GPA's latest scam

[Eamonnca1]

"Anointed few"? You mean "elected majority."

"No headway" you say?  Hurling clubs have been springing up left right and center in the USA lately.  The GPA arrogantly assumed that we'd have nothing to contribute to the discussion despite our experience of promoting the game here, and they froze us out completely.

"Super elevens" looks like a bastardized game that the GPA have developed so they can play it outside the remit of the GAA and its inconvenient rules about amateurism.

I mean, really?  You'd like to see Gaelic games split in two like rugby did between union and league with two different games?

[Zulu]

And you think that might happen? Anyway, football and hurling are far different sports that union and league.

[Eamonnca1]

I'm talking about two distinct versions of a sport, one designed with professionalism in mind.

[Zulu]

Do you really think that's the agenda? I can't see it.

[Eamonnca1]

Duplicating the all-star awards (later merged into the GAA all-stars)?  Running a twinning program to develop hurling in the weaker counties, completely outside the games development systems put in place by the GAA? Now a separate game with their own rules and promoted completely outside the structures of the GAA? All of these activities that have nothing to do with player welfare?

[rrhf]

Spot on

[Hound]

Even the begrudgers can't begrudge the help the GPA gives to the likes of Shane McAnarney. Hadn't heard about his health issues but great that he seems to be on the mend.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/i-remember-chasing-lads-at-training-up-the-hill-of-tara-anything-could-have-happened-i-could-have-keeled-over-29753022.html

What a cheap way to deal with such a topic.

Wow.
Put up a link to a national newspaper story of the GPA promoting a version of "hurling" in the US and you get pages of comments on alleged ulterior motives.

Put up a link on the same thread about how the GPA helped a player in his battle with serious illness and its "cheap".

Shame on Shane for giving the GPA some praise for the help they gave him. How could he not see their ulterior motive that they only did for the publicity 

Up the begrudgers Hardy. You won't be climbing down from never giving them praise anyway.

[Hardy]

It's cheap and cowardly to call someone who disagrees with you a begrudger. Just to be absolutely clear, my remark, as you know, was not aimed at Shane, but at your cheap broadside at all who criticise the GPA, at your casual labelling of us as begrudgers and at your cheap attempt to use the plight of a decent player to do it. Your attempt to put "shame on Shane" into my mouth is just as cheap.

[Rossfan]

Even the begrudgers can't begrudge the help the GPA gives to the likes of Shane McAnarney. Hadn't heard about his health issues but great that he seems to be on the mend.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/i-remember-chasing-lads-at-training-up-the-hill-of-tara-anything-could-have-happened-i-could-have-keeled-over-29753022.html

What a cheap way to deal with such a topic.

Wow.
Put up a link to a national newspaper story of the GPA promoting a version of "hurling" in the US and you get pages of comments on alleged ulterior motives.

Put up a link on the same thread about how the GPA helped a player in his battle with serious illness and its "cheap".

Shame on Shane for giving the GPA some praise for the help they gave him. How could he not see their ulterior motive that they only did for the publicity 

+1.
There are a few paranoid bucks around here alright.
Tough oul life wakening up every morning in a blind panic about what the GPA might get up to next.
We'll all be rooned says Hanrahan....

[deiseach]

It's cheap and cowardly to call someone who disagrees with you a begrudger. Just to be absolutely clear, my remark, as you know, was not aimed at Shane, but at your cheap broadside at all who criticise the GPA, at your casual labelling of us as begrudgers and at your cheap attempt to use the plight of a decent player to do it. Your attempt to put "shame on Shane" into my mouth is just as cheap.

The next time someone has a pop at Ryanair/Michael O'Leary, I'll be sure to mention how the bould Mick gave €200,000 to the fund for JT McNamara and up the begrudgers.

[Zulu]

Duplicating the all-star awards (later merged into the GAA all-stars)?  Running a twinning program to develop hurling in the weaker counties, completely outside the games development systems put in place by the GAA? Now a separate game with their own rules and promoted completely outside the structures of the GAA? All of these activities that have nothing to do with player welfare?

If it has little to do with player welfare it has even less to do with professionalism.

The twinning program was a decent idea though not something I would have supported as I didn't think it would do much but it surely was as worthwhile as the GAA hurling development program that has managed to make little or no indoors into two thirds of the country in over 100 years.

A separate game or a promotional game designed to bring hurling to a new audience? There's not a hope in hell that 11 a side thing will develop into a professional sport. You seem to have your nose put out by not being consulted on this which is plain daft.

[AZOffaly]

In fairness Zulu, and God knows Eamonn and I have had a good few disagreements in the past, I understand where he is coming from on this one. If your remit is to spread the gospel of hurling into the 3rd level institutions of the US, and that remit is sanctioned and indeed instructed from the County Board you are attached to, it does strike me as at least a bit disrespectful that another official organ of the GAA would come in unbeknownst to either the county board or the sub committee looking at 3rd level colleges and stage a hurling game on the site of one of the biggest Irish American Universities in the States.

[magpie seanie]

Letting the GPA into the tent was the beginning of the end of the GAA as we know it. They shouldn't have been entertained. If lads don't want to play county football or hurling off with them. Someone else will take their place.

The intercounty game is destroying the organisation as a whole and the intercounty agenda is driven by the GPA. Bloody sicken my hole the whole lot of them.

[deiseach]

The intercounty game is destroying the organisation as a whole and the intercounty agenda is driven by the GPA. Bloody sicken my hole the whole lot of them.

But what do you really think?

[Zulu]

Letting the GPA into the tent was the beginning of the end of the GAA as we know it. They shouldn't have been entertained. If lads don't want to play county football or hurling off with them. Someone else will take their place.

The intercounty game is destroying the organisation as a whole and the intercounty agenda is driven by the GPA. Bloody sicken my hole the whole lot of them.

The raced to the bottom argument, can't see 80,000 turning up to see lads who barely make their club team at home. The idea that the GPA is running the IC scene is pure fantasy. The problem with the GAA is you and me, did Donegal clubs not vote to destroy their own season or are you telling me Donal Og bought them all off?

There is a very simple solution to the problems with club GAA but 'GAA men', 'club' men even won't do it. Limit players to one code and one grade (minor, U21 or senior) at IC level, get rid of the provincial championships and set out a structured one competition season for each IC grade so that all CB's know when they can fix club games (no replays at IC if at all possible). It won't be perfect, it can't be when players are playing for two separate teams (club and county) but it would help a huge amount.