National Forum

After GAA, Your Second Favourite Sport

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Replying To Adler:  "I'd love to see a decent rugby player try to out-muscle Khalil Mack or Aaron Donald.

Seriously though I personally enjoy NFL, probably my favourite sport and it's getting more popular in Ireland every year. I'm sure there'll be alot of Tampa Bay jerseys knocking around soon after last weeks news.

Basketball is very enjoyable too. I live in Canada and have access to alot of televised NBA games (not right now for obvious reasons) I always try to tune in when LeBron, Khawhi, Giannis etc... and all those top guys are playing, they're unreal. It's interesting how some of the top GAA players have become akin to basketball players in their skill levels and footwork etc."
Or like that time Aidan O'Shea went over, thought he'd be a kicker and they took 1 look at him kicking a ball and the said he would be a better tight end or something!!

I hate the GAA baloney of "How hard we are, look at those sissy sports". I bet there are plenty of players who are playing other sports who would be as good if not better at hurling or football than some of our heroes if they had grown up here. Just because you didn't grow up in Ireland with our sports, does not mean Irish people are better than them.

Unpopular opinion - for me, although I have no interest other than I was drinking in a pub at the time, the end of that Ashes test game last year where England beat Australia with the last ball was just as tense and exciting as anything I saw on a GAA field last year.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 864 - 28/03/2020 17:40:09    2274906

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best player ever, everyone tried to do him, a tough little cookie too

lilypad (Kildare) - Posts: 1357 - 28/03/2020 18:31:04    2274914

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "Or like that time Aidan O'Shea went over, thought he'd be a kicker and they took 1 look at him kicking a ball and the said he would be a better tight end or something!!

I hate the GAA baloney of "How hard we are, look at those sissy sports". I bet there are plenty of players who are playing other sports who would be as good if not better at hurling or football than some of our heroes if they had grown up here. Just because you didn't grow up in Ireland with our sports, does not mean Irish people are better than them.

Unpopular opinion - for me, although I have no interest other than I was drinking in a pub at the time, the end of that Ashes test game last year where England beat Australia with the last ball was just as tense and exciting as anything I saw on a GAA field last year."
Yeah, wasn't that the same series that Shane Williams swapped with Michael Murphy and played football with Glenswilly? Williams turned out pretty handy at football, too. (And believe me, it PAINS me to compliment any rugby player other than Ross O'Carroll-Kelly :-))

streaker (Galway) - Posts: 385 - 28/03/2020 18:46:56    2274915

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Formula One

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1645 - 28/03/2020 19:22:56    2274918

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Replying To streaker:  "Yeah, wasn't that the same series that Shane Williams swapped with Michael Murphy and played football with Glenswilly? Williams turned out pretty handy at football, too. (And believe me, it PAINS me to compliment any rugby player other than Ross O'Carroll-Kelly :-))"
Yeah that was it. He was good. There have been other good ones, although there was one ice hockey player who came to Faythe Harriers and wasn't great, but it is a huge step in fairness.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 864 - 29/03/2020 11:28:34    2274948

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For me it is American Football as well. I have been following it for nearly ten years and have even attended a few games in the US. I think that sport probably has the best mix of athletes in the world and once you understand the rules and schemes it's really fascinating.

I do like rugby as well but I just don't get the same kick out of it for whatever reason.

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1957 - 29/03/2020 11:42:36    2274949

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Bad monster trucks, awesome

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1042 - 29/03/2020 12:22:38    2274955

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Replying To GeniusGerry:  "For me it is American Football as well. I have been following it for nearly ten years and have even attended a few games in the US. I think that sport probably has the best mix of athletes in the world and once you understand the rules and schemes it's really fascinating.

I do like rugby as well but I just don't get the same kick out of it for whatever reason."
American Football would be a decent game if they'd just get on with it.

lionofludesch (Down) - Posts: 369 - 29/03/2020 12:23:40    2274957

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used to love rugby,but i think it is tediously stop start and actionless.same with nfl.could be a good game.
passively follow soccer
golf is my 2nd sport though.after that,i can take or leave the rest.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3841 - 29/03/2020 19:02:08    2274984

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Replying To lionofludesch:  "American Football would be a decent game if they'd just get on with it."
A bit like Gaelic Football.

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 1115 - 29/03/2020 19:24:24    2274987

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "Yeah that was it. He was good. There have been other good ones, although there was one ice hockey player who came to Faythe Harriers and wasn't great, but it is a huge step in fairness."
It was called "The toughest trade". Lee Chin gave a respectable account of himself at the ice hockey considering he had to try and learn to skate from scratch.

My joint second sports these days are soccer and MMA, but I watch the Packers in NFL and will happily watch Aussie rules or xgames given the chance.

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1415 - 29/03/2020 20:59:17    2274995

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Replying To perfect10:  "used to love rugby,but i think it is tediously stop start and actionless.same with nfl.could be a good game.
passively follow soccer
golf is my 2nd sport though.after that,i can take or leave the rest."
You think rugby is tediously stop start and actionless but you love the golf : )

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1106 - 30/03/2020 00:56:46    2275004

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Replying To HandballRef:  "Corrales / Castillo 1 is the best fight of all time in my opinion. But I don't think anything will ever top that Hagler/Hearns round 1. A few other fights worth a watch are Barrera/ Morales trilogy, Gatti/Ward trilogy. Marquez/ Pacquiao 1, De La Hoya/ Quartey, Chavez / Whittaker. Whittaker got robbed in that one . YouTube is full of a lot of old gems."
watched a few over the weekend, what fights, absolutely brutal. Watched a sky spoirts special called Sheffield Steel, on the Ingle gym, they produced some fighters, amazing how they made a fighter out of Johnny Nelson.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 1990 - 30/03/2020 08:53:51    2275006

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The Maradona documentary was superb. He was obviously a brilliant player but a tough wee cookie as well. Some of the punishment he took was brutal.

He was a crafty wee devil as well!

Naples is traditionally seen as a dump and an embarrassment by the rest of Italy, particularly the north. So when Diego pitched up there it raised eyebrows, and when he started to win Serie A titles with Napoli it really upset the status quo. The Neapolitans adored him! So when Italy were due to meet Argentina in the World Cup semi final of 1990 tensions were incredibly high.

What does the bauld Diego do before the match? He says that he expects the locals to be supporting Argentina and not Italy!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 7075 - 30/03/2020 09:36:01    2275009

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "The Maradona documentary was superb. He was obviously a brilliant player but a tough wee cookie as well. Some of the punishment he took was brutal.

He was a crafty wee devil as well!

Naples is traditionally seen as a dump and an embarrassment by the rest of Italy, particularly the north. So when Diego pitched up there it raised eyebrows, and when he started to win Serie A titles with Napoli it really upset the status quo. The Neapolitans adored him! So when Italy were due to meet Argentina in the World Cup semi final of 1990 tensions were incredibly high.

What does the bauld Diego do before the match? He says that he expects the locals to be supporting Argentina and not Italy!"
That did not endear him to his hosts, I believe he was voted the most hated man in Italy not long afterwards.

This is a country where the scorer of the winning goal against Italy in the 2002 World Cup was sacked by his Italian club (think it was Perugia).

They take patriotism (nationalism?) seriously.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 1803 - 30/03/2020 13:02:16    2275025

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Replying To Gleebo:  "That did not endear him to his hosts, I believe he was voted the most hated man in Italy not long afterwards.

This is a country where the scorer of the winning goal against Italy in the 2002 World Cup was sacked by his Italian club (think it was Perugia).

They take patriotism (nationalism?) seriously."
Yeah it was the South Korean forward Ahn who was on Perugia's books. Well he was until he had the temerity to score against Italy and knock them out of the World Cup!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 7075 - 30/03/2020 14:07:44    2275031

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Replying To Gleebo:  "That did not endear him to his hosts, I believe he was voted the most hated man in Italy not long afterwards.

This is a country where the scorer of the winning goal against Italy in the 2002 World Cup was sacked by his Italian club (think it was Perugia).

They take patriotism (nationalism?) seriously."
You're right. Italy were knocked out of the 2002 World Cup after losing 2-1 against South Korea, with Ahn Jung-hwan, who's club was A.C. Perugia Calcio, scoring the winning goal.

From Wikipedia:

The team [Perugia] came under scrutiny when Gaucci [the owner] criticised and eventually terminated the contract of his own player, Ahn Jung-Hwan of South Korea, for scoring the golden goal that knocked Italy out of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and allegedly insulting the Italian nation. Ahn's national manager Guus Hiddink spoke out against the sacking. Following the outcry, Ahn's sacking was reversed, but by then the player himself expressed no desire to return to the club anymore.

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 1115 - 30/03/2020 14:08:36    2275032

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Yeah it was the South Korean forward Ahn who was on Perugia's books. Well he was until he had the temerity to score against Italy and knock them out of the World Cup!"
The ref that day was a joke and the Italian often claim it was a fix to keep the hosts in.
The same ref was arrested for smuggling heroin into New York a few years later

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1106 - 30/03/2020 15:41:28    2275037

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Replying To Breezy:  "You think rugby is tediously stop start and actionless but you love the golf : )"
Golf doesn't have that element of confrontation.

What if you were allowed to block your opponent's shot ?

Or hook his downswing ?

lionofludesch (Down) - Posts: 369 - 30/03/2020 15:41:45    2275038

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Rugby Union and a good game of Australian Rugby league.
Aussie Rules and Gaelic would be my bottom of the pile sports. I can appreciate the athletic performance but the kicking and missing is pure poison.

Got into Baseball recently enough after a good game watching the San Fran Giants and Colorado Rockies in Denver. It's a real man v man individual game .

bloodyban (Limerick) - Posts: 1323 - 30/03/2020 18:26:34    2275043

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