RTE sports awards

Bonniedog

Not making big thing about Dublin - actually thought that Galway winning hurling was the biggest achievement of the year - but seriously, the RTE awards are a bit of a joke.

Team of the year are show jumpers. Led by someone who was stripped of a gold medal for cheating. A sport that has about 200 people participating in, seriously...

Sports awards being picked by soap opera fans. And McClean! Plays for two sh1te teams, never won anything. How in the name of jaysus is he more meriting than Joe Canning?

BoroMan32

The McClean decision was embarrassing alright.

mattser

Bonniedog wrote: »

Not making big thing about Dublin - actually thought that Galway winning hurling was the biggest achievement of the year - but seriously, the RTE awards are a bit of a joke.

Team of the year are show jumpers. Led by someone who was stripped of a gold medal for cheating. A sport that has about 200 people participating in, seriously...

Sports awards being picked by soap opera fans. And McClean! Plays for two sh1te teams, never won anything. How in the name of jaysus is he more meriting than Joe Canning?

Awful.

S. Goodspeed

It was a pretty poor year for the nominations to be honest, from an international perspective at least.

Mclean winning it though is a complete joke. An extremely limited footballer in a very limited team that won nothing. He doesn’t even perform well for Ireland, just runs around and fouls people a lot. I know this was 2016 but i’ll never forget him failing to pull the ball back against France in 2016 to set up an easy tap in.

Stoner

Bonniedog wrote:

Sports awards being picked by soap opera fans. And McClean! Plays for two sh1te teams, never won anything. How in the name of jaysus is he more meriting than Joe Canning?

I voted for McClean, I like him, puts in a great shift. A good character.

Utopia Parkway

McClean seems absolutely bizarre to me. Scored a few goals in qualifying in a campaign where the team ended up humiliated in the playoffs. And McClean himself was pretty awful in both playoff games. Not to mention he hasn't even been able to get into his own club side either!

I mean I love James McClean but is that worthy of sportsperson of the year?

Also nothing against show jumpers but how on earth did a show jumping team win a public vote? Was there a secret campaign for them?

redlead

Bonniedog wrote: »

Not making big thing about Dublin - actually thought that Galway winning hurling was the biggest achievement of the year - but seriously, the RTE awards are a bit of a joke.

Team of the year are show jumpers. Led by someone who was stripped of a gold medal for cheating. A sport that has about 200 people participating in, seriously...

Sports awards being picked by soap opera fans. And McClean! Plays for two sh1te teams, never won anything. How in the name of jaysus is he more meriting than Joe Canning?

All sports awards are silly though. Joe Canning winning HOTY is equally ridiculous. He wasn't even top 3 in Galway. McClean may be limited but he was Irelands best player in a year where we had a good run. It's a poor year in general though, no one really stands out in any sport. The O Donovan lad probably deserves it if he was nominated.

Hesh's Umpire

I'm actually not much of a Katie Taylor fan. Something about her I can't warm to. But she clearly should have won that.

Team of the year had to be the Dublin footballers.

redlead

Hesh's Umpire wrote: »

Team of the year had to be the Dublin footballers.

Funny enough in GAA terms I'd almost give team of the year to Mayo over Dublin. It's exceptional what Dublin achieved but they achieved what was expected of them. Mayo on the other hand were written off by almost everyone at the start of the championship as a team that were contenders but defied all the odds to battle through about 100 games to get to the final yet again. You have to respect that. That's with a team that has a lot of flaws unlike Dublin. Who's the better team? Dublin obviously but Mayo got the most out of themselves in my opinion.

Fr Tod Umptious

redlead wrote: »

Funny enough in GAA terms I'd almost give team of the year to Mayo over Dublin. It's exceptional what Dublin achieved but they achieved what was expected of them. Mayo on the other hand were written off by almost everyone at the start of the championship as a team that were contenders but defied all the odds to battle through about 100 games to get to the final yet again. You have to respect that. That's with a team that has a lot of flaws unlike Dublin. Who's the better team? Dublin obviously but Mayo got the most out of themselves in my opinion.

Ah now, it's not as if Mayo were complete outsiders, they were always regarded as a top level team, thy struggled to put away lesser teams all year, that's what had people writing them off.

Bonniedog

Dublin won't win anything in these awards because they are based on a text vote. I wouldn't be voting for Mayo for example had they won the All Ireland! That is just the nature of these things and actually highlights the healthy rivalry between counties. Who honestly gives a somersaulting f@rt about showjumping or some of the other sports which won awards or had nominations?

Personally, and being objective, I would have thought that Galway winning the AI after 29 years of heartbreak was the outstanding team achievement of 2017.

Andy Moran's award was based on the judgment of people who know the game, and was deserved on the basis of his performances.

BENDYBINN

Did I hear it right but was the manager of the year a horse trainer?

Dots1982

Thing is next year is also likely to be a poor year for Irish sport.

Maybe Rugby and Conlan apart.

Dots1982

Stoner wrote: »

Bonniedog wrote:

Sports awards being picked by soap opera fans. And McClean! Plays for two sh1te teams, never won anything. How in the name of jaysus is he more meriting than Joe Canning?

I voted for McClean, I like him, puts in a great shift. A good character.

There haven’t been that many players I’ve seen in an Irish jersey less gifted than McClean. A decent lad and tries his best but desperately limited.

Utopia Parkway

redlead wrote: »

Funny enough in GAA terms I'd almost give team of the year to Mayo over Dublin. It's exceptional what Dublin achieved but they achieved what was expected of them. Mayo on the other hand were written off by almost everyone at the start of the championship as a team that were contenders but defied all the odds to battle through about 100 games to get to the final yet again. You have to respect that. That's with a team that has a lot of flaws unlike Dublin. Who's the better team? Dublin obviously but Mayo got the most out of themselves in my opinion.

No serious way could anyone vote for Mayo as team of the year. They lost twice during the Summer. Came very close to losing another three games against Derry, Roscommon and Kerry. I mean they showed some serious bottle to reach the final but you just couldn't pick them ahead of the Dublin footballers or the Galway hurlers who had a clean sweep of all available trophies. Ultimately winning matters.

Are Am Eye

BENDYBINN wrote: »

Did I hear it right but was the manager of the year a horse trainer?

Its not just him and the horses. There are othert humans involved. And a goat probably. There always seems to be a goat.

Bonniedog

Are Am Eye wrote: »

Its not just him and the horses. There are othert humans involved. And a goat probably. There always seems to be a goat.

And the backing of owners who have first dibs on every thoroughbred flat horse on the planet!

Harrington's achievement with Sizing John was more significant than O'Brien's.

Are Am Eye

Bonniedog wrote: »

And the backing of owners who have first dibs on every thoroughbred flat horse on the planet!

Harrington's achievement with Sizing John was more significant than O'Brien's.

That's a fair point but if the trainors arent maximising the potential of all these horses there are competitors in the wing. Like all sports the margins are tight at the top.

Stoner

Dots1982 wrote:

There haven’t been that many players I’ve seen in an Irish jersey less gifted than McClean. A decent lad and tries his best but desperately limited.

That's true but I like him, for me he represents a nice bit of spirit in the national team which went out the window in the Euros in Poland, for me anyway MONs squad turned things around


I wasn't heavily invested in it. If I was voting again I might go for Taylor.

spurshero

redlead wrote: »

Funny enough in GAA terms I'd almost give team of the year to Mayo over Dublin. It's exceptional what Dublin achieved but they achieved what was expected of them. Mayo on the other hand were written off by almost everyone at the start of the championship as a team that were contenders but defied all the odds to battle through about 100 games to get to the final yet again. You have to respect that. That's with a team that has a lot of flaws unlike Dublin. Who's the better team? Dublin obviously but Mayo got the most out of themselves in my opinion.

defied all the odds ? they made a hard job of beating atrocious teams . inter county standard at the moment is poor . whilst players are super fit the skill levels are well down in my opinion. you have average kerry and tyrone teams making up what is basically a 4 team championship . mayo and dublin are good in fairness .before a ball is kicked next year we all know the winner will be one of these 4

MayoAreMagic

Bonniedog wrote: »

Dublin won't win anything in these awards because they are based on a text vote. I wouldn't be voting for Mayo for example had they won the All Ireland! That is just the nature of these things and actually highlights the healthy rivalry between counties.

Sorry, I dont follow you here. Surely the text vote would favor Dublin, with the numbers of home-voters they would have?
I disagree that Dublin wont win anything. They will win the awards they deserve to win. I havent seen them not win any award that they have deserved to my mind to be honest about it. They say the press is anti dublin, yet the same press just voted a Dub player with the accolade of sportsbook of the year. It doesnt really add up.

My own personal view would be that Galway were the team of the year, coming from perennial alsorans who were seen as a soft touch to literally winning everything by running over everything in their path. It doesnt really get much more definitive for me

On sportsperson of the year, Con O'Callaghan should undoubtedly have gotten a nomination. But I would have given the to andy moran. People will say that is because Im from mayo, but I genuinely think that the central role he played and performances he put in this year, at his age, with his history of injuries and history of probably coming up a bit short against the very elite throughout his career, was a genuinely amazing feat. Id consider it on a par with any season peter canavan put in for tyrone in his time.

ArielAtom

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Sorry, I dont follow you here. Surely the text vote would favor Dublin, with the numbers of home-voters they would have?
I disagree that Dublin wont win anything. They will win the awards they deserve to win. I havent seen them not win any award that they have deserved to my mind to be honest about it. They say the press is anti dublin, yet the same press just voted a Dub player with the accolade of sportsbook of the year. It doesnt really add up.

My own personal view would be that Galway were the team of the year, coming from perennial alsorans who were seen as a soft touch to literally winning everything by running over everything in their path. It doesnt really get much more definitive for me

On sportsperson of the year, Con O'Callaghan should undoubtedly have gotten a nomination. But I would have given the to andy moran. People will say that is because Im from mayo, but I genuinely think that the central role he played and performances he put in this year, at his age, with his history of injuries and history of probably coming up a bit short against the very elite throughout his career, was a genuinely amazing feat. Id consider it on a par with any season peter canavan put in for tyrone in his time.

So Con wins all around him and Andy wins what? Are you serious about taking into account his age, injury history and coming up short as mitigating factors??? Sure if that's the case Clucko should have won POTY and an All Star based on his stellar career, but we know the views on that now don't we😉. Moran was no where near the award and you know it well, nice try though.

Bonniedog

Then explain why Dublin have not won ANY RTE award in the course of winning 5 All Irelands and four leagues in succession, including two doubles? You don't seriously believe that people believe that the show jumping team winning some barely contested event is equal to that?

Agree with you on Galway, but fact is that outside of Galway and Dublin, the vast majority of texters will not be voting for them. Doesn't bother me other than that RTE make it out to be some sort of definitive judgement on Irish sport which is ludicrous. On same level as those awful make me a star nonsense.

MayoAreMagic

ArielAtom wrote: »

So Con wins all around him and Andy wins what? Are you serious about taking into account his age, injury history and coming up short as mitigating factors??? Sure if that's the case Clucko should have won POTY and an All Star based on his stellar career, but we know the views on that now don't we��. Moran was no where near the award and you know it well, nice try though.

In fairness, Con's teams win all round them, there is a difference..
I'd accept that some people would go for him and arguments can be made for both, and both had seasons that wont be matched very often. I just think that moran had bigger personal performances in tougher circumstances. For example, he was double marked at all times, was OCallaghan double marked at all? Im not trying to take away from the lad, Im simply explaining why I would go for moran ahead of him.

Of course I am taking those things into account, Id ask why would you not take them into account? That was the starting point for his season - a very old player, with serious cumulative injury issues, who has very rarely reached true elite level. To go from that to probably the most feared forward in the country and a one man wrecking machine of the countries elite man markers - even in twos. It's roy of the rovers territory. I cant think of a similar occurrence in any elite level sport, it's freakish.

Re cluxton, I dont get the comparison. My issue with cluxton getting those awards is the logic used to support cluxton is that of a lifetime achievement award rather than best player for that year.. That isnt what I am doing with moran at all.

Bonniedog wrote: »

Then explain why Dublin have not won ANY RTE award in the course of winning 5 All Irelands and four leagues in succession, including two doubles? You don't seriously believe that people believe that the show jumping team winning some barely contested event is equal to that?

Agree with you on Galway, but fact is that outside of Galway and Dublin, the vast majority of texters will not be voting for them. Doesn't bother me other than that RTE make it out to be some sort of definitive judgement on Irish sport which is ludicrous. On same level as those awful make me a star nonsense.

But what specific awards have they deserved that they havent got? Id accept that, generally speaking, you would expect that over the 5 years they would have picked one up, but can you give a specific example of them being genuinely shafted? Like you could have a galway-esque season in some sport or other that catches the eye, and in respect to that the dubs winning games they are expected to win will always pale in comparison, and so it should. That isnt a bias, that is just the way of the world. i.e. greece winning the euros is seen as a bigger achievement than germany doing it.

Well I know people that voted for galway who are not from that county... However, for arguments sake we will say your logic is accurate. My issue with that is, surely the same goes for everyone? i.e. only people with interest in showjumping with vote for showjumping etc so they are all hamstrung by their level of interest.

Re mcclean, Im lost on that one. I cant get my head around how he managed to end up with the award. It makes no sense on any level.

Bonniedog

You are missing my point. Whole idea of couch potatoes voting on things they know nothing about mostly and who invariably represent the lowest common denominator, as proven by the execrable sh1te that wins "music" competitions, is just absurd. Don't know why Gavin and Brian turned up to be insulted about facial expressions by woman who looked like she had fallen out of a Christmas tree after a bottle of gin.

cms88

Bonniedog wrote: »

Then explain why Dublin have not won ANY RTE award in the course of winning 5 All Irelands and four leagues in succession, including two doubles? You don't seriously believe that people believe that the show jumping team winning some barely contested event is equal to that?

Agree with you on Galway, but fact is that outside of Galway and Dublin, the vast majority of texters will not be voting for them. Doesn't bother me other than that RTE make it out to be some sort of definitive judgement on Irish sport which is ludicrous. On same level as those awful make me a star nonsense.

It's always very funny to see Dubs make comments like ''It doesn't bother me'' or ''i dont care about it'' when they every much do and will go out of thier way to let everyone know

MayoAreMagic

Bonniedog wrote: »

You are missing my point. Whole idea of couch potatoes voting on things they know nothing about mostly and who invariably represent the lowest common denominator, as proven by the execrable sh1te that wins "music" competitions, is just absurd. Don't know why Gavin and Brian turned up to be insulted about facial expressions by woman who looked like she had fallen out of a Christmas tree after a bottle of gin.

In fairness, you initially stated that Dubs wont get as many votes in a text vote system. I pointed out, and I stand over it, that if anything there are more dubs than any other faction, therefore a text vote would in fact favour them rather than hinder them. That is a different point to what you are now stating as regards couch potatoes. I'd point out that again, there are couch potatoes in every county, so it wont hinder any one nominee more than another.

The main problem with your assertion is that for it to hold true, there would need to be only 2 options, Dublin and non-Dublin. Thus you could argue that everyone that is 'anti-dub' would go for the non-dub option. However, in this example there are several options. So unless you are suggesting there is a countrywide organised conspiracy where everyone outside Dublin got together and arranged what specific option they were going to vote for to oust Dublin, then the probability of it happening on it's own is in fact miniscule. When you consider it like that, the ridiculousness of the suggestion should be apparent.

As for lowest common denominator, your comments on the woman's appearance would fit squarely in that bracket I would imagine...

EICVD

Bonniedog wrote: »

And the backing of owners who have first dibs on every thoroughbred flat horse on the planet!

Harrington's achievement with Sizing John was more significant than O'Brien's.

I don’t agree, I’m glad O’Brien’s world record of 28 Group 1 wins in the year was rewarded the other night. It’s not as if all those wins where here or in Britain but from California to Hong Kong (& almost Melbourne). Sizing Johns potential could of easily been seen a year earlier but De Bromhead was happy enough finishing 2nd to Douvan all season. O’Brien isn’t just ‘managing’ the horses, he’s managing the stable staff too.

The awards are a joke though, only 3 nominees for the young sportsperson of the year when there was about 20 for the overall sportsperson! Could have easily added Con O’Callaghan (should have been nominated for the overall award, a far more successful season than Andy Moran), Jack Kennedy, Colin Keane & a few more to that list.

I’ve lost interest in these awards (Dubs not winning anything the main reason) & just see it as a highlights show of the years sport to be honest.

EICVD

Dots1982 wrote: »

Thing is next year is also likely to be a poor year for Irish sport.

Maybe Rugby and Conlan apart.

Nah when the dubs do 8 & 4 in a row next year & regain the league title, it’ll be a fantastic year! ;-)

MayoAreMagic

EICVD wrote: »

Could have easily added Con O’Callaghan (should have been nominated for the overall award, a far more successful season than Andy Moran

Yet Moran won the POTY over O'Callaghan...

:rolleyes:

The award isn't called the sportsperson whose team won the most trophies award man...

eigrod

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Also nothing against show jumpers but how on earth did a show jumping team win a public vote? Was there a secret campaign for them?

Must've been some stunt pulled there. I'd say 90% of the population couldn't even tell you last Friday before the awards what they'd won in 2017 and I'd say 99% of the population couldn't tell you the name of 3 members of the team.

The entire thing is a farce - haven't watched it for years.

Dublin or Cork City should've won it for me.

blanch152

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Yet Moran won the POTY over O'Callaghan...

:rolleyes:

The award isn't called the sportsperson whose team won the most trophies award man...

Silly argument. POTY was for one sport.

O'Callaghan's achievements are unique because he won All-Ireland medals across different sports and across different levels. He has won more All-Ireland medals in one year than Andy Moran will win in a lifetime.

That aside, I still scratch my head and wonder how, other than a sympathy vote, a player who disappeared at half-time in an All-Ireland final his team lost managed to get POTY. They should rename it the Mayo consolation prize after Lee picking it up the year before. Think I will go out and put money on AOS or Cillian winning it next year after they miss a winning chance in the All-Ireland.

MayoAreMagic

blanch152 wrote: »

That aside, I still scratch my head and wonder how, other than a sympathy vote, a player who disappeared at half-time in an All-Ireland final his team lost managed to get POTY. They should rename it the Mayo consolation prize after Lee picking it up the year before. Think I will go out and put money on AOS or Cillian winning it next year after they miss a winning chance in the All-Ireland.

Maybe start from the undeniable reality that those who have voted for these awards - the players - know far more about it than you do, and work backwards from there.

ArielAtom

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Yet Moran won the POTY over O'Callaghan...

:rolleyes:

The award isn't called the sportsperson whose team won the most trophies award man...

So are you now saying Mayo are a one man team and all they achieved last year was down to one man?

Bonniedog

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Maybe start from the undeniable reality that those who have voted for these awards - the players - know far more about it than you do, and work backwards from there.

POTY is picked by a panel of journalists and pundits. Not that I begrudge Andy Moran. It is fairer system than texts.

blanch152

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Maybe start from the undeniable reality that those who have voted for these awards - the players - know far more about it than you do, and work backwards from there.

Firstly, many of them won't have seen as much championship football as I did.

Secondly, that doesn't make them immune from giving a sympathy vote.

Stoner

MayoAreMagic wrote:

Maybe start from the undeniable reality that those who have voted for these awards - the players - know far more about it than you do, and work backwards from there.

The all Stars are short listed by journalists, and voted for by the players.

All Star Hurler and Footballer of the year is short listed and voted for by journalists.

cms88

Stoner wrote: »

The all Stars are short listed by journalists, and voted for by the players.

All Star Hurler and Footballer of the year is short listed and voted for by journalists.

As much as Dubs keep trying to tell everyone the POTY awards are voted for by the players and noone else

Stoner

cms88 wrote:

As much as Dubs keep trying to tell everyone the POTY awards are voted for by the players and noone else

I'm open to correction but the Hurler and footballers of the year awards were not always all stars they were separate competitions Texaco And GAA All Stars and it was always a panel that selected Hurler and footballers of the year while the players select the All Stars in the different positions.

Again I could be wrong but these awards merged when Texaco stopped their sponsorship but the voting mechanism remained as it was for the 40 or 50 years of it's existence.

danganabu

Dots1982 wrote: »

There haven’t been that many players I’ve seen in an Irish jersey less gifted than McClean. A decent lad and tries his best but desperately limited.

You havent watched very much Ireland soccer so!

Paulzx

I get why McClean won the individual award.

Hugely passionate on the pitch and equally comes across as a player that loves playing for Ireland when he speaks off the pitch. Fans can identify with him.

Scored some important goals during the campaign and was easily Ireland best player overall throughout the campaign albeit in a team of weak enough players. He's also playing with the International team of the sport that most people can identify with i.e. soccer popularity is much larger than rugby.

I can understand how he got it.

What i can't understand is how a feckin show jumping team, a hugely minority sport, can win team of the year on the back of a European medal. Nobody even knew they had won it. People would easily get caught up if they won an Olympic gold but this was way off that. Baffling.......

Utopia Parkway

Paulzx wrote: »

What i can't understand is how a feckin show jumping team, a hugely minority sport, can win team of the year on the back of a European medal. Nobody even knew they had won it. People would easily get caught up if they won an Olympic gold but this was way off that. Baffling.......

I can only assume there must have been some sort of orchestrated campaign in horsey circles to vote for them because otherwise I don't know how they beat out some of the much more high profile teams they did. Even if you wanted to go with an Ireland team then surely the rowers received much more publicity over the course of the year.

I'd consider myself fairly well up on a big variety of sports and I didn't even know the show jumpers had won anything until I saw them nominated.

Big Ears

Perceptions are a very interesting thing.
Plenty of people on here and on Facebook talking about how Taylor should of won.... likely completely unaware most boxing fans wouldn't put her #1.
Ryan Burnett was head and shoulders above her with what he's done, but sadly people don't even know who he is.

Canning was excellent this year, but Sports person of the year ?, I think not....then again McClean probably shouldn't of been ahead of him either.

MayoAreMagic

blanch152 wrote: »

Firstly, many of them won't have seen as much championship football as I did.

Secondly, that doesn't make them immune from giving a sympathy vote.

How do you know they wont have seen as much championship football? Id argue they will have seen far more, in far greater detail, with a far higher level of understanding, and furthermore, many will have actually played against these guys themselves.

An actual player giving a sympathy vote, is exponentially less likely, than a biased fan, who doesn't really know what he is talking about, just being p*ssed off because his team don't get literally every single award going, and thus not being able to bring themselves to give a deserving guy his award.. A fanboy if you will...
It is one or the other in this instance. The smart money is on you being that fanboy...

Blanco100

Joe ward should have been in the reckoning. European champion (again) and a world silver medallist in a very competitive weight division in a very competitive sport.