Bit surprised that no one else has mentioned this exhibition match, then again maybe that's a good thing, probably shows that the posters on this forum are genuine gaels, yet another example of the fact that the GPA are totally out of touch with the reality of matters within the Association. An utterly ridiculous concept to try and apparently sell hurling to the Yanks. My good friend Sean Potty earned himself another trip Stateside for this junket, a bastardisation of the great game of hurling, the GPA would be better off trying to promote hurling further in the likes of Fermanagh, Cavan and Longford than earning dollars in the states. Then again, that wouldn't earn much publicity, a referee from one of the participating teams, a disgraceful row where no one was sanctioned, best of all, the GPA claimed that it sold 28,000 tickets for the match, eh, slight matter of major colleges American football match followed, their claim akin to claiming that 38,500 attended the shinty on Saturday.

kawaifive0 (Westmeath) - Posts: 112 - 23/11/2015 21:56:23    1809400

Some of us older posters have seen this before.

In 1989 Tipperary played the All Stars in the Toronto Skydome. The Canadian commentators ooh'd & Aah'd at Cormac Bonnar with his helmet, shin pads and tough guy look. But did it do anything long term for the game? Not really.

I've no problem with different things being tried, but if you can show me anything that will excite the hurling fan more than their county playing in an All-Ireland final, I'll bring you Lord Lucan playing cards with Jimmy Hoffa.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 24/11/2015 08:15:54    1809402

Why would the GPA try and help promote hurling in the likes of Donegal, Longford etc There wouldn't be any chance of them making any money from teams like that now would there? Also there wouldn't be any trips to America out of it for them

costm (Laois) - Posts: 92 - 24/11/2015 08:59:40    1809409

Totally agree. Read a few papers this morning and the GPA are still standing by this rubbish, praising it and plans to promote it further. Why?
The great game of Hurling is struggling in numerous Counties HERE (in Ireland where Hurling needs promotion, not Boston or Chicago) but still the GPA will promote and encourage participation of Hurling via their passports!!!!
I've said it before and i'll say it again, if you are outside the top eight Counties in either code you are forgot about.

lasttoknow (Tyrone) - Posts: 99 - 24/11/2015 09:06:07    1809410

While I agree that the yanks wont buy this I am a bit more open to the concept. 11 a side games have been going on as part of tournaments for a while now and its probably no harm to experiment with the rules a bit to make them more exiting. It will only ever be for exhibition purposes so I dont see the harm. In some ways the get the ball, run at the man and strike for goal approach is a lot of the good parts of hurling especially if a bit of close contact physicality is allowed. Games where half or more of the scores come from placed balls are becoming less interesting to me anyway.

jpcampion (Laois) - Posts: 194 - 24/11/2015 09:33:23    1809416

The football match was held on Saturday so it does appear as the game did attract 28,000 on its own merits.
Agree with a lot of post but it really is a hybrid exhibition format to showcase the game.
With the GAA never more popular Worldwide than at present, it doesn't do any harm even though I wouldn't be bothered attending such a match.

The row was serious enough, the few punches weren't too bad but a lot of aggressive butt of hurl jabbing which is dangerous stuff.

Whatever about the row, I was gobsmacked at the Galway players celebrating as if they'd won the All Ireland.
Given all that has gone on you'd think they'd keep it low key.

Catmandu (Dublin) - Posts: 6 - 24/11/2015 09:33:38    1809417

kawaifive0 - good post, I agree with everything you said. There's not much point promoting the game abroad when we don't even promote it properly at home. I also think that hurling would be much better showcased as it is.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 24/11/2015 09:37:18    1809418

Lads what county was the ref from?

ConnollyDub (Dublin) - Posts: 2007 - 24/11/2015 09:59:30    1809428

If you held it in cavan or whatever, noone would even bother to turn up, or what was the attendance at the Cavan county hurling final? I think it was more a juncket than a serious attempt at promoting hurling, although it can't have done any harm in the promotion of GAA and Ireland in general. I think both the row and the OTT celebrations were semi-staged, or at least encouraged to impress the yanks, and they were probably good ideas. If you pay in to see a tournament, you'd like to be led yo believe that winning it at least means something to the teams involved. It comes across better than the usual GAA player semi-embarrassed reaction, as if they were caught stealing sheep

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 24/11/2015 11:01:24    1809450

Awful concept I turned it over after about 5 minutes, too slow and too much tippy tappy stuff, it was like a hockey match ffs!

I don't understand the craving to bastardise our games to appeal to yanks,aussies, Canadians or whoever.

There seems to be a worrying amount of decisions being taken at central council level based on financial benefits under the cloak of worldwide appeal.
As has already been said there are far more pressing issues at home but then again they would have to spend money rather collect and hoard it!

As for the the brawl it was embarrassing tbh, I wouldn't like to think it was somehow staged!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 24/11/2015 11:09:46    1809453

Ref was a Galwayman

Belclare1 (Galway) - Posts: 1626 - 24/11/2015 11:11:57    1809454

Thh referee was from Galway, ConnollyDub.

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 24/11/2015 11:14:16    1809455

The ref was from Galway.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 24/11/2015 11:31:32    1809460

I thought it was a decent game given the circumstances.They didn't have a field big enough for a proper hurling match so it was the next best thing.I know for a fact that the Irish in Boston were delighted to be able to see some sort of hurling in the flesh as it were.
The criticism has been the usual OTT 'talk to Joe' stuff.Hurling is a hard , physical contact sport played by competitive tough young men so the odd brawl is inevitable.
Same goes for the criticism of the Galway lads celebrating, they had just won a hard fought game in front of 25k spectators they were entitled to celebrate in my view.
Some folks on here really need to get a life.

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 24/11/2015 13:03:53    1809489

Why did the Galway goalkeeper feel the need to run the length of the field to jump "rugby" style into the melee?I thought that was a disgrace.Also,i thought the celebrations were exagerated.You'd think some of the Galway lads had just won the All Ireland,as opposed to a n exhibition game.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 24/11/2015 13:41:55    1809506

Yeah i'm glad people agree that the whole thing is a folly. Between it and that cross shinty rubbish it makes you wonder who are making these decisions and on what basis.
How about trying to produce more than one decent game of actual hurling a year.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 24/11/2015 13:48:26    1809512

I cant see what is the point of blaming the GPA. AIG payed for, and promoted the whole event. It would have been foolish to turn down the offer and opportunity. I doubt AIG would have made the sum invested for this event available had a game been played under different circumstances in Ireland. As a previous poster mentioned, the American football game was played on Saturday night. The 28,000 in Fenway on Sunday were there for the hurling. There was a huge effort made by AIG, the TV station NESN and other businesses within the city to promote the game. The Boston Northeast GAA Board were not directly involved in the organization of the event, however I understand the AIG and GPA made every effort to keep them close to proceedings at all times and the Board also made a big effort to promoted the game. Hopefully they made some good connections.

Hurling is gaining a lot of interest in America at the moment. I know next year that there is a new team forming in Boston (offaly) and there is also a new club forming in Providence, Rhode Island. Hurling has also been introduced to Maine recently. The participation rates in America in Hurling are moving in the opposite direction to Gaelic football and it is because Americans are playing the game and enjoying the recreational side of it. Its a lot easier to have this attitude when you live in the States I know, but been there Sunday, I thought it was a great day for the GAA in North America.

Steelfixer (USA) - Posts: 41 - 24/11/2015 15:08:14    1809546

People would want to lighten up a bit ffs.

It was an exhibition match, all this talk about b*s*a*disation of the game etc, ffs,get a grip.

Its the same old GAA approach to anything new or different, cant be having that, down with that sort of thing. Heaven forbid we try anything different in the GAA. In reality what harm did this do to the ordinary GAA punter, nothing apart from a bit of begrudgery for a few lads getting away to Boston as far as i can see.

As for promoting the game in weaker counties how about weaker counties making an effort themselves? How many In monaghan, Donegal etc would turn up to watch an exhibition hurling match? 28k people turned up in a foreign Country to see an exhibition match and how exactly did it harm the game of hurling in stronger or weaker counties in this country.

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1337 - 24/11/2015 15:21:05    1809549

Its the same old GAA approach to anything new or different, cant be having that, down with that sort of thing. Heaven forbid we try anything different in the GAA. In reality what harm did this do to the ordinary GAA punter, nothing apart from a bit of begrudgery for a few lads getting away to Boston as far as i can see.

But it's not new. It is a little different. We have had NHL finals played v New York in both codes in the past, the 1947 All-Ireland football final in the Polo Grounds. So nothing new as such.

It is different all right - 11 aside, no points, quarters.

I've nothing against it but it is very difficult to sell an outside sports to the American market. FIFA were asked to have quarters instead of halves in the 1994 World Cup. Having lived in the States, the emphasis is on short bursts of play where you can go to the TV commercials or orders your beers if you are in a pub. These short bursts of play are designed to whip the crowd into a frenzy. The 4 major US sports all have this idea central to how they operate. Hurling & football don't.

I'd prefer to see a team from Ireland take on a local side in a 15 v 15 game, however I'm not sure that would sell to the American public.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 24/11/2015 15:47:51    1809557

Imagine a mass brawl if the Fenway classic was a football game between Tyrone and Dublin....!
They would br running down football. These things don't happen in Hurling...blah blah

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11231 - 24/11/2015 15:57:09    1809561