Ireland's biggest sporting embarrassment?

Dirty Dingus McGee

iDave wrote: »

Nothing wrong with Richardt Strauss. Its within the rules of the game. Nathan Hines doesn't exactly have a Scottish accent does he?
And the English are quite happy to have a paddy captain their cricket team. We are FAR from the only country doing this.

If I was English I'd be quite embarrassed about their cricket team.

Richardt Strauss is not Irish in any way. It may be within the rules but it's embarrassing that international teams can't just pick players who are actually from the country they are representing. Whats the point international sport if the qualification rules are so loose.

Diego Costa Marcos Senna etc playing for Spain is embarrassing as well.

iDave

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

If I was English I'd be quite embarrassed about their cricket team.

Richardt Strauss is not Irish in any way. It may be within the rules but it's embarrassing that international teams can't just pick players who are actually from the country they are representing. Whats the point international sport if the qualification rules are so loose.

Diego Costa Marcos Senna etc playing for Spain is embarrassing as well.

But what your highlighting is a rules problem, not an embarrassment specific to Ireland. Manu Tuilagi!!!


But on a similar theme that is specific to Ireland the Sean Johnson affair was a joke.

weadick

The pompous overblown nonsense that surrounded the Irish rugby teams win against England at Croke Park in 2007. They way they went on youd swear Ronan O'Gara and co solved the 700 year strife between Ireland and England.

The whole Munster rugby 'phenomenon' is fairly embarrassing at times too, especially their constant harping on about the bloody all blacks in 72.

GLaDOS

Hoop66 wrote: »

Does it matter? I don't know a single GAA fan that can read.

Leave out the insults please

errlloyd

weadick wrote: »

The pompous overblown nonsense that surrounded the Irish rugby teams win against England at Croke Park in 2007. They way they went on youd swear Ronan O'Gara and co solved the 700 year strife between Ireland and England.

The whole Munster rugby 'phenomenon' is fairly embarrassing at times too, especially their constant harping on about the bloody all blacks in 72.

Ah now, that was a huge game with an immense political backdrop and we smashed. England would go on to final the world cup 6 months later. They came to croke park for the first time with all the fuss that some elements of the GAA had kicked up (which was very embarrassing). We got our record victory against them. It was no Ray Houghton snatching a win, it was an absolute thrashing. Arguably still one of the most complete performances from an Irish rugby team.

As for Munster, I guess I do find the all blacks thing ott. Lots of club sides in Wales and Scotland have beaten the All blacks too. But the general hype and aurora around Munster is no worse than many sports teams. They are like the Manchester United of rugby. 2 Heineken cups and many very famous victories they've given us plenty to be proud of.

NoMore MrNiceGuy

Strongbow10 wrote: »

In Rugby, celebrating wins in meaningless games (Australia, South Africa and Georgia) like we have achieved something absolutely monumental.

Then when we actually get to the holy grail of the world cup (where the southern hemisphere teams actually give a crap) we end up getting whipped. And when we do turn over a giant, we usually piss it away by losing the following game which is winnable.

Sandwiched in between, we are spoon fed the 6 nations as being the absolute pinnacle of world rugby where we play giants such as Italy and Scotland on a yearly basis.

And also the fact that half the crowd probably have no idea whats going on in general in terms of why penalties are being awarded etc...

Tests in rugby, unlike soccerball, are important and beating Australia is a big deal.

We are 3rd in the world. Rugby is definitely not an embarrassment unlike the soccerball team.

Saipanne

ColeTrain wrote: »

What do you think is Ireland's most embarrassing moment on the sporting stage?

'Ireland's most successful Olympian' Michelle Smith and her doping gets my vote.

Did she have her medals removed from her?

Just curious.

Saipanne

NoMore MrNiceGuy wrote: »

Tests in rugby, unlike soccerball, are important and beating Australia is a big deal.

We are 3rd in the world. Rugby is definitely not an embarrassment unlike the soccerball team.

FFS, how many good rugby nations are there? Nine?

How many top soccer nations? Dozens?

Rugby is a minority sport. Soccer is global. Know your place.

Dirty Dingus McGee

NoMore MrNiceGuy wrote: »

Tests in rugby, unlike soccerball, are important and beating Australia is a big deal.

We are 3rd in the world. Rugby is definitely not an embarrassment unlike the soccerball team.

Beating Australia in a world cup knockout game would be a big deal but after Ireland beat them in the group stages the media seemed to lose the run of themselves and some of the players began talking about winning the competition which is fine in private but they'd be better off not to say it in public.Its was inevitable they would lose to Wales after that.

Winning any Autumn International for the northern Hemisphere teams in my opinion is not really that meaningful as the Southern Hemisphere teams are at a massive disadvantage playing away from home right at the end of their season when they must be bolloxed.The same applies for Southern hemisphere teams winning the matches against Northern Hemisphere teams in the summer.

Egginacup

nice_very wrote: »

didnt Sonia O'Sullivan leave the track in the middle of a race she was highly fancied to win, with a dose of the runs? IIRC

Pun?

Wacker The Attacker

I find Rugby to be a really dull sport (particularly attending a game).

Why are the Rugby bandwagonners so sensitive about non rugby fans expressing these sentiments in a public forum?

Wacker The Attacker

errlloyd wrote: »

Ah now, that was a huge game with an immense political backdrop and we smashed. England would go on to final the world cup 6 months later. They came to croke park for the first time with all the fuss that some elements of the GAA had kicked up (which was very embarrassing). We got our record victory against them. It was no Ray Houghton snatching a win, it was an absolute thrashing. Arguably still one of the most complete performances from an Irish rugby team.

As for Munster, I guess I do find the all blacks thing ott. Lots of club sides in Wales and Scotland have beaten the All blacks too. But the general hype and aurora around Munster is no worse than many sports teams. They are like the Manchester United of rugby. 2 Heineken cups and many very famous victories they've given us plenty to be proud of.

They are clearly nothing like the manchester united of Rugby.

An utterly moronic comparison. I'm not a Manchester United supporter but comparing these two sporting establishments in this fashion is nonsensical

louthguy25

iDave wrote: »

Louth fans

Ah so your one of them.... A meath fan :rolleyes:

Choochtown

grazeaway wrote: »

Hardly, the girls faith should have nothing to do with it. If she was cathloic and did a rosary before each bout would you be worried.

Met her once and what struck me was just how shy she was. Very different to many of the men's boxers who are all mouth. Hope she wins gold in rio again the pressure the poor girl must have been under in London must have been huge.

You can't be serious. Boxing is about the only sport I can think of where in the international arena we can be nothing but proud. I can't think of a single boxer male or female who has ever embarrassed the country.

errlloyd

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

I find Rugby to be a really dull sport (particularly attending a game).

Why are the Rugby bandwagonners so sensitive about non rugby fans expressing these sentiments in a public forum?

I think it's because the embarrassing moments for other sports listed are defeats or off field things. For rugby a lot of people seem to be embarrassed about our victories. Seems like a lot of fans of other sports just have a problem with rugby to be honest.

Elmer Blooker

Euro 2000 qualifier: Macedonia 0 Ireland 1 - stoppage time, Ireland topping group and heading for automatic qualification, Macedonia get a corner ........
Ireland never made it to Euro 2000.

keeponhurling

Don't get the embarrassment of losing particular matches, i.e. Argentina in the Rugby WC or Italy/Spain in Euro 2012.

Generally, and much to do with us being a small country, we were never going to win them all.

If every time somebody lost a match it was an embarrassment, there'd be a lot of embarrassment.

I vote for the Joe Duffy/soccer homecoming thingy. Horrible to watch.
Also the Michelle Smith and Cian O'Connor incidents.
Some of the assaults that happen on GAA fields, and we're told it's just manly play

BattleCorp

murpho999 wrote: »

That mad priest Neil Horan who ran on to the Marathon course in Athens 2004 and cost the leader a gold medal.

Apparently when he was kicked out of the priesthood, he joined One Direction and hasn't looked back since.

keeponhurling

When some of the soccer team "retire from international football" because they're sulking of not getting picked.

Or not mentally ready to play as they were only a sub the last day.

Saipanne

Stephen Ireland?

Turtyturd

Roy Keane?

Narrowly pipping the LoI to top spot.

wicklowwonder

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Richart Strauss playing rugby for Ireland

Embarrassed to play by the rules? The rules state he can play for Ireland, so he does. In fairness likes of Isaac Boss played before him and didn't receive as much publicity I think it's the fact Strauss went so far out of his way to learn our culture, our anthems etc.

Also Ronan O'Gara and Jamie Heaslip both where born oversea, maybe by your argument they shouldn't play either.

Embarrassing moments are when rules are broken or small suspensions are handed down for vicious assaults.

My own biggest embarrassment is how the GAA treat their club players, the back bone of the game. Case in point in the Tipperary GAA county football final played this weekend, months after all other counties are finished, game is a draw so they bring them back Stephens Day at 1pm. Also they didn't even play the game in Thurles, a stadium the players would love to play in, instead they play it in some field with no stand etc. a disgrace.

spurious

NoMore MrNiceGuy wrote: »

There was a shot putter who knocked down the cage at an Olympics once.

Was it shot or was it hammer? Anyway, I think it was the LA Olympics which meant most of the Eastern European/Soviet bloc weren't there, so he was actually in with a chance, if he'd had a throw at all.

**edit note to self - read whole thread before replying to early post.

Dirty Dingus McGee

wicklowwonder wrote: »

Embarrassed to play by the rules? The rules state he can play for Ireland, so he does. In fairness likes of Isaac Boss played before him and didn't receive as much publicity I think it's the fact Strauss went so far out of his way to learn our culture, our anthems etc.

Also Ronan O'Gara and Jamie Heaslip both where born oversea, maybe by your argument they shouldn't play either.

Embarrassing moments are when rules are broken or small suspensions are handed down for vicious assaults.

My own biggest embarrassment is how the GAA treat their club players, the back bone of the game. Case in point in the Tipperary GAA county football final played this weekend, months after all other counties are finished, game is a draw so they bring them back Stephens Day at 1pm. Also they didn't even play the game in Thurles, a stadium the players would love to play in, instead they play it in some field with no stand etc. a disgrace.

Its embarrassing that anyone that has zero connection with Ireland plays for the country and that there doesn't seem to have been too many dissenting voices about it.I completely forgot about Isaac Boss and there have probably been many more.They may be playing by the rules but the rules are wrong in my opinion and make a mockery of international rugby where large amounts of foreigners play for a country they have no connection with except they moved their to work.

Heaslip and O'Gara were brought up in this country, it's a completely different scenario, Ireland would have been their first choice to play for.

The GAA's treatment of club players is scandalous but in a lot of ways they only have themselves to blame as they put up with it.The club players should have organised themselves like the GPA and got the GAA to get the fixtures issue sorted which would not be that difficult in my opinion but like so many things in this country they just soldier on and complain rather than doing something about it.

Saipanne

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Its embarrassing that anyone that has zero connection with Ireland plays for the country and that there doesn't seem to have been too many dissenting voices about it.I completely forgot about Isaac Boss and there have probably been many more.They may be playing by the rules but the rules are wrong in my opinion and make a mockery of international rugby where large amounts of foreigners play for a country they have no connection with except they moved their to work.

The GAA's treatment of club players is scandalous but in a lot of ways they only have themselves to blame as they put up with it.The club players should have organised themselves like the GPA and got the GAA to get the fixtures issue sorted which would not be that difficult in my opinion but like so many things in this country they just soldier on and complain rather than doing something about it.

Remember when Cork hurlers did that?

wicklowwonder

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Its embarrassing that anyone that has zero connection with Ireland plays for the country and that there doesn't seem to have been too many dissenting voices about it.I completely forgot about Isaac Boss and there have probably been many more.They may be playing by the rules but the rules are wrong in my opinion and make a mockery of international rugby where large amounts of foreigners play for a country they have no connection with except they moved their to work.

The GAA's treatment of club players is scandalous but in a lot of ways they only have themselves to blame as they put up with it.The club players should have organised themselves like the GPA and got the GAA to get the fixtures issue sorted which would not be that difficult in my opinion but like so many things in this country they just soldier on and complain rather than doing something about it.

So then you agree it's the rules that are wrong so it's hardly Ireland's Biggest Sporting Embarrassment when we play by the rules? Lots of cricket and soccer players are in a similar position, an Irish man is now England's ODI cricket captain. Ireland had two English men as captain of the 1990 and 1994 World Cup team. It's not just rugby but people seem to have a chip on their shoulder over rugby.

The GAA at county level should be run for the players simple as. Tipperary shouldn't be allowed enter a team in the hurling or football championship this summer, that would set down a marker for other counties. It is harsh I know but something needs to be done. The winners next week already have lost out in the chance to represent their county in the Munster series.

Fr D Maugire

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

We are not the only country in the world who plays a variety of sports but for some reason it seems to be an excuse every time this country fails at an international sport.

There are many countries that play many different sports, but in most soccer is miles ahead of the next most popular sport. In Ireland that is not the case with the GAA right up there with Soccer. As someone else posted GAA is more important to people in many parts of the country.

Croatia has a huge soccer tradition and no other team sports that come anywhere near its popularity. Apart from some of the Nordic countries, I am trying to think of a country that has a sport that rivals soccer in terms of popularity.

All that said, our National team have been poor for a very long time now so there are obvioulsy issues as well. But then look at Belgium who were decidely average for a long-time and have now re-emerged again. Meanwhile a country like Romania has fallen away when they were once a force. Can be cyclical.

jmayo

iDave wrote: »

Louth fans

Meath footballers who think they are playing for Leinster by diving over the line.

Podge83 wrote: »

Whether Delaney's, 33rd team comment was to straight Sepp in private or not he may as well have got a tin of paint, broke into the Soccer City Stadium, wrote it across the pitch and signed it in blood. This was an act of incredible stupidity, brought the nation into disrepute (never mind bringing the game into disrepute) and is hard to be beaten as an embarrassing moment in Ireland's sporting history, which isn't actually that bad given the size of our country.

The only thing that could be more embarrassing is that he's still in the job, parading around the world with a fancy piece on his arm..... Actually, when you think about it he probably would fit right in on FIFA's top table.

Delaney is made for high office in FIFA/UEFA.
He is more than capable of cocking up, being lavishly overpaid and has a hide that makes him immune to being embarassed.

Egginacup wrote: »

:pac:
Arsehole. That was the Atlanta Olympics wasn't it? I don't remember seeing the eejit.

84 was LA.
And I remember that acheivement of knocking the netting around the hammer.
96 was Atlanta where the Americans became indignant that someone else might be on drugs and beating them.

Hoop66 wrote: »

Does it matter? I don't know a single GAA fan that can read.

Maybe they pretend so as not to have to read some of the awful sh**e soccer and rugby autobiographies, sorry ghost written garbage.

I don't know why some are saying trying to coax foreign players to play for Ireland is embarassing.
In soccer you have Spain, Portugal, France to name a few who have actually competed a very high level with foreign born and reared individuals.
In rugby perhaps some should take a look at Australian and English teams before they comment about Ireland.

washman3

Saipanne wrote: »

Did she have her medals removed from her?

Just curious.

No. she didn't lose her Olympic medals. Actually I'm fairly certain she kept every medal she won, (European etc)
The reason for this is that she passed every dope test during competition.
It was actually out of competition that she was found to have manipulated a sample with drops of whiskey. I think swimming is one of the very few sports with 'out of competition' testing.


Imagine testing a GAA player the day after winning a county final.
There's a good chance he may have urine in his alcohol....:D:D

yipeeeee

Sonia o Sullivan soiling her shorts whilst racing.