McCarthy admits he does not have backing of Cork hurlers

[Zulu]

I hope the 2008 panel refuse to play until serious changes are made at the top of Cork GAA, I hope they do so for Cork and the GAA in general. Last year a band aid was was put on a gapping wound but it is now clear that this meant nothing was resolved, this year the players need to go all the way. The CCB have repeatedly shown the don't deserve to have control of Cork GAA and it looks like refusing to play within their dysfunctional system might be the only way to force change.

[orangeman]

I hope the 2008 panel refuse to play until serious changes are made at the top of Cork GAA, I hope they do so for Cork and the GAA in general. Last year a band aid was was put on a gapping wound but it is now clear that this meant nothing was resolved, this year the players need to go all the way. The CCB have repeatedly shown the don't deserve to have control of Cork GAA and it looks like refusing to play within their dysfunctional system might be the only way to force change.

What does "all the way" actually mean to you ?? Surely a compromise of sorts is better than all out anarchy ?

[theskull1]

If enough of the GAA membership agree with your opinion of the CB executive and their poor performace, why have the grassroots not rebelled and demanded change by now? Surely they should be lining up with the players on that point? The other important question is, where are the qualified individuals prepared to take on these challenging roles? Alot of them voluntary. 

[Uladh]

Orangeman -

Why would anyone who professes to have the good of cork hurling at heart want Gerald McCarthy to continue in his job?
It's universally accepted that he is not up to the required standard as an intercounty coach and his remaining in the job only serves to hinder the development of hurling in the county

[Reillers]

I hope the 2008 panel refuse to play until serious changes are made at the top of Cork GAA, I hope they do so for Cork and the GAA in general. Last year a band aid was was put on a gapping wound but it is now clear that this meant nothing was resolved, this year the players need to go all the way. The CCB have repeatedly shown the don't deserve to have control of Cork GAA and it looks like refusing to play within their dysfunctional system might be the only way to force change.

It's not just last year. It's been there for the last 6 years, a plaster was put on a gun shot wound. Hopefully this will be resorted sooner rather then later. But I'm afraid Cork will continue in a downward spiral while this CB is still in place.
Their one goall over the last few years was to get control, complete control-over success. They had the players in their way for gaining complete control. My biggest worry now is that the board has no one that can stop them now. Their biggest threat, is now gone and I fear that they have complete control. They are destroying Cork GAA from the inside out and they seem hell bent on doing so.

[Reillers]

Liam Griffin, Hurling Analyst - From evolution to revolution
The Cork players' decision to strike is the culmination of a long process, for which the county board is ultimately fully responsible

All failures are ultimately failures of management. Whatever degree of blame is to be attached to the players, there's no question but that the overwhelming bulk of responsibility for the latest crisis on Leeside lies with the leaders of the Cork County Board and with the bad faith they have so consistently demonstrated over the past six years.

There are many types of management. The good, the bad, the ugly, the downright devious. Tick those last three boxes to get a flavour of the Cork County Board School of Management.

Weak management is the curse of good companies. Many good, even great, companies have over the years gone down in a sea of red figures because of weak management. Weak or arrogant management is the curse of countries too; look at Ireland at the moment. Good management teams, on the other hand, are strong and show leadership and make a positive difference over time for everyone under their stewardship. Sure, they make mistakes. That's acceptable. But they don't repeat them over and over again.

Teams – all teams, no matter who or where they are – achieve in direct proportion to the leadership skills of their management. If the management has that ultimate quality, then the company or team will achieve maximum potential. But if the management falls short in this regard then recriminations and failure are inevitable. Which, equally inevitably, brings us back to Cork.

Let's not forget why the Cork hurlers went on strike in the first place in 2002. Relationships between players and county boards have always been strained down the years, in every county. In Cork they reached a stage where the players had finally had enough. The sight of Brian Corcoran retiring in his prime helped bring it home to his colleagues that something was very rotten in the state of Denmark.

In a less successful county, players might have accepted the status quo. Not in Cork, where the tradition of success demanded that the players should aim for the stars. They wanted to be successful but viewed the county board as conspiring against them achieving their potential. The players' decision to strike was the culmination of an evolutionary process.

After talking the talk they walked the walk, and with a vengeance. They reached four successive All Ireland finals, won two of them and came close to bringing off the three-in-a-row. Rumbling away in the background all the time, however, was the resentment of the authorities that the players had had the temerity to achieve something by themselves. They'd got uppity! They didn't know their own place any more! They'd had the neck to believe that the players of today should be heard as well as seen!

The empire duly struck back after John Allen stepped down. Just look at the bitter fruits this has left us with: two further standoffs in successive off-seasons, with Frank Murphy et al abdicating all public responsibility for arriving at a solution. By their failure to manage, the board have continued to fuel the fire. Were they a business competing against other businesses in the open market, the Cork County Board would have gone bust long ago.

Predictably, the intervention of Kieran Mulvey merely served to exacerbate the situation. Pardon me for sounding wise after the event, but I did say last year that this model of conciliation – which is a series of compromises without an honest solution, has been used widely in the state and semi-state sector for years and just look at where it has led us – was not suitable in a sports environment. Sure enough, the solution Mulvey arrived at was manifestly unworkable. A committee to pick future Cork managers that contained two players' representatives as against five county board representatives? This aspect of the deal was a timebomb waiting to explode, and explode it surely has.

Many people, outside Cork as well as inside, have pointed out that it's the manager's job to manage and the players' job to play under him. That's fine in theory, but it falls down when a manager is appointed for the wrong reasons. While he may be the best manager in the world, he will not and cannot have the full confidence of his players if they believe there's an agenda at work – as was clearly the case when the county board reappointed Gerald McCarthy. The Cork County Board should have been sensitive enough to realise that the players wouldn't wear this and to have acted accordingly instead of going all out to spite them. This is very basic emotional intelligence, yet grasping it was beyond the county board, whether wilfully or otherwise.

It's understandable that Gerald has been hurt by a lot of what's been said in recent weeks. That doesn't mean he was correct in so publicly slating Seán Óg Ó hAilpín last weekend. Even if they'd like to, in these circumstances management are not free to respond and fight fire with fire across the airwaves and in the papers. That is not a proper reaction for management. Frustrating as it is, there are times when, as management, you simply have to bite your lip and hold our counsel. As a result of the events of the past six weeks, all trust has broken down between players and management. Irreconcilably so.

I don't think it's scaremongering to say that an appalling vista for Cork, and by extension for hurling itself, is potentially looming. Suppose the present impasse isn't solved, the players retire en masse, the county are forced to field a shadow team in next summer's championship and are beaten out the gate. This is highly possible. But that's not the worst part. Now suppose that the same happens in 2010, and again in 2011, and again and again and again. Who'll want to play for Cork then? You certainly won't see them coming overnight like mushrooms in that situation. When a county falls off its perch, as Limerick and Wexford folk will confirm, it can stay down for a horribly long time.

Cork are at a crossroads. Take the wrong turn and the abyss beckons. And make no mistake, this is a Cork problem to solve. It can only be solved by them, otherwise it will never go away. No Kieran Mulvey, no Nickey Brennan, no Páraic Duffy. Themselves alone. A deadline must be imposed now and a compromise reached by the end of the year, for it was the absence of such a deadline that led to the brinkmanship that carried over into the start of this year's national leagues and by extension has us where we are now. And responsible people should really stop encouraging Gerald to carry this torch of his to the brink. Although I have no doubt that he's sincere in his desire to manage Cork, this desire is being exploited, just like it was with Teddy Holland a year ago.

"I do the best I can," Abraham Lincoln once said. "I intend to do it to the very end. If in the end it brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to much. But in the end if it brings me out all wrong, a thousand angels swearing I was right will make no difference."

The time for the Cork County Board to lead is long overdue.

lgriffin@tribune.ie

November 23, 2008

[theskull1]

So too many good people are standing by and doing nothing about the CCB and they way they do business. That is what we're saying? Happens in every county lads. We can snipe all we like but unless we become part of the solution then all the sniping in the world gets us nowhere.

[orangeman]

Why would anyone who professes to have the good of cork hurling at heart want Gerald McCarthy to continue in his job?
It's universally accepted that he is not up to the required standard as an intercounty coach and his remaining in the job only serves to hinder the development of hurling in the county

Universally accepted ? Didn't realise that.

Simply not true. Universally accepted - rubbish.

[orangeman]

Liam Griffin, Hurling Analyst - From evolution to revolution
The Cork players' decision to strike is the culmination of a long process, for which the county board is ultimately fully responsible

All failures are ultimately failures of management. Whatever degree of blame is to be attached to the players, there's no question but that the overwhelming bulk of responsibility for the latest crisis on Leeside lies with the leaders of the Cork County Board and with the bad faith they have so consistently demonstrated over the past six years.

There are many types of management. The good, the bad, the ugly, the downright devious. Tick those last three boxes to get a flavour of the Cork County Board School of Management.

Weak management is the curse of good companies. Many good, even great, companies have over the years gone down in a sea of red figures because of weak management. Weak or arrogant management is the curse of countries too; look at Ireland at the moment. Good management teams, on the other hand, are strong and show leadership and make a positive difference over time for everyone under their stewardship. Sure, they make mistakes. That's acceptable. But they don't repeat them over and over again.

Teams – all teams, no matter who or where they are – achieve in direct proportion to the leadership skills of their management. If the management has that ultimate quality, then the company or team will achieve maximum potential. But if the management falls short in this regard then recriminations and failure are inevitable. Which, equally inevitably, brings us back to Cork.

Let's not forget why the Cork hurlers went on strike in the first place in 2002. Relationships between players and county boards have always been strained down the years, in every county. In Cork they reached a stage where the players had finally had enough. The sight of Brian Corcoran retiring in his prime helped bring it home to his colleagues that something was very rotten in the state of Denmark.

In a less successful county, players might have accepted the status quo. Not in Cork, where the tradition of success demanded that the players should aim for the stars. They wanted to be successful but viewed the county board as conspiring against them achieving their potential. The players' decision to strike was the culmination of an evolutionary process.

After talking the talk they walked the walk, and with a vengeance. They reached four successive All Ireland finals, won two of them and came close to bringing off the three-in-a-row. Rumbling away in the background all the time, however, was the resentment of the authorities that the players had had the temerity to achieve something by themselves. They'd got uppity! They didn't know their own place any more! They'd had the neck to believe that the players of today should be heard as well as seen!

The empire duly struck back after John Allen stepped down. Just look at the bitter fruits this has left us with: two further standoffs in successive off-seasons, with Frank Murphy et al abdicating all public responsibility for arriving at a solution. By their failure to manage, the board have continued to fuel the fire. Were they a business competing against other businesses in the open market, the Cork County Board would have gone bust long ago.

Predictably, the intervention of Kieran Mulvey merely served to exacerbate the situation. Pardon me for sounding wise after the event, but I did say last year that this model of conciliation – which is a series of compromises without an honest solution, has been used widely in the state and semi-state sector for years and just look at where it has led us – was not suitable in a sports environment. Sure enough, the solution Mulvey arrived at was manifestly unworkable. A committee to pick future Cork managers that contained two players' representatives as against five county board representatives? This aspect of the deal was a timebomb waiting to explode, and explode it surely has.

Many people, outside Cork as well as inside, have pointed out that it's the manager's job to manage and the players' job to play under him. That's fine in theory, but it falls down when a manager is appointed for the wrong reasons. While he may be the best manager in the world, he will not and cannot have the full confidence of his players if they believe there's an agenda at work – as was clearly the case when the county board reappointed Gerald McCarthy. The Cork County Board should have been sensitive enough to realise that the players wouldn't wear this and to have acted accordingly instead of going all out to spite them. This is very basic emotional intelligence, yet grasping it was beyond the county board, whether wilfully or otherwise.

It's understandable that Gerald has been hurt by a lot of what's been said in recent weeks. That doesn't mean he was correct in so publicly slating Seán Óg Ó hAilpín last weekend. Even if they'd like to, in these circumstances management are not free to respond and fight fire with fire across the airwaves and in the papers. That is not a proper reaction for management. Frustrating as it is, there are times when, as management, you simply have to bite your lip and hold our counsel. As a result of the events of the past six weeks, all trust has broken down between players and management. Irreconcilably so.

I don't think it's scaremongering to say that an appalling vista for Cork, and by extension for hurling itself, is potentially looming. Suppose the present impasse isn't solved, the players retire en masse, the county are forced to field a shadow team in next summer's championship and are beaten out the gate. This is highly possible. But that's not the worst part. Now suppose that the same happens in 2010, and again in 2011, and again and again and again. Who'll want to play for Cork then? You certainly won't see them coming overnight like mushrooms in that situation. When a county falls off its perch, as Limerick and Wexford folk will confirm, it can stay down for a horribly long time.

Cork are at a crossroads. Take the wrong turn and the abyss beckons. And make no mistake, this is a Cork problem to solve. It can only be solved by them, otherwise it will never go away. No Kieran Mulvey, no Nickey Brennan, no Páraic Duffy. Themselves alone. A deadline must be imposed now and a compromise reached by the end of the year, for it was the absence of such a deadline that led to the brinkmanship that carried over into the start of this year's national leagues and by extension has us where we are now. And responsible people should really stop encouraging Gerald to carry this torch of his to the brink. Although I have no doubt that he's sincere in his desire to manage Cork, this desire is being exploited, just like it was with Teddy Holland a year ago.

"I do the best I can," Abraham Lincoln once said. "I intend to do it to the very end. If in the end it brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to much. But in the end if it brings me out all wrong, a thousand angels swearing I was right will make no difference."

The time for the Cork County Board to lead is long overdue.

lgriffin@tribune.ie

November 23, 2008

Compromise is needed - and talk of goingthe whole way by either side is not the answer as there will be too many losers on both sides.

[Zulu]

If enough of the GAA membership agree with your opinion of the CB executive and their poor performace, why have the grassroots not rebelled and demanded change by now? Surely they should be lining up with the players on that point? The other important question is, where are the qualified individuals prepared to take on these challenging roles? Alot of them voluntary. 

To answer your first question, you only have to look at how clubs in most counties accept the disgraceful treatment of their own players (i.e the local club championships) to see that club inaction doesn't equate to satisfaction with their CB. As for your second point, many very able people won't get involved at CB level because it takes up a great deal of time and is a very frustrating experience if you want to affect change.

Compromise is needed - and talk of goingthe whole way by either side is not the answer as there will be too many losers on both sides.

They compromised last year and look where that got us, this needs to be put to bed once and for all irrespective of the cost.

[theskull1]

As for your second point, many very able people won't get involved at CB level because it takes up a great deal of time and is a very frustrating experience if you want to affect change.

O.K Zulu, so tell me how this revolt by the players is going to enable these able people to

a)  Find the time they need?
b) Once they find the time, how they will b able to affect the changes required?

I don't understand?

To my mind their militancy has made resolution/solutions really difficult to achieve.

[Zulu]

It may not lead to major changes of personel but what it hopefully will do is send out a message to CB's around the country that players will no longer put up with any old treatment. In Clare recently the county's club footballers got together and organized themselves along the lines of the GPA (not sure how far this has developed though), to give themselves a voice that the CB will have to listen to. In the GAA we lurch from one idiotic situation to another and we as GAA people generally just bitch and moan about on DB's or in pubs without ever doing a f**king think about it. These Cork players are standing up for IC teams across the country and could effect real change if they see this through. And IMO if Frank Murphy stepped down a lot of people in Cork would be willing to step up to the plate more often.

[Uladh]

Why would anyone who professes to have the good of cork hurling at heart want Gerald McCarthy to continue in his job?
It's universally accepted that he is not up to the required standard as an intercounty coach and his remaining in the job only serves to hinder the development of hurling in the county

Universally accepted ? Didn't realise that.

Simply not true. Universally accepted - rubbish.

so you believe mccarthy is a good coach and that the cork players, to a man, haven't a clue what they're on about?

[theskull1]

It may not lead to major changes of personel but what it hopefully will do is send out a message to CB's around the country that players will no longer put up with any old treatment. In Clare recently the county's club footballers got together and organized themselves along the lines of the GPA (not sure how far this has developed though), to give themselves a voice that the CB will have to listen to. In the GAA we lurch from one idiotic situation to another and we as GAA people generally just bitch and moan about on DB's or in pubs without ever doing a f**king think about it. These Cork players are standing up for IC teams across the country and could effect real change if they see this through. And IMO if Frank Murphy stepped down a lot of people in Cork would be willing to step up to the plate more often.

Back to the militancy of this group of players. Do you believe that every club/county side should use the similar tactics if they feel that their not being treated/looked after/trained properly? I think your perspective on what the Cork players are doing is rather short sighted? I personally feel what they are doing (independant of their grievances) is potentially seriously damaging to the GAA especially if their behaviour is pandered to. Hence why I hold the opposite view.

[orangeman]

Why would anyone who professes to have the good of cork hurling at heart want Gerald McCarthy to continue in his job?
It's universally accepted that he is not up to the required standard as an intercounty coach and his remaining in the job only serves to hinder the development of hurling in the county

Universally accepted ? Didn't realise that.

Simply not true. Universally accepted - rubbish.

so you believe mccarthy is a good coach and that the cork players, to a man, haven't a clue what they're on about?

When players lose, it's invariably the management who are blamed. I'm not saying that haven't a clue but to say that it is universally accepted that he is a bad coach is not being reasonable.