Sean Moran: Comparing GAA players with professionals is ultimately pointless

It didn’t take the firestorm of abuse that erupted in response to Stephen Hunt’s perfectly unexceptional original column to demonstrate yet again that the GAA can be a touchy community.

The former soccer international merely pointed out that it’s not as easy as it for amateurs, who can be active in their own communities, for professional sportspeople to be role models. He also suggested not unreasonably that the adjustment to professional lifestyle mightn’t be as straightforward as it looks from the outside.

I can remember former All-Ireland-winning Clare hurling fitness coach Mike McNamara saying that the one area in which amateur GAA sportspeople couldn’t compete with professionals was that of rest, a vital component in driving the highest levels of fitness.

It’s hard to read into Hunt’s remarks any intentional disrespect for footballers and hurlers – he points out that he comes from a Gaelic games background and has always publicly acknowledged and spoken positively of that provenance.

The complained-of remarks came in the introduction to his piece in the Sunday Independent at the end of last month. In passing he referenced – perhaps never having read Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby – comments by Joe Brolly, which made the initial point about role models.

Anyway, the wrath of Twitter descended on Hunt, whose exchanges with Brolly have since escalated.

That thin-skinned sense of self may have been more pronounced in the past but it still exists within Gaelic games. Largely it takes two forms: a world-class ability to bristle and an irritating desire for external validation. Hunt’s column provoked the former and for the latter we need look no further than the mid-summer obsession with what Sky viewers thought of the championship.

Overseas broadcasts

Even

Joey Barton

must have been surprised to have his views on hurling taken more seriously than his views on soccer ever were.

There’s a distinction between hoping that overseas broadcasts of big championship matches get decent audiences and spread interest in the games and hanging on every utterance that emanates from the Twitter machine.

How often do we hear soccer professionals and their prima donna antics being unfavourably compared with the honest amateurs of Gaelic games? Brolly said he didn't imagine Hunt, who in his time has survived age-grade Waterford hurling finals, would have lasted five minutes in the Ulster club football decider.

Which was reminiscent of the old yarn about Christy Ring watching some virtuoso golf shot being played by a top pro and observing: "Why wouldn't he and no-one within 10 yards of him."

Another Derry perspective on the professional-amateur sports interface came from someone who played on the front line. Seán Martin Lockhart, one of Ireland’s best International Rules players, recalled how he once told his marker: “You’re a mercenary. You just play for money. I play for pride.”

Ultimately though one of the big strengths of the GAA is that it doesn’t depend on international success to prosper whereas its most obvious competitors, rugby and soccer, command most attention when they are either winning things or qualifying for major events – which by its nature can’t happen all the time.

Comparing Gaelic athletes with professionals is fine as a parlour game but ultimately pointless. They’re just different arenas.

This afternoon the winner of this year's Philips Sports Manager of the Year will be announced. This is an interesting microcosm of the GAA's competition with other sports for public recognition.

On the one hand, Gaelic games managers have won the award more often than candidates from any other sport; on the other hand if there’s any suggestion of international achievement, the GAA candidates never appear to have a chance.

Obvious champions

This year for instance the two All-Ireland-winning managers Kilkenny’s

Brian Cody

and

Eamonn Fitzmaurice

from Kerry both had very strong credentials after championships where each of them had to mend and make do with panels that weren’t obvious champions.

Fitzmaurice had to cope without his team's most celebrated player, Colm Cooper, whereas Cody had to make substantial changes along the way, including between the drawn All-Ireland and its replay.

For the first time in ages – possibly ever – neither of the All-Ireland- winning managers even won the September monthly award. That went to another man with a strong GAA background, Paul McGinley for managing Europe’s team to the Ryder Cup.

It would however be valid to argue that Cody and Fitzmaurice had less to work with – allowing for their counties’ intimidating traditions – than McGinley, albeit whose managerial acumen merited praise on both sides of the Atlantic, facing a by all accounts disorganised team of Americans.

Ironically the favourite for this year's award is Ireland rugby coach Joe Schmidt who has in the past been on the receiving end of international priority when neither of his outstanding European Cup-winning seasons with Leinster were recognised, losing out to respectively Ireland's qualification for Euro 12 and Katie Taylor's Olympic gold.

Such things are subjective, though. The GAA is the greatest sporting presence in the country between participation, its place in the community, attendances and television audiences. Just because other sports are different doesn't necessarily make them better – or worse. smoran@irishtimes.com