The Toughest Trade

[Owen Brannigan]

Murphy and Williams looked good
Alex and chin tonight were crap

Definitely the ice hockey guy were instructed to give Chin a fairly wide berth, no one even body checked him never mind any of the usual violence associated with ice hockey.  The team he was playing on was fairly low level given the age profile with some fairly old guys from NHL.  Also he had a head camera fitted which would have precluded anyone from making any sort of proper hockey physical contact.  Alex was too big and immobile for hurling even at a club level.  Some very good editing of an hour of hurling allowed Alex to appear to have had some success.  However, his body language during the game and particularly in the changing room afterwards showed that he had not managed to come to terms with the game.

[magpie seanie]

Thinking anyone could play ice hockey from nowhere in the space of a few weeks was ridiculous. I think what Lee Chin achieved was incredible to be honest. My favourite bit of the hurling was Larry O'G coaching by remote control to help get Alex his goal. He had told him and shown him you could kick it (knowing he couldn't hit it with the stick even unmarked!) so there he is at the goalpost... "Kick it, kick it!!!".....the Martins lads were fairly compliant also.

[JimStynes]

The programmes are a bit shit to be honest. Would love a good behind the scenes documentary done on the Dubs or something. There was one years ago called 'A year till Sunday'. Would be good to compare that to what the teams are doing now.

[thejuice]

I enjoyed it last year but this years wasn't so great. Still Shane did well though was let away with a few technical fouls. It was actually more interesting just to see the level of training that glenswilly were doing nowadays with all the weights at 6am and football at night.

Pro teams are never going to let some lad show up and get among their top players. Better off following one of our young lads trying out at Aussie rules.

[DrinkingHarp]

I have to commend Lee Chin with his attitude and athleticism. For only skating a couple of weeks he did extremely well. Growing up I played hockey for over 12 years and he was ages ahead of what I expected someone who never laced up skates.

Chin is just an athlete, he could play and excel at pretty much any sport he puts his mind to. Blue Chipper is the term used for someone with his ability.

[Owen Brannigan]

I have to commend Lee Chin with his attitude and athleticism. For only skating a couple of weeks he did extremely well. Growing up I played hockey for over 12 years and he was ages ahead of what I expected someone who never laced up skates.

Chin is just an athlete, he could play and excel at pretty much any sport he puts his mind to. Blue Chipper is the term used for someone with his ability.

Correct and Alex was just a big lad with the bulk and strength for hockey so he struggled in a more mobile sport, would have been interesting to see a hockey player closer to Chin in athleticism.

[AZOffaly]

The bulk and strength for hockey? Hockey is a very athletic game, and being able to skate, which in itself is an athletic feat,is the basic building block.

He may have been big and strong, but he was not unathletic if he played in the NHL.

[JimStynes]

He was a goalie was he not? So he wouldn't need to be doing too much running around.

[AZOffaly]

He was a goalie was he not? So he wouldn't need to be doing too much running around.

They still have to skate, and their body positions as goalies mean they have to be flexible and explosive. He mightn't be a sprinter, but I bet he's pretty athletic.

Of course he may have gone to seed after playing..

[From the Bunker]

Have to say the gleam has worn of this show! The two shows this year are mismatches.

Murphy looked (naturally) terrified of getting injured in his show.

Chin was greatly hampered by being on ice for his discipline.

The Plámásing of How great are we playing this sport for nothing. Is a bit of a dose at this stage.

[AZOffaly]

I thought Murphy looked reasonably competent in fairness. I didn't think he looked petrified at all.

I didn't watch Chin, but I tried to play Ice Hockey in Arizona. I thought the hurling would help. Pathetic. It doesn't help when the ball is flat, the stick is too long, and the pitch fecking moves when you are standing on it, or trying to.

[Owen Brannigan]

He was a goalie was he not? So he wouldn't need to be doing too much running around.

They still have to skate, and their body positions as goalies mean they have to be flexible and explosive. He mightn't be a sprinter, but I bet he's pretty athletic.

Of course he may have gone to seed after playing..

Precisely, he may have been athletic in his prime but his age was against him.  So, no comparison between him and Chin in terms of athleticism.  The swap was made in that Chin was dropped into a team which had a number of 'older' but more experienced players.  It was truly a tough trade.

[Tony Baloney]

The hockey guy says on the programme when training with the hurlers that his fitness was for nothing as a netminder.

[Hardy]

It's just more "reality" TV shite. All contrived and formulaic. Strictly come hurling/footballing and tell us how great we are. All part of the continuing trashing of sport in the rubbish dump of mass entertainment.

[Asal Mor]

It's just more "reality" TV shite. All contrived and formulaic. Strictly come hurling/footballing and tell us how great we are. All part of the continuing trashing of sport in the rubbish dump of mass entertainment.

Well said. It's not even good by reality TV standards. It lacks the suspense of the likes of X-Factor or The Apprentice where the contestants genuinely have a lot riding on the outcome