Don't worry Kingdomboy, they always find away around not getting what they want at the polls. Whenever the GAA can't get something done democratically they just withdraw it and do it on the low (see what they've decided to do with the Nash motion). Democracy in nothing but name.

RebelCork (Cork) - Posts: 789 - 02/04/2014 17:39:01    1569479

KingdomBoy1
County: Kerry
Posts: 1868

If a fan needs a pundits view on a game and can't make up there own minds on a game for them selfs then we're in trouble.

Aye and sure we could do away with the commentators while we're at it & the new fangled colour. Black & White should be good enough for any self respecting Gael. We don't need music at the start or at the end. Kingdom you could be on to something here, the possibilities are endless. If we go full hog on this we could have no sound or picture at all, nirvana!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 02/04/2014 17:40:02    1569481

02/04/2014 16:43:14
mod
County: Mayo
Posts: 676

1569423
I think it's fantastic news. The GAA have been taken for granted for far too long by RTE.It will be interesting to see what innovations SKY will bring to the filming side of the process. It will surely be an improvement. The focus will be more on the positive I suspect, so no time for the Spillanes of this world telling us week after week that we have just witnessed the worst game of football ever seen. Raising the profile of our games abroad can be no bad thing either. It is interesting to note that many of the naysayers already benefit are panellists in the employ of RTE.

Will be nice change from listening to Spillane rambling on about blanket defenses and how great kick passing was 30 years ago.

Gael85 (Dublin) - Posts: 1433 - 02/04/2014 17:42:19    1569483

KingdomBoy1

Hill16 I suppose they knew if they put it to the vote they would lose, and can I just say one more thing if a fan needs a pundits view on a game and can't make up there own minds on a game for them selfs then we're in trouble.

You're purely speculating about the vote Kingdom, there's no way of knowing without actually holding a vote and in anycase the Gaa are entitled to sell the rights to whoever they want so no vote was necessary. Anyway if memory serves me there was a lot of "spinning in their graves" (pass me the sick bucket) nonsense that went on when rule 42 was under scrutiny. A lot of it was probably from the same people who now despise the Sky deal and guess what, when that controversial issue went to vote it passed by 227 votes to 97, so you just never know.

However I agree with you about the pundits, I rarely ever stick around to see what they have to say, I saw the game myself so I don't need someone to tell me what I've just seen.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 02/04/2014 17:44:09    1569486

Rebel
Spot on, and muckrosshead your comments are getting more and more stupid as this thread goes on boy.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 02/04/2014 17:51:34    1569495

Htaem
I was for the opening up of crokepark it might surprise you to hear :-) and I know what you mean about listening to pundits, a lot of them have there own agendas and I can make up my own mind on a game I don't need a pundit for that.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 02/04/2014 18:04:00    1569506

What are the main fears of Sky Sports coming in? Is it that they will pollute our games? That our whiter than white GAA players will be involved in tabloid scandals like our friends across the water? Please. I know many, many GAA players (quite a few at underage level even) who get up to carry on that would make soccer players blush. We just hear more about Soccer players because it's a more established sport. A few of you are all happy to put players up on pedestals. I love these sports, but I'm not ignortant. Were the soccer players of the 70's and 80's scorned when at the top? Yes, they were. I notice that players from the early 00's are now being eulogised, they were chastised as muppets every bit as the current crowd are. Wait till you see John Terry & Luis Suarez are seen as 'characters' as opposed to people who should be scorned, within a few years.

The main gripe I have is that this marginalises many of our older GAA patrons. Other than that, I do not have a problem with this. Sky put their heart and soul into every sport they show. FACT. Do you think soccer was always cool? It was on its knees in Britain until Sky came in and turned it into the hottest ticket in town from 1993 onwards. For flip sake, look at DARTS! The most unfashionable game in the world is now an event that generates genuine excitement. I love the World Championship over Christmas. Don't tell me soccer and darts have not benefited hugely from Sky's involvements.

Let's not cloud ourselves with wide eyed pandering, or sit on our high horses. Sky is here. It will be a positive.

Treaty_Exile (Limerick) - Posts: 386 - 02/04/2014 18:05:33    1569510

Gael85
County: Dublin
Posts: 826

1569483
02/04/2014 16:43:14
mod
County: Mayo
Posts: 676

1569423
I think it's fantastic news. The GAA have been taken for granted for far too long by RTE.It will be interesting to see what innovations SKY will bring to the filming side of the process. It will surely be an improvement. The focus will be more on the positive I suspect, so no time for the Spillanes of this world telling us week after week that we have just witnessed the worst game of football ever seen. Raising the profile of our games abroad can be no bad thing either. It is interesting to note that many of the naysayers already benefit are panellists in the employ of RTE.

Will be nice change from listening to Spillane rambling on about blanket defenses and how great kick passing was 30 years ago.

but we already had a change from spilanne with tv3 and nobody was happy with them either
now it seems people want canavan and darragh o se and sena connell for sky sports
were they not all on tv3 panel?

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 02/04/2014 18:06:42    1569512

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 2300

Aye and sure we could do away with the commentators while we're at it

thats an excellent idea I have wanted for years
with all this genius technology sky are supposed to have
hopefully they do offer the viewer the option of just listening to the match with stadium sound and no commentary

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 02/04/2014 18:08:17    1569513

Good man Kingdom, nice to see we agree on something.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 02/04/2014 18:10:26    1569514

Yeah this has no connection with opening up Croke Park to soccer & rugby. Most people were rightly in my view in favour of that.

This is in relation to accessing the games on terrestial tv. RTE may not have lost the number of games they can show live but they have lost 2 football quarterfianls and TV3 have lost all theirs. People have said it is great to open up the sport to other countries but like Htaem said why do we have to be conserned about that, it is an indigeous sport. Do we need the UK to tell us how good the games are to feel good about the GAA??

The GAA should be looking after its own first. Now it is good that the Irish in Australia can see all the games but there is something wrong where a guy in Ireland can't watch the games for free but the guy in Australia can!

Also re analysis - Sky will be selling a subscription product so won't be critical of games the way RTE can. Sky will not say a game was dire because that will turn people away (especailay floating people in the UK) and that will go agains their marketing plan. Mark my words their presentation will be very good but their analysis will be terrible.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1102 - 02/04/2014 18:25:38    1569521

Htaem
:-) , seriously though I'm not totally against change, I loved the work the GAA were doing abroad in France and Spain and America and in uk where they had planted the seed of the GAA in these places and I was hoping and looking forward to watching them grow organically in these countries to see how they would develop instead of being forced . But sure we'll see how it goes I suppose.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 02/04/2014 18:30:15    1569525

Black day for GAA. What a sell out.

Anyone who thinks this will stop here think again. Next Sky will want more games next year..and more..and more.

No doubt there's inter county players who train 5 nights a week that won't be able to afford Sky. GAA should be ashamed off themselves.

crossfieldball (Galway) - Posts: 650 - 02/04/2014 18:53:00    1569535

KingdomBoy1

Well that's exactly it, let's just see how it goes, I hope it works out well and it generates plenty of new revenue and interest abroad but I'm also well aware that this may just as easy fall flat on it's face. Truth is none of us know for sure and time is the only way of telling, if it fails then Sky will almost certainly be out of the picture in the future.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 02/04/2014 18:57:02    1569540

Last night I turned on sky sports news, they were giving the results of last years all-Ireland hurling and football finals, never in all the years they are on the air did they mention gaelic games before, so much for as it happens six months later, and then I coped on
"its April fools day" Bad day for the gaa and bad day for sport. I think I know who the April fools are!

giveballaghback (Roscommon) - Posts: 296 - 02/04/2014 18:59:39    1569541

This is just getting embarressing, now O'Neill is shocked at the reporting of this deal "http://hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=213312" - they were found out and I bet worse is to follow.

What a joke these people are.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4897 - 02/04/2014 19:04:59    1569546

It is been forgotten about the effects of this deal for the commercial deals of smaller counties, for instance Sligo footballers, Offaly and Wexford hurlers games are been shown on sky sports, this may be the only games these teams will be broadcast all year. A lot less viewers will see these games on sky then would have on Rte. Liam O'Neill is coming across very badly from this and he seems intent on keeping digging a bigger hole for himself.

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 02/04/2014 19:10:23    1569552

Ah the slippery slope argument... after opening Croke Park Munster were going to be playing in Semple and Connacht in Pearse Stadium weren't they? Your local football or hurling club wouldn't get onto the field because the soccer club would be using it... or is it just a very very slow slippage we're on?

If you want to argue with the method the GAA have used to try and expand then great but they have been very open about it. They made a compromise to try and make it happen. You don't think it's worth it, fair enough? But I think they deserve more than people questioning their motives. There's no conspiracy.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 02/04/2014 19:12:14    1569554

A quick thought...why not include a Sky Sports premium package for free to every member of an inter-county panel?! No cost to anyone, but a benefit to the players making it all possible!!

barrnasraide (Carlow) - Posts: 49 - 02/04/2014 19:46:22    1569585

As a fan of the GAA it is good news as far as I am concerned. Yes I would have preferred the Australian package and yes I believe the GAA are attempting to cash in on the Irish people in the UK but that is nothing new. I am just happy to now have what should be some decent coverage of our games. Sky may well add something different as generally there coverage of sports is top notch. As for who will commentate and present the shows watch for some raiding of RTE etc. Out of interest who would Hoganstands finest say is currently the best around?

Mancirish (UK) - Posts: 2200 - 02/04/2014 20:15:36    1569603