No show by Justin at GAA Press Conference

[laoisgaa]

No show by Justin at GAA Press Conference
22nd May 2008

By Cóilín Duffy

Both Waterford's Justin McCarthy and Clare boss Mike McNamara failed to speak to the media this afternoon at a press-conference organised by GAA to promote the clash of the Deise and the Banner in the Munster Senior Football Championship on June 1st.

While McNamara turned up for the event at the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Tipperary, he declined to take part in the event following the no-show of Waterford manager McCarthy.

McCarthy stated that he didn't attend the function because of inadequate notice about the event. It is understood that he was only informed about the function by Waterford County Board officials late last night.

Mike McNamara attended the function in the company of Wolfe Tones na Sionna midfielder and current Clare captain Brian O'Connell. However both McNamara and O'Connell made a quick exit, after being informed that Clare full-forward Barry Nugent and goalkeeper Philip Brennan were at the event.

Both McNamara and O'Connell failed to speak to the press, with Waterford's Stephen Molumphy and Clinton Hennessey both present also.

GAA spokesman Pat Doherty stated that in the interest of having a balanced press conference, it would have been unfair to have three Clare players and their manager participating, while there were only two Waterford players in attendance at the event.

'Michael did not take part because Justin was not there and he felt that since there was two Waterford players there that the event should be evened up,' explained GAA spokesman Pat Doherty.

Croke Park officials organised the event in conjunction with the respective county boards and a sport marketing company based in Kildare town.

[Denn Forever]

Seems like bad planning all around.

But I have to say, is it becoming like Sky coverage, with Managers and players having to talk up a game.  And we wonder why they don't give straight answers to innane questions. 

Of course we expect to win.  Why else would we play the game?

Do you have a chance?  D'Oh

What purpose does a press conference serve?

[Maguire01]

What purpose does a press conference serve?

Marketing? Publicity? Something for the papers to write about, the papers that we all buy to read match previews, reviews, opinion and analysis?

[orangeman]

The no show will make a better story now than if Mc Carthy did appear - can you imagine the conspiracy theories now ?? 

[aontroim]

No show by Justin at GAA Press Conference
22nd May 2008

By Cóilín Duffy

Both Waterford's Justin McCarthy and Clare boss Mike McNamara failed to speak to the media this afternoon at a press-conference organised by GAA to promote the clash of the Deise and the Banner in the Munster Senior Football Championship on June 1st.

[laoisgaa]

Code Select Expand

Both Waterford's Justin McCarthy and Clare boss Mike McNamara failed to speak to the media this afternoon at a press-conference organised by GAA to promote the clash of the Deise and the Banner in the Munster Senior Football Championship on June 1st.

Had to change it to football - otherwise this would have been dumped into the hurling section!!!!!

[ExiledGael]

Was going to rant at this but AFS done a good job at that on another thread so I'll just post that here


"This really is childish and pathetic. Is it any wonder people constantly complain about the standard of GAA journalism when half of the counties won't talk to the media and the other half only paddle out bland uninformative clichés because they are paralysed with the fear of saying anything that might motivate the opposition.
Is it really too much to ask a manager, together with a couple of his more recognisable players, to sit in a room for half an hour a few days before a game with a few journos and answer a couple of questions honestly, then maybe afterwards have a couple of photos taken?
Instead what we get is managers begrudgingly giving a few quotes that add up to nothing much in total, players that aren't allowed to say anything remotely diverging from the 'party line', stupid and pathetic mind games with teams that are named pre-game constantly inaccurate and injuries to players always treated as some kind of national secret in some sort of attempt attempt to dupe the opposition (all they really succeed in doing is pissing off their own supporters).
As has been pointed out many times by some of the IN journos, Armagh and Tyrone have been some of the most media friendly counties over the last few years and 3 AIs later it didn't to do them much harm, while you had the likes of Charlie Mulgrew's Fermanagh who wouldn't say boo to anyone and ended up achieving shit all during the same time.
On McCarthy and Waterford, well you only have to compare the publicity and hype being generated around Munster's trip to Cardiff this weekend with this low key opening Munster HC game.
In ten or fifteen years time when Waterford is swamped with kids in rugby shirts without a Waterford jersey in sight you'll only have to look at times like this to lament the fact that more wasn't done to capture hearts."

[Hardy]

I'm all for promoting and marketing the games effectively, but do these press conferences
achieve anything to that end? Mostly they seem to want to humiliate the participants with
ridiculously set up photo opportunities - stupid looking poses, crossed hurleys - you know
the sort of thing. Unimaginative, hackneyed and lazy stuff from the Noddy book of PR,
previous millennium.

The worst I've seen in a long time was when they paraded some top players at Croke Park
for the launch of the championships and had about six of them lying on their backs, forming
the spokes of a wheel, with their heads at the centre. Excuse the vernacular, but WTF?? I
can't believe the likes of Paul Galvin didn't suggest where they could insert their cameras
when they asked him to make a tool of himself like that.

[AZOffaly]

I'm all for promoting and marketing the games effectively, but do these press conferences
achieve anything to that end? Mostly they seem to want to humiliate the participants with
ridiculously set up photo opportunities - stupid looking poses, crossed hurleys - you know
the sort of thing. Unimaginative, hackneyed and lazy stuff from the Noddy book of PR,
previous millennium.

The worst I've seen in a long time was when they paraded some top players at Croke Park
for the launch of the championships and had about six of them lying on their backs, forming
the spokes of a wheel, with their heads at the centre. Excuse the vernacular, but WTF?? I
can't believe the likes of Paul Galvin didn't suggest where they could insert their cameras
when they asked him to make a tool of himself like that.

I remember that photo, and If I'm not mistaken, Galvins facial expression exuded exactly that sentiment Hardy

[turk]

For the hurling launch they wheeled out Henry Hippo!

[laoisgaa]

Henri Hippo! and it wasn't the hurling launch but Ulster Bank's announcement of their virtual GAA Football Computer game touring the country this Summer!!!

[Uladh]

LaoisGaa - As the only contributor among us who has admitted to being a journo, how would you like to see the pregame promotion done?

[muppet]

Is it really too much to ask a manager, together with a couple of his more recognisable players, to sit in a room for half an hour a few days before a game with a few journos and answer a couple of questions honestly, then maybe afterwards have a couple of photos taken?

It depends. If the player is losing money from his absence at work then is it really too much given that everyone else in the room is being paid for the 'half an hour'? (This event was in Tipp - a round trip for players from both teams would cost at least a few hours) Equally is it reasonable where a player needs someone to cover for him at work?

[laoisgaa]

Having been at something like 30 press conferences in the past month (including four in one day) there's a simple formula which could be followed and it's actually the formula which the GAA are trying to employ but let them down last Thursday.

A couple of players and the managers to promote a particular game, media get what they want,players and managers aren't disturbed in lead up to match and everyone is happy - simple formula.

What I believe and I admit myself and my colleagues didnt write about was that other than what i've posted above the presser ran reasonably smoothly, one on one interviews for whoever wanted and there was plenty of copy.

The other way is what the Kilkenny County Board employ for their hurlers (too the best of my knowledge no one else does it) - that's a selector takes charge of media queries for interviews with players, you ring him an give him a name, he gets onto the player and if the player doesn't want to talk, he doesn't have too and someone else is provided in his place. Everyone's happy - Journo has interview in the can, players who want to speak can and there's no ill-blood - sponsors are happy too and it's good publicity all-round.

However bigger questions need to be answered. Today's treatment of the Armagh and London hurlers in Newry was shocking. A Down/Cork SF Challenge getting precedence over an important Ulster SHC Quarter-final tie (cracking match)

I got locked out of the Cork/Down game in Newry which took place at 11.45 this morning, behind closed doors. However I managed to cope with that but because Cork and Down took over the four dressing rooms, Armagh and London were left waiting outside for them to exit, and the hurling match didn't start untl 2.38 - 38 minutes after the original throw-in time.