Why is there ever a debate about who was the best Irish Sports person ever? READ OP

paw patrol · 23-07-2020 9:12am

YFlyer wrote: »

How is McGregor the most famous? Roy Keane or Damian Duff would have been watched in practically every country in the world on a weekly basis playing Premier League football.

Mcgregor would be more famous in a global sense than keane or Duff.

There would be no contest in terms of fame.

Does that answer the question of best sportstar? no. Just fame.

gourcuff · 23-07-2020 9:16am

mcgregor is definitely infamous, but i think only really loved in dublin.

Most Irish people think hes a complete gimp and an embarrassment, sucker punching old lads in pubs and just being a general scrote.

he got destroyed in his last fight, and more than a hint of discrimination/racism about some of his comments..

YFlyer · 23-07-2020 9:18am

Homelander wrote: »

Because literally the dogs on the street know who he is.

I wouldn't argue that he's the best sportsperson Ireland has ever produced, but it would be next level delusion, requiring commitment, to claim that Damian Duff is better known than Conor McGregor.

English Premiership is watched the world over. The Manchester United and Chelsea would be watched as regularly as Liverpool, Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Truthvader · 23-07-2020 9:24am

eagle eye wrote: »

She wasn't disqualified.

Disqualified by me. Can't even believe she has been suggested. Are we that desperate?

Mysterypunter · 23-07-2020 9:25am

begbysback wrote: »

Rugby has zero credibility with the amount of overhyped friendlies, it’s structured terribly, how can it be taken seriously when the sport tries to sell games where a bunch of northern hemisphere players are picked to play a bunch of southern hemisphere players, and it’s marketed as if it’s a war, another overhyped friendly which most people don’t care about. No rugby player should ever get “greatest” anything, you may as well pick a cricket player.

I will so, Ed Joyce

eagle eye · 23-07-2020 9:32am

Truthvader wrote:

Disqualified by me. Can't even believe she has been suggested. Are we that desperate?

You: Judge I've no proof he murdered that man but I know he did it.
Judge: Well that's good enough for me. Life in jail for the crime.

Kilboor · 23-07-2020 9:36am

gourcuff wrote: »

mcgregor is definitely infamous, but i think only really loved in dublin.

Most Irish people think hes a complete gimp and an embarrassment, sucker punching old lads in pubs and just being a general scrote.

he got destroyed in his last fight, and more than a hint of discrimination/racism about some of his comments..

McGregor has done some stupid things but the hate for the man is completely overblown. When compared to Ali or Tyson in the combat sports sense, what McGregor has been guilty of is tame. Punching the old fella was unacceptable but it doesn't take away from the pure skill and determination of him to rise from a country with basically no culture of MMA and go on to become the most famous UFC fighter of all time, and the first to hold two belts at different weight classes.

He is an inspiration in a sporting sense. I'm not from Dublin either.

Homelander · 23-07-2020 9:46am

YFlyer wrote: »

English Premiership is watched the world over. The Manchester United and Chelsea would be watched as regularly as Liverpool, Real Madrid or Barcelona.

If you're actually attempting to argue that Damian Duff is more famous than Conor McGregor, you need professional help.

Mad_maxx · 23-07-2020 9:49am

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Eammon Coghlan.
World and European champion.
Held the World record for the indoor mile.
First man over 40 to run a sub minute mile.

coughlan underperformed overall

missed out on two olympic medals when he was at his peak

Mad_maxx · 23-07-2020 10:01am

Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »

Would be a great shout, but she always seemed to bottle it at the olympics for some reason. I think the pressure of winning olympic gold, and the hopes of the entire nation, were just too much for her to handle mentally!

sonia shared a platform with the great michael johnson in 1995

back when track and field had relevance , both won more meets than any other athletes throughout that year

sonia was a giant , she was unlucky to get ill in 1996 , she was over the hill in 2000

as for 1992 when she was young , well the chineese beat her thanks to the worlds best cheating machine , seeing as east germany was no more

joe40 · 23-07-2020 10:02am

Homelander wrote: »

Because literally the dogs on the street know who he is.

I wouldn't argue that he's the best sportsperson Ireland has ever produced, but it would be next level delusion, requiring commitment, to claim that Damian Duff is better known than Conor McGregor.

I know McGregor is well known in Ireland, but outside of Ireland and outside the fairly niche sport of MMA I don't think he would be well known at all.

In order to decide the greatest sports person you would have to decide a particular criteria beforehand.

Mad_maxx · 23-07-2020 10:05am

YFlyer wrote: »

How is McGregor the most famous? Roy Keane or Damian Duff would have been watched in practically every country in the world on a weekly basis playing Premier League football.

Damien Duff would barely be recognisable to most actual football fans in the uk today as he left chelsea not long after circa 2006 , never mind the average joe the world over

Mc Gregor is a huge brand , one of the biggest to ever emerge from this country , thats probably a reflection of the low brow state of things today but its a fact

Mad_maxx · 23-07-2020 10:10am

joe40 wrote: »

I know McGregor is well known in Ireland, but outside of Ireland and outside the fairly niche sport of MMA I don't think he would be well known at all.

In order to decide the greatest sports person you would have to decide a particular criteria beforehand.

hes just as well known outside ireland

Homelander · 23-07-2020 10:12am

joe40 wrote: »

I know McGregor is well known in Ireland, but outside of Ireland and outside the fairly niche sport of MMA I don't think he would be well known at all.

Has fought in some of the biggest PPV's in history. His antics outside UFC made mainstream news across the world.

He is in the top 5 of the ESPN World fame list alongside the likes of Ronaldo and Messi.

But sure no, no-one knows who he is.

YFlyer · 23-07-2020 10:14am

joe40 wrote: »

I know McGregor is well known in Ireland, but outside of Ireland and outside the fairly niche sport of MMA I don't think he would be well known at all.

In order to decide the greatest sports person you would have to decide a particular criteria beforehand.

Exactly a niche sport.

People should clear the cookies from their web browser.

Feisar · 23-07-2020 10:15am

Tomaldo wrote: »

Sadly I've never met him, but I admire him so much, but I shud a mentioned The Gooch as well, why wasn't he born in Tallaght or Ballymun

Then he wouldn't be The Gooch, he'd be Goocho.

Truthvader · 23-07-2020 10:16am

eagle eye wrote: »

You: Judge I've no proof he murdered that man but I know he did it.
Judge: Well that's good enough for me. Life in jail for the crime.

Judge; In contrast to all known sporting precedent in the history of swimming you have managed to spectacularly improve your performance at an age when everyone else is on the downward trajectory. People are naturally suspicious and given your husbands history of drug cheating we would just like to check. Can we have a urine sample please?

Jesus she's pissed whiskey WTF?

jimgoose · 23-07-2020 10:16am

Yizzer are all wrong. The greatest Irish sportsperson ever to have lived or who ever will live, is Big Paddy Ryan, the Pallasgrean Grizzly, who won gold in the hammer-throw and silver in the 56-pound shot in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Belgium.

joe40 · 23-07-2020 10:17am

Homelander wrote: »

Has fought in some of the biggest PPV's in history. His antics outside UFC made mainstream news across the world.

He is in the top 5 of the ESPN World fame list alongside the likes of Ronaldo and Messi.

But sure no, no-one knows who he is.

I couldn't name a current MMA fighter, that is how niche the sport.

Homelander · 23-07-2020 10:18am

joe40 wrote: »

I couldn't name a current MMA fighter, that is how niche the sport.

Which has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with your deluded initial claim that Conor McGregor isn't well known outside of Ireland.

When he's literally one of the most famous athletes in the world.

It's OK to be wrong.

ec18 · 23-07-2020 10:19am

begbysback wrote: »

Rugby has zero credibility with the amount of overhyped friendlies, it’s structured terribly, how can it be taken seriously when the sport tries to sell games where a bunch of northern hemisphere players are picked to play a bunch of southern hemisphere players, and it’s marketed as if it’s a war, another overhyped friendly which most people don’t care about. No rugby player should ever get “greatest” anything, you may as well pick a cricket player.

when ewan mckenna join boards?

circadian · 23-07-2020 10:21am

sxt wrote: »

Roy Keane

There is no other Irish person close. Who ever is second, is a distant second

He is the most influential sports person in Irish sporting History, and in British football history

Any objections?

Paul McGrath.
Barry McGuigan.

Both not ***** to boot. As much as I respect the great career of Roy Keane, and he was an excellent player he's a bit of a dick. There are much better Irish sports persons and many more better Ambassadors.

afro man · 23-07-2020 10:25am

jimgoose wrote: »

Yizzer are all wrong. The greatest Irish sportsperson ever to have lived or who ever will live, is Big Paddy Ryan, the Pallasgrean Grizzly, who won gold in the hammer-throw and silver in the 56-pound shot in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Belgium.

what about Dr Pat O'Callaghan
Won gold in 1928 And 1932 in Hammer throw

John Pius Boland won gold in tennis singles in Athens in 1896 and Mend Doubles but as Pre Independence of Ireland he may not be Recognised as irish

begbysback · 23-07-2020 10:27am

Homelander wrote: »

Has fought in some of the biggest PPV's in history. His antics outside UFC made mainstream news across the world.

He is in the top 5 of the ESPN World fame list alongside the likes of Ronaldo and Messi.

But sure no, no-one knows who he is.

Everybody knew who Eddie the eagle edwards was too in his day, has no relevance to who is considered best sportsperson, mc Gregors biggest win was managing to get himself into a ring with mayweather and having people pay handsomely for it. MMA as a sport still lacks credibility as the fights are hand picked and there’s more ducking and diving going on than an episode of only fools and horses.

khalessi · 23-07-2020 10:27am

Michelle De Bruin

circadian · 23-07-2020 10:31am

Oh and Liam Coyle, how many times did Keane nutmeg Puyol in his prime?

Gretas Gonna Get Ya! · 23-07-2020 10:35am

cdeb wrote: »

In fairness, in 1992 anyway, she was beaten by three Chinese who were pumped full of drugs (as the Chinese themselves recently admitted)

Was also beaten by a Russian in 92 who was later banned for drugs, and another who died unexpectedly at 43 (shades of Flo Jo?)

1996 was weird though. And silver in 2000 was probably respectable at 31.

I wouldn't be too critical of her performance in 92 either way, because she was very young and not one of the favourites for a medal.

96 and 2000 were undoubtedly failures though. She was one of the favourites for gold in 96 having won both the european and world championships, but didn't handle the pressure of being one of the favourites and dropped out with "stomach issues" (a bit like paula radcliffe - the old "stomach issues").

2000 she should have been in her prime, but for some strange reason decided to take a year off from competition in 1999 to have a child... And so her chances of winning gold in the 2000 olympics were very slim after that.

You might say this is an unfair criticism of her, but she was 30 years old and one of the best in the world at that point. She had a serious chance of winning gold in those games, why not wait until after those games and then have a baby? Very odd timing...

Homelander · 23-07-2020 10:42am

begbysback wrote: »

Everybody knew who Eddie the eagle edwards was too in his day, has no relevance to who is considered best sportsperson, mc Gregors biggest win was managing to get himself into a ring with mayweather and having people pay handsomely for it. MMA as a sport still lacks credibility as the fights are hand picked and there’s more ducking and diving going on than an episode of only fools and horses.

OK? But the post I was responding to was a bizarre claim that McGregor isn't well known outside of Ireland.

You might as well claim that Mayweather isn't known outside of Boxing fans, or Rory McIllroy is only familiar to golf enthusiasts.

Mister Vain · 23-07-2020 10:44am

gourcuff wrote: »

mcgregor is definitely infamous, but i think only really loved in dublin.

Most Irish people think hes a complete gimp and an embarrassment, sucker punching old lads in pubs and just being a general scrote.

he got destroyed in his last fight, and more than a hint of discrimination/racism about some of his comments..

Actually he won his last fight. And he's definitely loved and well known outside of Ireland, let alone Dublin.

joe40 · 23-07-2020 10:44am

Homelander wrote: »

Which has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with your deluded initial claim that Conor McGregor isn't well known outside of Ireland.

When he's literally one of the most famous athletes in the world.

It's OK to be wrong.

I seem to have struck a nerve here. There is no way McGregor is well known outside Ireland or MMA circles.

Also a lot of the fame or rather infamy of his is due to antics outside his sport, and a silly boxing match.
Hardly criteria for greatest Irish sportstar

Why is there ever a debate about who was the best Irish Sports person ever? *READ OP*

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Why is there ever a debate about who was the best Irish Sports person ever? READ OP