Is Hurling the greatest game ever?

Alf Veedersane

TheMza wrote: »

I was genuinely curious, they deserve to be paid if you ask me!

It's always been an amateur sport.

It's also limited to Ireland so the revenue wouldn't be sufficient to sustain full-time professionals.

The League of Ireland couldn't manage it and they're playing a sport that's played across the globe.

K-9

oldyouth wrote: »

That's my point. The usual suspects each and every year. No giant killers reaching the final as a result of a) an underdog outperforming a favourite on any given day and b) two top teams being drawn against eachother early on, knocking one out.

The initial point I was responding to was there aren't any shocks in GAA. There are plenty, Clare winning the hurling last year and Donegal the football the year before are examples of that. You'd have got good odds on both before their championship wins.

Without getting into boring GAA detail because that isn't what AH is for, teams like Fermanagh, Cavan and Wicklow have benefited from the Qualifiers. 2 of those have never won provincial titles. If you're expecting them to win All Irelands, well that was never going to happen under the old system either.

I don't see how it's much different to the CL which is usually pretty predictable, I don't see too many calling for the old European Cup back because it gives smaller clubs and leagues a better chance.

MayoSalmon

TheMza wrote: »

I was genuinely curious, they deserve to be paid if you ask me!

People in the GAA certainly do get paid...just not the players:D

TheMza

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

It's always been an amateur sport.

It's also limited to Ireland so the revenue wouldn't be sufficient to sustain full-time professionals.

The League of Ireland couldn't manage it and they're playing a sport that's played across the globe.

Cheers my man!

Alf Veedersane

TheMza wrote: »

Cheers my man!

They can generate enough money for the under-the-table payments to managers allegedly but paying the players...mon Dieu!

Too Tough To Die

It's all about the kudos.

oldyouth

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

Nobody expected Donegal to win the All-Ireland in 1992 or Armagh in 2002. Nobody thought Monaghan would win an Ulster title last year either. The GAA does have upsets. And its not the usual suspects every year. Donegal played in a final for the first time in 20 years in 2012. Mayo went 38 years without reaching a final between 1951 and 1989. Clare didn't appear in a hurling final for over 80 years before they won the title in 1995.

Maybe you're right, upsets can occur. I, for one, never thought I'd see Galway make it to a Leinster final

MayoSalmon

TheMza wrote: »

Cheers my man!

Cheers to what?!

The LOI can't sustain a professional game because 1 the standard is piss poor and 2 The product that is on display across the water is arguably the best in the world!!

MayoSalmon

oldyouth wrote: »

Maybe you're right, upsets can occur. I, for one, never thought I'd see Galway make it to a Leinster final

:D

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

oldyouth wrote: »

Maybe you're right, upsets can occur. I, for one, never thought I'd see Galway make it to a Leinster final

Even more incredibly, they once made it to a Munster semi-final.

K-9

oldyouth wrote: »

Maybe you're right, upsets can occur. I, for one, never thought I'd see Galway make it to a Leinster final

London in a Connacht final was a huge upset to the people of London!

swimming in a sea

Ush1 wrote: »

Football spread hugely because of colonists such as the British Empire, would be very difficult to emulate that in this day and age.

There might be some merit in what you say here as regards other empires but it does not fit with the British empire, as this is where football is least popular, Canada, Australia etc

Alf Veedersane

MayoSalmon wrote: »

The LOI can't sustain a professional game because 1 the standard is piss poor and 2 The product that is on display across the water is arguably the best in the world!!

Píss poor compared to the professional leagues, perhaps. It's a bit ignorant to dismiss the teams and/or players as 'píss poor' unless you've played with or against them.

Whether the premier league is the best in the world, as a product, is arguable but the fact that it is referred to as a product speaks volumes. I don't mean about you or anything because a lot of people refer to it as a product.

MayoSalmon

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Píss poor compared to the professional leagues, perhaps. It's a bit ignorant to dismiss the teams and/or players as 'píss poor' unless you've played with or against them.

Whether the premier league is the best in the world, as a product, is arguable but the fact that it is referred to as a product speaks volumes. I don't mean about you or anything because a lot of people refer to it as a product.

I have and I currently do The league is also run by a bunch of crooks which doesn't help.

In regards to the product comment I agree it's unfortunate that any sport must be spoken of like this but that is the modern sports world.

Look at Dublin GAA, when they approach big sponsors there selling their product/brand. Vodafone are happy to oblige in this regard.

The product of Leitrim GAA is not so appealing.

MilanPan!c

Hurling is only considered the greatest sport ever by a small percentage of Irish people.

There's probably a greater number of Irish worldwide that prefer football - or if you consider Irish Americans - American football and baseball and even basketball - to hurling.

Personally, I think any sport that requires math to determine the score at a glance still has a way to go to be universally loved.

Alf Veedersane

MayoSalmon wrote: »

I have and I currently do The league is also run by a bunch of crooks which doesn't help.

I just hear people dismiss them as poor players when they'd run rings around most of the people that say it. But I agree, the game is badly run from the top. That's obvious.

MayoSalmon wrote: »

In regards to the product comment I agree it's unfortunate that any sport must be spoken of like this but that is the modern sports world.

Look at Dublin GAA, when they approach big sponsors there selling their product/brand. Vodafone are happy to oblige in this regard.

The product of Leitrim GAA is not so appealing.

But is a Stoke-Palace Super Sunday match really any more appealing than Sligo-Pats? A football fan would be open to the idea. An event junkie probably wouldn't be.

How many of the people that would go to the Aviva for a Heineken Cup match would have ever gone to watch their local AIL team? They'd sooner have headed to the Showgrounds to see Toulouse come to town.

Regardless of quality, there will never be the attendances and revenue to sustain a professional LOI in Ireland.

And there will never be enough revenue for a proffessional GAA players. Look how many county boards are in financial trouble as it is, financial tomfoolery aside.

MayoSalmon

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

And there will never be enough revenue for a proffessional GAA players. Look how many county boards are in financial trouble as it is, financial tomfoolery aside.

How do you figure?

Dublin GAA could EASILY provide a wage to their players...starting players that is.

Captain Farrell

People in Australia and northern England call rugby league "the greatest game", folks in Texas call American football the "greatest game on earth" and Indians would claim cricket as the best.

all depends on where you live. I like hurling, its a decent sport, but to me rugby league would be the best, followed by baseball and real football.

its all personal opinion.

Fratton Fred

Sounds as though it was Bill Clinton's favourite sport......

iDave

MayoSalmon wrote: »

How do you figure?

Dublin GAA could EASILY provide a wage to their players...starting players that is.

Ok so Dublin players get paid but other counties don't, that's fair. :rolleyes:

The reality is no sport just pays the starting team. Development squads and academy players are also on paid contracts. Along with managers ,coaching staff, physios etc. 32 counties and 2 codes. That's a lot of people that will want to be paid. There just isn't enough money

Santa Cruz

MayoSalmon wrote: »

How do you figure?

Dublin GAA could EASILY provide a wage to their players...starting players that is.

Start paying panel of 25 €50000 a year and your sponsor money will go very quickly. In any case the day that happens is the last day a lot of people would support the GAA

Alf Veedersane

MayoSalmon wrote: »

How do you figure?

Dublin GAA could EASILY provide a wage to their players...starting players that is.

The money they get is used to put in place the infrastructure that allows them to become the all ireland. If the money they get was going on players, you wouldn't have the facilities they do.

TheDoc

Easily one of the most skilful, for me not near one of the best.

I think it's subjective to what you played yourself. I played soccer and golf each for ten years plus. People say Golf is ****e, yet I struggle to find better atmospheres and excitement and ranges of emotions I get when watching the Ryder Cup.

Top level football trumps it all for me, Champions League finals, big rival clashes or international tournaments, nothing comes near it.

MayoSalmon

iDave wrote: »

Ok so Dublin players get paid but other counties don't, that's fair. :rolleyes:

The reality is no sport just pays the starting team. Development squads and academy players are also on paid contracts. Along with managers ,coaching staff, physios etc. 32 counties and 2 codes. That's a lot of people that will want to be paid. There just isn't enough money

Of course it wouldn't be fair but it is still possible.

There is enough money for everything you have just mentioned in regards to Dublin GAA for sure. Now maybe not for a full wage but a serious stipend could be provided.

Dick phelan

Yes imo it is subjective but honestly soccer has almost never got me out of my seat with excitment, Hurling does this constantly, the Munster Final of 2004 gave me more excitement and heart stopping moments then any other sporting event I've watched, The All Ireland this year was something else i can't point to a more exciting match in any sport in 2013. I just don't see the passion in other sports, with football especially i often get the sense the players don't even care if they win or loose and that takes from the game for me, Also on the point about skill level in certain sports. Rugby, Soccer, NBA players ect should all be more skillfull than any Hurler or Gaelic Footballer by right, i mean they are paid it's their full time job they can spent as much time needed to practice and get better, the fact that Hurling is an Amateur game is amazing, a regular joe soap working a 9-5 can then just go out on a Sunday and produce moments of pure genius and supreme skill is something special imo. Hurling is the game above anything else i enjoy watching and its one of the greatest things uniquely Irish.

Mal-Adjusted

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

How many of the people that would go to the Aviva for a Heineken Cup match would have ever gone to watch their local AIL team? They'd sooner have headed to the Showgrounds to see Toulouse come to town.

Why would Toulouse come to play Sligo Rovers? They're a middling team in the (very skillful) Ligue 1, but they're not terribly well known in Ireland... Unless of course, you meant the Sportsground

Dick phelan

oldyouth wrote: »

That's my point. The usual suspects each and every year. No giant killers reaching the final as a result of a) an underdog outperforming a favourite on any given day and b) two top teams being drawn against eachother early on, knocking one out.

And in Soccer do Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, Man City not nearly always finish at the top of the PL, in Tennis is it not usually Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Federer ect who win? In Rugby do NZL, Australia, France, Wales ect not usually win. Every sport has the usual teams that finish near the top not just GAA.

crazygeryy

ha yea savages with sticks.
greatest game ever.

granturismo

Schhhhtick fighting.

flas

Akrasia wrote: »

The FAI got 191 million for the aviva, and it's smaller, uglier and they didn't even get to keep the naming rights.

IRFU you mean no!?seeing as its their ground?