The Rock calls for change as he announces his retirement

[orangeman]

I'm going to try and kill two birds with the one stone here.

First off I'd like to pay tribute to Cork legend Diarmuid O'Sullivan, the Rock that many teams floundered on, a traditional, old style full back whose massive hits and controlling of the square marked out his career. He gave great service to Cork during a very successful and illustrious career. His final game against Kilkenny in lasy year's semi final was only of many great days he had in the Cork jersey.

Who will forget the thundering shoulder charges and the massive points from 100+ yards

Well done Diarmuid - you owe Cork nothing. One of my favourite players.


Second point - The Rock has called for hurling to be revamped in different facets. I'm copying a piece out of today's Examiner. What do you think ?






Retiring Rock calls for change
By Michael Moynihan

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

CORK hurling legend Diarmuid O'Sullivan has called on the GAA to market its games more attractively, comparing the presentation of hurling and football championship games to the marketing of Munster rugby.

O'Sullivan, who reveals his intercounty retirement in today's Irish Examiner, called on the GAA to review its own structures.

"A couple of weeks ago the GAA blew hundreds of thousands of euro up in their own fireworks in those 125th anniversary celebrations.

"I go to Newry in Down a bit, and other counties, and they're crying out for hurling development and ball alleys, for money to be pumped into hurling.

"It makes no sense to me to waste money like that when it can be put to better use.

"You go to Thurles and the music that's being played is from the forties, there's no craic in there, the atmosphere is dead.

"Go to a Munster rugby game – they're playing modern music, a guy is going around the field building up the buzz and the intensity, telling you when the teams are going to come out . . . the GAA has to act.
"The show that was put on in the Millennium Stadium before the Heineken Cup final last year was unbelievable. I came home from that and felt that if I were a young fella starting out, what would I want to be?

"The GAA needs to modernise: it's trying to nullify contact in the games, and it's not investing money where it should be."

O'Sullivan expanded on what he sees as the GAA's attempt to 'nullify contact' in the games, focusing on the experimental playing rules which were narrowly abandoned at this year's Congress.

"The new rules? They were football rules for hurling.

"The GAA seems to want to make hurling a non-contact sport, but when people go to a championship game they want to see that toughness, the hustle and bustle.

"Fellas are afraid to shoulder another player now because if they mistime it and catch him on the chest then they could get three months."

O'Sullivan also revisited the Semplegate affair two years ago, after which he, Donal Óg Cusack and Seán Óg O hAilpín were suspended following clashes with Clare players ahead of their Munster SHC clash in Semple Stadium.

"On Semplegate, I felt we were unbelievably harshly treated by the GAA that time. I felt we were left down.

"Credit to the Cork County Board, they backed us to the hilt, but we were very harshly treated.

"On the evidence we asked why John Gardiner was left off. 'Because he walked away' was the answer. Well, we all walked away. I gave a guy a shoulder; I did the same ten minutes into the game and it wasn't even a free.

"I think we were made an example of. Laois and Offaly belted each other the same day with hurleys, while we gave each other a few shoulders. Seán Óg O hAilpín was suspended but the lad he was involved with – who did the same as Seán Óg – walked away with nothing."

O'Sullivan won three All-Ireland senior hurling medals with Cork in 1999, 2004 and 2005, and also played senior football with the county in the 2002 Munster final and All-Ireland series.

[magpie seanie]

I agree. Great servant to Cork and had many good days in the red and white. Sounds like he knows what he is talking about regarding the rules and promotion of the games. The kind of fella that should be brought in to help with these things.

[brokencrossbar1]

Always a favourite of mine on the field of hurling.  He is a true old style FB, similar to Francie in the football, who are dying out.  As someone who played FF all his career I always preferred to play against someone like him.  He would belt you, but would take it back if you gave it to him and that to me has to be respected.  He is getting at that type of attitude in his comments about the GAA and I totally agree with him.  Seanie is right, he could be used in a Games Promotion type role, as I know he has a lot of pull with the kids and is very much an iconic figure.

I remember the first time I saw him in the flesh.  He was at his peak at the time and I pulled into a petrol station in Glanmire.  He must have jsut been back from training somewhere and he was getting out of his Golf.  To say he filled the front of the car would be an understatement!  We exchanged pleasantries as we filled our cars and he came across as a thoroughly genuine fella.

[Lecale2]

I'd agree with everything he says. He's been up in Newry a few times along with Donal Og doing coaching sessions in the local primary schools. A great man.

[SLIGONIAN]

Already thought he was retired, but like any GAA player, id like to thank him for the entertainment over yrs, always especially admired his cuteness on/off the play, he was a great presence at FB. Fair play to him going up to Newry and helping out aswell, its great to hear.

Ya I second that call, its ex players like this we need involved in the GAA at higher levels where decisions about marketing and rules are made.

[longrunsthefox]

As someone who goes to Munster hurling final the atmosphere is far from dead.. before, during or after.

[deiseach]

Probably should have two threads for this, one to talk about the player and one to address his comments.

For me, he was a fine player but a wee bit over-rated. For every barnstorming performance you could find another one where he was completely cleaned out. It's all very well being first to the ball but if you don't win it clean you're going to be in trouble and when you're a full back your marker doesn't have far to travel. Still, he gave Cork fans a lot to cheer about over the years - the roar you'd hear from the Town End terrace when he'd clear the ball would break your heart; probably broke the hearts of a few players too - and he's got the medals. I hope he enjoys his retirement

[heffo]

Sorry to see him go - always enjoyed watching him play - the shoulders, the long clearances - thats two modern Cork legends gone in recent weeks.

[longrunsthefox]

Sorry to see him go - always enjoyed watching him play - the shoulders, the long clearances - thats two modern Cork legends gone in recent weeks.

...after fighting so hard to get rid of McCarthy 

[thejuice]

Yeah, we didnt get a chance to say so long to Joe Deane, savage player, he was.

The Rock was a savage player in the red of Cork. That shoulder and point against Limerick was class. People like to see that kind of play as much as they do skill and dexterity. He'll be missed by all who watch hurling and they might have a hard time replacing him, they wont find another like him though.

I agree with him about the marketing and presentation. I remember being down in Limerick for a game and the half time entertainment was trad music played through rattling speakers. It sounded awful.

Not that I don't like traditional music, i love it but I think i could speak for everyone there that we were better off without it. We had a thread on the main page called "time for the to GAA to get innovative", there were plenty of good ideas put forward in promoting the games; perhaps ye should have a read of it if ya haven't already.

[Zulu]

Sorry to see him go - always enjoyed watching him play - the shoulders, the long clearances - thats two modern Cork legends gone in recent weeks.

...after fighting so hard to get rid of McCarthy 

It was only a matter of time

[Zulu]

On his points about promotion, while I broadly agree he contradicts himself by complaining about the money spent on the fireworks at the Dublin/Tyrone game while looking for greater levels of entertainment at matches. I also wouldn't like to see the GAA go down the route of rugby/soccer which have aped the American sports by trying to generate atmosphere with some gimp with a microphone telling the crowd what to do. Conversely I'd agree with Juice that banging out some 4 piece trad band over a rubbish PR system is more of an embarressment than anything else and should be done away with.

[tayto]

No thanks to the guy with the mic trying to get crowds going, what i love about football and especially hurling is that it starts reasonably quiet and as the match gets going gets louder and louder as the scores keep going over - especially if it's a good close game, or, if one team starts making a comeback and rattles over a few scores, if the game is still in the melting pot by the end the noise can be spine tinglingly loud. I'd hate to have some goon ruin that by annoying everyone to "sing along" etc. thanks but no thanks.

Best of luck in retirement to O'Sullivan.

[theskull1]

On his points about promotion, while I broadly agree he contradicts himself by complaining about the money spent on the fireworks at the Dublin/Tyrone game while looking for greater levels of entertainment at matches. I also wouldn't like to see the GAA go down the route of rugby/soccer which have aped the American sports by trying to generate atmosphere with some gimp with a microphone telling the crowd what to do. Conversely I'd agree with Juice that banging out some 4 piece trad band over a rubbish PR system is more of an embarressment than anything else and should be done away with.

Agree with that Zulu

Yeah the rock. One of the characters of the game. A love him or hate him figure to alot of people. Wasn't my cup of tea as I felt he was overhyped and overated in alot of ways but at the same time you couldn't deny that he didn't have presence on the pitch. As one person mentioned, the shoulder and point against limerick was just one of those moments that stay in the mind. Was right to call time at this stage as he had lost the aura that I think kept him at the top level but was enough to go for a a year or two longer than I expected. He will be well remembered

[johnneycool]

The rock will be missed by Cork even if his best years have passed him by as he had that presence around the square where any score would be hard earned by the respective forward. If you look at some of the goals conceeded against KK in the league game this year at least two would have been stopped as he still was a powerful man in the aerial exchanges even if the paw wasn't used so much in his latter years.

TBH I didn't get the feeling from some of the strike press nights that he was as willing and vigorous in the removal of Ger McCarthy as some others but then again with his father Co chairman but he and Paudie were in a strange quandry but thats all water under the bridge now.