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Fun gone out of GAA

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Replying To MuckrossHead:  "Why anyone would imagine that county championship football should be "fun" is beyond me.

Would any athlete describe training for the Olympics as fun? Of course not.

At the top level in any sport fun goes out of it, if you want to have fun then stay away from county football."
Muckross that post is short sighted to say the least. So instead of enjoying what essentially is a hobby, seeing as there are no financial rewards and the opportunities to be successful are unattainable for a large swathe of those competing. County players should be a bunch of masochists who flog themselves till they drop because inter county football is supposedly the pinaacle of their sporting aspirations.

I dont agree, its simple psychology, to endure the physical hardships, there has to be some kind of reward and if that reward is enjoyment so be it but your statement sums up everything that is wrong with how GAA is going and how the players are an ever increasingly expendable commodity and the attitude of, if they dont like it they can f**k off is all too prevalent when the GAA should be trying to broaden its appeal not becoming ever elitist.

duckula20 (Antrim) - Posts: 175 - 01/06/2016 12:49:46    1860491

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Replying To duckula20:  "Muckross that post is short sighted to say the least. So instead of enjoying what essentially is a hobby, seeing as there are no financial rewards and the opportunities to be successful are unattainable for a large swathe of those competing. County players should be a bunch of masochists who flog themselves till they drop because inter county football is supposedly the pinaacle of their sporting aspirations.

I dont agree, its simple psychology, to endure the physical hardships, there has to be some kind of reward and if that reward is enjoyment so be it but your statement sums up everything that is wrong with how GAA is going and how the players are an ever increasingly expendable commodity and the attitude of, if they dont like it they can f**k off is all too prevalent when the GAA should be trying to broaden its appeal not becoming ever elitist."
I think the issue may be that you are erroneously equating enjoyment with fun

greatpoint (USA) - Posts: 427 - 01/06/2016 13:16:58    1860503

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It's fun and a lot easier when you are winning, hard work but there is enjoyment when a team is doing well.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7902 - 01/06/2016 13:19:41    1860505

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Why anyone would imagine that county championship football should be "fun" is beyond me.

Would any athlete describe training for the Olympics as fun? Of course not.

At the top level in any sport fun goes out of it, if you want to have fun then stay away from county football.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts:3916 - 01/06/2016 11:34:48

Fun is possibly the wrong description for this whole topic , enjoyment is probably more realistic , in other words ask an inter county player do you enjoy training , do you enjoy playing , how do you feel about the sacrifices you make , are they worth it ?
From my dealings you get a mixed bag to those questions , all stay at it until the enjoyment goes out of it , equally I know lads that father time got to them but they would have continued had there bodies allowed for longer .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 01/06/2016 13:21:11    1860506

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Replying To duckula20:  "Muckross that post is short sighted to say the least. So instead of enjoying what essentially is a hobby, seeing as there are no financial rewards and the opportunities to be successful are unattainable for a large swathe of those competing. County players should be a bunch of masochists who flog themselves till they drop because inter county football is supposedly the pinaacle of their sporting aspirations.

I dont agree, its simple psychology, to endure the physical hardships, there has to be some kind of reward and if that reward is enjoyment so be it but your statement sums up everything that is wrong with how GAA is going and how the players are an ever increasingly expendable commodity and the attitude of, if they dont like it they can f**k off is all too prevalent when the GAA should be trying to broaden its appeal not becoming ever elitist."
Jesus duckula, talk about misrepresenting.

1. I never said anything about GAA not being enjoyable, I took issue with the word "fun".
2. I never said anything about county players "flogging" themselves.
3. I never said that a player should "f..k off"

As for your statement that "my statement represents everything that is wrong in the GAA", all I can say is, utter nonsense. All I said is that players have to make an informed choice as to whether the sacrifices involved in playing county football are worth it for them. If not then don't do it. I think that is a perfectly reasonable point of view.

One of our club players Michael Hegarty called time on his county career long before his time because he wasn't in a position to commit to the effort involved. He has continued to play club football & in his late thirties, is playing great stuff & is enjoying himself.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 01/06/2016 14:04:56    1860526

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Replying To Damothedub:  "Why the long face
Two posts two rants , .one of which contained this .in other words people who work decent hours and dont have to exert themselves to much during the day!
that's an insult to our players ,"
Now now now Damien ..i thought i was talking waffle..- Do You Concur?

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/bernard-brogan-gaa-players-regularly-putting-their-sport-before-their-careers-1.2063476

WhyTheLongFace (Meath) - Posts: 876 - 01/06/2016 14:32:42    1860540

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Replying To MuckrossHead:  "Jesus duckula, talk about misrepresenting.

1. I never said anything about GAA not being enjoyable, I took issue with the word "fun".
2. I never said anything about county players "flogging" themselves.
3. I never said that a player should "f..k off"

As for your statement that "my statement represents everything that is wrong in the GAA", all I can say is, utter nonsense. All I said is that players have to make an informed choice as to whether the sacrifices involved in playing county football are worth it for them. If not then don't do it. I think that is a perfectly reasonable point of view.

One of our club players Michael Hegarty called time on his county career long before his time because he wasn't in a position to commit to the effort involved. He has continued to play club football & in his late thirties, is playing great stuff & is enjoying himself."
Muckross, apologies if I offended it wasn't the intention but if we are delving into semantics what would be the difference between 'fun' and 'enjoyable' there wont be a kick in the backside between them in my view and some athletes do describe their training as fun (http://triblive.com/sports/otherlocal/8690460-74/race-santucci-denham) whereas I am sure others will describe it as the seventh circle of hell but thats down to the individual and what they hope to get out of it.

The issue I have is the prevailing attitude, that the supporters, media and the GAA, expect amateurs to not only behave as professionals, probably more professional than some of the pro's in other sports. You are right you didn't say some of the things but again it is the prevailing attitude I criticize not simply your post. How many entertainment industries and make no mistake that is what the GAA aspires to be, treat the 'talent' so poorly and leave the shelf life of an intercounty player decreasing year on year and whilst you might not have said anything regarding players being told to sling their hook many, many will have been told to do so by managers of teams.

GAA is not professional, you cant carve a career as a player so it is a hobby, a past time and by definition you should be attaining some satisfaction or enjoyment from those activities. The op might not be greatly titled but 'fun' 'enjoyment', 2 sides of the same coin. Players do have a choice to opt out but then the criticism of not having the stomach or fight comes in so for the player you are damned if you do and damned if you dont and the longer we ignore the demands on the players the less attractive it will be to play IC football for all but a select few.

duckula20 (Antrim) - Posts: 175 - 01/06/2016 14:43:17    1860545

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Replying To Damothedub: "Why the long face
Two posts two rants , .one of which contained this .in other words people who work decent hours and dont have to exert themselves to much during the day!
that's an insult to our players ,"
Now now now Damien ..i thought i was talking waffle..- Do You Concur?

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/bernard-brogan-gaa-players-regularly-putting-their-sport-before-their-careers-1.2063476

WhyTheLongFace (USA) - Posts:298 - 01/06/2016 14:32:42

I had previously read that article , however I personally know players were this is not the case ,Bernard recently bought a Hotel with his brother and father and good luck to them , he is also a director of 8 companies http://www.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/dublin-stars-alan-and-bernard-brogan-lineout-for-8m-luxury-hotel-deal-34737971.html
I know of lads who are doing savage hours to try and achieve in life and sport , that's just Dublin I,m pretty certain lads from other counties have equal amount of examples

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 01/06/2016 15:44:12    1860565

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The vast majority of posts about the topic is regarding intercounty which goes to show you what posters know about club matches. The club is ruined with the fixtures and never ending amount of intercounty matches. A lot of former big clubs are struggling for numbers for their senior panels . If you were a sub, why would you train for 4 months with no match and not a guaranteed start when it is played? A lot have just walked away and who can blame them...

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 01/06/2016 16:56:44    1860606

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tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts:1450 - 01/06/2016 16:56:44

Agree re the club game , but in fairness that's been done to death on here , in fairness to a lot of senior players in both codes they are never shy about showing support to club players

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 01/06/2016 17:22:29    1860621

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Replying To tiobraid:  "The vast majority of posts about the topic is regarding intercounty which goes to show you what posters know about club matches. The club is ruined with the fixtures and never ending amount of intercounty matches. A lot of former big clubs are struggling for numbers for their senior panels . If you were a sub, why would you train for 4 months with no match and not a guaranteed start when it is played? A lot have just walked away and who can blame them..."
Absolutely - why does every single Gaelic Football discussion focus on the Intercounty scene!?

Every debate, every news column, every former player/manager & current player/manager, every expert, every GPA statement...it's ALWAYS ALWAYS focused on Intercounty!

And yet only a tiny tiny % of the playing and coaching members of the association are involved with that elite part of the game!

The 99.9% of the rest of us are strung along every single year while the 0.1% get to play in the sunshine, and we start our championships as Autumn closes in. Weeks and weeks in the summer every year without a game, a lot of clubs struggling financially, a lot of referees not up to any decent standard...

.....and yet the GAA peddle the same rubbish about the club being at the heart/foundation of the GAA!

Any serious discussion about the state/future of Gaelic Football nationally should involve more people from a club background than intercounty background.
About 99:1 would be a fair ratio.

no.14 (Louth) - Posts: 106 - 01/06/2016 17:34:32    1860626

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Muckross, apologies if I offended it wasn't the intention but if we are delving into semantics what would be the difference between 'fun' and 'enjoyable' there wont be a kick in the backside between them in my view and some athletes do describe their training as fun (http://triblive.com/sports/otherlocal/8690460-74/race-santucci-denham) whereas I am sure others will describe it as the seventh circle of hell but thats down to the individual and what they hope to get out of it.

The issue I have is the prevailing attitude, that the supporters, media and the GAA, expect amateurs to not only behave as professionals, probably more professional than some of the pro's in other sports. You are right you didn't say some of the things but again it is the prevailing attitude I criticize not simply your post. How many entertainment industries and make no mistake that is what the GAA aspires to be, treat the 'talent' so poorly and leave the shelf life of an intercounty player decreasing year on year and whilst you might not have said anything regarding players being told to sling their hook many, many will have been told to do so by managers of teams.

GAA is not professional, you cant carve a career as a player so it is a hobby, a past time and by definition you should be attaining some satisfaction or enjoyment from those activities. The op might not be greatly titled but 'fun' 'enjoyment', 2 sides of the same coin. Players do have a choice to opt out but then the criticism of not having the stomach or fight comes in so for the player you are damned if you do and damned if you dont and the longer we ignore the demands on the players the less attractive it will be to play IC football for all but a select few.
duckula20 (Antrim) - Posts:117 - 01/06/2016 14:43:17

Fair enough duckula, it was the bit about my post representing all the worst in the GAA that got me going a bit.

I have my faults and Mrs Muckrosshead would be only too happy to fill you in on them, but representing all the worst in the GAA is a henious charge that just had to be responded to!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 01/06/2016 18:10:22    1860638

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Replying To MuckrossHead:  "Why anyone would imagine that county championship football should be "fun" is beyond me.

Would any athlete describe training for the Olympics as fun? Of course not.

At the top level in any sport fun goes out of it, if you want to have fun then stay away from county football."
Completely agree Muckross. It's the PC brigade there are doing as much damage the GAA. There are always going to be sacrifices at the top level off any sport. If you can't commit to inter county play club. There are many many examples of players doing this. If you ask any all Ireland winner they will tell you they would prefer to win a club championship so aim for that instead.....no one will flog you you if you decide you can't commit to county football. Everyone has a choice.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 01/06/2016 18:45:05    1860642

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Replying To no.14:  "Absolutely - why does every single Gaelic Football discussion focus on the Intercounty scene!?

Every debate, every news column, every former player/manager & current player/manager, every expert, every GPA statement...it's ALWAYS ALWAYS focused on Intercounty!

And yet only a tiny tiny % of the playing and coaching members of the association are involved with that elite part of the game!

The 99.9% of the rest of us are strung along every single year while the 0.1% get to play in the sunshine, and we start our championships as Autumn closes in. Weeks and weeks in the summer every year without a game, a lot of clubs struggling financially, a lot of referees not up to any decent standard...

.....and yet the GAA peddle the same rubbish about the club being at the heart/foundation of the GAA!

Any serious discussion about the state/future of Gaelic Football nationally should involve more people from a club background than intercounty background.
About 99:1 would be a fair ratio."
spot on...

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 01/06/2016 21:14:57    1860694

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