Professional and amateur status within the GAA - Part 2

[vincentstereo]

Hello all,

For those who are not aware of my first topic, I am a student carrying out some research on the GAA for my final year project at university.  My project is surrounding the issue of professional and amateur status within the GAA.  I have placed one question up on the message board and I thank all who contributed, but would would like to put my next question forward.  It would be of great help if you could comment on my questions as it will give opinions and views from a grassroot level, Thanks:

-    In professional sports, and amateur sports such as the Olympics, athletes have the opportunity to represent their country.  For the GAA, top players can take part in the International Rules Series against professional sportsmen in Australia.  Does this benefit the GAA as amateur athletes get the opportunity to represent their country?

[mylestheslasher]

Have a look at this thread and you'll get an idea what people on this board think about the international rules series...

http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=9556.0

[Bud Wiser]

Ring up Addidas and ask them do they do private deals with GAA players like where a Cork hurling striker was paid 40,000 euro to wear Addidas for the 2009 season and the players were to get a six figure sum between them after the main man got his cut if the entire team wore Addidas like they did when they held a recent press conference.  Ring the Cork hurlers 2008 panel and ask was it this that caused the bad blood between them and the county board because the money went to and was going to go to the player/s and the county board were not getting a sniff of it.?  Ring the President of the GAA, Cork County Board and ask him what his opinion on players receiving direct sponsorship is.  If he comes up with the phrase "On mature reflection" you can smirk to yourself that it was a student doing research that twarted the hopes of Brian Lenihan from ever becoming a President and he resigned his challenge, so go on, make those calls, you might do all of Cork and the GAA a favour.

Best of luck with your research, let the board know your findings.

[The GAA]

Make those calls yourself bud and at least it'd stop you making stuff up

[Bud Wiser]

I see you are on patrol over here now.  I didn't make it up, I was told it by a senior member of a Cork club whose son hurls for Cork.  Don't tell me it surprise you?