The GAA 'myth'

trapp

Don't get me wrong, I'm an admirer of the GAA, played hurling and football, regularly go to club games, county games etc but there is a huge amount of bull**** around the organisation at the moment

We're constantly told that GAA players 'go to work on a Monday morning' after a match, in reality every decent county team does recovery sessions on a Monday morning, a huge amount of GAA players are students or teachers with the rest employed in gyms etc or living from sponsership deals etc. Yet we never hear LOI first division players praised for combining work with a 40 game season?

GAA volunteers are great no doubt about that but do people not volunteer in boxing clubs, soccer clubs, etc all over the country too, listening to the GAA they're the only ones with volunteers!

We've heard all week about how great the GAA are for the community but what have they done for the community in the inner city, in the disadvantaged areas in Limerick and Tallaght and west Dublin? Fantastic work being done in these areas by soccer and boxing clubs that doesn't get a mention.

They get huge support in terms of promotion, funding etc but still have some elements promoting this 'foreign game' nonsense about other sports.

Liam Brady, John Giles, Roy Keane and of course Liam Miller are as Irish as anybody else and don't need to be 'GAA men' to prove their Irishness.

lawred2

Yerra leave it out... And put down the bottle.

dxhound2005

When a post starts off "Don't get me wrong", I always suspect that something is not right.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

FrancieBrady

How many threads does this subject need?

Donald Trump

dxhound2005 wrote: »

When a post starts off "Don't get me wrong", I always suspect that something is not right.

I'm not a racist


But.......

Poor Uncle Tom

TL:DR

Don't get me wrong I like the GAA but I really hate the GAA........

Sheeps

No self respecting Dub should ever follow or support GAA. I know Dublin are obviously the best at the football, but that's only to annoy the bog warriors. The whole thing is a complete joke.

umop episdn

Patww79 wrote: »

The onslaught continues. Did you not hear that it's being played in Pairc Ui Chaoimh? Was decided this morning.

Under protest and with much whining still if you saw the rte news interview

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

andekwarhola

The main classic is the amateur /volunteer/community thing that's heavily utilised for their commercial propaganda. Especially, no doubt, hugely expensive advertising campaigns.

It's like no other sport in the whole fcuking country has amateur teams, kids playing, volunteer coaches etc.

In fact, that dastardly 'socair' actually has the highest sport participation numbers in the country (the overwhelming majority of it being underage and amateur) but for propaganda purposes it's routinely written off as an evil commercial enterprise.

nullzero

There is a moral superiority bestowed on GAA participants if we're honest. The moral order is 1- GAA, all wonderful people who can do no wrong with a fantastic community spirit, playing for the love of the game, self sacrifice, dedication, tradition, history, real Irish people, kids should always be encouraged to play the games.
2-Rugby, slightly posh but still wonderful and all round good eggs, professional players but hey they're doing the country proud winning European cups at club/provincial level as well as doing well internationally, kids would do well to play the game and the networking opportunities in layer life are fantastic.
3- Soccer, supported by thugs, played by greedy money grabbing swines (LOI players seen as equated with petulant brats making mega bucks in European leagues) who don't appreciate the dedication shown by the amateurs in the GAA, an overall unsavory sport which kids should be kept away from.

Duckworth_Luas

FrancieBrady

andekwarhola wrote: »

The main classic is the amateur /volunteer/community thing that's heavily utilised for their commercial propaganda. Especially, no doubt, hugely expensive advertising campaigns.

It's like no other sport in the whole fcuking country has amateur teams, kids playing, volunteer coaches etc,

In fact, that dastardly 'socair' actually has the highest sport participation numbers in the country (the overwhelming majority of it t being underage and amateur) but for propaganda purposes it's routinely written off as an evil commercial enterprise.

They are pure evil for promoting themselves?

'propaganda' Jaysus the bitterness is strong in this one.

dxhound2005

nullzero wrote: »

There is a moral superiority bestowed on GAA participants if we're honest.

If you're honest.

andekwarhola

nullzero wrote: »

There is a moral superiority bestowed on GAA participants if we're honest. The moral order is 1- GAA, all wonderful people who can do no wrong with a fantastic community spirit, playing for the love of the game, self sacrifice, dedication, tradition, history, real Irish people, kids should always be encouraged to play the games.
2-Rugby, slightly posh but still wonderful and all round good eggs, professional players but hey they're doing the country proud winning European cups at club/provincial level as well as doing well internationally, kids would do well to play the game and the networking opportunities in layer life are fantastic.
3- Soccer, supported by thugs, played by greedy money grabbing swines (LOI players seen as equated with petulant brats making mega bucks in European leagues) who don't appreciate the dedication shown by the amateurs in the GAA, an overall unsavory sport which kids should be kept away from.

And remember every single valid criticism of the GAA must be countered with a) unrelated reference to FAI b)reference to 'bashing the GAA' c) Both of previous.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

flas

Personally I'd like to see loi players receiving the same sort of balance in the media and general sporting public minds... They go and train 3-4 nights a week, do their gym work, most for absolutely F all,and then go to work for their 40 hour week, and the top ones, who in real terms earn less than top GAA players per annum actually compete on an international level against bigger and more resourceful teams and have a not bad record, but somehow they are lumped in with multi millionaires abroad who have no where near the same connect the loi players have with their local supporters ... Its strange..

Hector Bellend

I'v no problems with the sport

However, the organisation will some day be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century

Jim Bob Scratcher

Grab All Association

Richard Hillman

Another overplayed one is "all of the money earned by the GAA, goes back into the GAA". I'm pretty sure that's the same for every sport.

It's a cult-like fringe movement that are embedded into all sorts of state apparatus. Nowhere as near as popular as it's made out to be, despite lumping 2 sports together and claiming to be one.

shakeitoff

All I know is these guys aren't doing anything that important, why they should be paid is beyond me, just because some sports at the upper echelons in some countries happen to be super commercialised and thus, lucrative, doesn't mean that these guys 'deserve' to be paid. They can decide to play if they want to or not, if they're happy to get up and train 5 days a week or whatever, then that's up to them. There is clearly many perks for certain players of certain counties because many opt to play under these circumstances. Definitely would be sympathetic to the LOI players but again, it's their choice. However, I'm sure the contrasting situations of football and GAA players means that you get a lot of guys who end up dropping out of the game altogether compared to the GAA.

blinding

The GAA coming across as being very insecure in all this . Never a good look . When you appear to lack confidence in your Game / Product it doesn’t inspire confidence in observers .

How often would something as clear and obvious ( of being a very good and deserving case ) actually come up .

The GAA cannot expect to be getting Taxpayers money and not get some pressures that may come with that .

The GAA top managment has been shown up in recent weeks. There's clearly someone out of touch making the big decisions. And then rolling back when the heat is on. Weak managment.

FrancieBrady

RoboKlopp wrote: »

The GAA top managment has been shown up in recent weeks. There's clearly someone out of touch making the big decisions. And then rolling back when the heat is on. Weak managment.

Would 'weak management' not apply to a sporting organisation that has only managed to create a stadium that holds 7000 in a city the size of Cork?

Could they not at this stage got another sporting organisation like Rugby to help them build somewhere decent if they can't muster the resources themselves?

Personally I think it is a sign of strong secure management that can change it's mind and come up with a neat formula that shows off it's own sport too.

I enjoy both sports btw, and my children play both codes, but I can never fail to be amazed at how little soccer has managed to achieve in the community in terms of infrastructure where it would be almost equal with GAA in terms of participation.

Silentcorner

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Would 'weak management' not apply to a sporting organisation that has only managed to create a stadium that holds 7000 in a city the size of Cork?

Could they not at this stage got another sporting organisation like Rugby to help them build somewhere decent if they can't muster the resources themselves?

Personally I think it is a sign of strong secure management that can change it's mind and come up with a neat formula that shows off it's own sport too.

I enjoy both sports btw, and my children play both codes, but I can never fail to be amazed at how little soccer has managed to achieve in the community in terms of infrastructure where it would be almost equal with GAA in terms of participation.

Its hard to argue with any of that.

I enjoy and have played both sports, if I just compared what my local GAA team has built over the last 20 years compared to my local football team...its miles apart, the GAA club has built an astroturf pitch (along with a clubhouse and gym)that is rented out to the likes of me playing football on it.

If I look at where I am from, Limerick, and compare how both sports (Rugby and football)have evolved over the last 20 years, Markets Field v Thomond Park.

Even though football is what I would consider my first sport, the way it is administered in this country is a disgrace.

Donald Trump

Silentcorner wrote: »

Its hard to argue with any of that.

I enjoy and have played both sports, if I just compared what my local GAA team has built over the last 20 years compared to my local football team...its miles apart, the GAA club has built an astroturf pitch (along with a clubhouse and gym)that is rented out to the likes of me playing football on it.

If I look at where I am from, Limerick, and compare how both sports (Rugby and football)have evolved over the last 20 years, Markets Field v Thomond Park.

Even though football is what I would consider my first sport, the way it is administered in this country is a disgrace.

Soccer

smelly sock

trapp wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, I'm an admirer of the GAA, played hurling and football, regularly go to club games, county games etc but there is a huge amount of bull**** around the organisation at the moment

We're constantly told that GAA players 'go to work on a Monday morning' after a match, in reality every decent county team does recovery sessions on a Monday morning, a huge amount of GAA players are students or teachers with the rest employed in gyms etc or living from sponsership deals etc. Yet we never hear LOI first division players praised for combining work with a 40 game season?

GAA volunteers are great no doubt about that but do people not volunteer in boxing clubs, soccer clubs, etc all over the country too, listening to the GAA they're the only ones with volunteers!

We've heard all week about how great the GAA are for the community but what have they done for the community in the inner city, in the disadvantaged areas in Limerick and Tallaght and west Dublin? Fantastic work being done in these areas by soccer and boxing clubs that doesn't get a mention.

They get huge support in terms of promotion, funding etc but still have some elements promoting this 'foreign game' nonsense about other sports.

Liam Brady, John Giles, Roy Keane and of course Liam Miller are as Irish as anybody else and don't need to be 'GAA men' to prove their Irishness.

I loves my county

FrancieBrady

Silentcorner wrote: »

Its hard to argue with any of that.

I enjoy and have played both sports, if I just compared what my local GAA team has built over the last 20 years compared to my local football team...its miles apart, the GAA club has built an astroturf pitch (along with a clubhouse and gym)that is rented out to the likes of me playing football on it.

If I look at where I am from, Limerick, and compare how both sports (Rugby and football)have evolved over the last 20 years, Markets Field v Thomond Park.

Even though football is what I would consider my first sport, the way it is administered in this country is a disgrace.

The opportunity is there now, after this debacle to drag two (three if you want to include rugby) organisations who receive public funding into a room and find out where the money is going exactly.

Personally think that would be a very healthy outcome.

smelly sock

flas wrote: »

Personally I'd like to see loi players receiving the same sort of balance in the media and general sporting public minds... They go and train 3-4 nights a week, do their gym work, most for absolutely F all,and then go to work for their 40 hour week, and the top ones, who in real terms earn less than top GAA players per annum actually compete on an international level against bigger and more resourceful teams and have a not bad record, but somehow they are lumped in with multi millionaires abroad who have no where near the same connect the loi players have with their local supporters ... Its strange..

The LOI is a poorer product to try and sell the GAA.
Look at Bray and Limerick. A joke. Im a follower of soccer and GAA tbh. I dont think that GAA players at intercounty level are compared to loi players. They are compared to world class soccer players as they like elite gaa players are at the top of their sport. Loi players are nowhere near it.

smelly sock

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The opportunity is there now, after this debacle to drag two (three if you want to include rugby) organisations who receive public funding into a room and find out where the money is going exactly.

Personally think that would be a very healthy outcome.

I think the FAIs spending would be laughable.

Heres one , Go for a drive today and look out your window. You will see exactly where the GAAs money goes. State of the art community facilities.

Silentcorner

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The opportunity is there now, after this debacle to drag two (three if you want to include rugby) organisations who receive public funding into a room and find out where the money is going exactly.

Personally think that would be a very healthy outcome.

Funny you should mention that now, because, it wasn't so long ago the FAI wouldn't allow a friendly match between Limerick FC and Barcelona which would have gone a long way to securing the financial security of the club, which is now struggling to pay wages.

There is a real opportunity for all codes, with the diversity of stadiums at our disposal, to generate huge money for all codes, there is a lot of lessons to be learned from this debacle, but like you say, it would require an a mount of openness.

FrancieBrady

Silentcorner wrote: »

Funny you should mention that now, because, it wasn't so long ago the FAI wouldn't allow a friendly match between Limerick FC and Barcelona which would have gone a long way to securing the financial security of the club, which is now struggling to pay wages.

There is a real opportunity for all codes, with the diversity of stadiums at our disposal, to generate huge money for all codes, there is a lot of lessons to be learned from this debacle, but like you say, it would require an a mount of openness.

You will find the real lovers of sport would want that.

But unfortunately what I have witnessed over the week are sports bigots trying to score points (excuse the pun) for their own particular love and not to mention a lot of jealousy, bitterness and bile.

Let's have a once and for all transparency as a result of this.

Zebra3

The most incredible thing about the GAA myth as it were is that people stand up in a court of law and make a point that the accused/convicted is a member of the GAA as if this makes him or her somehow deserving of a lenient service.

It says a lot about corruption in this country that judges allow these comments to be made, and there is no political or media backlash to this.

The GAA could do worse than call this sort of crap out, allowing their name to be abused by criminals.

smelly sock

Zebra3 wrote: »

The most incredible thing about the GAA myth as it were is that people stand up in a court of law and make a point that the accused/convicted is a member of the GAA as if this makes him or her somehow deserving of a lenient service.

It says a lot about corruption in this country that judges allow these comments to be made, and there is no political or media backlash to this.

The GAA could do worse than call this sort of crap out, allowing their name to be abused by criminals.

Happens with all volunteer sports not just the GAA.

Niles Crane

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Another overplayed one is "all of the money earned by the GAA, goes back into the GAA". I'm pretty sure that's the same for every sport.

It's a cult-like fringe movement that are embedded into all sorts of state apparatus. Nowhere as near as popular as it's made out to be, despite lumping 2 sports together and claiming to be one.

Pretty sure it's not considering the shareholders of professional sports teams have to get their cut of the money a team makes.

There are going to be over 120,000 in Croke park this weekend for 2 matches.

When is the last time any other sport in ireland has had that many people attending 2 games in one weekend?

FrancieBrady

Zebra3 wrote: »

The most incredible thing about the GAA myth as it were is that people stand up in a court of law and make a point that the accused/convicted is a member of the GAA as if this makes him or her somehow deserving of a lenient service.

It says a lot about corruption in this country that judges allow these comments to be made, and there is no political or media backlash to this.

The GAA could do worse than call this sort of crap out, allowing their name to be abused by criminals.

This is the kind of bitter nonsense that has been going on all week. Blinded by bitterness I would say.

Contributions to community (of all sorts) are mentioned in pleas for leniency and in character references all the time.

But you target only those that mention contributions to the GAA.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Annasopra

Silentcorner wrote: »

Its hard to argue with any of that.

I enjoy and have played both sports, if I just compared what my local GAA team has built over the last 20 years compared to my local football team...its miles apart, the GAA club has built an astroturf pitch (along with a clubhouse and gym)that is rented out to the likes of me playing football on it.

If I look at where I am from, Limerick, and compare how both sports (Rugby and football)have evolved over the last 20 years, Markets Field v Thomond Park.

Even though football is what I would consider my first sport, the way it is administered in this country is a disgrace.

There is also the fact that GAA and politics are heavily intertwined in this country and so GAA often gets huge grants and other sports ignored.

smelly sock

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

There is also the fact that GAA and politics are heavily intertwined in this country and so GAA often gets huge grants and other sports ignored.

Im not sure that you can back this up fully. The reason why GAA got 30million for puc is because they can fill it numerous times a year. They also part funded it themselves. The FAI just want handouts for the best part.

Annasopra

smelly sock wrote: »

Im not sure that you can back this up fully. The reason why GAA got 30million for puc is because they can fill it numerous times a year. They also part funded it themselves. The FAI just want handouts for the best part.

What?

Are you seriously telling me that every county council in the country doesnt have many councillors with close GAA associations?

I am not merely talking about Pairc Ui Chaoimh

smelly sock

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

What?

Are you seriously telling me that every county council in the country doesnt have many councillors with close GAA associations?

I am not merely talking about Pairc Ui Chaoimh

You said other sports were ignored for funding. Im saying if they dont have a sound financial plan or a track record of providing state of the art facilities then you shouldnt be suprised.

shakeitoff

How can a participants of a sport confined to an Island of 4 million people ever be called 'world class' or compared to elite players in global sports like footbal.

FrancieBrady

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

What?

Are you seriously telling me that every county council in the country doesnt have many councillors with close GAA associations?

I am not merely talking about Pairc Ui Chaoimh

That is a much deeper issue than just GAA favoritism. I am positive sure it happens. But there is favourtism for many different things because of the make up of councils.

Annasopra

smelly sock wrote: »

You said other sports were ignored for funding. Im saying if they dont have a sound financial plan or a track record of providing state of the art facilities then you shouldnt be suprised.

How can they gain a track record in fairness when the GAA hogs all the political capital.

smelly sock

shakeitoff wrote: »

How can a participants of a sport confined to an Island of 4 million people ever be called 'world class' or compared to elite players in global sports like footbal.

Because they are at the top of their game. They put in as much if not more effort that footballers. Oh yeh and they are amateur. We have access to stars like joe canning or dean rock for medal presentations etc to kids. Best of luck getting access to ronaldo or messi.

KaneToad

smelly sock wrote: »

I dont think that GAA players at intercounty level are compared to loi players. They are compared to world class soccer players as they like elite gaa players are at the top of their sport. Loi players are nowhere near it.

Ah here. That's nonsense.

World class soccer players are the elite players in a mass participation sport that has millions of players. GAA intercounty players are the elite of a VERY small pool.

Annasopra

FrancieBrady wrote: »

That is a much deeper issue than just GAA favoritism. I am positive sure it happens. But there is favourtism for many different things because of the make up of councils.

The GAA and politics in this country are intertwined at every level.

smelly sock

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

How can they gain a track record in fairness when the GAA hogs all the political capital.

They cant get access to the same level of funds because they simply cant justify it. Why dont the fai plan a 15'000 to 20'000 stadium in the west? Im sure if they had a proper business case and could justify and were prepared to part fund they would get it.

But they just dont need it. Whereas the GAA facilities are always in use.

Brock Turnpike

GAA are disgraceful. The sense of entitlement shown in that interview with RTE yesterday sums then up.

smelly sock

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

The GAA and politics in this country are intertwined at every level.

As are the media and rugby.