Billy Walsh quits ** SEE MOD WARNING #643 BEFORE POSTING

Joeseph Balls

http://m.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/boxing-bombshell-as-walsh-quits-for-us-31481440.html

Not good unfortunately

frostyjacks

Can't say I blame him. IABA sound like terrible employers.

Darkest Horse

As a boxing outsider and someone who prefers to listen to both sides of the story, this is a tragedy in sporting terms, regardless of the circumstances. How this man was allowed to be lost is beyond me. In my opinion, his achievements put him in a position to rightly name his price and the approaches from other international organisations should have motivated the powers that be to do anything to keep him here. This would be easier to swallow if it weren't right in the middle of an Olympic cycle and by not matching the offer of the Americans, we now stand to lose exponentially more in the long run. This is a joke.

walshb

Not the best news, but someone will replace him. The cycle goes on.

Joeseph Balls

walshb wrote: »

Not the best news, but someone will replace him. The cycle goes on.

Any predictions Walsh?

walshb

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Any predictions Walsh?

Pete Taylor? Or the Hungarian guy, or maybe he's some other nationality. Can't recall his name. I am sure there's a good team in place where one or more replacements can step up and carry on the excellent work/leadership of the HPT.

Joeseph Balls

walshb wrote: »

Pete Taylor? Or the Hungarian guy, or maybe he's some other nationality. Can't recall his name. I am sure there's a good team in place where one or more replacements can step up and carry on the excellent work/leadership of the HPT.

Zaur Antia? Cypriot

walshb

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Zaur Antia? Cypriot

That's him. I had Thor in my mind and didn't want to post it in case it was wrong.

J0E_90

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Zaur Antia? Cypriot

Zaur is Georgian. And I'd say there's a decent chance that Walsh will bring him with him to the U.S.

New head coach could be Eddie Bolger or John Conlan

walshb

J0E_90 wrote: »

Zaur is Georgian. And I'd say there's a decent chance that Walsh will bring him with him to the U.S.

New head coach could be Eddie Bolger or John Conlan

You're right, Georgian. I knew Cypriot didn't sound right.

ionadnapokot

walshb wrote: »

Not the best news, but someone will replace him. The cycle goes on.

Yea. But there is no reason that it has to happen now. Its a massive loss. less than a year out from the Olympics?? Madness.
IABA board should be ashamed of themselves. Dont they get government funding? Can they be brought to a public accounts hearing or something to explain this?

walshb

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Yea. But there is no reason that it has to happen now. Its a massive loss. less than a year out from the Olympics?? Madness.
IABA board should be ashamed of themselves. Dont they get government funding? Can they be brought to a public accounts hearing or something to explain this?

Unless you are privy to all the details etc I don't think slating a whole organization is the thing to do. That organization is made up of people.

ionadnapokot

I didnt slate the whole organisation. Just the board. For this:
The Irish Sports Council believed that a package had been agreed with the Irish Amateur Boxing Association last weekend to keep Walsh at home and that that package would be brought for ratification to Tuesday night's IABA board meeting.
This did not happen, however, after the association indicated via email on Tuesday that they had changed their stance on virtually every detail of the package.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/structural-changes-rather-than-financial-motives-behind-billy-walshs-decision-to-quit-for-us-31481440.html

walshb

ionadnapokot wrote: »

I didnt slate the whole organisation. Just the board. For this:
The Irish Sports Council believed that a package had been agreed with the Irish Amateur Boxing Association last weekend to keep Walsh at home and that that package would be brought for ratification to Tuesday night's IABA board meeting.
This did not happen, however, after the association indicated via email on Tuesday that they had changed their stance on virtually every detail of the package.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/structural-changes-rather-than-financial-motives-behind-billy-walshs-decision-to-quit-for-us-31481440.html

Ok then, the board. It's made up of people. It's the heartbeat of the organization.

ionadnapokot

walshb wrote: »

Ok then, the board. It's made up of people. It's the heartbeat of the organization.

Do you think that a comprehensive and fair appraisal of the package took place?
Do you think its fair what they did to Walsh?

walshb

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Do you think that a comprehensive and fair appraisal of the package took place?
Do you think its fair what they did to Walsh?

I am not privy to the details or all the goings on over the past while. Was Walsh part of the problem, or the actual problem? That not a possibility?

ionadnapokot

walshb wrote: »

I am not privy to the details or all the goings on over the past while. Was Walsh part of the problem, or the actual problem? That not a possibility?

They agreed (With the Irish Sports Council no less) to the proposed package for Walsh and then reneged on their agreement and sought a redraft just before the deadline.
And you suggest Walsh might be the problem? The man has been the backbone to Irish boxing success.
It's not acceptable they way they conducted their business. They should be held accountable.
Walsh should be lauded. Thanked for all his efforts and wished every success into the future.

walshb

ionadnapokot wrote: »

They agreed (With the Irish Sports Council no less) to the proposed package for Walsh and then reneged on their agreement and sought a redraft just before the deadline.
And you suggest Walsh might be the problem? The man has been the backbone to Irish boxing success.
It's not acceptable they way they conducted their business. They should be held accountable.
Walsh should be lauded. Thanked for all his efforts and wished every success into the future.

Again, the report or article is far from conclusive. Far from it. I'd like to hear both sides. One thing that stuck out was Walsh wanting to be able to select teams, and not have the committee select teams. That is something that maybe he was in the wrong on. Maybe he got too big for his boots. The success went to his head, and he thought that he was bigger than the organization? Wouldn't be the first time this has happened, and he's only human.

Slating one side, and sort of refusing to believe that there may well be two sides, and may well be a lack of compromise and manners and morals on both sides is wrong.

I don't know exactly all the ins and outs of this, but I am not ready to believe that one side, Walsh is all right and moral and correct, and the other side, the IABA, is all wrong and bent and immoral.

As to the IABA allegedly changing its mind or going back on "provisional" agreements. Big deal. Are they not allowed rethink and row back and change their minds?

I am not saying that Walsh is right or wrong or that the IABA are right or wrong, but you seem a little too clear cut for me based off a very ordinary and detail-less article.

BTW, Walsh should be lauded and congratulated and praised for whatever he did right. Who said otherwise?

ionadnapokot

walshb wrote: »

Again, the report or article is far from conclusive. Far from it. I'd like to hear both sides. One thing that stuck out was Walsh wanting to be able to select teams, and not have the committee select teams. That is something that maybe he was in the wrong on. Maybe he got too big for his boots. The success went to his head, and he thought that he was bigger than the organization? Wouldn't be the first time this has happened, and he's only human.

Slating one side, and sort of refusing to believe that there may well be two sides, and may well be a lack of compromise and manners and morals on both sides is wrong.

I don't know exactly all the ins and outs of this, but I am not ready to believe that one side, Walsh is all right and moral and correct, and the other sid, the IABA, is all wrong and bent and immoral.

As to the IABA allegedly changing its mind or going back on "provisional" agreements. Big deal. Are they not allowed rethink and row back and change their minds?

There are ways to negotiate professionally and treat people with respect. Via email just before an agreed deadline is not the way.

walshb

ionadnapokot wrote: »

There are ways to negotiate professionally and treat people with respect. Via email just before an agreed deadline is not the way.

How so? Email is a very ordinary and normal way to conduct business today. Not in all circumstances, but again, get back to me when you have more than the independent article you linked. How do you know that email communication was not the agreed/accepted method of communication between ISC and IABA?

average_runner

walshb wrote: »

Again, the report or article is far from conclusive. Far from it. I'd like to hear both sides. One thing that stuck out was Walsh wanting to be able to select teams, and not have the committee select teams. That is something that maybe he was in the wrong on. Maybe he got too big for his boots. The success went to his head, and he thought that he was bigger than the organization? Wouldn't be the first time this has happened, and he's only human.

Slating one side, and sort of refusing to believe that there may well be two sides, and may well be a lack of compromise and manners and morals on both sides is wrong.

I don't know exactly all the ins and outs of this, but I am not ready to believe that one side, Walsh is all right and moral and correct, and the other sid, the IABA, is all wrong and bent and immoral.

As to the IABA allegedly changing its mind or going back on "provisional" agreements. Big deal. Are they not allowed rethink and row back and change their minds?

I am not saying that Walsh is right or wrong or that the IABA are right or wrong, but you seem a little too clear cut for me based off a very ordinary and detail-less article.

BTW, Walsh should be lauded and congratulated and praised for whatever he did right. Who said otherwise?

Its a good move for Walsh, higher salary, pension and health insurance.
I know the guy, he is a sound person and was a great milkman when i was young.

Best of luck Billy, you deserve this big chance. Wouldn't be surprise if his side kick goes with him

walshb

average_runner wrote: »

Its a good move for Walsh, higher salary, pension and health insurance.
I know the guy, he is a sound person and was a great milkman when i was young.

Best of luck Billy, you deserve this big chance. Wouldn't be surprise if his side kick goes with him

I wish him all the best. To me, looking from the outside, he gave a hell of lot of his time and effort to the country. He comes across as one of the good guys.

average_runner

walshb wrote: »

I wish him all the best. To me, looking from the outside, he gave a hell of lot of his time and effort to the country. He comes across as one of the good guys.

He is one of the good guys. Not a bad footballer either!!

ionadnapokot

walshb wrote: »

How so? Email is a very ordinary and normal way to conduct business today. Not in all circumstances, but again, get back to me when you have more than the independent article you linked. How do you know that email communication was not the agreed/accepted method of communication between ISC and IABA?

I wont be getting back to you with more links etc
It is fairly cut and dried that email at deadline day with a redraft and renegement on previous agreement is not an open and transparent way to conduct productive negotiations.

walshb

ionadnapokot wrote: »

I wont be getting back to you with more links etc
It is fairly cut and dried that email at deadline day with a redraft and renegement on previous agreement is not an open and transparent way to conduct productive negotiations.

Okey doke, it seems your link is cut and dry. Case closed.

walshb

average_runner wrote: »

He is one of the good guys. Not a bad footballer either!!

That would be the exceptional balance that boxers possess...:)

Strongbow10

average_runner wrote: »

He is one of the good guys. Not a bad footballer either!!

Hurler I think you mean.

Why a committee choses teams is beyond me anyway. Surely the guys dealing with them every day should be the ones who decide.

Its like the FAI overruling Martin O'Neill and picking his squad.

Billy Walsh has earned that respect in fairness. I have a feeling though that this will all be rescued at the 11th hour and theres a bit of brinksmanship going on.

vicwatson

He won't be let go. It'll be sorted

slow

If the boxing team delivers medals in Rio without Billy, it'll be smoothed over. If it doesn't, expect HUGE funding cuts in the Tokyo cycle.

walshb

slow wrote: »

If the boxing team delivers medals in Rio without Billy, it'll be smoothed over. If it doesn't, expect HUGE funding cuts in the Tokyo cycle.

That is kind of the "silly" thing. The margins and subjectivity and competitiveness in boxing competitions at the Worlds and Olympics could see us winning a heap of medals or no medals. Either result is not at all proof of anything. Some people would go from "OTT" praise for a medal here and there to slating the lads should they fail to deliver medals. I am hoping that boxing fans can appreciate the subjectivity and difficulty that faces our lads.

Should we qualify 4-5 boxers for Rio and all are beaten in the 1st rd, do we then look to blame something, or someone? That's the knee jerk response I am predicting. If Walsh isn't there will people claim in a matter of fact way that the lack of "success" is down to him being absent? When in reality that cannot be ever really known, because at the very top level in boxing competition there are too many variables.

Should the boxers come out and give reasons/excuses that allude to Walsh's absence being responsible for their lack of success (his absence from HPT, and/or absence from their corner) then this something we can look at.

slow

Boxing fans don't determine funding. The Irish Sports Council does. Boxing has been seen as something of a special case as there's always the temptation for the top guys to turn pro for short term gain. Billy Walsh is seen by many as one who kept our best boxers in the amateur ranks for Ireland's gain.

I am sad to see him go. Whoever fills his shoes will have a tough job. And I wouldn't like to be the person going into the ISC to negotiate the wages or contract duration for Walsh's successor...