The World Cup V GAA

**Reality Bites** · 05/07/2006, 7:50 AM

Why is it that during this World Cup the GAA or people associated with it are hell bent on pitting themselves up against the world game, don't get me wrong i like and admire our national sport, but i feel its slightly futile and self obsessed when writers like Martin Breheny from the Irish Independent start writing ludricris articles in the paper on why GAA is better than soccer, it reeks of low self esteem.. Ireland is a very different country now the days of soccer being called foreign sport are gone, we have a huge influx of eastern europeans and Africans whose first sport is soccer, which will only serve for growth in soccer in this country.. GAA is thriving also but please don't tell us which game is better, beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

**pete** · 05/07/2006, 12:40 PM

I think GAA is jealous of the international attention which is why a new game is created to play with the Aussies.

Amazing the relatively little coverage or outrage when a Gaelic footballer stamps on the head/neck of a player & still able to play the next game.

**OwlsFan** · 05/07/2006, 1:05 PM

Originally Posted by Reality Bites

i feel its slightly futile and self obsessed when writers like Martin Breheny from the Irish Independent start writing ludricrous articles in the paper on why GAA is better than soccer,

We also had this as far back as 1995 from Tom Humphries - 101 reasons why the GAA was better than soccer.

**dublinred** · 05/07/2006, 1:12 PM

I seen an interview on Tv before the Cork v Tipp game and the Tipp captain went to great lenghths to rubbish the world cup (without being asked about it) and emphasis how he would much rather go out and watch a junior b match than sit in and watch the "saccer" , paranoid or what.

**Dodge** · 05/07/2006, 1:13 PM

Originally Posted by londonred

paranoid or what.

Thats it exactly. Always trying to rubbish it as they know there's no comparison

**NeilMcD** · 05/07/2006, 1:32 PM

I thought Humphries article was quite good as it was from the heart. Here is a man who clearly loves the amateur ethos is GAA. But last night I think football showed why it is so much better than GAA in my view.

**Superhoops** · 05/07/2006, 1:35 PM

Originally Posted by pete

I think GAA is jealous of the international attention which is why a new game is created to play with the Aussies.

Not sure that it is jealous. GAA are selling to a different market. Core GAA fans will attend their games regardless. There were over 50000 in Thurles for the Munster Hurling final last Sunday week when England were playing Ecuador. The World Cup had no effect on the hurling attendance.

The real competition between GAA and Soccer (not just World Cup) is where TV coverage is concerned. Viewing figures will be higher for GAA games if there is no soccer on, but where there is a choice, soccer generally wins, as there is a significant number of viewers who will watch GAA, not because they genuinely want to watch but because there is nothing else on.

Originally Posted by pete

Amazing the relatively little coverage or outrage when a Gaelic footballer stamps on the head/neck of a player & still able to play the next game.

Plenty of it this week with the Mattie Forde incident shown on TV last Sunday.

**Billy Lord** · 05/07/2006, 2:57 PM

Hilarious stuff. I remember Humphries writing absolute nonsense in the Observer, implying that Croker was full every week for hurling matches, when the truth is the sport is on its knees and dying. Because hurling is a truly great game that made his article sad rather than pathetic.
As for the bogball, well I've seen more skilful 'games' break out outside the chipper on a Saturday night. It's a shambles of a sport, and those two-tone shorts they wear are truly shocking, especially when matched with black cycling shorts. Have these people no shame?

**Reality Bites** · 05/07/2006, 4:34 PM

I think games like last nite prove why football is the worlds game first and foremost, the teams in the last four especially France, Italy and Germany are playing with real pride and passion for their country, i think it is this that elevates the World Cup above club soccer where often you feel the corporate machine money and greed show themselves and is often pointed out by the GAA and love of the shirt and parish etc..

**pete** · 05/07/2006, 4:37 PM

We are constantly told by pundits that the international game is dead & that Champions League in club football is all that matters. The World Cup only comes around every 4 years & all the top players will play with one leg just to be part of it. You rarely see professional players cry when lose club football games yet you always see it at the World Cup.