Paraic Duffy to Stand Down

Started by AZOffaly, October 11, 2017, 01:51:42 PM

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Lone Shark

Quote from: Boycey on October 11, 2017, 02:02:34 PM
I'd be biased I suppose as I'm a club man of Paraic's but I think he's been really good in his time in the job. I'd expect this thread to soon descend into a 'fcuk him all he was interested in was the money' slagging match. I've always thought he was in a damned if he did and damned if he didn't situation with the changes that have occurred as the game hurtles towards semi professionalism.

Whatever people think about the job he did I can tell you he's a serious grassroots football man at the back of it all.

When it comes to how I'd view the man's tenure, the bit in bold says it all for me. I don't doubt that he is a genuine man with the best interests of the GAA at heart, and he came across as a man who believed in the measures he implemented and oversaw.

However he acted as if he believed that the move to semi (or full) professionalism in the GAA was inevitable, and that his job was to steer the bobsled downhill, because there was no point trying to stop it. He oversaw complete and utter capitulation to the GPA agenda, and consequently has made it incredibly difficult for the next occupant of the role to change that trajectory. To give the GPA such power and resource without any level of accountability or oversight strikes me as completely counter to the ideals of the GAA, and it will be very hard to unwind. I firmly believe that in the future we're going to have an Angela Kerins/REHAB style moment within the GPA when somebody lifts the lid on the finances in that organisation, and that has been facilitated by the GAA's petrified stance in any sort of face off with that body.

I'd also broadly fall in line with AZOffaly's view, that he often saw revenue generation as a worthy goal in itself, rather than a necessary aspect to fund the promotion of all gaelic games across the entire country. Again, I've no doubt that the GPA approves of this too, since it makes sense to fatten the calf as much as possible before killing it.


Ultimately however, I believe that this approach didn't emanate from any will to do harm to the GAA, but far more a sense that we're on the cusp of a professional era, and that all that it was in his power to do was to manage the transition as much as possible.

Rossfan

When is this "Professional era" coming in?
Will all 32 Counties have fully professional hurling and football teams of 30 players each plus 20 managenent/back up/administration?
€50K ×50 = €2.5m x 64 = €160m.
Minimum for wages only.
Who's going to pay for all this?

I thought paranoia had vanished from GAABOARD but it's back in full flow as the "enemies/nemesis" of the GAA are getting it with both barrels from the usual crew.

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

Owenmoresider

Quote from: Rossfan on October 12, 2017, 10:46:05 AM
When is this "Professional era" coming in?
Will all 32 Counties have fully professional hurling and football teams of 30 players each plus 20 managenent/back up/administration?
€50K ×50 = €2.5m x 64 = €160m.
Minimum for wages only.
Who's going to pay for all this?

I thought paranoia had vanished from GAABOARD but it's back in full flow as the "enemies/nemesis" of the GAA are getting it with both barrels from the usual crew.
Your usual kind of carry on with anyone who dares question the motives of the GPA, Croke Park etc., predictable as it is tiresome.

Anyway if the Association slides further towards professionalism there won't be 32 teams for sure, it'll simply not be sustainable, you can look forward to the bigger guns staying pretty intact and the rest disappearing or having to merge to become in any way viable, us ye and Leitrim might become the North Connacht Rangers or some such franchise name.

Rossfan

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

Lone Shark

Quote from: Rossfan on October 12, 2017, 10:46:05 AM
When is this "Professional era" coming in?
Will all 32 Counties have fully professional hurling and football teams of 30 players each plus 20 managenent/back up/administration?
€50K ×50 = €2.5m x 64 = €160m.
Minimum for wages only.
Who's going to pay for all this?

I thought paranoia had vanished from GAABOARD but it's back in full flow as the "enemies/nemesis" of the GAA are getting it with both barrels from the usual crew.

Owenmoresider got in there before me. There won't be 64 professional teams, there'll probably be about 12-14 between both sports, and between them they will cannibalise everything in terms of TV revenue, sponsorship, players etc.

And we're well on the way already. Factor in sponsored cars, clothing, mileage (over and above the basic amount to cover fuel/wear and tear), food (again, I'm not talking the one meal after training here) and all the other add ons that are available, and there are plenty of players involved with the stronger teams in both codes who are doing very well out of playing intercounty GAA. If you're a potential intercounty hurler and footballer from somewhere like Ballyhaunis in Mayo or Ballinacourty in Waterford, there's no getting away from the fact that it's not just the potential for a senior All Ireland title that varies hugely depending on which sport you want to play - it's your earning potential as well.

RadioGAAGAA

Too much commercialism in the GAA today.

It's building into something akin to the property bubble.

The danger being, when the bubble eventually bursts, the volunteer clubmen/women that is the real strength of the GAA walk away in their droves - subsequently realises they quite like having an extra 10 hours a week to themselves and never return.


A few simple steps to it:
-- Renew the focus on club games. They are cheaper, more accessible and often mean more to the many. If fixture congestion is such a big deal, then take the inter county championship back to straight knock out (in fact, maybe do this anyway).
-- Limit county training time. If any county is found to exceed it, draconian punishment needs to be imposed (up to exclusion). That'll also have the welcome side effect of somewhat equalising performance between the halves and halve nots.
-- Matches that don't have a high probability of filling Croke Park, don't go to Croke Park.
i usse an speelchekor

sid waddell

"Elitism" has become a sort of catch all pejorative term for backwoodsmen in the same way "liberals" has become a catch all pejorative term for right-wing nut jobs.

I've yet to hear a proper explanation of what this "elitism" is, never mind a proper explanation of what problems its causing or what the solutions to these problems are.

But sure just vilifying Padraic Duffy, or referencing a few Colm O'Rourke or Joe Brolly articles that go nowhere, say nothing beyond shouting "elitism", and offer no solutions to anything, should garner a few sympathetic posts in response.





sid waddell

Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 11:44:16 AM

-- Renew the focus on club games.
What does that even mean?

There has never been more focus on club games than there is now.

Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 11:44:16 AM
-- Limit county training time. If any county is found to exceed it, draconian punishment needs to be imposed (up to exclusion). That'll also have the welcome side effect of somewhat equalising performance between the halves and halve nots.
County training is already limited under the rules and these rules discriminate against those who are knocked out of the championship early.

But the bottom line is you can't stop people associating freely with each other because this is a free society, not a vigilante one.

AZOffaly

Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 11:44:16 AM

-- Renew the focus on club games.
What does that even mean?

There has never been more focus on club games than there is now.


Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 11:44:16 AM
-- Limit county training time. If any county is found to exceed it, draconian punishment needs to be imposed (up to exclusion). That'll also have the welcome side effect of somewhat equalising performance between the halves and halve nots.
County training is already limited under the rules and these rules discriminate against those who are knocked out of the championship early.

But the bottom line is you can't stop people associating freely with each other because this is a free society, not a vigilante one.

Sid, no harm, but unless you mean media focus and the whole club All Ireland coverage, you are completely off base with this one. I take 'focus' in this sense to mean having it front and centre in the GAA calendar, not pushed off as an inconvenience. In our rush to have more inter county games, and as the inter county games become more high profile and pressurised, Clubs are getting reduced access to their county players for training, and their meaningful games are being squeezed in all over the shop. the new proposals about April being free from club, and September onwards, are almost unworkable. As Liam Kearns says, if you have a championship match in May, you're hardly going to be happy to see the players on the first of May.

The only good thing I see about the new proposals is the inter county season ends earlier, albeit with more games squeezed in, and Club players should at least be able to book holidays for May or June with a fair degree of certainty they won't have to change plans.


RadioGAAGAA

#54
Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
What does that even mean?

What do you think it means? It's not exactly complicated.

Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
There has never been more focus on club games than there is now.

What. The. F**k.


In an era of the backdoor and now the super-8s, there has never been more intercounty fixtures in the calendar. How on earth does that add up in your world to focus on club games?


Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
County training is already limited under the rules and these rules discriminate against those who are knocked out of the championship early.

When IC managers are able to interfere in all sorts of manner with the running of club leagues and championships, then its not limited enough.

Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
But the bottom line is you can't stop people associating freely with each other because this is a free society, not a vigilante one.

You can't stop people from running with the ball without soloing, its a free society. But you'd be pulled up by the referee for violating the rules of a sport.
i usse an speelchekor

sid waddell

Quote from: AZOffaly on October 12, 2017, 12:11:25 PM
Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 11:44:16 AM

-- Renew the focus on club games.
What does that even mean?

There has never been more focus on club games than there is now.


Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 11:44:16 AM
-- Limit county training time. If any county is found to exceed it, draconian punishment needs to be imposed (up to exclusion). That'll also have the welcome side effect of somewhat equalising performance between the halves and halve nots.
County training is already limited under the rules and these rules discriminate against those who are knocked out of the championship early.

But the bottom line is you can't stop people associating freely with each other because this is a free society, not a vigilante one.

Sid, no harm, but unless you mean media focus and the whole club All Ireland coverage, you are completely off base with this one. I take 'focus' in this sense to mean having it front and centre in the GAA calendar, not pushed off as an inconvenience. In our rush to have more inter county games, and as the inter county games become more high profile and pressurised, Clubs are getting reduced access to their county players for training, and their meaningful games are being squeezed in all over the shop. the new proposals about April being free from club, and September onwards, are almost unworkable. As Liam Kearns says, if you have a championship match in May, you're hardly going to be happy to see the players on the first of May.

The only good thing I see about the new proposals is the inter county season ends earlier, albeit with more games squeezed in, and Club players should at least be able to book holidays for May or June with a fair degree of certainty they won't have to change plans.
Club games have never been "front and centre of the GAA calendar," unless you're referring to the time over a century ago when club teams contested the All-Ireland championships.

There wasn't even an All-Ireland club championship until 1971 and the concept of the finals being played every year in Croke Park didn't begin until 1986.

The All-Ireland intermediate and junior club championships are a very recent invention.

In a previous post I compared those who cry "elitism" to right-wing nut jobs who cry "liberals", as if either of these terms provide any insight into anything (they don't).

And like those right-wing nut jobs, those who cry "elitism" are harking back to an imagined "golden age" that never existed.




rosnarun

Quote from: Syferus on October 11, 2017, 04:45:30 PM
Quote from: rosnarun on October 11, 2017, 04:33:10 PM
Quote from: Syferus on October 11, 2017, 03:47:34 PM
I don't see many clever business moves. A child could have dreamt up the Super 8 as a way to generate cheap boost in revenue to cover for falling attendances. It shows no imagination at all, and that has typifies his tenure.

History won't judge his era kindly.
the inevitable character assassination begins . hell be the devils spawn before some mod closes the thread

The fact you, a seeming apologist for him, knew it was inevitable he'd be strongly criticised says enough about his reign in itself.
how am I an apologist for him my comment is more aimed at the board than him and subsequent debate had proved me correct.
the best administrator are the one you hear least about. they are there to implement policy not to create it  .
I have no interest in who gets the job as they are only as powerful as congress lets them be
If you make yourself understood, you're always speaking well. Moliere

RadioGAAGAA

Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 12:25:25 PM
There wasn't even an All-Ireland club championship until 1971 and the concept of the finals being played every year in Croke Park didn't begin until 1986.

So what? You completely and utterly miss the point.

How many clubs does this involve?


What about the thousands that are f**ked about week to week with fixtures postponed, re-arranged, re-arranged again, postponed, etc etc, all to suit the inter-county scene. Its not just the players, but all those involved with the clubs.
i usse an speelchekor

sid waddell

Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 12:21:45 PM
Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
What does that even mean?

What do you think it means? It's not exactly complicated.
Well, if it's not complicated, surely you could tell us?

Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 12:21:45 PM
Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
There has never been more focus on club games than there is now.

What. The. F**k.


In an era of the backdoor and now the super-8s, there has never been more intercounty fixtures in the calendar. How on earth does that add up in your world to focus on club games?
See my last post.

Every change to the format of the All-Ireland championships has been voted for by the delegates of the GAA. The delegates are the representatives of the grass roots.

The grass roots have voted for all these changes.


Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 12:21:45 PM
Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
County training is already limited under the rules and these rules discriminate against those who are knocked out of the championship early.

When IC managers are able to interfere in all sorts of manner with the running of club leagues and championships, then its not limited enough.
Clubs are more than able to interfere with the running of championships themselves. See what's happening in Galway at the moment.

The GAA have brought in a more streamlined calendar where more time will be set aside to run off club championships.

Yet apparently that amounts to "Club football RIP".

Strange logic.

Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 12, 2017, 12:21:45 PM
Quote from: sid waddell on October 12, 2017, 11:58:36 AM
But the bottom line is you can't stop people associating freely with each other because this is a free society, not a vigilante one.

You can't stop people from running with the ball without soloing, its a free society. But you'd be pulled up by the referee for violating the rules of a sport.
You're confusing the rules of a sport with the rules of a free society. An easy mistake to make, sure.

The GAA tried vigilantism before. It didn't work out very well.

sligoman2

If the super 8's semis and finals are all done by the end of August (5 rounds in total), it means that 24 teams are done by mid July at the latest.  That's 3 months before today's date and so club championships in those counties have loads of time.
Great post Sid, I agree that I don't know what elitist means in the gaa, does it mean you get cheese on the burger or curry on the chips when others don't.  The dinosaurs keep trotting out the old standards like elitism, amateur ethos, GPA, grassroots, commercialization etc and don't provide any details.
This is 2017, we live in a dynamic world, it's kill or be killed.  If you are not innovative you are done and will be left behind quickly.  I think Pauric has done a good job making sure that doesn't happen but we all know you can never please everyone especially those who the sawdoctors say are "living in the sixties" still.

Good man Pauric, fcuk the begrudgers again.
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not too sure.