Thankfully his name is Sean Og and not Tir na nog and he is almost at the end of his career. I don't want to take away from the mans achievements on the pitch he has been a great perormer in both codes for Cork. I do think the man is totally self obsessed and have done for a while from reading his many articles and interviews he has always done to get himself in the limelight. This is another guy who thinks his county owes him something for what he has done in a county jersey. His playing days are nearly over and the sooner he is removed from the limelight the better. This guy regrets the fact that he never got the chance to play AFL as a professional, he has illusions of grandeur about himself. I can't see Sean Og hanging around trying to fight the battle for future players once his playing days are over....unless it is somehow lining his own pocket to do so

The truth is that AFL is not such a threat to GAA look and the amount of top class players choosing GAA over it after being selected for trials by Mr Nixon, look at the amount of guys who have tried it and decided there heart was in turning out for club and county. Afl as a professional game is not a major threat to the GAA and at the rate Tricky dickie is getting knocked back by top talent here it won't be long until his little experiment ends! Yes rugby is a much bigger threat and this is mainly down to the success of Irish rugby currently along with its professional status. The GAA has always lost players to different codes it would be naive to think this can be stopped completely.....there are only so many players who can line out for Munster, Connacht, Leinster and Ulster and your heart has to be somewhat in it and its not to every young GAA players tastes.

The fact is even if the GPA have a hidden agenda and want pay for play they will never get it as the so called elite are in the minority in this country and they will never get the backing of the grass roots of the GAA. The rubbish about fat cats getting paid doesn't hold water, such an amazing organisation needs full time administrators to exist. Players play for enjoyment, pride, unity, success, bragging rights, banter and for everyting that anyone that ever played the game at a serious level knows you get from playing a team sport with your local peers! Nobody gets that feeling from administrating......

pigonastick (Dublin) - Posts: 487 - 29/04/2010 18:25:29    633997

Clearly Sean og feels that for all his sacrifices over the years, and the qualities he brings to the pitch, the GAA people of Cork owe him a penny or two. Obviously this mentality eats at the very heart of what makes the GAA work. Does he feel that the men and women who devote countless thankless hours to their club should be paid also? These men and women aren't worshipped by school kids, toasted by their peers, nor cheered to the rafters by tens of thousands when they take to the pitch. No newspaper interviews them. No television program boasts their skills for all to see.

If Sean Og and his ilk feel this organisation and it's members owe them something, while so many others give happily for no thanks at all, then Sean Og and his ilk should follow the example of his brother and bugger off to a sport that likes to pamper it's players with obscene amounts of cash and treat them like celebrities. And he should leave the GAA to those that cherish the role it plays in every parish in the country at a time when jobs are hard to come by, and there's very little else to get excited about.

Good riddance mate. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3152 - 29/04/2010 18:40:52    634020

Some one remind the man that he has got a cushy bank job out of it, plenty of free holidays and gear, Im sure there's been car deals aswell amongst others thungs, but then again I fairly aware that they are plenty of gaa players in lesser counties who don't get treated well.

nok02 (USA) - Posts: 534 - 29/04/2010 19:11:55    634051

I have to choose my words carefully here but I am not surprised at who is leading the way here.If the walls could talk and all that.There should be no play for pay and any right thinking Gaa fan would think the same or else you do not understand the significance of our games.Shame on all of you.

fredrickwood (Roscommon) - Posts: 2871 - 29/04/2010 19:12:00    634052

Typical Sean Og, the Gpa is recognised less than the 3 weeks by the Gaa when this prominent member from a personal point,says the complete contrary to what the majority of gpa members have no interest in and the major gaurantee the gpa gave to the association. He is an arrogant me feiner who belives everyone slapping him on the back telling him he is a great fella. What ever the outcome he will get the attention he so obviously craves.

bugsie (Leitrim) - Posts: 199 - 29/04/2010 20:06:08    634099

If we are paying some of the bureaucrats in croke park, why not contribute something to the players who are the heart of the GAA. There is a major lack of respect for player from the powers that be, its time to start treating the players right.

patmcgee (Longford) - Posts: 520 - 29/04/2010 20:19:31    634111

if the GAA decides to go down the road of pay for play, will SEAN OG and his team
mates look for strike pay if and when the decide to remove there manager

4bythenore (Kilkenny) - Posts: 360 - 29/04/2010 21:24:20    634198

He's GREEDY !!!

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6181 - 29/04/2010 21:55:05    634246

29/04/2010 16:42:01
diablodeKingdom
County: Kerry
Posts: 42

633822
I'm looking forward to a rugby-esque GAA League to rival the official GAA. I hear they'll even have a defined tackle there!!!!

Seriously though, the only way a professional GAA could happen would be by creating 7/8 large city based teams with a salary cap and a named panel of around 25 per season who are paid.

The AFL in Melbourne is the closest successful model:

Melbourne:
Population approx 4 million (Ireland approx 6 million)
AFL CLubs = 8 (not including Geelong which is just outside)
Average size of playing panel is 36

The resources are probably just about there to do it, but we'd still mess it up!!!

First of all before I demonstrate a possible model of professionalism I would say that I am against professionalism in the GAA, not because I subscribe to the "them boys should be playing for the love of the jersey, sure don't they get their expenses paid" or the " if the ground keeper is not getting paid why should the players be" mindsets but as was pointed out above, EU law would step in and radically alter the way in which players select/are selected for counties, removing entirely the point of the county system.

In saying that, during the GPA grants legal argument I read an article which detailed a possible financially viable professional model which preserved the intercounty championship though admittedly the issues surrounding player movement would remain.

Essentially, as mentioned above the senior inter county scheme would be scrapped to be replaced by a franchise system with the major cities having one (possibly two in Dub) team and the rural counties forming franchises in two or three county block groups.

As with american football there would be a salary cap and crucially, a draft system.

This would not be based on university football but on the u-21 all ireland championship which would replace the senior champ as the premier amateur all-ireland competition and serve as the breeding ground for players to move into the professional game.

The draft would run similar to the american system with the least successful teams from the previous season getting first pick on the emerging talent from the U-21s and working backwards to the current champions. The teams would have a fixed roster from season to season, therefore allowing the club games to continue without disruption.

The system splits the inter county and professional games and doesn't overly impact on the club scene (apart from of course the very best players committing to the pro game for at least one season).

Thoughts?

Big Iano (Cavan) - Posts: 188 - 29/04/2010 22:01:46    634258

I dunno lads, is it as bad as it sounds? Hear me out now, don't dismiss this talk like I was Fidel Castro telling the yanks all about how great communism is. There is an incredibly 'strange' environment in the GAA around money issues. Strange in the sense that we all know a number ofmanagers or coaches are getting paid for their time for having the privilege of managing or coaching either inter county or club teams. Strange that we know certain players, by some ways and means are getting money or forms of reward for their involvement playing inter county and I'm not talking about the grant scheme.
Inter county players are playing more games, the GAA are making more money through sponsorship deals but most importantly through attendances during the summer months. Who are the people that put the bums in the seats - the players. There would be no money made in the game if it wasn't for the players.
Now I still believe that there is a huge honour for any player to put represent their countys and that no county owes any player anything. But with the amount of money that has been generated in the game over the last 10 years, is it really any wonder why players have started wondering about pay for play?

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 30/04/2010 10:08:00    634340

If pay for play was introduced it would destroy the GAA within 10 years.

Anyway Sean og should be concentrating on his game and the 30th of may, his position is under threat from a very impressive young hurler named Walsh and Sean og may find himself on the bench.

Redfoot (Cork) - Posts: 388 - 30/04/2010 10:15:52    634353

Some of the smaller less successful teams would disappear off the face of the earth forever.

ColinWex (Wexford) - Posts: 901 - 30/04/2010 12:44:29    634586

These guys only seemed to be interested in Money, says alot about them as characters. Maybe says more about society as a whole.

freetaker1 (Limerick) - Posts: 758 - 30/04/2010 12:49:51    634596

Lets hope he goes on strike again. In my opinion he likes the sound of his own voice. A great player in his day but not as great as he likes to think he is.

If you want a laugh, watch him take a sideline cut. He is consistently bad.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 30/04/2010 12:53:26    634600

A legend. An absolute legend. And a looker to boot. You're all just jealous.

PROC_Hurler (Cork) - Posts: 203 - 30/04/2010 13:18:52    634637

If he was so keen to be paid as a professional athlete, why didnt he go off and do athletics? this is the hand your delt.

He's making out he never got the chance, if he really dreamt about being a pro athlete he couldve done it...

Hurling and Football is not feasible on this island to go pro.

He knows that.

Rambo (None) - Posts: 109 - 30/04/2010 15:34:02    634819

Rambo
Excatly , im very sure he got a few handy jobs due to his profile.

This is amatuer sport played for enjoyment , if you dont enjoy and only want money then dont play. Im in the process of setting up my own company if i had his profile i would be a millionare in the first year but sadly i have to go the old fashioned route and pay for profile.

freetaker1 (Limerick) - Posts: 758 - 30/04/2010 16:24:09    634903

I think the responses shooting the messenger rather then discussing the issue is typical of the mindset of many HS posters. Sean Og is possibly in his final year as an inter-county player so any change will not affect him personally. To demonise him for expressing his opinion and brand him as greedy etc. simply does not add up. Personally I would be opposed to pay for play but would support the GPA in getting the best possible treatment for the players. However this is an issue which will not go away and should be approached and discussed in a rational and impersonal manner.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 30/04/2010 16:48:13    634931

ALL ye lads on here having a swipe at Sean Og is an absolute joke, ye are entitled to yere opinion but yere wrong!!!!!!All ye focus on is the negative.What about the endess journeys he has made all over the counties of Ireland to present medals and promote Gaa for nothing and before ye bite back yes he has done that..Kieran Donaghy is of the same opinion as ogy and i bet so are most other intercounty players but choose to stay stump about it.....

stranded (UK) - Posts: 408 - 30/04/2010 16:52:45    634937

theres a thread here, Cork fans insult the game. i think this is a case of a Cork Player insulting not only the games but our association. Not to mention the thousands of volunteers throughout the country who are the backbone of the GAA. If he wants pay for play what I say is nobody's forcing ya to play and theres plenty of young fellas ( and girls!) that would gladly play for their county purely for the honour and the fact that they have great pride in the jersey!

dammon (Meath) - Posts: 1291 - 30/04/2010 17:06:39    634959