.
less equipment needed.
regular fixtures.
a lot of councils provide soccer pitches whereas don't provide GAA pitches so soccer teams don't need to develop their own grounds.

Just saying, and I've been involved in both.

Nidgeweasel

nice_guy80 wrote: »

but sure who can watch soccer on tv? I don't have sky sports.

It is much easier to run a soccer club than a GAA club. Why?
only 11 players needed for a team.
smaller field needed.
less equipment needed.
regular fixtures.
a lot of councils provide soccer pitches whereas don't provide GAA pitches so soccer teams don't need to develop their own grounds.

Just saying, and I've been involved in both.

GAA clubs are largely run by parish too and it's more parochial i.e less teams.

Ina town where you have one GAA club which has been there for over 100 years you can have 3/4 'soccer' clubs.

eyescreamcone

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

GAA clubs are largely run by parish too and it's more parochial i.e less teams.

Ina town where you have one GAA club which has been there for over 100 years you can have 3/4 'soccer' clubs.

So you are agreeing with me that more people play soccer??

eyescreamcone

nice_guy80 wrote: »

but sure who can watch soccer on tv? I don't have sky sports.

It is much easier to run a soccer club than a GAA club. Why?
only 11 players needed for a team.
smaller field needed.
less equipment needed.
regular fixtures.
a lot of councils provide soccer pitches whereas don't provide GAA pitches so soccer teams don't need to develop their own grounds.

Just saying, and I've been involved in both.

Plenty of soccer on rte - champions league, world cup, international games, premiership highlights

Tom Joad

Mod: No more GAA vs Soccer/ Athletics/ Tiddlywinks ..... posts please - they never end well.

eyescreamcone

Tom Joad wrote: »

Mod: No more GAA vs Soccer/ Athletics/ Tiddlywinks ..... posts please - they never end well.

Only unpopular opinions that "are not that unpopular" are allowed
Fair enough!

StupidLikeAFox

yohan the great wrote: »

If Tipp never won an All Ireland since the GAA was founded it would still be the home of hurling. Its where the GAA was founded and will always be the home of the GAA

Nah, the GAA have had many homes and its currently in Croke Park. A better comparison would be cars, we all have to start somewhere and the GAA started in Tipp.

Ideally you should be calling Tipp "The Nissan Micra of Hurling" ;)

Amprodude

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

Ideally you should be calling Tipp "The Nissan Micra of Hurling" ;)

Sometimes they dont even come close to that.

Tom Joad

Most fans of the game wouldn't know an original thought if it slapped them in the face and instead rely on the Sunday Game for their opinions or tired old clichés and pass it of as their own view.

Dots1982

Tom Joad wrote: »

Most fans of the game wouldn't know an original thought if it slapped them in the face and instead rely on the Sunday Game for their opinions or tired old clichés and pass it of as their own view.

Agreed

Nidgeweasel

Tom Joad wrote: »

Most fans of the game wouldn't know an original thought if it slapped them in the face and instead rely on the Sunday Game for their opinions or tired old clichés and pass it of as their own view.

Absolutely. Women are bad for this too.

Fr Tod Umptious

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

Absolutely. Women are bad for this too.

Journalists also

nice_guy80

Goals don't win games when the opposition keep taking their points and don't chase goals.

Nidgeweasel

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Goals don't win games when the opposition keep taking their points and don't chase goals.

What if both sides keep taking their points?

Amprodude

The current Limerick team are just a semi final team and havent got what it takes to reach a final.

Amprodude

The current Limerick team are just a semi final team and havent got what it takes to reach a final.

zombieHanalei

At first your obsession with knocking all things Limerick was a little annoying, but now it's just a little... weird....

Not that I'd tell anyone what they should or should not be posting about but it says it all that you have been posting about Limerick far more than you have about your own county of late. But anyway...

Santa Cruz

Unpopular opinion.(or maybe not)

If Mayo don't win Sam this year they really don't deserve anyone's sympathy. They have had chance after chance. Offaly came through and won against Kerry in 82 and again back in the early 70s. Tyrone the same. Mayo have taken minor and u21s over the years. They are not the only county hit by emigration etc.

Amprodude

zombieHanalei wrote: »

At first your obsession with knocking all things Limerick was a little annoying, but now it's just a little... weird....

Not that I'd tell anyone what they should or should not be posting about but it says it all that you have been posting about Limerick far more than you have about your own county of late. But anyway...

It is an unpopular opinion thread after all and its an opinion i hold and wont change until Limerick win AI.

Fr Tod Umptious

Santa Cruz wrote: »

Unpopular opinion.(or maybe not)

If Mayo don't win Sam this year they really don't deserve anyone's sympathy. They have had chance after chance. Offaly came through and won against Kerry in 82 and again back in the early 70s. Tyrone the same. Mayo have taken minor and u21s over the years. They are not the only county hit by emigration etc.

Not sure that many of us Mayo folk are looking for sympathy.

K4t

The main reason Dublin are the best footballing side in the country is because they are the hardest working team and take a completely professional approach to all aspects of the game. The competition for places, the large pool of talent to choose from, the money etc. are all secondary.

MaroonAndGreen

K4t wrote: »

The main reason Dublin are the best footballing side in the country is because they are the hardest working team and take a completely professional approach to all aspects of the game. The competition for places, the large pool of talent to choose from, the money etc. are all secondary.

Most definitely they shouldnt be ahead of Mayo, Kerry, Donegal in these aspects. Surely these counties are all as well prepared?

feargale

Amprodude wrote: »

The current Limerick team are just a semi final team and havent got what it takes to reach a final.

2 teams are just semifinal teams, 4 are just quarterfinal teams, 8 are just round of 16 teams, 16 are just 1st round teams, and in mid September only 1 will be champions. Just like the world cup, like, innit?

Royce McCutcheon

Maybe not nationwide but a Kildare GAA opinion I have, the team of 2010/2011 had a far better oppurtunity to win an all ireland than the 1998 team

MaroonAndGreen

That GAA is a middle class game and all GAA players have a degree or well paying job...

:pac:

randd1

MaroonAndGreen wrote: »

That GAA is a middle class game and all GAA players have a degree or well paying job...

:pac:

The reason why they have degrees or well payed jobs is mostly because they're amateurs and need degrees to get well payed jobs so they can commit to the sports.

Soccer is professional, so is rugby, so there's no need for degrees.

Boxers and other athletes get grants (and in most cases are given free college places), so they can commit. I wouldn't class most of them as middle class.

Its not about being middle class, its about being able to play the game while securing your future. And most of the people doing that are young people form working class families, they are where I'm from anyway.

The Lost Sheep

randd1 wrote: »

The reason why they have degrees or well payed jobs is mostly because they're amateurs and need degrees to get well payed jobs so they can commit to the sports.

Soccer is professional, so is rugby, so there's no need for degrees.

Boxers and other athletes get grants (and in most cases are given free college places), so they can commit. I wouldn't class most of them as middle class.

Its not about being middle class, its about being able to play the game while securing your future. And most of the people doing that are young people form working class families, they are where I'm from anyway.

Whatever about soccer but you will see all or nearly all rugby players getting degrees because they have to. The Sport is professional but nearly all go into work after they finish as they have to. All bar the top few rugby players in Ireland will go into work or have to go into another career when they retire so there very much is a need to get a degree

overshoot

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Whatever about soccer but you will see all or nearly all rugby players getting degrees because they have to. The Sport is professional but nearly all go into work after they finish as they have to. All bar the top few rugby players in Ireland will go into work or have to go into another career when they retire so there very much is a need to get a degree

soccer in this country for the most part would fall right in with GAA.
im pretty sure Seamus Coleman was on Sligo Rovers scholarship link up with the local IT. why else have UCD held on as a premier division team for so long?

The fact that soccer(for a elite few at least)/rugby are paid just means they can hold off starting their career until after they retire from sport, by which time nobody gives a crap! amateur GAA dont have a choice.
Michael Murphy just opened a sports shop in Letterkenny btw! seems appropriate!

Nidgeweasel

Royce McCutcheon wrote: »

Maybe not nationwide but a Kildare GAA opinion I have, the team of 2010/2011 had a far better oppurtunity to win an all ireland than the 1998 team

The 1998 team were in a final, the other lot were not.

Frankie Lee

Royce McCutcheon wrote: »

Maybe not nationwide but a Kildare GAA opinion I have, the team of 2010/2011 had a far better oppurtunity to win an all ireland than the 1998 team

2010 possibly, if they had beat Down then Cork would still have been strong favourites in the final. 2011 definitely not, even though they should have beaten Donegal Dublin were a better team and would have won the semi comfortably enough.

1997 was the biggest missed chance, Meath and Kildare were the best two teams in the country that year but took each other out really.

nice_guy80

Kildare overachieved in 2010/11 with the bunch of players that they had.

klairondavis

Frankie Lee wrote: »

2010 possibly, if they had beat Down then Cork would still have been strong favourites in the final. 2011 definitely not, even though they should have beaten Donegal Dublin were a better team and would have won the semi comfortably enough.

1997 was the biggest missed chance, Meath and Kildare were the best two teams in the country that year but took each other out really.

The 1991-1994 team could have been close with Tompkins & Fahy. We lacked experience in those years and could really have done with those two. We really should have held on in the drawn game against Dublin in 1994.

Should have put Meath away the first two days in 1997 but were soundly beaten in the third game despite the close scoreline. We were carrying too many injured players in the 1998 Final and that told in the second half. Galway played some sparkling football in that second half but Glenn Ryan and Niall Buckley were wrecked after half an hour of that match.

I think we played our best football under Micko in 2000. We were level with Galway in that semi final going into the last five minutes when John Finn was very unfairly sent off by Paddy Russell. That defeat cut a bit deeper than 1998 because it was those players' last chance.

The 2010-11 team wasn't a patch on Micko's team in my opinion. That said, if Daryl Flynn hadn't gone off against Down I think we would have reached the final. We were well on top in that game until he got injured. We had ample chances to kill off Donegal in extra time in 2011 but I don't think we would have beaten Dublin in the semi final anyway.

Frankie Lee

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Kildare overachieved in 2010/11 with the bunch of players that they had.

Probably a fair enough opinion, they were a team of good players who gave absolutely everything. Dermot Earley and Johnny Doyle were the marquee players but both were in their 30's with Dermot's knee going at the wrong time in 2010. It is fair to say that they were unlucky with refereeing decisions in the Down and Donegal games and the free given to Bernard Brogan in the Dublin game in 2011 was nonsensical as the ball was out over the end line and it was only a tangling of legs. Dublin were the better team and would have won the replay regardless.

08 to 11 were great years to follow Kildare though as even in defeat the players gave everything and there was some lovely revenge wins against the likes of Laois, Offaly, Meath, Wexford and Derry who all humiliated Kildare in the mid 00's.

Frankie Lee

klairondavis wrote: »

The 1991-1994 team could have been close with Tompkins & Fahy. We lacked experience in those years and could really have done with those two. We really should have held on in the drawn game against Dublin in 1994.

Should have put Meath away the first two days in 1997 but were soundly beaten in the third game despite the close scoreline. We were carrying too many injured players in the 1998 Final and that told in the second half. Galway played some sparkling football in that second half but Glenn Ryan and Niall Buckley were wrecked after half an hour of that match.

I think we played our best football under Micko in 2000. We were level with Galway in that semi final going into the last five minutes when John Finn was very unfairly sent off by Paddy Russell. That defeat cut a bit deeper than 1998 because it was those players' last chance.

The 2010-11 team wasn't a patch on Micko's team in my opinion. That said, if Daryl Flynn hadn't gone off against Down I think we would have reached the final. We were well on top in that game until he got injured. We had ample chances to kill off Donegal in extra time in 2011 but I don't think we would have beaten Dublin in the semi final anyway.

91-94 was before my time but I'd imagine it was a time of restored pride after a terrible couple of decades. With the 87 and 91 minor teams winning Leinsters and many of those players coming through during the 90's there was promise there.

The two years lost under Dermot Earley was a pity, gentleman and all that he was he had a disastrous spell in charge.

klairondavis

Frankie Lee wrote: »

91-94 was before my time but I'd imagine it was a time of restored pride after a terrible couple of decades. With the 87 and 91 minor teams winning Leinsters and many of those players coming through during the 90's there was promise there.

The two years lost under Dermot Earley was a pity, gentleman and all that he was he had a disastrous spell in charge.

My memory of those years were that we always played alright in the league but it just went horribly wrong in the summer. In 1996 we played Laois of the pitch in a relegation play off only for them to turn it around a few weeks later in the championship when Leo Turley banged in a few goals. Beating them with 13 men in 1997 was really sweet for anyone who had been there the year before. In fairness to Dermot he brought through a lot of the players who were very important in 1997-2000 like the Clane trio of Finn, McCormack and McCreery but he just seemed to be too nice to make a real success of management.

Stoner

klairondavis wrote: »

My memory of those years were that we always played alright in the league but it just went horribly wrong in the summer. In 1996 we played Laois of the pitch in a relegation play off only for them to turn it around a few weeks later in the championship when Leo Turley banged in a few goals. Beating them with 13 men in 1997 was really sweet for anyone who had been there the year before. In fairness to Dermot he brought through a lot of the players who were very important in 1997-2000 like the Clane trio of Finn, McCormack and McCreery but he just seemed to be too nice to make a real success of management.

Funny enough I remember those league games too. The rivalry between Kildare and Dublin was through the roof. It was great stuff. I remember when Dublin beat Kildare and won the league Paddy Cullen was the manager, Dave Foran kept comming off the bench for Dublin in those years he was a super sub for Dublin VS Kildare many many times, or maybe it was just once its a bit fuzzy now.

On 10 years I'll exaggerate it even more.

To this day I still love the league Dublin 1–9 Kildare 0–10 1990 91 was the first time i was at a game when we won some silverware,