Colm Cooper's 'corporate-sponsored dinner'

hawkelady

Shurimgreat wrote: »

I fail to see the difference between retired inter county players like Spillane, Brolly and O'Rourke making money from their GAA related work/punditry and another retired inter county player Gooch making money from his relationship to the GAA.

I think much of the anger from the pundits stems from the fact they didn't think of it first.

You can't go around taking a wage for doing GAA related work and then give out about others also earning an income. These pundits need to write about something and they usually focus negatively on whatever is topical.

But these ex players are "working". What did cooper do? From the videos I've seen of the night it wasn't much of a memorable evening anyway. The whole thing was greed tbf

danganabu

hawkelady wrote: »

Hey dangan , you previously said that what cooper did with his dinner is the same as ex players commentating or writing for a newspaper.

I did and what has led you to believe I have changed my opinion on this, you're a bit all over the place here.

hawkelady

danganabu wrote: »

hawkelady wrote: »

Hey dangan , you previously said that what cooper did with his dinner is the same as ex players commentating or writing for a newspaper.

I did and what has led you to believe I have changed my opinion on this, you're a bit all over the place here.

Sorry , I presumed you change your tune because while you were dissecting another posters opinion you failed to pull him up on that issue even though you were nitpicking ... so if you still believe that hosting a dinner is the same as working as an analyst for rte is the same !! Good luck to you.

danganabu

hawkelady wrote: »

Sorry , I presumed you change your tune because while you were dissecting another posters opinion you failed to pull him up on that issue even though you were nitpicking ... so if you still believe that hosting a dinner is the same as working as an analyst for rte is the same !! Good luck to you.

Take a lie down there for yourself like a good lad, maybe start with Ann and Barry or something and work your way up through the levels.

And if you think highlighting a potentially libellous statement is 'nitpicking' you might need to revise your priorities.

PeadarCo

hawkelady wrote:

But these ex players are "working". What did cooper do? From the videos I've seen of the night it wasn't much of a memorable evening anyway. The whole thing was greed tbf

Let's be honest if Colm O Rourke had played for Leitrim instead of Meath its really unlikely it would be on the Sunday game. The same for Pat Splillane and Joe Brolly. While they good at their job. The only reason they got the opportunity in the first place was because of who they played for. They were also lucky to have the players around them that they did that enabled their counties to be successful in their playing careers.

If people are prepared to pay to see a talk by Cooper or anyone else for that matter. Its none of any one elses business.

Bonniedog

PeadarCo wrote: »

Let's be honest if Colm O Rourke had played for Leitrim instead of Meath its really unlikely it would be on the Sunday game. The same for Pat Splillane and Joe Brolly. While they good at their job. The only reason they got the opportunity in the first place was because of who they played for. They were also lucky to have the players around them that they did that enabled their counties to be successful in their playing careers.

If people are prepared to pay to see a talk by Cooper or anyone else for that matter. Its none of any one elses business.

There is a lot of sense in what you say. I recall someone saying why don't Supervalu have a Longford player doing their ads instead of Bernard. Well... doh! as Homer Simpson would say

My only thing about the Cooper event is the charity angle. Total cesspool in this country run by people whose main charity is themselves!

flasher0030

hawkelady wrote: »

Hey dangan , you previously said that what cooper did with his dinner is the same as ex players commentating or writing for a newspaper.

Ok. You make that comment. But couple of comments ago, you direct the following comment at Dangan:-

"So you agree that commentating or giving analysis of a game isn't the same as making money from hosting a dinner.
Glad that's cleared up then"

What's that about? Why be argumentative for the sake of it.

Anyway, Spillane and Brolly are just being noisy about it to maintain their own profile during off-season. What else is there to remember them for when their sour faces are not beamed to us from The Sunday Game. It’s just pure hype. I’m sure Brolly has thought to himself “fair fu’ks to Cooper. Wish I had thought of that”. And in fairness, Brolly is one of few who could get away with having such an event organised - I think he would get a crowd. Not for his footballing ability, but more for his talking, anecdotes etc. Just to see what controversy he would generate. There’s very few ex-players who have the standing in GAA to warrant such an event. You would really need to be in the category of greatest player ever – Canavan, Maurice Fitzgerald, Gooch. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work. So I say, fair play to him. There was a comment earlier that it opens the floodgates for other ex-players to follow suit. But I disagree. I don’t think anyone else will do the same thing. For one, they wouldn’t be able to fit the billing.

Saint Sonner

Totally agree - Always considered Gooch a disgusting term to put on anyone!

Slattsy

PeadarCo wrote: »

Let's be honest if Colm O Rourke had played for Leitrim instead of Meath its really unlikely it would be on the Sunday game. The same for Pat Splillane and Joe Brolly. While they good at their job. The only reason they got the opportunity in the first place was because of who they played for. They were also lucky to have the players around them that they did that enabled their counties to be successful in their playing careers.

If people are prepared to pay to see a talk by Cooper or anyone else for that matter. Its none of any one elses business.

How the **** did Dessie Dolan get on it?!

nice_guy80

Shurimgreat wrote: »

I fail to see the difference between retired inter county players like Spillane, Brolly and O'Rourke making money from their GAA related work/punditry and another retired inter county player Gooch making money from his relationship to the GAA.

I think much of the anger from the pundits stems from the fact they didn't think of it first.

You can't go around taking a wage for doing GAA related work and then give out about others also earning an income. These pundits need to write about something and they usually focus negatively on whatever is topical.

there is a big difference between actually working to earn that money on GAA related activities

to organising a big event with your hand out in order to collect donations off people just because you played some GAA related activities

Dyr

Slattsy wrote: »

How the **** did Dessie Dolan get on it?!

Good Point, at least Eamonn O'Hara had the looks going for him

Bonniedog

Bambi wrote: »

Good Point, at least Eamonn O'Hara had the looks going for him

Bambi and Eamonn sitting in a tree K I S S I N G....... yeas, i'm pissed

Shurimgreat

nice_guy80 wrote: »

there is a big difference between actually working to earn that money on GAA related activities

to organising a big event with your hand out in order to collect donations off people just because you played some GAA related activities

He was "working" for 15 years while playing for Kerry, spilling sweat, blood and tears, sacrificing relationships and job prospects, while the suits running the GAA and commentating were making fortunes off the back of his efforts. He has more than earned it.

Croke Park would not be filled every September if it wasn't for the likes of Cooper. No-one pays to see Brolly or O'Rourke analyse, Marty Morrissey commentate or the GAA administrators push pens around. Those most in favour of keeping the GAA "amateur" are the ones earning the most money from it. I say well done to Cooper for looking after himself.

PARlance

It's amazing how Spillane, O'Rourke and Brolly are being put forward as being some kind of counter argument here. The general consensus when they're actually "working" is that they do a poor job of it.

I'm sure they wouldn't be used in this thread if people knew how much they made from their "work" with RTE. If that came out, people would be complaining about them being paid crazy money for "talking sh1te"... i.e not work...why are they getting jobs with newspapers too yada yada, they're not qualified journalists etc etc.

The bottom line for me still remains that most people who are annoyed by this are really just annoyed by the €5,000 a table price tag and the fact that he could have made a small fortune... It's a bit rich...

As a nation we're happy for someone to do well, just not too well. I know business owners who wouldn't dream of buying a new car (even though they're doing very well) purely because it would negatively impact their business.

People love to see people slogging away but hate the pr1ck with the new car.

hawkelady

I wouldn't mind anyone getting a good wage for doing work for rte. I agree that they do talk crap sometimes and I wouldn't agree with them all the time either btw .... if rte thought they are crap or if rte were receiving g complaints all the time , I'm sure they would get let go. I have no issue with cooper doing this work either btw and fair play to him....hope he gets a permanent gig out of it.
.. but hosting a dinner and lining his own pockets ,, that's a rich imo

Shurimgreat

All it would take is for most of the top inter county stars to withdraw their services and the GAA pen pushers, analysts and commentators would be out of a job and the GAA would have no "product". They need to remember that. Cooper has earned any money coming to him and should rightly care less what the pundits think. They've lined their own pockets for years on the backs of the efforts of Cooper and other footballers.

danganabu

PARlance wrote: »

It's amazing how Spillane, O'Rourke and Brolly are being put forward as being some kind of counter argument here. The general consensus when they're actually "working" is that they do a poor job of it.

I'm sure they wouldn't be used in this thread if people knew how much they made from their "work" with RTE. If that came out, people would be complaining about them being paid crazy money for "talking sh1te"... i.e not work...why are they getting jobs with newspapers too yada yada, they're not qualified journalists etc etc.

I know exactly how much they get and as you say if people knew the figure and were still able to argue that they ''earned'' it, Id be amazed.

Vronsky

danganabu wrote: »

I know exactly how much they get and as you say if people knew the figure and were still able to argue that they ''earned'' it, Id be amazed.

I know what the appearance fees on RTE are too, but that misses the point. Fees for media work doesn't compete with the GAA sponsorship (the greater good, from a GAA perspective) - testimonial dinners do.

nice_guy80

Shurimgreat wrote: »

nice_guy80 wrote: »

there is a big difference between actually working to earn that money on GAA related activities

to organising a big event with your hand out in order to collect donations off people just because you played some GAA related activities

He was "working" for 15 years while playing for Kerry, spilling sweat, blood and tears, sacrificing relationships and job prospects, while the suits running the GAA and commentating were making fortunes off the back of his efforts. He has more than earned it.

Croke Park would not be filled every September if it wasn't for the likes of Cooper. No-one pays to see Brolly or O'Rourke analyse, Marty Morrissey commentate or the GAA administrators push pens around. Those most in favour of keeping the GAA "amateur" are the ones earning the most money from it. I say well done to Cooper for looking after himself.

who forced him to do it?
nobody forces me to go and tog with my local club

danganabu

Vronsky wrote: »

I know what the appearance fees on RTE are too, but that misses the point. Fees for media work doesn't compete with the GAA sponsorship (the greater good, from a GAA perspective) - testimonial dinners do.

I'm struggling to make the distinction between the two revenue sources, you do realise that you and I and every othe licence fee paying citizen is paying these pundits wages?

danganabu

nice_guy80 wrote: »

who forced him to do it?
nobody forces me to go and tog with my local club

And nobody forced anybody to attend the dinner, that's kind of the whole point, there was clearly a market for it and Cooper rightly took advantage of that.

BrianBoru00

Shurimgreat wrote: »

He was "working" for 15 years while playing for Kerry, spilling sweat, blood and tears, sacrificing relationships and job prospects, while the suits running the GAA and commentating were making fortunes off the back of his efforts. He has more than earned it.

Croke Park would not be filled every September if it wasn't for the likes of Cooper. No-one pays to see Brolly or O'Rourke analyse, Marty Morrissey commentate or the GAA administrators push pens around. Those most in favour of keeping the GAA "amateur" are the ones earning the most money from it. I say well done to Cooper for looking after himself.

What an absolute crock of ****e. . .PLayers from every county have "worked " every bit as hard and harder than Cooper but havent' got 10% of the perks he has got.
Job prospects? he works in a bank. What career advancements do you imagine he would have received if he wasn't playing for Kerry.

Sacrificing relation ships? ? Get real ffs. if anything being a county player opens up way more doors in this respect.

Who exactly do you thihnk is making a fortune from the GAA?

You reckon Croke park wouldn't be filled in September without Colm Cooper ? It wouldn't be filled without the guy lining the pitch in Killarney or the coaches taking the u8s on a Saturday morning or tens of thousands more throughout the world.

Players are using their profile to make money for appearances and many with their own businesses see those benefit hugely from their GAA profile.
Colm Cooper is paid for media work, in relation to GAA.

This testimonial is different - its a simple money grab and thats what I and every other "GAA person" that I've spoken to have a problem.
Secondly and a bigger issue is the "charities are benefitting" and no figures being put on it.

The usual "begrudgery" ****e being thrown at anyone who disagrees with it is tiresome at this stage.

I don't begrudge Cooper his job with RTE even though I think he is quite poor and has on a number of occasions mispronounced names of players (which I think is unprofessional).
I don't begrudge the fact that as a Kerry footballer he has benefitted hugely in the "lottery of life" - If he had been born 40 miles NE then he would not have been a household name.

I disagree with the notion of testimonials full stop. In particular I think that to pick an individual where it was a team effort is just plain wrong.

lazybones32

BrianBoru: Jason Sherlock has just written a book - do you and every other GAA person you know agree with that?

BrianBoru00

Are you actually asking me if I agree with someone writing their autobiography? Thats a bit like asking me if I agree with Joe Canning opening a thai restaurant or Seamus Darby having a pub. Its not for me to agree or disagree. Its a daft question. . . . After consideration I have no real thoughts on the matter and I would imagine every other person I know whether GAA or not would be equally indifferent

lazybones32

So, a guy who came to prominence through gaa wants to make some extra cash, using his 'fame' from gaa days to promote it (without getting the GAA to endorse it) and all the while, purchase is not mandatory.
When one man does this, it's okay but when another does it, it's not...do you not see a double-standard? I do.

BrianBoru00

lazybones32 wrote: »

So, a guy who came to prominence through gaa wants to make some extra cash, using his 'fame' from gaa days to promote it (without getting the GAA to endorse it) and all the while, purchase is not mandatory.
When one man does this, it's okay but when another does it, it's not...do you not see a double-standard? I do.

Where is the double standard? I have no problem with either of those players or any others writing an autobiography or making extra cash from their "fame" .

If I had my choice I would prefer a more socialist approach as was the case very early on in advent of commercialism in the GAA.
Your suggesting double standards where there clearly are none.

The testimonial is the issue here and I've outlined my reasons for disagreeing for this testimonial quite clearly above. You've chosen to ignore certain parts of my posts or haven't bothered reading them at all.

lazybones32

You can't see it? The scenario i wrote applies to both gooch and jayo: both are about the money, both are using their gaa recognition to advertise sales, both products will give a few hours enjoyment to the purchaser...yet you have a problem with only one method?

Shurimgreat

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

Are you actually asking me if I agree with someone writing their autobiography? Thats a bit like asking me if I agree with Joe Canning opening a thai restaurant or Seamus Darby having a pub. Its not for me to agree or disagree. Its a daft question. . . . After consideration I have no real thoughts on the matter and I would imagine every other person I know whether GAA or not would be equally indifferent

All of these hurlers and footballers are trying to benefit financially from their association with the GAA. They are all at it. Pubs, books, making appearances, opening shops etc. I'd imagine most of them get appearance money for a lot of things.
To pick out Cooper alone though is wrong. They are all at it. Yes the testimonial dinner is different, but its no different to what other ex players are doing to maximise their income.
Should we now ban all ex players benefitting financially? Cooper is essentially now a private citizen. He is free to do as he wants as are all the rest of the ex players.
I don't buy the myth that the GAA is or ever was truly an "amateur" organisation, particularly for top level county footballers. In terms of the admin at lower level, a lot of people are in it mainly for the All-Ireland final tickets. All inter county players from every county get healthy expenses, have sponsorship deals, usually a sponsored car. I'd say there's significant payments under the table too to stop talented players from emigrating or working abroad for the summer. And if there isn't, there should be. Its tough to watch the suits in Croke Park being well paid, while young players in Kerry are faced with the decision of emigrating to Australia to make a bit of money. We know managers are well looked after. The GAA hierarchy are well paid. Maybe its time everyone was out in the open about it and a move to a form of professionalism was allowed. Certainly a lot of players such as Bernard Brogan have significant sponsorship deals and no-one seems to bat an eye lid or question his amateurism.

dog_pig

lazybones32 wrote: »

You can't see it? The scenario i wrote applies to both gooch and jayo: both are about the money, both are using their gaa recognition to advertise sales, both products will give a few hours enjoyment to the purchaser...yet you have a problem with only one method?

Does the marketing for Jason Sherlock's book state that proceeds from sales are going to charity?

lazybones32

dog_pig wrote: »

Does the marketing for Jason Sherlock's book state that proceeds from sales are going to charity?

Doubt it. That said, is jayo being publicly hounded about the proceeds? Is someone going to devote airtime on media sources because they think he will get too much from the book and try pressurize him into offering a % to a charity (such as the GAA☺)?