Rugby v football in the media

[Paddyfield]

A visiting Glasgow Warriors fan injured the official mascot at a Connacht rugby game in Galway. If this happened at at a LOI football game, there would be points reductions, high court cases and an Evening Herald campaign to Ban Soccer Hooligans.

Eddie the Eagle has wings clipped by flying tackle

Eddie was up to his usual antics as he patrolled the perimeter of the pitch at the Sportsground, urging on the home supporters.

It was one of his better nights as Connacht romped to a 37-8 win over the Warriors.

But it all became too much for some Glasgow supporters who had travelled to Galway. Dressed in kilts and keeping the bar staff busy throughout the evening, they became more raucous as their side turned in a dismal display.

[...]

[Lim till i die]

[Paddyfield]

There's a massive difference between (I grant you they're clearly morons) a group of well oiled Scots in kilts dislocating a mascots shoulder having a bit of a mess and gangs of spotty 17 year old yuffs dressing in mock designer gear, waving their arms at one another and throwing things around the place while chanting in mockney accents.

The first one sounds like a bit of a jape. The second one sounds like it would put me off bringing my youngfella to a match.

To even compare the two is laughable.

Connacht are terrible and still stole large swathes of your support. Deal with it.

Whooosssshhhhh.

What post are you replying to ?

[Lim till i die]

Ah right you were being sarcastic, fairly nuff

I had actually came into this thread fully prepared for a rant you see because when I'd seen the title I assumed twas about the double standards of the hooray henrys in the Rugby meeja whereby Gattuso's headbutt during the week and similar incidents in football are treated like war crimes whereas in rugby you can dance all over someones head or poke out both his eyes and tis often seen as a bit of horseplay. It really grinds my gears.

Fully prepared for my rant, even when I found a different subject matter, I still had to let one off.

Anyway, carry on, I'm off to pop a Xanax and play some GTA.

[Mr A]

That Eddie the Eagle is always looking for trouble. He tried to start a fight with me one night just because I told him to get to f&%(.

Best mascot ever though.

[SkStu]

this thread is weird. People are weird. Eagles are weird.

[Stuttgart88]

I think this thread has a point, even if the examples chosen are a bit daft.

I alluded to it in my Ireland v France synopsis. Brian Moore openly suggested Ireland cheat in his commentary yet he consistently bemoans cheating in football. Rank hypocrisy. Not one external commentator batted an eyelid. What if Giles had suggested Keane take a dive in the box? (not that Keane needs any advice in this regard!)

David Kelly called Sean St Ledger not blocking the (brilliant) shot from an Andorran as a "shocking dereliction of duty". Totally OTT reaction. What about any number of the dumb errors Ireland has made in its opening two games in the 6N?

Trappattoni's conservative selections drwaw hysteria at The Indo. What about Kidney's conservative selections and lack of commitment to blooding in form young players?

There really is a double standard issue here.

[Macy]

Trappattoni's conservative selections drwaw hysteria at The Indo. What about Kidney's conservative selections and lack of commitment to blooding in form young players?

I would've thought Kidney is getting a fair bit of criticism for his selection, to be honest. Maybe a bit more polite, but then the rugby pool of journo's and commentators is a bit smaller.

I would've thought the double standards in Ireland was between GAA and Football/ Rugby.

[Dodge]

I alluded to it in my Ireland v France synopsis. Brian Moore openly suggested Ireland cheat in his commentary yet he consistently bemoans cheating in football. Rank hypocrisy. Not one external commentator batted an eyelid. What if Giles had suggested Keane take a dive in the box? (not that Keane needs any advice in this regard!)

I’ve heard plenty of commentators suggest players ‘should’ve gone down’ when half-challenged in the box. They’ll also moan about players diving. The moral is that all commentators are brutal

David Kelly called Sean St Ledger not blocking the (brilliant) shot from an Andorran as a "shocking dereliction of duty". Totally OTT reaction. What about any number of the dumb errors Ireland has made in its opening two games in the 6N?

Again, there’s been plenty of criticism of the Irish rugby team in recent times

There really is a double standard issue here.

Or maybe they just let the individual writers express their opinion and the individuals approach things differently

Rugby gets an easy life on RTE because everyone in the Sports department went to a Rugby school and was involved with rugby from an early age (last 3 heads of sport in RTE Fred Cogley, Niall Cogley, Ryle Nugent). Broadsheets are aimed at a certain market too.

[joeSoap]

Rugby gets an easy life as opposed to football for a variety of reasons:

1). Never have there been riots before or after rugby games.
2). English rugby fans have never ripped up sections of the stand and shower them on innocent bystanders.
3). Rugby players in general dont get arrested for drink driving, drug dealing, rape or other heinous crimes.
4). Rugby players dont ever intend to break the legs of an opponent.
5). The police never have to step in to control players or crowds at rugby games.
6). Rugby games are not attended by mobs of burberry wearing 'ultras'
7). Rugby players dont take air guns to training and shoot work experience lads in the side.
8). Rugby players will never earn €250,000 per week as a basic wage and therefore will never be as attractive to members of the tabloid press.

Most of these points are relevant to every sport bar football. It is what it is, and when fans and players behave the way they do in a multi-million euro industry then there is always going to be heightened media awareness.

[Dodge]

Big Joe Duffy fan then Joe Soap?

[joeSoap]

Big Joe Duffy fan then Joe Soap?

Hate the pr1ck Dodge?

[gustavo]

Rugby gets an easy life as opposed to football for a variety of reasons:

1). Never have there been riots before or after rugby games.
2). English rugby fans have never ripped up sections of the stand and shower them on innocent bystanders.
3). Rugby players in general dont get arrested for drink driving, drug dealing, rape or other heinous crimes.
4). Rugby players dont ever intend to break the legs of an opponent.
5). The police never have to step in to control players or crowds at rugby games.
6). Rugby games are not attended by mobs of burberry wearing 'ultras'
7). Rugby players dont take air guns to training and shoot work experience lads in the side.
8). Rugby players will never earn €250,000 per week as a basic wage and therefore will never be as attractive to members of the tabloid press.

Most of these points are relevant to every sport bar football. It is what it is, and when fans and players behave the way they do in a multi-million euro industry then there is always going to be heightened media awareness.

Nice use of lack of context and selectives examples to make a dubious point there!

[Stuttgart88]

Again, there’s been plenty of criticism of the Irish rugby team in recent times

Sure there's been criticism, but how much has been of the hysterical / over the top variety that the "shocking derlictiopn of duty" remark exemplifies?

In that particular journalist's case (David Kelly), he writes prominently on both sports so to me that's a clear double standard.

[Jinxy]

I’ve heard plenty of commentators suggest players ‘should’ve gone down’ when half-challenged in the box. They’ll also moan about players diving. The moral is that all commentators are brutal

Again, there’s been plenty of criticism of the Irish rugby team in recent times

Or maybe they just let the individual writers express their opinion and the individuals approach things differently

Rugby gets an easy life on RTE because everyone in the Sports department went to a Rugby school and was involved with rugby from an early age (last 3 heads of sport in RTE Fred Cogley, Niall Cogley, Ryle Nugent). Broadsheets are aimed at a certain market too.

On that very point, they're pumping A LOT of money into their rugby coverage.
Lots of weird stuff with George Hook wandering around an underground car park and fancy computer graphics flying all over the shop.
Ryle Nugents pawprints are all over it.

[Angus]

I like this thread.

At its core here is social class. Like it or not, most rugby players come from middle class backgrounds and have classically and typically come from the professional classes. They therefore have something to lose - and their rugby career is but a part of their general professional career. Obviously professionalism changes this dynamic somewhat but the gene pool has not changed.

Soccer typically is played by working class folks - and is therefore supported by working class folks. Yes there are countless exceptions - but with all respect, Blackrock is never going to be a hotbed of soccer talent and place X, Y and Z (not naming them to avoid offence) are never ever going to be rugby centres

As a result, and like it or not, the rugby types are used to money, can handle it, typically come from business type backgrounds and can deal with lots of money. The Rooneys and Terrys are the first of their family to have that kind of cash (admittedly miles more than the egg chasers) and have no familiarity and end up messing about.

And lets drop the prestense - rugby is going through a popularity surge right now - but that is transitry, partially fake, and it will pass when it ceases to be trendy to tell your mates you love rugby.

On the flip side, this website apart, the vast majority of so called soccer fans have never been to a game in their lives - be it LOI, in Ingerlund, an International, a friendly, in europe - so soccer fandom in Ireland is largely SKY driven nonsense about Fergie Fury and all that nonsense

As a nation we like sport but don't really understand the games - naturally this website apart (by definition).

[bennocelt]

What do ye guys reckon to the large amount of Gah Heads who love Rugby and hate football. And they also tend to support an English team when pushed

[Macy]

What do ye guys reckon to the large amount of Gah Heads who love Rugby and hate football. And they also tend to support an English team when pushed

Just more hypocrisy - they'll come up with some guff about the Rugby team being all Ireland, rather than it being anything to do with hopping the bandwagon

[Spudulika]

Sure there's been criticism, but how much has been of the hysterical / over the top variety that the "shocking derlictiopn of duty" remark exemplifies?

In that particular journalist's case (David Kelly), he writes prominently on both sports so to me that's a clear double standard.

Have you been reading George Hook or listening to him? He went after Eddie O'Sullivan all guns blazing for past disputes (usurping him in Connacht, undermining him in the USA) it was as nasty and scummy as Dunphy's delusional rants. Recently in the Sindo Hook ignored facts (blatant and admitted officiating errors) to rubbish the coach, the players and the attitude of Irish sports. The GAA have their own attention seeking clowns, boxing is threatening to go down that route except those they have on are far, far more intelligent and savvy than their counterparts in GAA, Rugby or Football (on RTE).

I'm with JoeSoap on this, just aberrations in investments means that there is a sharper focus (when desired) on football as opposed to other sports.

[Mr A]

Eamonn Sweeney on this topic today: http://www.independent.ie/sport/othe...d-2621847.html