The 140th Open Championship

[laoislad]

Never seems to bother Laois footballers..

[The Gs Man]

http://a1.img.mobypicture.com/2d99e4a8de1d6cef3ca19fdb7dfca914_new_medium.jpg

G MAC rory and big D on the blackstuff

With his Lurgan roots I'd say Rory would prefer a glass of Buckfast.

[AZOffaly]

True, or some of the Offaly ones come to that

Ah no, seriously, have you ever been out in the company of an intercounty footballer? From time to time they get their picture taken with whomever. Most of them, in my experience, go to great lengths to hide the bottle of bud or whatever behind their backs. It's almost taboo for them to be seen drinking.

Now obviously there is the preparation side of it, but I think it's more to do with the 'example' side that has been drilled into the consciousness for the last few years.

I'm not criticising the golfers, or the rugby players that throw beer and champagne all over the place on the pitch, but I find the contrast interesting.

[Rouge_Diablo]

Ah no, seriously, have you ever been out in the company of an intercounty footballer? From time to time they get their picture taken with whomever. Most of them, in my experience, go to great lengths to hide the bottle of bud or whatever behind their backs. It's almost taboo for them to be seen drinking.

Now obviously there is the preparation side of it, but I think it's more to do with the 'example' side that has been drilled into the consciousness for the last few years.

on the other hand some don't. A certain player , All Ireland winner from the early noughties thought nothing of sitting at the top table at our dinner dance chain smoking and drinking pints. Lets JUST say some of our players were v surprised by it, and non too impressed

[Hoof Hearted]

Golfers dont have to go out the following week and run for 60, 70, 80 or 90 minutes compared to Soccer,  rugby or Gaelic footballers, all they have to do is walk for 3 hours or so and swing a stick, a feed of stout is hardly going to kill them.

[Tony Baloney]

Fair play to big Darren, and the other lads, and it is nice to see them as normal felllas. Does anyone think there'd be a different reaction though if the Kerry or Cork or Tyrone or whomever lads were constantly pictured with pints and fags or cigars after winning an All Ireland?

Clarke has shown that physical conditioning and the associated lifestyle isn't necessarily a requirement for success in golf. Same doesn't apply to most other sports.

[AZOffaly]

Not my point lads. I'm contrasting the media attitudes towards the obvious drink related celebrations here (and in rugby) versus the same attitude towards GAA and alcohol.

[BarryBreensBandage]

I think the reaction is because of who it is - I would expect the same jovial reaction to Jimenez winning or John Daly, but if it was McIlroy, Poulter or Donald, there would be serious frowning and complaint.

Similarly if Kerry won an All-Ireland and the team were pictured on the tear for a week, it would be commented on, whereas you would expect the likes of Fermanagh or Antrim to go on the tear for a month and never play football again if they won (reference Donegal 1992, Derry 1993).

[Tony Baloney]

Not my point lads. I'm contrasting the media attitudes towards the obvious drink related celebrations here (and in rugby) versus the same attitude towards GAA and alcohol.

Come out and say it's a class thing then!

[AZOffaly]

A class thing?

[Puckoon]

Aye, its class to go on the rip.

[thewobbler]

Some people on here are looking for an angle that doesn't exist.

If Clarke had have went on a week long bender after winning the Qatar inviational, the media would have hung him out.

But it wasn't the Qatar Invitational, it was the British Open. The biggest prize in his sport. He was entitled to party like a loon, just like each year's AI wnning teams are. Also, don't forger that when RTE are looking to interview people at the Burlington, they've 15 choices, and will end up with a couple of sober ones. Clarke is himself. Just one.

[Applesisapples]

http://a1.img.mobypicture.com/2d99e4a8de1d6cef3ca19fdb7dfca914_new_medium.jpg

G MAC rory and big D on the blackstuff

With his Lurgan roots I'd say Rory would prefer a glass of Buckfast.

£300 bottles of Krystal Champaigne is his tipple I hear.

[Dinny Breen]

It amuses me the perception on here is that RTE is all about the rugby ignoring the international aspect of the game (do RTE not show every international rules game live?), the lower costs for outside broadcasts - Aviva, RDS and Donnybrook all within 2 miles of RTE, a vibrant professional game with relative international superstars. Rugby is also tribal, much like the GAA you can't pick your province it picks you (unless you're AZ)* which leads to very high viewing figures which brings advertisers which brings revenue, the life blood of any commercial broadcaster.

Anyhow the GAA is sporting and a cultural organisation and there seems very much a belief from within the GAA that alcohol is somehow bad and if the GAA want to portray this image, well then it's only natural for members to fill uncomfortable when they are in the public light. Did the GAA not have a task force on alcohol abuse, the process around the renewal of the Guinness Hurling Sponsorship the crackdown on local pub sponsoring under-age teams? So if a leading GAA player acted like the golfers questions would have to be asked fairly in my opinion why is the GAA trying to crack down on alcohol when it's role models seem to embrace it, no?

Rugby on the other hand is known for a drinking culture (although most leading professionals don't drink), the IRFU are purely a sporting organisation but while they will run alcohol awareness programs they don't frown upon it and embrace the revenues (Magners, Guinness, Heineken) generated. But these guys know they are role models, some like a fag (including the greatest of them all) yet will never be caught in public smoking but drinking is no big deal in a sense the sponsors would almost expect it.

What is interesting is how the Stephen Ferris case in the north has barely got a mention but if a similar high profile GAA player or soccer player did the same the tabloids would go into meltdown.

*couldn't resist..

[Doogie Browser]

Some PR for Guinness again.