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['The whole experience had a significant impact on our mental health' - Departed Mayo players release strong statement]

'The whole experience had a significant impact on our mental health' - Departed Mayo players release strong statement

In a strong statement released this morning, the 12 players and two of the management team who left the panel said the "whole experience had a significant impact on their mental health".

The statement claimed:

The players all left because of player welfare issues
Whole experience had a significant impact on their mental health
It was not due to selection issues nor to one or two players
Reasons for leaving were related to player welfare issues that were personal, and were sensitive
A number of players but most notably our captain Sarah Tierney has endured an extremely difficult relationship with the Mayo manager over the 2018 season
Lack of communication, being undermined, intimidated, feeling isolated and eventually helpless in the entire situation
Mediation, which was another opportunity for engagement and agreement (even to disagree) was hindered by what we believe was an unfair process.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/ladies-football/the-whole-experience-had-a-significant-impact-on-our-mental-health-departed-mayo-players-release-strong-statement-37327872.html

This is going down a seriously ill-advised and disappointing road now.

Tears help people decide who the injured party is.

Laois were notoriously filthy in those days.

Textbook manliness in that photo.
Yer man was clearly up to no good and Tommy's just letting him know the error of his ways.

The politics of Mayo football make me sick to my teeth.

[Peter Canavan believes there is an 'agenda' against the Red Hand county]

Peter Canavan believes there is an 'agenda' against the Red Hand county

"I do believe that Tyrone are on the receiving end whenever there is negativity attached to gaelic games. It appears to be pointed up in this direction pretty quickly. I would say there is an agenda going on in that regard," he said.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/peter-canavan-believes-there-is-an-agenda-against-the-red-hand-county-as-tyrone-gaa-condemn-unwarranted-violence-37325340.html

There's a certain irony in this thread being started by a Meath man. I didn't even know violence existed in the GAA until 1996.

I'd find it harder to pick a ball straight off the ground. Unless of course I was on the ground. Chipping it up is much easier.

You're actually right.
Watching the women yesterday, I'd have to say I would rather stick with our pick-up.
It's kind of awkward to pick it up straight off the ground as you nearly have to run slightly to one side of the ball and lean down instead of going straight through.
Regardless, it is a mile down the list of potential changes that would make an actual difference.

Here comes the persecution complex.
Surprised it took this long.

Thats false equivalence. A) you were a kid,  B) they were your parents who raised you, clothed you and looked out for you.

These are grown men and it regards playing county football for a mildly successful team managed by a man who is routinely under a barrage of criticism and scrutiny. Dozens of players and coaching staff have walked away from Harte and gone to be highly successful afterwards in life, football and work. I don't t if any of these men are in a crisis as to whether mumbiling the rosary and daydreaming through mass is an affront to their deeply held beliefs. And even if it were I'd question the sanity of men who'd persevere through such a moral crisis for the reward of a mc Kenna cup match or 15 mins against Carlow in the qualifiers.

You're making this a personal issue. Personally youve objections to it but your projecting your moral objections onto a Tyrone panel who've to date only ever expressed apathy and a sense of inconvenience to it.

Look, I'm not blind to the fact that the landscape in Tyrone is a bit different when it comes to issues of religion, identity etc.
I can understand why people from your neck of the woods might think, 'Sure what's all the fuss about?'
There are far worse things in life than being compelled to sit in a church daydreaming for half an hour for the sake of team unity.
I go to plenty of funerals, weddings etc. to support my friends & family in times of happiness and sadness.
I don't take communion because I believe that would be incredibly hypocritical and also pretty disrespectful to those who genuinely believe.
My specific issue in the context of the Tyrone regime is the notion that players can freely opt in or out.
If they're going to mass and they want to go to mass, the best of luck to them.
If they're going to mass because they feel they've no choice in the matter, I think that's wrong.

Do you genuinely believe all the Tyrone players want to go to mass and say the rosary etc.?
And if the answer is 'No', then do you think any individual player would feel free to opt out?
I went to mass every Sunday when I was a child.
NEVER wanted to be there and when I said it to my parents later in life they said, "Sure no one was forcing you to go".
Technically that's true, but if the assumption has always been that you will go and everyone else is going too, are you likely to turn around to your parents and say, "Actually, I don't fancy this religion stuff at all".
There is an implicit power imbalance here.
All the power resides with Mickey Harte in this equation.
If you made the panel after slogging your guts out and you're desperately trying to break into the first XV, are you going to turn around to Mickey and say, "Count me out of this stuff"?
Mickey may well be fine with that, but that's not the point.
You're presenting the player with a difficult choice he should never have to make about something that has absolutely nothing to do with sport.
Would you take the risk that opting out of mass, the rosary etc. will put a black mark against your name?

That's funny. Sean Boylan did exactly the same with Meath and won 4 All Irelands doing it. They've won nothing since he was ousted.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/many-of-the-meath-team-had-gyms-then-they-were-called-farms-26212721.html

One big advantage we had at the time was that the routine changed little for many years. We had a kick around on Saturday evenings before all big games, attended Mass and went home to our own beds. Most of our matches were in Croke Park so Sunday was basically the same, whether the game was an early championship outing or the final.

a) I'd imagine all of those players were regular mass-goers, as most of the country was back then.
b) Regardless of that, I still don't agree with it.
'What we used to do' doesn't really cut the mustard as an argument.
The Captains don't kiss the bishops ring before games anymore and the mere idea that they ever did is laughable in this day and age.
Times change, attitudes change.

Do you genuinely believe all the Tyrone players want to go to mass and say the rosary etc.?
And if the answer is 'No', then do you think any individual player would feel free to opt out?
I went to mass every Sunday when I was a child.
NEVER wanted to be there and when I said it to my parents later in life they said, "Sure no one was forcing you to go".
Technically that's true, but if the assumption has always been that you will go and everyone else is going too, are you likely to turn around to your parents and say, "Actually, I don't fancy this religion stuff at all".
There is an implicit power imbalance here.
All the power resides with Mickey Harte in this equation.
If you made the panel after slogging your guts out and you're desperately trying to break into the first XV, are you going to turn around to Mickey and say, "Count me out of this stuff"?
Mickey may well be fine with that, but that's not the point.
You're presenting the player with a difficult choice he should never have to make about something that has absolutely nothing to do with sport.
Would you take the risk that opting out of mass, the rosary etc. will put a black mark against your name?

There's not many his age who could even kick a ball 50 yards, let alone accurately.
Plus, they'd need a child to run after it for them.

It's mad that this is even up for debate in 2018.
Believe what you want to believe, that's your business.
Don't make it anyone else's.

With smartphones, social media etc. hopefully the message will get through to lads that big brother is watching.
I'm all for naming and shaming in this context.
If you're a primary school teacher and you get your kicks out of trying to hurt people on the field, I want your principal & the parents of the kids you teach to know all about it.
That's what will ultimately put a stop to this.
I'm not talking about the standard shemozzle, where it's more 'houl me back and let me at him' than any real violent intent.
I'm talking about the really vicious dirt, both physical & mental in nature.