There are still some sportsmen in GAA and some low-lifes same as there always were.

You will see acts of sportsmanship in every game, the handshake, respect for opponents & officials, concern for injured players, the cameraderie after a game amongst rivals.

You will also see the dirty fouls, off the ball stuff, & the diving.

All this has always been there, the good & the bad.

blu (Down) - Posts: 1240 - 28/06/2010 19:10:20    690181

An interesting thread and i have to agree that sportsmanship is gone in the GAA. Just watch any football match on TV and a forward will be running with the ball and when the opposing defender tackles that player he will grab his hand and pull him down, imitating a foul. The commentators will then say that the forward was clever, not that he is a cheat.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1664 - 28/06/2010 20:13:04    690239

i have been guilty of bad sportsmanship myself in the past. One time in particular, i walked up to my opponent with arm outstretched to shake his hand. When he went to reciprocate i pulled my hand away and did that thing where you put your thumb on your nose and wiggle your fingers, all the while squealing "woooooo" in a high pitched voice

whiterbannnas (Mayo) - Posts: 2441 - 28/06/2010 20:32:36    690267

I didnt know that Hurlingdub and would never try condone it. I thought he would have known better after the career he had.
I know we all look back at years ago with rose tinted spectacles but Marty Morrissey once went to John Power and Liam Dunne after a game. Anyone who remembers the battles these 2 had will agree it was fairly tidy at times, both fantastic but dogged hurlers. Liam had asked John how the corn was growing (I assume he is a farmer!), Marty Morrissey asked how did they start talking about that, Liam said "Sher the match was over". And that was the respect that was there but is no longer part of the game.
Also in the 1950's Wexford beat Cork in an AI final. Christy Ring was going for 9 AI medals and Wexford beat them. At the final whistle, Bobby Rackard and Nick O'Donnell threw Christy Ring up on their shoulders and carried him off the field, such was the respect they had for him.
Definitely more sportsmanship years ago and there were plenty of players who were screwballs but still had respect for the opponent.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 28/06/2010 21:55:43    690400

Pinkie, I will forgive him on the basis that the match ended fairly dramatically with Wexford having looked like winners right up to nearly full time and he was obviously disappointed. I'm sure it's not something he is proud of himself and certainly doesn't fit with the manner in which he conducted himself as a player. Felt bad for Wexford myself as in truth they were probably the better team over the 60 minutes and it was only Dublin's doggedness that kept in with a chance.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 29/06/2010 08:11:58    690427

It has been claimed by his opponents that Christy Ring dived on occasion.
Pat Spillane dived a lot but he still got 8 all stars.

These arguments that things were always better in the "old days", rarely stand up to scrutiny.

Redfoot (Cork) - Posts: 388 - 29/06/2010 11:20:40    690601

Fair enough Hurlingdub, but I think that no matter what happens during the game or how dramatically the game ends or how gut wrenching the defeat there is no excuse for not shaking the opponents hand. Simple as that. Whether or not you mean it is another thing but to not do it shows a complete lack of respect or any sense of being gracious in defeat.
Disappointed with Storey to be honest, loved him as a player but there are aspects of him nowdays which I really dont like.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 29/06/2010 11:56:49    690662

Redfoot:

I very much doubt it.... see pinkie's examples would you see that today?

Simple fact is the level of sportsmanship isn't there today as the game becomes more and more like a professional setup.

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 29/06/2010 12:06:30    690669

To be honest lads I think my countyman Redfoot makes a good point. None of us have studied it enough to say for sure, but I suspect you'll find plenty of examples of poor sportsmanship from bygone eras. Wasn't there a famous incident involving Ring and the Galway team at the Shelbourne hotel after an AI? That certainly wasn't left on the field. Cork and Meath had many on field dust ups in the late 80's and there were rumours of a famous off field blow up between the two. Didn't Billy Morgan and Ogie Moran/Bomber Liston have a well publicised row in a bar after a late 80's Munster final? Whatever Mackey said to Ring it wasn't on the field of play, and Mackey hadn't even played. Most historians would probably agree that nostalgia often breeds inaccuracy.

For all of that, we can still try to uphold standards today. To say that 'Im oly behaving like Ring and Mackey did' shouldn't be an excuse for poor sportsmanship in any generation.

Culchie (Cork) - Posts: 799 - 29/06/2010 12:42:00    690737

ok take you point chuchie but is it in anyway comparable to the degree stuff goes on these days.... diving play acting lack of respect??

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 29/06/2010 12:54:33    690745

I still say the worst example is when a handshake is offered before or after a match and not reciprecated.... it absolutely disgusting in my view. Cadogan steped down a few knotchs in my view after the tipp match.... granted he'll claim it worked for him by he dosen't to do it his skill as a hurler can stand alone.... he's no better that galvan in my view after that.

If neither player offers a hand fair enough they know what their getting but in my view that simple jesture is a sign of respect and I remember as a young lad the manager insisting that we always begin and end a match with that no matter what went on.

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 29/06/2010 13:01:49    690761

The give and take is not what it used to be, and todays players are not going to accept abuse like the old days. The game was brutal in the past and we need to get far away from that.

Bigapple (Kerry) - Posts: 495 - 29/06/2010 13:04:15    690768

How about dropping to the ground feigning injury when nobody is around him in order to hold up the game and kill the oppositions momentum. I remember that happenening in the cork kk semi final a couple of years back.

whathefeck (Cork) - Posts: 1 - 29/06/2010 13:11:25    690785

I was an umpire at a club football match last night. The full backs and full forwards shook hands before the match. Once the game started there were fair old hits going in, but they shoot hands at the end also. Grand to see!

ogormanmahon (Tipperary) - Posts: 66 - 29/06/2010 13:33:15    690844

Great idea to shake hands before the match! It can defuse a potentially hostile situation and take the hostility out of it. Good sportsmanship to shake hands after the game.
Then again, the blackguards must be dealt with harshly.

Bigapple (Kerry) - Posts: 495 - 29/06/2010 13:53:46    690887

There was no point in feigning injury in the old days, the only time people got sent off back then is when they had to bring in the state pathologist for an autopsy!

Redfoot (Cork) - Posts: 388 - 29/06/2010 14:29:55    690954

I think nostalgia is clouding your memory Hag. I know when I first started playing hurling If you shook hands with your opponent before the game you would be most likely to be dropped for the next one. We were told keep both hands on our hurl and never shake hands with your opponent before the game as its a sign of weakness or fear. You were allowed to shake hands after the game if you wanted to but it was not obligatory.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 29/06/2010 14:31:40    690958

serious nostalgia here.

Its been said said Christy Ring was a great man to buy a free, also foul etc, hold another mans stick.

The only difference in the modern game is we have extensive TV coverage in which to dissect every incident and highlight where a Forward/back has got an edge.

Its natural for a sports man in any sport to try and take an edge if possible. And don't kid yourselves all the greats do it. One thing i will agree on tho is the handshake, pre and post game everyman should shake hands and show respect to his opponent. I thought it was disgusting to see Cork Full back take such a cheap shot a few weeks back.

jaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 720 - 29/06/2010 16:29:39    691157

I agree with Corkcelt re shaking of hands. Never before a match and sometimes one would be lucky to able to shake hands afterwards! We should not kid ourselves. If we had close-up tv pictures from 60 years back we woud get a surprise. Most of us have seen the Kerry Dublin semi-final of 1975. By todays standards there were probably at least 10 fouls whch would earn straight reds nowadays

lochgarmanabu (Wexford) - Posts: 1022 - 29/06/2010 17:03:26    691229

corkcelt:

Well I've been always brought up the opposite on that front and it was drummed into me when my dad coached me at underage..... he told me it was the way real men played hurling. To refrain from a handshake to me outlines the need to bring something else outside hurling itself. You claim its a sign of weaknes well it's also a sign of respect going into battle..... I suppose boxes are showing weakness everytime they do it too.

I suppose that where we differ in that respect.

I would propose hurlers that are of a certain skill level would feel the need to do that.... Can't say I've ever seen the likes of henry shefflin or canning instigate hitting their openent with a belt of a shoulder at the start of a match or refuse to accept a handshake.... the mentality behind that would be they know they don't have to resort to such tactics..... case in point the clare team had a handfull of gifted hurlers but a lot there were average they used intimidation before the game granded it worked for them but as a sports fan i don't like to see it.... do ur talking on how you play the game. And I'm in no way saying the players from tipp havn't used these tactics aswell if still dosen't change my mind on the matter.

Pinkie made the point about liam dunne and john power I very much doubt you'd see much of that going on today sports phycoligists and the like might have a bit to do with this also again maybe it works but i sure as hell don't like it.... it dose a lot to incite the crowd and isn't as good example to set either.... maybe I'm just being the moral police of HS again.

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 29/06/2010 18:22:36    691356