Gooch Cooper testimonial dinner

[longballin]

It reminds me of an Alexei Sayle joke. Everything would have been fine if Hitler had invaded the Soviet Union for charity.

Did he tell any other jokes? 

[Rudi]

I fully agree with Brolly's comments on this. I find the greed a bit sickening to be honest. Cooper is probably a player who has generated a lot greater financially than most of his peers throughout his career, he will continue to benefit financially after it. This just stinks of pure greed, defending it or not - that's what it is.

I suppose it won't be long until Fine Gael have him on their election ticket.

Well said and fair play to Brolly for calling Copper out on this.

[Gold]

I agree with Brolly...just because Cooper was good why should he get paid for playing our amateur sport?

He will earn a handsome wage with RTE for as long as he needs. Gooch will regret this i feel

[Syferus]

I agree with Brolly...just because Cooper was good why should he get paid for playing our amateur sport?

He will earn a handsome wage with RTE for as long as he needs. Gooch will regret this i feel

On what planet will he regret getting 200k for a dinner dance? It won't be this one.

[T Fearon]

I see nothing wrong with this.I remember the GAA elite,from many counties,coming together and presenting Joe Kernan with a top of the range brand spanking new Merc,back in the noughties.
with a personalised number plate too.
No one is forced to buy tickets,so good luck to the Gooch.

[Itchy]

http://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/joe-brolly-colm-cooper-will-live-to-regret-decision-to-enrich-himself-36162020.html

Nail on the head by Brolly.

[Il Bomber Destro]

There's a lot of money to be made by GAA players with the right profile nowadays.

Players don't get that much out of playing the game in a financial sense but there are plenty of avenues available to the high profile ones.

Dublin players seem to all be very well looked after but after that there seems to be a few high profile players in the other counties who make a killing while the rest don't really fair out as well.

I don't know how well it would sit with me if I was a Mayo player for instance and Aidan O'Shea is probably milking the guts of €50k a year (as well as driving around in a top of the range car sponsored for free) in endorsements and promotional deals and the like, similarly if I was a Galway hurler and Joe Canning was milking that kind of money. There must be a sense of resentment there I'd imagine.

My own view is Gooch should be a bit embarrassed by this, I'd say he's fairly well off - he would have made a fair packet of his own endorsements as a player, has a nice cushy job, a few other relatively handy gigs in media. What in the world does he need this for? It just portrays him, in my eyes anyway, as a rather shameless money grabber. He has built up this cult personality over the years though so I'd expect plenty of vitriol against Brolly for speaking out against it.

If it was me in that position, I'd be a bit embarrassed.

[ONeill]

http://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/joe-brolly-colm-cooper-will-live-to-regret-decision-to-enrich-himself-36162020.html

Nail on the head by Brolly.

Does Joe give the substantial figure he gets for writing about GAA away?

[magpie seanie]

Some people are just greedy. We can't change it. The world would be a much better place if this wasn't the case but sadly it is. And greed begets greed - "if he's doing it then why shouldn't I".

Such nonsense to expect private citizens not to look to earn money in a capitalist society because of some vague sense of duty.

Has Brolly ever taken on a case he didn't believe in, I wonder?

The greed came with the Celtic Tiger which has breed that mindset, how can I fill my pockets with money and made it's way into the GAA big-time.

Aye. And this hilarious so called "capitalist society" fairly went out the window when the big boys needed bailing out! Capitalist my hole.

[currychip]

http://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/joe-brolly-colm-cooper-will-live-to-regret-decision-to-enrich-himself-36162020.html

Nail on the head by Brolly.

Does Joe give the substantial figure he gets for writing about GAA away?  What Brolly gets is pay , for doing something, not a handout.

[thewobbler]

It's an odd thing for Brolly to give off about. The nature of his profession is that there are probably hundreds of barristers across Ireland who could sit in his SG chair and deliver intelligent, entertaining insights into football. But because he was talented enough to play the game at the highest level, it has provided only him the high profile meal ticket. Whether he's contracted or not isn't a concern for me. I doubt very much that a testimonial dinner was Gooch's idea; I'd expect that a GAA partner or two looked at creating an opportunity for exposure and perhaps a little profit. That such an event can only take place with Gooch's blessing and involvement surely deems him worthy of a wage from it.

I'd love to know Joe's interpretation of how many degrees of separation from the games are required before getting paid indirectly from them becomes acceptable. Then why.

—�-

I don't believe Gooch will have the magnetism/charisma to last more than a couple of years as a pundit. He wouldn't appear to have the God complex needed to be a manager. Making his way into a paid administration post might actually involve a pay cut.

So, if he can use this one opportunity at the end of his career to line his pockets from his Gaelic footballing abilities, then fair play to him.

By the way, I'd expect that by this stage of his media career, Pat Spillane has banked over 7 figures from the public purse, and a large percentage of it for running down our games and delivering thoughtless, unprepared drivel. I also say fair play to Pat for milking that cow. But i fail to see how that's a more noble or reputable way to derive income from a previous life as an outstanding amateur.

[Hound]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/i-think-its-an-extremely-disappointing-development-joe-brolly-takes-issue-with-colm-coopers-testimonial-dinner-36161741.html

According to Cooper it appears as though Padraig Duffy has sanctioned this which is worrying. However it's entirely consistent with the direction the GAA has taken under himself and O' Fearghail with the maximisation of revenue streams being at the forefront of their plans. The GAA window dress their aims by stating that their primary concern are the clubs, Cooper has window dressed this event as a charity night. For as long as there is no direction from the top this problem is only going to increase.

Duffy didn't sanction it. Gooch met him to let him know about it, and Duffy looked into whether he could stop it. The legal eagles in Croke Park decided that they probably couldnt stop it. But they have come out and clearly said they are playing no part in it.

[seafoid]

There's a lot of money to be made by GAA players with the right profile nowadays.

Players don't get that much out of playing the game in a financial sense but there are plenty of avenues available to the high profile ones.

Dublin players seem to all be very well looked after but after that there seems to be a few high profile players in the other counties who make a killing while the rest don't really fair out as well.

I don't know how well it would sit with me if I was a Mayo player for instance and Aidan O'Shea is probably milking the guts of €50k a year (as well as driving around in a top of the range car sponsored for free) in endorsements and promotional deals and the like, similarly if I was a Galway hurler and Joe Canning was milking that kind of money. There must be a sense of resentment there I'd imagine.

My own view is Gooch should be a bit embarrassed by this, I'd say he's fairly well off - he would have made a fair packet of his own endorsements as a player, has a nice cushy job, a few other relatively handy gigs in media. What in the world does he need this for? It just portrays him, in my eyes anyway, as a rather shameless money grabber. He has built up this cult personality over the years though so I'd expect plenty of vitriol against Brolly for speaking out against it.

If it was me in that position, I'd be a bit embarrassed.

If you look on Twitter an awful lot of players are in the commercial grey zone for cars, suits, nutrition and a Blankety Blank chequebook and pen. Conor McManus would be a role model for a lot of young people for example. So would Joe Canning  . The GAA is very commercial these days. Aogan O Fearghail would say that the patrons are never happy and are always moaning about something.

[seafoid]

http://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/joe-brolly-colm-cooper-will-live-to-regret-decision-to-enrich-himself-36162020.html

Nail on the head by Brolly.

Does Joe give the substantial figure he gets for writing about GAA away?

If Joe was from Throne there would be omerta.

And we do this all day
Welcome to St Rabane

https://youtu.be/Kh2FRFhS7QY

[thewobbler]

I would also expect that any footballer / hurler who has a problem with Connolly / O'Shea / Canning etc. making money from their profile is not a teammate you would want to have.

Firstly, they're only high-profile enough because they're good enough to win games by themselves, which means that if you train 51.5 week's a year, you've a much better chance of reward. As long as they're training hard and playing well, then how they earn a living is their own business.

Secondly, this is a faucet, and there is a trickle down effect. Sponsors follow sponsors. If you've the 29th highest profile on a panel, you probably won't see much of the trickle down. But in a successful team (which generally will have high profile players), most of the starters will enjoy some of the effects.