If I thought the scheduling of the All Ireland U-20 FC semi finals for midweek was demeaning and grotesquely unfair, it was only the tip of an iceberg of ignominy which has sunk the GAA into an even bigger crator of farce.
As if playing both football matches at the same time wasn’t bad enough, now consider that there were also two Leinster U-20 Hurling semi finals and a provincial final in the samej grade down for decision in Munster.
Now, to their immense and incalculable credit, Sport TG4 managed to broadcast all the matches across their various platforms. But before getting into the nuts and bolts of all that, you simply have to ask, what the f**k is the rush?
But before itemising that, let’s go back to the coverage. From the broadcaster’s perspective, they utilised the technology now available to cover every base possible. The problem lies not with Ronan O’Choisdealbha and his terrific team. Rather, with the idiots who fixed such a plethora of matches to take place at the same time.
Again, absolutely no fault on TG4, but, because there were so many matches on at the same time, there was inevitability that there were going to be some which a cohort of particular Gaels won’t be able to access.
Mind you, it’s only one example of why the GAA’s current broadcast arrangements are a steaming pile of bullshit.
It is a terrible indictment of how far the power broker’s heads are up their own arses that the viewing public were better served when Virgin Media – as it now is – and, yes, Sky Sports, had broadcast rights than in the current muddled mess.
How exactly are elderly or otherwise impinged perspective viewers supposed to access the likes of the Sport TG4 app or YouTube channels or, Lord help us, GAA+?
To quote the late Albert Reynolds, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the GAA would be better off launching something like GAA TV which, even if couldn’t be accommodated through terrestrial television would still leave premium content available to a wider audience than the current ramshackle spoof-a-thon.
Of course, to get into the workings of the current goings on, it is very much a case of the tail wagging the dog. How can Jarlath Burns go the ‘This belongs to you’ mantra whilst at the same time allowing the agitant, shit stirring GPA and theiir mouthy main man send them scurrying like locals at the Pamploma Bull Run.
Even allowing for Mayo people never being short on self confidence (Enda Kenny, Michael Ring, Pee Flynn, Cora Staunton, Mary Robinson and others, I could go on), Tom Parsons’ arrogant bombast knows no bounds.
The GPA gaffer this week said “The athlete’s voices (if you’re going to call them that at least have the balls to push for professionalism) need to be heard in terms of policy and competition structure”.
Scour. That is exactly what led to the bileous split season, the shambles of an All Ireland SFC structure and the steady drain of players to the bottom end of the world.
But then, what hope is there if the GAA can’t even stick to the setups the already have in situ? The decision to do away with replays carte blanche was ridiculous, ill-thought, unnecessary and highly counterproductive.
However, even with the current state of play, for all its maddening aspects, was there not at least a proviso therein that stipulated replays were at least guaranteed in provincial finals?
How, then, was Wednesday evening’s Limerick epic between the U-20s of Clare and Tipperay allowed go all the way to penalties?
That damn tail never gives the unsuspecting madra a moment’s peace.
Fág freagra