Tom Humphries on Donal Óg

[Ash Smoker]

From pillory to posts, Cusack stands apart

TOM HUMPHRIES

LOCKER ROOM: The Cork goalkeeper is a hate figure for some traditionalists, which is strange when you look at his unselfish service to the game and its grassroots, writes Tom Humphries.

FROM THE scenes created by the quietly relieved press of Cork people who moseyed onto the field at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday night when the final whistle shrilled one little tableau stood out. The kids hit Donal Óg Cusack's goal first when they made it on to the field. He was gathering up his supply of hurleys and when he stood to go to the dressingrooms Donal Óg's way was impeded by a sea of young, beseeching fans.

They clamoured for his hurleys, his signature and his jersey, and almost unconsciously he whipped off his famous hooped red-and-white geansaí and offered it to the first kid who had asked for it.

The young fella streaked off in a happy sprint of pure triumph and joy. He was followed by a brand-new retinue of admirers suddenly pleased to be associated with the fella who got Donal Óg's jersey. Meanwhile, Donal Óg stood and signed anything with a surface that would take a signature.

County boards are parsimonious in the matter of jerseys (the parsimony of Cork's county board has occasionally been highlighted by Donal Óg among others) but rather than chastise a player who hands a jersey over to a young kid it would be preferable almost if stars like Donal Óg were given a supply of them to give out. The 60 or 70 euro it might cost to replace Donal Óg's shirt from Saturday would buy just a tiny fragment of the joy and goodwill for the games the gesture provided.

What was interesting was that when you look at the ranks of modern players, Donal Óg Cusack is one of the most pilloried and derided despite the grudging nods to his excellence.

For instance, from our seat in the stands on Saturday one critic of Donal Óg's had been piercingly shrill in his denunciations of the Cork goalie as a "muppet" and a "clown".

Of all the names Donal Óg must have been called, muppet probably wouldn't make the top 100 most wounding, but it was the venom and persistence of the critiques which stood out. The name-calling came from just one corner of a broad coalition of people there to support Cork but also to get on Cusack's case.

The howls of derision abated just once when Ross O'Carroll rasped a snapshot across the Cork goal and Donal Óg, with just the right hand on the hurl, stretched full-length to stop as firmly and as confidently as a policemen raising his hand to halt the flow of traffic. As sweet a save as we are likely to see all season. Only a galoot of the most twisted kind would have denied the save the applause it merited.

Then it was back to the derision. Hard to believe this was for a goalkeeper on his way to yet another clean sheet. Again, there is little here that would surprise Donal Óg. Whether you agree with his profile in matters from the GPA to the strikes which have paralysed Cork GAA in recent years he is exceptional in his ability to go against the instincts of the modern GAA player and put his head above the parapet and take the brickbats and abuse for standing up for something he believes in.

That is no small thing and though it has made Donal Óg the most demonised player among followers in the modern game it should, in fact, make him the most respected.

We are in an era (partly created by Donal Óg himself) when players are more visible than ever and yet less well known. I pass Alan Brogan's face on billboards 100 times a day, but have no real impression of what sort of fella he is beyond the impression he gives with his play. (Speaking of county boards and jerseys, Alan's father, Bernard, finished his Dublin career by being taken to hospital having been creeled in a game against Kildare. He gave his jersey to a nurse who looked after him. He never heard from the county board about his status vis-à-vis Dublin teams, but the missing jersey was an issue for a long time.)

The same phenomenon of visible anonymity is true to a greater or lesser extent of many modern players who have discovered commercial endorsements are a satisfactory outlet for limited self-expression and a reasonable way of conveying a sense of yourself to the public. And the structure of the modern championship competitions helps of course - the back door means never having to say goodbye after one game. Players (there are many of course entitled to wear the traditional béal bocht) have moved into an era where the disconnect between themselves and the places they come from isn't yet dangerous, but has become a source of concern.

The money available for selling your face to sell products gets bigger all the time, but the bits and pieces like scholarships, sponsored cars, free gear, wads of cash to be a talking head at sponsors' press conferences, and the Government stipend mean we move ever closer to the era when players will make a living entirely from having a high GAA profile.

Let's hope when that happens even though we will stone Donal Óg for helping to bring it about the players in question remember the values Cusack brings to his life off the park.

Those who saw him in Parnell Park last summer when Cork beat Dublin a little more convincingly than on Saturday will recall he was one of a clutch of Cork players who stayed on the field for more than an hour signing his name for youngsters. His jersey had long since been given away that day too.

He is, like many of the Cork players demonised during the strike days, exemplary in his commitment to working with young teams. If all clubs saw as much of their county players as Cloyne sees of Donal Óg there would be less talk of this disconnect.

What is odd about this is that players and ex-players like Donal Óg and Dessie Farrell stand indicted as bogeymen in the business of bringing about this gulf between players and ordinary members and yet the GAA has done more than enough tampering with its complexion to have made those changes inevitable anyway.

The arrival of sponsors names on county jerseys, the proliferation of sponsorships and TV coverage and, finally, the invention of the back-door system have been as responsible as anything the GPA or striking Cork players have done to bring about this commercial buoyancy for amateur players.

In the days of the old-style championship one bad day meant a calamitous exit for an entire year. Modern teams can disappear out the back door for a refresher in the qualifiers and then - ta-dah! - step right back on to the big stage a few weeks later arguing the qualifiers suited just fine, allowing them get matches under their belts while their conquerors twiddled thumbs.

Until they are beaten, all teams deem the winning of provincial championships to be the shortest route to Croke Park and the one they are determined to take.

Donal Óg is a strange hate figure for traditionalists. There are those of us who might not agree with every stance he takes, but if the modern era had more players as generous with their time and their instincts and as assiduous with their preparations we would all be less scared about the future.

A kid got a free jersey on Saturday in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and a couple of hundred got autographs. A small, good thing. Our friend in the stands and a coalition of sympathisers went off muttering about Cusack as if he were to blame for Cork's lack of lustre.

We live in an era for Gaelic Games where players have a sense of entitlement more finely honed than in any previous generation. Entitlement comes after duty, however. You can't take out more than you have put in.

We watched Donal Óg on Saturday and listened to the abuse he took and wondered if any of his detractors put so much into the game they feel entitled to belittle a model athlete. Or was it that Cusack's impeccable bearing and unimpeachable commitment make him a frustrating hate figure, a Spartacus in stockades? The kid with the jersey must wonder what all the fuss is about.

© 2008 The Irish Times

[Reillers]

People are so quick to give him a hard time because of his involvement with the GPA, but even taking out what he's done for the game in the GPA, what he's done for Cork, for Cloyne can't be questioned. Legend.

[AZOffaly]

I'm one of those who think Donal Óg is certainly an advocate of professionalism, and I would disagree strongly with him on that subject. However, credit where it's due, I've heard several reports of his dedication, to club and county, and this story above also does him credit. Fair play to him.

[orangeman]

Like AZ I would have issues with his stance down the years but credit where it is due no doubt ! Fair play to him !

[Uladh]

As someone who has always held cusack in the highest regard, it doesn't need a parody from big tom to highlight his greatness within this country's sporting fabric. He has always been articulate and thoughtful. if people pay attention to his words when he's interviewed and his actions away from the media glare, rather than howling at the moon, they'd appreciate him much more.

[AZOffaly]

It's his words I do pay attention to. They are what worry me. And by their nature it's hard to pay attention to his deeds away from the media's glare. Howling at the moon my arse. Also, what Humphries wrote is hardly a parody. He's acclaiming Cusack. It's more an anecdote.

[Uladh]

Attching Donal ogs name to aomething in this country is like attaching maggie thatcher's. i know pleanty of people who handed back sports dinner tickets in my own county because the man was invited. the same people wouldn't have a notion of the voluntary work the man has done for hurling in armagh and other weaker counties.

[AZOffaly]

Ah. I see what you mean. But maybe they also disagree with him, and didn't feel like listening to his views, in case he got stuck into the GPA et al. Anyway, I thought you were addressing me in your howl at the moon comment.

[Pull Hard Hes No Relation]

My opinion on the guy is well known, true hurling man who dedicates a lot of his spare time to his own club and indeed hurling development in other counties. People shouldn't be too quick to judge him on his media profile let's remember I don't see a stampede by inter county players anywhere to give their grant money back - a case of shooting the messenger.

[seafoid]

I don't really pay much attention to the GPA side of things but I  read Christy O'Connor's
book on hurling goalkeepers. Donal Og was probably the least sympathetic character in it. I thought he came across as being very driven and fairly one dimensional. Great man for a save and the odd puckout but I wouldn't want to go fishing with him.    He's no J Pilnton.

[Bord na Mona man]

A few Cork people at the match last night said they weren't surprised at Donal Og's antics to get himself sent off.
They reckoned he was a big reason for the divided Cork camp and the management being undermined.
Interestingly his sending off and O'Sullivan's substitution really woke up Cork.
Perhaps they are a better team without a goalie with a bad attititude and a show pony full back who is massively overrated?

I'd say Gerald McCarthy would love to be able to bench the pair of them too, if he thought the fans wouldn't go mad.
Interestingly the other big GPA card carrier Sean Og wasn't helping the cause with some of his antics too.

Perhaps the second half yesterday showed some of the Cork lads that matches are won by heart and pride in the jersey. Not by "professionalism" and posturing.

[Bord na Mona man]

Also Donal Og was again caught cheating using his own dodgy sliotars last night.
This is after fines and warnings have been issued to Cork over using non approved balls.
This win at all costs attitude is not welcome in the GAA.
I don't care how many jersies he signs, his attitude to fair play and his desire for pay for play are not part of the GAA ethos.

[orangeman]

Good timing on Tom's part - he just went and made a bollox of himself last night.

[magpie seanie]

I don't care how many jersies he signs, his attitude to fair play and his desire for pay for play are not part of the GAA ethos.

I agree with this. That was a poor enough piece by Humphries by his standards. Cusack's antics on the field really piss me off. Trying to ref the game as well as use his own sliothars - that kind of bullshit does him no favours.

[Reillers]

Also Donal Og was again caught cheating using his own dodgy sliotars last night.
This is after fines and warnings have been issued to Cork over using non approved balls.
This win at all costs attitude is not welcome in the GAA.
I don't care how many jersies he signs, his attitude to fair play and his desire for pay for play are not part of the GAA ethos.

There's nothing dodgy about the sliotars, they were cummins sliotars, a lot of teams use them, they just weren't officially okayed by Croke Park, there's absolutely nothing wrong with them what so ever.
I think if you look really hard at the ball in Kirwins hand, just before he threw the ball in in the Munster final, it was, shock horror a cummins ball.
There's nothing wrong with them.