GAA doing a deal with SkySports

[Ball Hopper]

Just checked the RTE website.  Good account of the Dublin/Meath U-21 game.

Not a mention of the Ulster U-21games...no final scores even.

Shows their commitment to anything outside the Pale.

I hate to be cast in the role of defender of RTE, but in fairness to them, they cover provincial finals only at this grade. If you want to accuse them of scant coverage then do, and you may have a point, but it's not geographical bias whatever else it is. I was on duty for RTE.ie tonight and I will be again for the Connacht final on Saturday - and it's a long way from the Pale to Carrick on Shannon.

I did say good account of the Leinster game tonight...fair dues to you.  Your efforts are appreciated by those unable to attend, the bonus of a well written account eliminate the need for the paper tomorrow.

Nice to hear that there is a plan in place - even if it is confined to provincial finals.  With regard to earlier games within each province, surely the PRO of the provincial council (or one of the competing teams) can provide information to Donnybrook, who can then post it online?

Team line out, reasons for any late changes, weather report, crowd estimate, who scored and what minute...do that for the first half and email at halftime, do it again for the second half and we are there.

The GAA should look at covering the gaps to make sure updates are done in a timely manner.  Bet a lot of board members here would offer to do it if they got free admission.  I'm sure we could unearth a diamond in the rough that might turn into a career. 

Anyway, looking forward to your report from the west...keep up the good work.

[Eamonnca1]

Jesus wept!

Mark Conway, founder of the Of One Belief group:

...

I'm not a believer in the internationalisation of Gaelic games. The GAA was founded as a reaction to imperialism and colonialism and now to say the rest of the world should embrace gaelic games is arrogant.

"As a response to the Anglicisation of Ireland, are we now trying to 'Gaelicise' the world?

"I think that's just a smokescreen. It's all about money. Every other sport in the world has gone down this road and it's made some people very wealthy.

Full rant here.

God forbid if the higher-ups ever listen to this drivel.

[Ball Hopper]

Jesus wept!

Former GAA PRO Danny Lynch claims the Sky media rights deal will do "irreparable damage" to the organisation.

...

I'm not a believer in the internationalisation of Gaelic games. The GAA was founded as a reaction to imperialism and colonialism and now to say the rest of the world should embrace gaelic games is arrogant.

"As a response to the Anglicisation of Ireland, are we now trying to 'Gaelicise' the world?

"I think that's just a smokescreen. It's all about money. Every other sport in the world has gone down this road and it's made some people very wealthy.

Full rant here.

Thank God he's no longer the association's PRO with that attitude.

Don't confuse turning the games into World Cup type stuff like FIFA versus having them played internationally governed by locals.

[Ohtoohtobe]

Jesus wept!

Former GAA PRO Danny Lynch claims the Sky media rights deal will do "irreparable damage" to the organisation.

...

I'm not a believer in the internationalisation of Gaelic games. The GAA was founded as a reaction to imperialism and colonialism and now to say the rest of the world should embrace gaelic games is arrogant.

"As a response to the Anglicisation of Ireland, are we now trying to 'Gaelicise' the world?

"I think that's just a smokescreen. It's all about money. Every other sport in the world has gone down this road and it's made some people very wealthy.

Full rant here.

Thank God he's no longer the association's PRO with that attitude.

Em, they're quotes from Conway, not Lynch. Bit rough having a go at him for things he didn't say!

[Eamonnca1]

Good catch. Post amended.

[Eamonnca1]

Don't confuse turning the games into World Cup type stuff like FIFA versus having them played internationally governed by locals.

I'm very much aware of the difference. My book talks about it at great length.

[Ball Hopper]

Don't confuse turning the games into World Cup type stuff like FIFA versus having them played internationally governed by locals.

I'm very much aware of the difference. My book talks about it at great length.

Congrats on the book, by the way.  However, the chapter as a preview seems to be a collection of quotes for other sources...30 in the chapter if I remember correctly...hardly original work, but more like a work that falls between a thesis on the high side and a school project on the low side.  Hopefully there is some original thinking in the rest of it (I have not decided if I want to purchase yet as I'm very much afraid of a sour grapes type work).

What progress is being made in the schools in SF?  Any healthy rivalries yet in high school games?  How many kids are playing...that is the future.  The number of teams in an area ultimately determine the success of our games.

Plus, your apparent hatred for Danny Lynch is not healthy. 

[haze]

The coverage and analysis by RTE over the years has been terrible. I for one am looking forward to a fresh approach to GAA analysis instead of the drivel that RTE serves up. I wonder if they will try to up their game or continue to punish us with the same tripe that they try to pass as analysis.

+1.
And as for League Sunday - must be the worst sports programme ever. Typical D4 effort -any oul thing will do the bogmen as we concentrate on "real" sport like rubby.

Nail on the head. I think League Sunday infuriates me even more than The Committee Room/Championship matters. What a lazy show - 1 hour weekly when some weeks you have football/hurling on same weekend.

Have you ever seen against the head or Monday night Soccer?? Viewing for the condemned, I could hardly say they do more justice to the other sports than the shite attempt at GAA.

I watch Against the Head and like for like it's infinitely better than its GAA comparator Championshio Matters for one reason - it's 30 mins longer. Height of the Summer and the best RTE can do is 30 minutes.

[orangeman]

Interesting that some county chairmen are complaining that they weren't consulted about this Sky deal. Do they not realise that they don't have to be consulted and that the group in Croke Park can work away on their own ?

[seafoid]

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/tv3-in-turmoil-as-all-staff-offered-voluntary-redundancy-30151860.html

"It's the latest move in a dramatic start to the year for the station.
It has just lost its GAA broadcasting rights to Sky Sports while UTV, which is launching an Irish base next year, has been headhunting staff members.
The new UTV station is also set to take some of the biggest shows from TV3 - including 'Coronation Street' and 'I'm a Celebrity...' - which will heap further pressure on station bosses."

BTW WTF does 'UTV, which is launching an Irish base next year' mean? Is Belfast not in Ireland ?

[AZOffaly]

I couldn't see TV3 surviving when UTV went all Ireland. Sure they show the same shit nearly. I actually thought, until recently, that TV3 was an ITV affiliate in R of Ireland.

[armaghniac]

Interesting that some county chairmen are complaining that they weren't consulted about this Sky deal. Do they not realise that they don't have to be consulted and that the group in Croke Park can work away on their own ?

The can work away on their own, but why would they want to, are they on a different side than other parts of the GAA?

[AZOffaly]

I think, and I might be wrong here, that they are mandated to negotiate these deals on the behalf of the GAA. Every decision made does not go to congress. If a decision is made that, for example, TV deals are negotiated by XYZ, then XYZ doesn't have to go back to congress to ratify the deals.

A new motion would probably need to be passed to say that all TV deals need to be ratified at congress via vote.

[Eamonnca1]

Congrats on the book, by the way.  However, the chapter as a preview seems to be a collection of quotes for other sources...30 in the chapter if I remember correctly...hardly original work,

Huh?

Only one direct quote in the first chapter. You must have me mixed up with someone else, mate.

[Eamonnca1]

What progress is being made in the schools in SF?  Any healthy rivalries yet in high school games?  How many kids are playing...that is the future. 

Not sure, I don't have much involvement on the youth side. Used to have a great high school competition years ago, there's talk of trying to get it going again.