GPA Gagging order

GAAman

Well lads what think ye of this?

In the paper today that last night the GPA announced players would be boycotting interviews both before and after games in a move to increase pressure on the GAA to recognise the GPA. "They (GPA) have tried under five different presidents to negotiate a formal arrangement" I didnt think it had been going on that long, i thought it was three but i could be way off.

Tipp and Waterford wont be conducting interviews with rte after the Munster final and this boycott includes radio interviews as well

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaa-championships/hurling/players-opt-for-silent-weapon-as-gpa-go-to-war-with-gaa-1793396.html

The_Banker

To be fair to the GPA I can understand there frustration. I remember at the hand over of the GAA Presidency of Sean Kelly to Nicky Brennan it was taken as read that the GPA would be recognised by the GAA and that progress was being made.

Here we are a few years later and still no progress. Regardless of your view on the rights and wrongs of professionalism or if the GPA have a secret agenda to bring in professionalism by stealth (I don't believe they have) you cannot deny the right of Inter-County players to organise and for that organisation to be recognised.

However, I don't believe there will be any progress (towards recognition) made under a GAA conservative like Christy Cooney.
I fully understand the frustration of the GPA.

LeoB

Nicky Brenna stated it was his wish to have offical recognition for the G.P.A (which I am against) but also stated in his final address to congress that they would not budge from their position. I dont think he would have made that statement in public without being able to back it up.

I do believe rightly or wrongly the G.P.A has another agenda and it is money based. And the fact is this could not be sustained without serious damage being done the structure of the G.A.A

The G.P.A may have rights to organise themselves but they have no rights to deny the public listening to interviews. What if R.T.E came along and said O.K you wont talk to us we are not showing your games we will cover some race meeting or soccer match instead? And judging by the state of R.T.Es finances this is not an off the wall prospect.

Padraig Duffy is leading a players welfare group and they are supposed to be doing good work..

I agree with all the points about players should not be out of pocket but I dont believe Dessie Farrell or Sean Kavenagh when they moan to the media. Dessie was happy to take a prime slot on R.T.E 2 weeks ago to promote the players out of work and their attempts to fix them them up with jobs which is a good idea, while Kavenagh was flippant about the money, sure its only €1 or €2,000.

GAAman

I thought there would be more people with opinions on here

phil

First of all, the GPA not giving interviews doesn't really affect the general public. Do you think most people care about interviews? Nope! Who cares about them? The media! They need to fill up their columns and empty airspace with soundbites and quotes. There are people who interview the players, spend time editing etc. The major inconvenience here is for the media. This is really the least disruptive thing the GPA could probably have done while also grabbing headlines. I also agree that who they're affecting has absolutely no direct control over the future of the grants, but they're after publicity, and that's an easy way to get it. It's newsworthy and plants the story right in the middle of the journalists whose job it is to write about matters GAA.

The interview ban itself has gotten people talking and that's the point of it. This thread being a prime example!

Personally I don't think any amount of organisation on behalf of the players will amount to Gaelic becoming a professional sport in my lifetime at least. The GPA serves a purpose to players I believe, but I don't think it's a particularly strong organisation, nor do I believe that it has a great connection with the majority of county players. It acts on behalf of a lot of people that don't fully understand what it does. As I see it the grants were the primary manifestation of the GPA to your average county player and as such losing them means they lose credibility with the player base.

Combine that with the fact that I'm sure a lot of negotiation and good will was pushed into achieving them in the first place, I don't see why anyone would think that the GPA wasn't going to try and protect them.

AMixedBag

phil wrote: »

Do you think most people care about interviews?

i like interviews?? I actualy do. Find 'em interesting, I do.

Diabhal Beag

Nothing controversial is ever said in an interview so they could have made a better protest.

GAAman

Yes but what do you think is going to happen should this ban have little or no effect. There will be a media ban, namely advertisements. Look at the lucozade v club energise thing.

Sure maybe it is already happening given the vodafone ad they have been playing recently (even though i have not seen it since maybe 06) is some four years old now

Tristram

Wish the GPA would **** off myself.

The_Banker

Tristram wrote: »

Wish the GPA would **** off myself.

That kind of comment adds nothing the the debate. Things change/evolve and the players have organised and rightly so in my opinion.

I remember a few years back the Kilkenny hurlers running around a greyhound racing track to try and raise money at the end of an All-Ireland winning season to raise money for a team holiday. If it wasn't for the GPA that kind of rubbish would still be happening.

I think some of the anti-GPA people would like us to go back to the 50s when the team captains kissed the Bishops ring before the Bishop threw in the sliotar for the start of the All-Ireland.

Things change, positions evolve but if it wasn't for the players organising (as far as rights are concerned) they would still be back in the 1980s.

patmac

I like the way the Westmeath footballers rowed in behind this by going on strike last weekend.;) But seriously I wonder is all this unrest contributing in any way to the appalling standard of football in this years championship.