Colm O'Rourke vs. the GPA

Started by Jinxy, October 26, 2014, 07:30:31 PM

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APM

Quote from: TheGreatest on November 26, 2019, 09:04:57 AM
but they need to open up about structures, salaries, who gets what and where and why.

Exactly!

O'Rourke is 100% right. 
Re: Vaughan - WTF?

There are loads of top class inter-county players who have managed to be highly successful in their careers. Some of them aren't even teachers! I'm sure the football helps, but many succeed through really hard work.  There are others that want to treat the game as if it is professional because they aren't arsed with doing an honest days work / study and that part of their life goes on hold. It shouldn't be indulged.

manfromdelmonte

Flynn is out in the media again today defending the GPA and the junket to NY

"I would love to see a time that we get to when an inter-county player (doesn't) have to retire because their job has got too demanding — because they are at a mid-management level or have to go international or have to do what they got to do to progress in their career."
so the GPA is being used a networking club to get county players up the ladder in various jobs.
not much good to lads working in a school who don't get to do all this corporate stuff.

"There was 11,500 people in a baseball pitch in the middle of New York. And it was a great day, it was a great event. There was a great atmosphere. Where the criticism is coming from, is it warranted? I don't believe so.
"We need to develop the game here, but we need to also look at how we can look at short-form versions of our games to grow it internationally.
"That's ultimately what we are looking to do with the Super 11s. Every sport has a short-form version of the game.

Really?

johnnycool

Quote from: Fionntamhnach on November 24, 2019, 07:08:12 PM
Whatever about the rest of the article, sending Liam McCarthy Cup teams up north to Fermanagh, Tyrone or Leitrim to play exhibition games during the "off-season" along with one public training session, on its own, would do next to nothing to encourage hurling participation levels. At least in Tyrone.

Are you involved with Eoghan Ruadh, Carrickmore or some of the other hurling clubs in Tyrone?

heffo

Am not sure where to stand.

I think they'd make it a lot easier for themselves if they were a bit more transparent - having a full list of scholarship recipients available etc.

The optics of the first trip to Boston (two years ago?) weren't great when it seemed like there a huge number of hangers on in the pictures - they probably paid their own way but it gives rise to the junket impression.

joemamas

Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 26, 2019, 10:32:03 AM
Flynn is out in the media again today defending the GPA and the junket to NY

"I would love to see a time that we get to when an inter-county player (doesn't) have to retire because their job has got too demanding — because they are at a mid-management level or have to go international or have to do what they got to do to progress in their career."
so the GPA is being used a networking club to get county players up the ladder in various jobs.
not much good to lads working in a school who don't get to do all this corporate stuff.

"There was 11,500 people in a baseball pitch in the middle of New York. And it was a great day, it was a great event. There was a great atmosphere. Where the criticism is coming from, is it warranted? I don't believe so.
"We need to develop the game here, but we need to also look at how we can look at short-form versions of our games to grow it internationally.
"That's ultimately what we are looking to do with the Super 11s. Every sport has a short-form version of the game.

Really?

This guy is either incredibly arrogant or has a serious case of verbal diarrhea. They came to NY to promote 11 a side hurling.
Bulls*it.
Did the journalist ask him about the fundraising or;
A) was he also on the trip
B) is he afraid he will lose access to the elite players if he criticizes the trip.

lastly, why are Colm O Rourke and Brolly the only Journalists bringing attention to this.
A lot of these aholes are tripping over themselves trying to give soundbites to stay relevant all year around, but dont have the balls to address this.

Beffs

#455
Paul Flynn really can't be the sharpest knife in the drawer if he can't see how flying dozens and dozens of people over to the US every year looks terrible, when there are clubhouses up & down the country without running water, hot showers, proper dressing rooms, enough equipment etc etc

All Star trips and the annual team holiday for AI winners are one thing. I don't think anyone has a problem with them. At least I don't. But spending truck loads of money on junkets (with loads of hangers on) to play a bastardized version of hurling that serves no purpose whatsoever, does not sit well with people.

The money could be better spent elsewhere, whether it's their own money, the GAA's or the sponsors. If he can't see that, it's a damming inditement of just how out of touch with reality he & the rest of the GPA are.

Captain Scarlet

I think everything they do is null and void until they genuinely speak up for the players they are meant to represent.
They speak about the demands of the GAA, the fuckin GAA at Central and County Board Level do not make demands, the county managers do and the GPA never even point that out. Lads not being given any flexibility in their lives or being allowed anything related to a social life.
Then the GPA supports those under stress and pressure, the stress and pressure an individual is putting them under in many cases - but we don't talk about that.

It's much easier to look at the GAA and blame the organisation...
them mysterons are always killing me but im grand after a few days.sickenin aul dose all the same.

Esmarelda

Quote from: Beffs on November 26, 2019, 02:21:44 PM
Paul Flynn really can't be the sharpest knife in the drawer if he can't see how flying dozens and dozens of people over to the US every year looks terrible, when there are clubhouses up & down the country without running water, hot showers, proper dressing rooms, enough equipment etc etc

All Star trips and the annual team holiday for AI winners are one thing. I don't think anyone has a problem with them. At least I don't. But spending truck loads of money on junkets (with loads of hangers on) to play a bastardized version of hurling that serves no purpose whatsoever, does not sit well with people.

The money could be better spent elsewhere, whether it's their own money, the GAA's or the sponsors. If he can't see that, it's a damming inditement of just how out of touch with reality he & the rest of the GPA are.
I don't think the GPA ever pretended to have anything to do with anything other than intercounty players.

manfromdelmonte

Quote from: Beffs on November 26, 2019, 02:21:44 PM
Paul Flynn really can't be the sharpest knife in the drawer if he can't see how flying dozens and dozens of people over to the US every year looks terrible, when there are clubhouses up & down the country without running water, hot showers, proper dressing rooms, enough equipment etc etc

All Star trips and the annual team holiday for AI winners are one thing. I don't think anyone has a problem with them. At least I don't. But spending truck loads of money on junkets (with loads of hangers on) to play a bastardized version of hurling that serves no purpose whatsoever, does not sit well with people.

The money could be better spent elsewhere, whether it's their own money, the GAA's or the sponsors. If he can't see that, it's a damming inditement of just how out of touch with reality he & the rest of the GPA are.
no funding for clubs and schools to buy footballs, sliotars or hurleys.
eg our local school would have no hurling in it only for the club goes out a fundraises to help buy some equipment.

I remember the school 15 years ago getting a bag of footballs for free and a bag of hurleys for free, when a large multi national fast foot company sponsored the kit
But now there is no free equipment for schools.
Even Aldi provide a chance to get some rugby equipment
Where has all the corporate sponsorship gone?

omaghjoe

I wouldn't be one for agreeing for Colm O'Rourke but he is 100% right here...

It looks like the GAA basically bribed the GPA to pipe down, make them part of the organisation and gave them free reign commercially.
But on the other hand it may have been part of their intention since Farrell took over to have a wee junket like this. I remember I thought the outcome of the negotiations a bit strange at the time, they had went from a radical rabble rousing organisation who had secured Government grants for players to basically becoming part of the main GAA body without so much as a whimper

TBF to Flynn tho I'd be regurgitating BS to if I was on a good thing like it

Baile Brigín 2

This Citi field thing. 11,000 punters at $80 a pop and $7.25 a hot dog, sponsored by Aer Lingus. A company called Fenway Sports Management  ran it.

As this was a commercially run game, how much did the players get? How much did the GAA get?

Rossfan

Davy's given us a dream to cling to
We're going to bring home the SAM

themac_23

Quote from: Rossfan on November 26, 2019, 06:42:41 PM
Colm is on a roll of ranting this week ;D
https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/1126/1095262-dead-duck-provincials-preventing-fixture-solution/

He is 100% right in what he says, provincial championships are largely irrelevant now, since the Back door came in the intensity dropped a bit and since the super 8s they really are of no significance. Play them instead of the Pre season competitions, over a 3-4 week period, for example Ulster play the 4 quarter finals over a weekend, Friday night, sat afternoon, sat evening & Sunday, play to a finish, then semi finals week after and final week after. Lead into the league without the league finals, which again serve no purpose.  then into 2 tiers all Ireland championship. Could easily free up a few weeks by doing something like that

Beffs

Quote from: Esmarelda on November 26, 2019, 03:55:40 PM
Quote from: Beffs on November 26, 2019, 02:21:44 PM
Paul Flynn really can't be the sharpest knife in the drawer if he can't see how flying dozens and dozens of people over to the US every year looks terrible, when there are clubhouses up & down the country without running water, hot showers, proper dressing rooms, enough equipment etc etc

All Star trips and the annual team holiday for AI winners are one thing. I don't think anyone has a problem with them. At least I don't. But spending truck loads of money on junkets (with loads of hangers on) to play a bastardized version of hurling that serves no purpose whatsoever, does not sit well with people.

The money could be better spent elsewhere, whether it's their own money, the GAA's or the sponsors. If he can't see that, it's a damming inditement of just how out of touch with reality he & the rest of the GPA are.
I don't think the GPA ever pretended to have anything to do with anything other than intercounty players.

I know that.

But the wider population are ordinary rank and file GAA club members. They are the ones who see how hard life is at grass roots level. They are the ones who have a problem with all these US junkets & they are the people Paul Flynn doesn't seem to understand having a problem.

Eamonnca1

Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 26, 2019, 10:32:03 AM
Flynn is out in the media again today defending the GPA and the junket to NY

"I would love to see a time that we get to when an inter-county player (doesn't) have to retire because their job has got too demanding — because they are at a mid-management level or have to go international or have to do what they got to do to progress in their career."
so the GPA is being used a networking club to get county players up the ladder in various jobs.
not much good to lads working in a school who don't get to do all this corporate stuff.

"There was 11,500 people in a baseball pitch in the middle of New York. And it was a great day, it was a great event. There was a great atmosphere. Where the criticism is coming from, is it warranted? I don't believe so.
"We need to develop the game here, but we need to also look at how we can look at short-form versions of our games to grow it internationally.
"That's ultimately what we are looking to do with the Super 11s.

If they were serious about developing the game internationally then they'd engage with the GAA units that have been developing the game internationally for donkey's years and agree on a way to go about it. Super 11s is the GPA going off on a solo run with no input from local GAA units. Notre Dame University has a student hurling and football club but it'll be a cold day in hell before the GPA help them out with any equipment or coaching.

QuoteEvery sport has a short-form version of the game.

To be fair, I don't know about all sports, but a lot of them do. Football codes have Sevens versions, Cricket has T20, cycling has criteriums, etc.