GAA player test positive in drugs test.

[youngfella]

Its an absolute disgrace that an amateur player has been named in this way.

"It's okay for professionals but the GAA is an amateur sport," he said.

Where do you draw the line here?
When the players took the money IMHO they changed their amateur status themselves

The players may have taken money, but the amount of money does not warrant a change in status. When fellas are paid enough to concentrate fully on hurling or football, them i would deem the sport professional. This testing business should feck of out of GAA sport and who signed up for it hang there heads in shame, then resign they have ruined a good fellas name.
Im sadden that the press have when at a story like this, I would expect this of the english press but not of the Irish.

[man in black]

Its an absolute disgrace that an amateur player has been named in this way.

"It's okay for professionals but the GAA is an amateur sport," he said.

Where do you draw the line here?
When the players took the money IMHO they changed their amateur status themselves

I would expect this of the english press but not of the Irish.

Is there a difference ?

[Dinny Breen]

If it was a rugby palyer in the exact same circumstances ( asmatic since a kid etc) would the outcry here be the same?

Actually it was worse the Sunday Tribune and Niall Francais in particular went to town on Frankie Sheehan a couple of years ago.

[Hound]

I'm a different opinion to most on this.

If he failed the test he deserved to be named. Makes no difference whatsoever that he is an amateur. He knows the rules that are required to be met to play intercounty football. But he also deserves the chance to clear his name. Many asthma sufferers have been tested, only he has failed. There are questions that need to be answered, and hopefully there are answers that will fully clear him. But if he took more than allowed then he'd deserve any ban he'd get.

I am totally against those posters who say intercounty GAA should not be subject to drug testing. Of course it should be. Makes no difference if its amateur, there can be no room for drugs in our sport. 

[Bogball XV]

What difference does it make if he is professional or amateur?
If it was a rugby palyer in the exact same circumstances ( asmatic since a kid etc) would the outcry here be the same?

To my mind, the distinction between amateur and professional makes all the difference.  If he were professional and the gaa imposed these regulations on him, then it would be totally remiss of him to be tested positive for a banned substance and all would be within their rights to go to town on him.  As an amateur he gives up his time to play a sport to the best of his ability and receives little or no financial reward for it, whilst these substances are banned and he has been caught contravening the rules, we should ask ourselves whether or not the rules should be there in place in the first place?  Imo they shouldn't, if it were for health reasons, perhaps they should be guidelines, but it's not, the rules are there to keep the sports council happy, I don't understand why the sports council feel that the gaa need sign up to these?

In this instance I feel that O'Mahony has and will receive far much abuse for his dive during the summer than he will for testing positive for salbutamol.
What happens when a player is found to have tested positive for a recreational drug?  He will be villified by the media and his employment and career may be put at risk, not to mention the possibility of criminal prosecution, is that fair?  Do we have the right make such demands of amateur sportsmen?

[Bogball XV]

I am totally against those posters who say intercounty GAA should not be subject to drug testing. Of course it should be. Makes no difference if its amateur, there can be no room for drugs in our sport. 

[/b]
Yeah, cos testing has proven so effective amongst professionals

[orangeman]

What difference does it make if he is professional or amateur?
If it was a rugby palyer in the exact same circumstances ( asmatic since a kid etc) would the outcry here be the same?

To my mind, the distinction between amateur and professional makes all the difference.  If he were professional and the gaa imposed these regulations on him, then it would be totally remiss of him to be tested positive for a banned substance and all would be within their rights to go to town on him.  As an amateur he gives up his time to play a sport to the best of his ability and receives little or no financial reward for it, whilst these substances are banned and he has been caught contravening the rules, we should ask ourselves whether or not the rules should be there in place in the first place?  Imo they shouldn't, if it were for health reasons, perhaps they should be guidelines, but it's not, the rules are there to keep the sports council happy, I don't understand why the sports council feel that the gaa need sign up to these?

In this instance I feel that O'Mahony has and will receive far much abuse for his dive during the summer than he will for testing positive for salbutamol.
What happens when a player is found to have tested positive for a recreational drug?  He will be villified by the media and his employment and career may be put at risk, not to mention the possibility of criminal prosecution, is that fair? Do we have the right make such demands of amateur sportsmen?

Me thinks not !

[ludermor]

So you would prefer if there was no testing at all? Allow players/teams to use what ever they want! All becasue they are amateur.

[boojangles]

What difference does it make if he is professional or amateur?
If it was a rugby palyer in the exact same circumstances ( asmatic since a kid etc) would the outcry here be the same?

To my mind, the distinction between amateur and professional makes all the difference.  If he were professional and the gaa imposed these regulations on him, then it would be totally remiss of him to be tested positive for a banned substance and all would be within their rights to go to town on him.  As an amateur he gives up his time to play a sport to the best of his ability and receives little or no financial reward for it, whilst these substances are banned and he has been caught contravening the rules, we should ask ourselves whether or not the rules should be there in place in the first place?  Imo they shouldn't, if it were for health reasons, perhaps they should be guidelines, but it's not, the rules are there to keep the sports council happy, I don't understand why the sports council feel that the gaa need sign up to these?

In this instance I feel that O'Mahony has and will receive far much abuse for his dive during the summer than he will for testing positive for salbutamol.
What happens when a player is found to have tested positive for a recreational drug?  He will be villified by the media and his employment and career may be put at risk, not to mention the possibility of criminal prosecution, is that fair?  Do we have the right make such demands of amateur sportsmen?

Exactly,what happens if someone is tested for a recreational drug,Then he would definitely be ruined.GAA players should not be treated the same way as professionals.Next thing will be they will be looking to test Club Players.Where will it end?

[Bogball XV]

So you would prefer if there was no testing at all? Allow players/teams to use what ever they want! All becasue they are amateur.

Yes, inform the players of the health risks (if any) of using substances as proscribed by the IOC etc, and leave it at that.

[ludermor]

If a team doctor put a team on superduper supplement programme and the lads turned into superfit/fast/strong monsters you would have no issue with this? Nobody would know they were on it. It could be dangerous for the opposition if these players were so much bigger and stronger as well as having an obvious fitness/stamina advantage. But hey let them do what they want as they are amatuers
GAA player are always spoke about as role models but only it seems when it is for good.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

So you would prefer if there was no testing at all? Allow players/teams to use what ever they want! All becasue they are amateur.

Yes, inform the players of the health risks (if any) of using substances as proscribed by the IOC etc, and leave it at that.

So it's OK for a clean amateur to have to be competing against a 'dirty' amateur (in your book), despite the massive personal sacrifices that clean individual may be making in pursuit of sporting excellence, only to be beaten because the opposing individual took performance-enhancing drugs (and not referring to O'Mahony here)?

[Hound]

I am totally against those posters who say intercounty GAA should not be subject to drug testing. Of course it should be. Makes no difference if its amateur, there can be no room for drugs in our sport. 

[/b]
Yeah, cos testing has proven so effective amongst professionals

Genius.

[Bensars]

I think the player in question will be exonerated.  

However, many many players turn to a weights program over the winter months.  And i would be shocked if there was not more inter county players "experimenting" or being introduced to some performance enhancing products.

[Maiden1]

If he asthma and the enhaler has this drug there is nothing much he can do about it.  Lots of club players use inhalers, I wonder what percentage of them would fail a drugs test.  If the drug found was nandrolin or something like that then that would be a different matter.