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Anti GAA Agenda

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Replying To combo:  "Free-to-air NFL is coming to Ireland!

Virgin Media Television will broadcast at least 22 games per season, including three Playoff games and the Super Bowl

Not sure where to post this is there a tread for GAA competitors ?"
I won't be watching it anyway.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 863 - 17/08/2026 13:55:38    2690187

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Replying To combo:  "Free-to-air NFL is coming to Ireland!

Virgin Media Television will broadcast at least 22 games per season, including three Playoff games and the Super Bowl

Not sure where to post this is there a tread for GAA competitors ?"
Great news.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8724 - 17/08/2026 14:40:45    2690203

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Two matches over one weekend next April.

I wouldn't worry about it. That NFL (as in American Football NFL!) we had in Croke Park wasn't designed or expected to tempt GAA players away to that sport instead. Will be the same with these matches. A barney weekend in Dublin for supporters of those four teams, a boom for the pub trade, and a few interested Irish people - probably mainly from the rugby community anyway - going along for the novelty of it. It's not exactly an attack on the GAA.

Little or no interest for rugby league in Wales and particularly not in Scotland, and that's been shown several times over the years."
Would it be a problem if it was designed to tempt players away from the GAA?
It would be a great opportunity for any GAA player to join the nfl,no?

Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 282 - 17/08/2026 22:12:51    2690243

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Replying To Seniorleague:  "Would it be a problem if it was designed to tempt players away from the GAA?
It would be a great opportunity for any GAA player to join the nfl,no?"
How so?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20527 - 18/08/2026 10:49:36    2690263

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Replying To Seniorleague:  "Would it be a problem if it was designed to tempt players away from the GAA?
It would be a great opportunity for any GAA player to join the nfl,no?"
In fairness, I don't think that NFL game itself could be considered "a great opportunity for any GAA player to join the NFL". It's not as though the Vikings and Steelers would have been looking to the crowd for a kicker or anything else, the way Offaly footballers famously did for Laz Molloy back in the 1980s.

I do know there seems to be growing efforts by sports talent agencies (or however you want to describe them) to get gaelic footballers to try out as kickers for college teams etc. in the States. I've seen lots of such stuff on social media. But overall, I'm inclined to say that if somebody can get an education or make a few quid for a few years that way, then good luck to them, and wish them well in it.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3885 - 18/08/2026 12:37:00    2690294

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Replying To Seniorleague:  "Would it be a problem if it was designed to tempt players away from the GAA?
It would be a great opportunity for any GAA player to join the nfl,no?"
You appear to regard GAA as resource for all comers. Are you familiar with reason we were founded?

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4543 - 18/08/2026 18:24:43    2690374

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This is the major question no one is asking. What is the GAA anymore? Is seems like it's been decided to make GAA a development pathway for other sports ? Elite players move onto pro sports while lesser players have demands of pro sports people without pay ? Will fans continue to watch GAA while the best move onto other sports like the the ladies game? It seems like the GAA think people will pay up for gaa plus and go to games regardless what the do instead of looking at Dublin gaa or the ladies game as a warning of what could go wrong.

Kew (Galway) - Posts: 390 - 20/08/2026 07:49:05    2690532

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Replying To Kew:  "This is the major question no one is asking. What is the GAA anymore? Is seems like it's been decided to make GAA a development pathway for other sports ? Elite players move onto pro sports while lesser players have demands of pro sports people without pay ? Will fans continue to watch GAA while the best move onto other sports like the the ladies game? It seems like the GAA think people will pay up for gaa plus and go to games regardless what the do instead of looking at Dublin gaa or the ladies game as a warning of what could go wrong."
Moving to other pro sports is blown up. Only AFL is a runner for GAA. Over the last 10 years on the mens side we have lost maybe 10 top players, in the womens game it is alot higher, this is mainly because the AFL started a pro league for women 10 years ago and did not have a track record of producing players to fill teams so the quick fix was to poach the Irish girls as the years pass this will slow down.

The biggest mistake the GAA have done in my opinion is giving up Aug/Sept to other sports. the next intercounty game a child will see on TV is Feb27, 6 months the kids will be watching other sports aspiring to be them and not our own GAA players

ulsterrules (Donegal) - Posts: 335 - 20/08/2026 10:58:43    2690566

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Replying To Kew:  "This is the major question no one is asking. What is the GAA anymore? Is seems like it's been decided to make GAA a development pathway for other sports ? Elite players move onto pro sports while lesser players have demands of pro sports people without pay ? Will fans continue to watch GAA while the best move onto other sports like the the ladies game? It seems like the GAA think people will pay up for gaa plus and go to games regardless what the do instead of looking at Dublin gaa or the ladies game as a warning of what could go wrong."
Seems like AKA.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8724 - 20/08/2026 11:49:03    2690582

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Replying To ulsterrules:  "Moving to other pro sports is blown up. Only AFL is a runner for GAA. Over the last 10 years on the mens side we have lost maybe 10 top players, in the womens game it is alot higher, this is mainly because the AFL started a pro league for women 10 years ago and did not have a track record of producing players to fill teams so the quick fix was to poach the Irish girls as the years pass this will slow down.

The biggest mistake the GAA have done in my opinion is giving up Aug/Sept to other sports. the next intercounty game a child will see on TV is Feb27, 6 months the kids will be watching other sports aspiring to be them and not our own GAA players"
You are 100% correct ulsterrules.
It's total madness that August and September was taken off the Gaa calender.
That leaves a huge gap between August and February. 6 months of zero activity on the intercounty scene. No sport in the world would consider having such a condensed season.
Kids and adults will inevitably turn to watching soccer or rugby or whatever and their hero's will come from those sports.
Nothing wrong with watching those games, that would be silly. Promotion of our national games is paramount. Without exposure you can't have promotion.
Yes of course we have club games and that's where it all begins. They are the grass roots of the organisation and ultimately provide intercounty players. However the intercounty is the bigger stage and by sidelining it for 6 months will weaken our footprint at a national level.
A return to all irelands in late August or even September is a must going forward.

Magpie2 (Wexford) - Posts: 731 - 20/08/2026 12:56:53    2690594

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Replying To ulsterrules:  "Moving to other pro sports is blown up. Only AFL is a runner for GAA. Over the last 10 years on the mens side we have lost maybe 10 top players, in the womens game it is alot higher, this is mainly because the AFL started a pro league for women 10 years ago and did not have a track record of producing players to fill teams so the quick fix was to poach the Irish girls as the years pass this will slow down.

The biggest mistake the GAA have done in my opinion is giving up Aug/Sept to other sports. the next intercounty game a child will see on TV is Feb27, 6 months the kids will be watching other sports aspiring to be them and not our own GAA players"
Kids watch a lot of sports, music, TV shows, play online ganes etc. Need more encouragement from parents and schools to watch less and get more involved playing sports in local schools and clubs.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8724 - 20/08/2026 13:06:22    2690600

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Hopefully without having to go into all the same old arguments again, question for UlsterRules and Magpie2 -

Which do you think is more important:
a) the players of today, who benefit from all the changes the split season has brought, and who continue to support it? Sole reason the CPA existed in the first place. GPA survey shows 89% of inter-county players support it. GPA survey also shows 92% of inter-county players favour an inter-county season of seven months or less.

or

b) the children of today, who may or may not be brought to an inter-county match in August or September, or who may or may not watch them on the telly?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3885 - 20/08/2026 13:12:02    2690602

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Replying To ulsterrules:  "Moving to other pro sports is blown up. Only AFL is a runner for GAA. Over the last 10 years on the mens side we have lost maybe 10 top players, in the womens game it is alot higher, this is mainly because the AFL started a pro league for women 10 years ago and did not have a track record of producing players to fill teams so the quick fix was to poach the Irish girls as the years pass this will slow down.

The biggest mistake the GAA have done in my opinion is giving up Aug/Sept to other sports. the next intercounty game a child will see on TV is Feb27, 6 months the kids will be watching other sports aspiring to be them and not our own GAA players"
The GAA didn't give up August and September to other sports, that is now Club Championship time.

Clubs weren't getting use of their County players for the whole season in some cases, whereas now the split season guarantees Club players a time-frame for their respective Championships.

There would be no County players without the Clubs and the Club Championships need to be given sufficient time too. I think Provincial Club Championships and All Ireland Club Championships could do with a revamp to make them more club friendly and maybe appeal to wider audiences more.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1931 - 20/08/2026 13:22:50    2690609

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