Drinking and the GAA

[believebelive]

Total bans are not the answer IMO. Remember reading an article by an inter county player in one of the northern rags - the Sunday Life or Sunday World - who said that players were getting more and more pissed (not a pun) off with long term drink bans. From what I remember he argued that  going off the drink for long periods only made players more uptight and that as long as all players agreed on the lenght of the ban and stuck then there was no problem with having a few drinks when there was ban. Infact at the right time it helped players.

[Dubh driocht]

This is a 'refreshing' and honest debate without zealots like the gael.I think Mickey Harte's call is right and most county managers follow this line.I think that a total ban before big games can act as a bonding exercise where adults make a commitment and hold each other to it. In Down, I expect Ross and DJ to follow this line as they knew how to prepare but they also knew the value of building a team.

[Bogball XV]

I have always thought that the thinking behind drink bans is to give a team that pyschological edge, you know the auld "we're not off the drink since last Dec just for these shower of townie bastards to beat us now"....., physiologically, i'm quite sure there is very little impact on a players performance, presuming that he doesn't be stupid about it.

[An Lark]

Does anybody see a connection between drinking and injuries?

I've had trouble with my hamstrings over the last 2 to 3 years. I feel most pulls and strains have occurred on the Tuesday night's training following a weekend in which I'd a bit too much of the blackstuff.

[believebelive]

Depends how much you train and play an lark - if you play alot of football with no rest and have no off season then this is more likely the result of your hamstring pulls and strains.