National Forum

Fun gone out of the gaa

(Oldest Posts First)

Huge gaps in quality in hurling and football in Leinster, half empty stadiums, the unrelenting tedium of the sweeper system in hurling, the emphasis on supreme athleticism at the expense of skill and touch...is it me or does the GAA seem devoid of fun and excitement at the minute. Watching traditional counties such as Cork, Wexford, Meath struggling seems an indication of the almost monotonous nature of the championships now and is making it hard work to watch let alone enjoy what should be the two greatest field games in the world.

Jedobi (Wexford) - Posts: 134 - 27/06/2016 18:27:51    1872972

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Replying To Jedobi:  "Huge gaps in quality in hurling and football in Leinster, half empty stadiums, the unrelenting tedium of the sweeper system in hurling, the emphasis on supreme athleticism at the expense of skill and touch...is it me or does the GAA seem devoid of fun and excitement at the minute. Watching traditional counties such as Cork, Wexford, Meath struggling seems an indication of the almost monotonous nature of the championships now and is making it hard work to watch let alone enjoy what should be the two greatest field games in the world."
I think you're being a bit glass half full.

Instead of thinking its monotonous that traditional counties are struggling I'd be thinking isn't great that new counties like Tipp, Roscommon, Cavan have emerged.

You also Galway seeing off Mayo.

Leinster is rubbish but other than that the other provinces are in decent shape.

I mean it's not like other sports are any less predictable.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4207 - 27/06/2016 20:26:42    1873013

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At the expense of speed and touch
How many players of yester year had the vision and ability of Connolly yesterday to kick that point in first half.
Tell me guys who could do some of the stuff joe canning does week in week out.
people live in fairytale land when thinking back to the so called glorious past which contained shoot puts between Free takers and lumping a ball from a kickout straight into a bunch of players hoping for the best. Or the famous drive it 70yards in hurling to a huge roar only for the ball to come back twice as quick. It reminds me of people talking about the weather being terrible now and saying we never had set summers growing up it was always sunny haha yeah because your mind only remembers the good parts and ignores 90% of the past.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/06/2016 20:49:42    1873026

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Replying To hill16no1man:  "At the expense of speed and touch
How many players of yester year had the vision and ability of Connolly yesterday to kick that point in first half.
Tell me guys who could do some of the stuff joe canning does week in week out.
people live in fairytale land when thinking back to the so called glorious past which contained shoot puts between Free takers and lumping a ball from a kickout straight into a bunch of players hoping for the best. Or the famous drive it 70yards in hurling to a huge roar only for the ball to come back twice as quick. It reminds me of people talking about the weather being terrible now and saying we never had set summers growing up it was always sunny haha yeah because your mind only remembers the good parts and ignores 90% of the past."
Yes like the rivetting hurling matches so far this summer, the skill and drama evident in Wexford v Kildare or Kildare v Westmeath, the stern challenge offered by Meath...just being realistic.

Jedobi (Wexford) - Posts: 134 - 27/06/2016 21:40:46    1873042

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Would it not be better to play just the leinster finals in croke park with other games including semi finals at other grounds as they could be filled which creates a better atmosphere.

Yourjoking (USA) - Posts: 703 - 27/06/2016 22:39:10    1873072

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Replying To Jedobi:  "Yes like the rivetting hurling matches so far this summer, the skill and drama evident in Wexford v Kildare or Kildare v Westmeath, the stern challenge offered by Meath...just being realistic."
The same thing was happening in The 90tys ,80tys, 70tys games like that early in the championship. The big difference is they weren't live on tv and we didn't have a social media or national media like now

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/06/2016 22:55:38    1873078

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Replying To Yourjoking:  "Would it not be better to play just the leinster finals in croke park with other games including semi finals at other grounds as they could be filled which creates a better atmosphere."
What happens on The pitch creates the atmosphere

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/06/2016 22:56:41    1873079

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Yeah the hurling this season has been so flat and passionless at times. Teams seem nearly happy to head through the back door system. Most of the games so far have been like poor league games.
Even the Leinster final on Sunday is extremely low key, bring on cork/Limerick in the U21 tmor night!

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1898 - 27/06/2016 23:14:48    1873085

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Bit of an insult to the great achievement by Meath V Antrim in two excellent games, no lack of skill there. And I love watching our own footballers, Kilkenny hurlers, munster hurlers, Galway etc, no lack of skill there either.
I watched a lot of both codes since the sixties, and there were some sh** games back then too. More an orgy of violence in some cases.

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 28/06/2016 02:40:43    1873108

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Hill no one complained back then the way the game was being played people nowadays are bored of defensive football with non stop hand passing you can say all you like about 80's football or whatever but people enjoyed it and wouldn't stop going nowadays people are not going to watch football they just don't enjoy it.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 28/06/2016 10:09:11    1873152

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It depends on what your idea of fun is. In terms of competition, Dublin are well ahead and teams go out to play them with a plan to keep the score down. But there are some close games among the field, last saturdays game between donegal and monaghan being a case in example.

There always are pros and cons involved, any era.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 28/06/2016 10:54:39    1873186

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Replying To hill16no1man:  "At the expense of speed and touch
How many players of yester year had the vision and ability of Connolly yesterday to kick that point in first half.
Tell me guys who could do some of the stuff joe canning does week in week out.
people live in fairytale land when thinking back to the so called glorious past which contained shoot puts between Free takers and lumping a ball from a kickout straight into a bunch of players hoping for the best. Or the famous drive it 70yards in hurling to a huge roar only for the ball to come back twice as quick. It reminds me of people talking about the weather being terrible now and saying we never had set summers growing up it was always sunny haha yeah because your mind only remembers the good parts and ignores 90% of the past."
Well Dublin of the 70s hickey , Doyle , o toole Kerry ... Egan , Spillane , sheehy , o Shea could all kick them from the 45.. So there's 7 from 2 teams . Throw in Matt Connor. Larry thompkins , Barry Brennan , Tony mc Teague , Micky linden , Ross Carr , Gary mason, Colin cookery Maurice Fitzgerald , to name but a few and you will find plenty to match Connolly. Could Connolly kick what Maurice Fitzgerald could kick, and as often. Last Sunday was his first good game in over a year. Good footballer but no better than any who went before him. It's a sad day when a forward has to stand and watch a goalkeeper kick a 45 because there no consistant free takers to do it . It's and even sadder day when players need to handpass it across the back 9 to run down the clock . Pure boredom watching the majority of games. Gym trained athletics playing Gaelic football or should I say basketball

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 28/06/2016 11:12:05    1873190

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Replying To Awwwwnow:  "Well Dublin of the 70s hickey , Doyle , o toole Kerry ... Egan , Spillane , sheehy , o Shea could all kick them from the 45.. So there's 7 from 2 teams . Throw in Matt Connor. Larry thompkins , Barry Brennan , Tony mc Teague , Micky linden , Ross Carr , Gary mason, Colin cookery Maurice Fitzgerald , to name but a few and you will find plenty to match Connolly. Could Connolly kick what Maurice Fitzgerald could kick, and as often. Last Sunday was his first good game in over a year. Good footballer but no better than any who went before him. It's a sad day when a forward has to stand and watch a goalkeeper kick a 45 because there no consistant free takers to do it . It's and even sadder day when players need to handpass it across the back 9 to run down the clock . Pure boredom watching the majority of games. Gym trained athletics playing Gaelic football or should I say basketball"
Hard to believe all the lads you mentioned never ever missed and the current crop can barely get their toe under the ball.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12115 - 28/06/2016 12:09:36    1873213

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Replying To Breffni39:  "Hard to believe all the lads you mentioned never ever missed and the current crop can barely get their toe under the ball."
I never said they didn't miss . What I said was every player mentioned could score as good as Connolly.

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 28/06/2016 12:41:29    1873235

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