Off Topic Thread 5.0

bocaman

It seems Steve Silvermint, Brendan Mullin, isn't such a cool clean hero after all. I'd doubt if he'll be found guilty TBH. Ex-Irish rugby internationals seem to be able to get away with allot.

Scoundrel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117922509#Comment_117922509

Yes indeed one got a walk after killing a child while drunk as a skunk a few years back

molloyjh

While I’m loathed to engage with people who are only here to have a go, the case from “a few years back” was heard in 2009. And it was far from the only time that a drunk driver in Ireland caused death and had their sentence suspended. Obviously that doesn’t make it right, but the idea that because someone was a sports person they get away with things that others don’t simply doesn’t hold water. At least not in this circumstance. So let’s all put our outrage away and try and be a bit more objective.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117922509#Comment_117922509

its highly likely that he will be found guilty.

Charges relating to white collar financial crime are generally easy enough to prove once the bar to be charged is met.

its highly unlikely however that he will do jail time... but thats a different argument.

OldRio

Mind you, certain crimes by 'potential' County GAA players seem to merit different sentences than the norm.

I suppose it's not what you know but who you know.

Dave_The_Sheep

Not just GAA. Sure we had that case a few years back of a (current at the time) player kicking a much smaller lad in the head caught on camera. Hospitalised him and all. Didn't even have to defend himself at trial, walked away.

Neil3030

IT'S TIME.

https://twitter.com/KatmaiNPS/status/1442640405242257408

sydthebeat

the anti vaxxers and covid deniers wont like this...

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/

New No. 1 Ireland rose three places from August thanks to one of the world’s best vaccination rates, projections for a rapid economic rebound and the government’s decision this month to loosen both domestic restrictions as well as travel quarantine rules. Meanwhile, weekly Covid fatalities hover in the double digits.

Neil3030

I don't know why this Newcastle takeover is bothering me so much. I'm sure the whataboutery will ramp up, "Oh what about US Disaster Capitalists or Russian Oligarchs etc. that own other teams, what about the Qatari World Cup, etc. etc." Or more broader economic deflection might be, "Oh well the Saudis already own X% of companies on the stock market that you use, so why complain about this" which leads to what I think will be their eventual PR strategy of, "well, this is the Saudi Investment Fund, not the Regime itself, so it's really in the interest of the Saudi people going forward to have assets for when the oil runs out, and you wouldn't deprive them of that, would you?".

All of those points can be true, and they all paint the sorry state soccer was already in, and the degree to which the world has already done more than its share of business with the most depraved theocratic fascists on the planet (or at least top ~3). But I'm just really struggling to accept this takeover news. Despite all its flaws, I love soccer, and at the very least see nothing but futility in boycotting it. But that's EXACTLY what this entire exercise is geared to achieve. Forget the investment return, this is about reputation-laundering and making the world increasingly OK with the enduring presence of evil.

I'm in a loop. I get close to accepting or just "getting on with it". But then I think of Khashoggi's wife-to-be, waiting on that side street in Istanbul while hour-by-hour the penny gradually dropped that the event she'd be planning wasn't going to be a wedding. And then I think of the lyrics of Grace by Jim McCann. And somehow, this particular evil just feels so less abstract and distant. And then I question if I can bring myself to watching a match in the Premier League again. Then I get close to accepting or just "getting on with it".....

Podge_irl

There is a fundamental difference between individual oligarchs who profited from a regime and the regime itself which is also a difference between this and the e.g. Russian takeovers.

It is the epitome of sports-washing and its grim.

dregin

I think it says a lot about Mike Ashley, that it's still an improvement on his ownership.

OldRio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990236#Comment_117990236

But it's not really, is it?

Neil3030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990236#Comment_117990236

It says more about modern logic and discourse that this equivalence is even entertained, on any dimension of comparison..

sydthebeat

Then you have games like this France v Belgium and you're reminded why it's called the beautiful game.

dregin

Nah, I was messing. The whole thing is a joke and says it all about top level football. After Ashely fired Chris Hughton I said I wouldn't watch football again while he still owned the club... not a hope.

stephen_n

Anyone with the money to buy a Premiership football team, has dirty hands in some way or another.

Neil3030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990452#Comment_117990452

But how many have actual murder on their hands? People may claim that "structural violence" (institutional sexism etc) is as bad as actual violence but .. it's just not. Killing and dismembering someone is morally more abhorrent than Glazer-esque uber capitalism, even if ultimately it harms fewer people.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990659#Comment_117990659

I’m in no way defending this take over. Or making direct comparisons but do the Man City owners really have less blood on their hands? It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to believe Abromovich has a few skeletons in his closet either. Given the way things work in Russia. The Glazers and Fenway or the likes of Mike Ashley are in a different class to those alright but I doubt you could say they are shining examples of moral authority. Only in comparison to two of the most abusive regimes in the world could they come out looking good.

Dubinusa

Football is not the same anymore! I rarely watch it, unless it's Leeds.

The last time I watched more than 5 minutes of a game of football was Ireland Germany in 2015.

Watched half the FA cup final in 1989 and that is as much of the FA cup / Premiership I've ever sat through.

You'd really wonder what would get people this upset at an under 15s game. A lot of people who you would expect would know better should be VERY ashamed of themselves.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/wicklow-gaa-to-investigate-violent-scenes-at-under-15-football-match-40934730.html

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118001917#Comment_118001917

I wouldnt!! Parents go crazy at sidelines of kids playing. rugby by and large does ok with how people act but theres plenty of horror stories the refs on here can bring up from their own experience or what theyve heard other refs say

The adults can get far too invested in their kids games and then take it to the extreme with over reactions to players, other coaches and the match officials...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118002019#Comment_118002019

I've been to close to one hundred underage GAA games at this stage, maybe more and while I've seen coaches go full Davy Fitzgerald the parents have by and large been chill.

For so many people to escalate like this is completely divorced from what I've seen. I can understand one person going a bit postal but that many grown ups and no one bar "someone call the cops" lady trying to calm things down.

Lifetime bans for a few people there I hope.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118002288#Comment_118002288

Ive seen it from all angles. Parents, coaches, other spectators. from perspective of player, coach and match official. Not seen coaches involved like that but got a head but from a coach years ago... You would hope there would be significant bans but i would be surprised if you got lifetime bans. unfortunaltely.

stephen_n

Nothing much would surprise me with the GAA in Wicklow. Though Carnew and Wicklow wouldn’t be a big rivalry with underlying animosity. Ridiculous for adults to be acting that way. Wicklow GAA will need to come down very hard and fast on that.

Scoundrel

It's Wicklow GAA to describe them as hillbillies would be insulting to hillbillies.

mfceiling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118003132#Comment_118003132

Having worked with a good few Wicklow lads and heard stories of what went on in games, then I'm with you on this one Stephen. Absolute head the balls, and that's coming from a Tyrone man.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118005352#Comment_118005352

What goes on after games is usually just as bad. Played rugby with a few lads who also played GAA for local teams in North Wicklow. I’d say they had a few screws loose but in reality I’m not entirely sure they were ever there in the first place.

mfceiling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118006065#Comment_118006065

Absolutely true. Heard of lads going out to pubs at the weekend with the sole intention of giving a lad a beating after what happened on a gaa pitch. Mental.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118006583#Comment_118006583

I’ve heard of whole teams doing it. Getting a bus up to the other town, with the sole intention of a punch up at the end of the night. Wicklow is nuts, take it from someone who grew up there.