If you were to stick to the rudiments of teams and individuals representing the nation in major sporting events, with the exceptions of Katie Taylor, Kellie Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and the horse racing set, the above headline remains wholly applicable.
Admittedly, the idea of sports persons being ‘role models’ has always been hogwash to me. If a competitor is really serious about what they are in pursuance of, that should be their top and/or only priority.
However, for that to be possible, they need to have proper support teams around team. Both in terms of actual mentors in whatever activity they’re involved in and then all the backup the mentors themselves need to keep the machine properly greased and running smoothly.
For example, during Sean Boylan’s long and success-laden stewardship of Meath football, he had possibly the largest backroom team in GAA, but it was a thing at all.
But the difference was that Sean had people looking after things for players that I would be 99% certain other teams weren’t even thinking of at the time.
Whether that was having Dunboyne’s Pat Kelly pick lads up for training in the red rocket of a mini bus, or Michael Flanagan videoing and editing everything. From training sessions to internal matches, challenge matches to actual official matches. Whether there were television cameras there or not.
The latter factor turned out to be crucial one day up in Derry when Ollie Murphy was left staring down the gun barrell of lenghty suspension after the referee – a cowboy with a fetish for sending Meath men off – was trying to ‘do’ Ollie for headbutting.
It can only be assumed that anybody competing in sport at any high sort of level have extensive support structures around them. At the very least, you’d expect the room mates in the Aviva Stadium to be properly set up in that sense.
However, most recent evidence would suggest that staggeringly, that is not the case with either. On one hand, you had Edwin Edogbo being subjected to vile, degrading, racist vitriol after the CORKMAN made his international debut against Italy in the Six Nations Championship.
Then, to complete nightmare in Haveloc Square, you had the Republic Of Ireland being drawn in a group which included Israel for the forthcoming Nations League. There are times, folks, when sport itself becomes a triviality and must, so to speak, go out the window.
There have seldom been two more pressing exhibits for such to be the case than both incumbents of the Lansdowne Road pitch. Regrettably but scarcely surprisingly, the FAI have gone straight into yes men mode. ‘Yes sir, of course we’ll fulfil the fixture against Israel sir. The only balls we have are leather ones and we can’t even get them to where they’re supposed to be on time!
Far be it from us to take a stand about something, whether that be the shambles that is our own organisation – where it appears to be a policy of collect ten crisp packets and end up with an important job, or taking a stand against the most hated nation on the planet being led by a mongrel.
That said, it was equally disheartening but no shock to hear Micheal Martin come out with the ‘the game must go on’ schtik. Don’t get me wrong, on a personal level, I am and have always been very fond of An Taoiseach. But, politically, his decision making has been proven to be dubious at best. Cosying up to the US-Israeli war machine certainly won’t do anything to alter that perception.
***
On the other hand, while the issue which has tangled the IRFU’s web most recently is different in nature, it is no less pressing. In fact, it’s more so because it literally is on their own plates. Reference is of course being made to the shameful, degrading, mortifying, disgusting racial abuse aimed at Edwin Edogbo after the big man from the Rebel County made his debut for his country on Saturday last.
Now, from the first time I ever saw him on a pitch, in my own mind I called him Ned. Firstly because Edwin just sounds far too posh for an Irishman, and also out of premonitions that sh*t such as that with which he is currently deallng might crop up.
Mind you, Munster rugby folk have in fairness always been great about integrating lads from overseas into the culture of the setup and Irish life in general. Whether that be CJ Stander farming in Kilmallock, Jim Williams being fitted with the nickname Seamus or Leifemi Mafi being dubbed Larry Murphy. After the former Wexford hurler, not the other scumbag.
However, it wasn’t only the imports who got a moniker. There was Uncle Fester (Keith Wood), The Claw (Peter Clohessy), Gaillaimh (Mick Galwey), The Bull (John Hayes) and Axel (Anthony Foley, RIP).
So hopefully Ned Edogbo might take off, removing any doubt about the fact that he and his brother Sean are, as one understandably irate Munster fan put it on Sunday evening: “100% Cobh, 100% Cork, 100% Munster and 100% Irish”. This corner would also add 100% brilliant to that synopsis.
The following might come across as classist, but, it is genuine gut feeling of surprise to see that kind of thing seeping into rugby. Just for clarity, when one says seeping in, it is of course a tiny minority of faceless cowards behind keyboards, but, their vile doings are such that, if possible, the Brains Trust at the highest level have to at least attempt to do something about it.
Whether that be by use of technology to track down the culprits and take some sort of restorative action at national level or – what would probably be the most practical solution – if the perps can be identified – assist Ned and/or the Edogbo family to seek restorative damages.
It appears one sport’s governing body are going to flunk the opportunity to make a stand for the greater good, hopefully the second lot don’t make it a diabolical double.
Leave a Reply