23/02/2015 21:13:14 mediaman
And so it begins. Another week of unrelenting media hype ahead of the Ireland England rugby union match. In spite of the fact that the Wales and France team coaches have admitted the 6N is just a warm up for the Rugby Union World Cup we are still being fed the belief that it is of vital importance. To who? Whether Ireland win or lose the media will be telling us on Monday that the next game is what matters now. And so the hype moves on. We even have so-called football supporters buying into the hype by suggesting that the times of all Sunday's NFL games should be changed to facilitate a warm up game. In England the soccer authorities have fixed 2 important matches for Sunday afternoon. They don't let rugby union hype overshadow their games. Why should we? Unrelenting hype? Its a very big game. Why would Joe Schmidt or any players say this game is just a warm up when weve won few 5/6nations and success and maintaining momentum from success in the 6Nations is key to doing well in the world cup. You predicting the future now? This isn't a warm up game.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 23/02/2015 21:45:28    1696176

ah i wouldnt say its a warm up game for anything
the six nations is one competition and the world cup is another
the same as the national league is one competition and the championship another
its like people constantly have the need for d**k measuring when it comes to sports competitions

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 24/02/2015 10:07:11    1696222

Did I just read that tv3 have exclusive rights to the RWC?

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 24/02/2015 20:13:50    1696503

old news johncarter that was announced last year
hence why mr nugent has ramped up his six nations to the max

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 24/02/2015 20:35:28    1696513

But if RTE have such a big rugby bias as claimed here , why would they not drop some other sports events and outbid tv3 for rugby World Cup rights? Maybe there is no bias..

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 24/02/2015 21:05:26    1696536

well it is a warm up effectively as the world cup in rugby is the be all and end all that teams prepare for every 4 years..still and important competition though the 6 nations is..the league cup is different competition to champions league but people know full well somebody like chelsea prepares far more for champs league than the league cup

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 24/02/2015 21:07:05    1696537

see that RTE sent a camera crew (Against the Head) down to Galway last week to cover a show training session, not even a real one, involving the Irish rugby union team. Lest we forget. This is the station that didn't send a single camera to any of the football or hurling subsidiary cup finals in January/February. It's important to keep highlighting this kind of preferential treatment.

mediaman (Antrim) - Posts: 355 - 24/02/2015 21:17:56    1696547

bad.monkey
County: USA
Posts: 3991

1696536
But if RTE have such a big rugby bias as claimed here , why would they not drop some other sports events and outbid tv3 for rugby World Cup rights? Maybe there is no bias..

they already have enough rugby as it is
what are you looking for rugby to have a monopoly ?

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 24/02/2015 21:51:40    1696579

monopoly is never good for a sport

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 24/02/2015 21:54:51    1696581

Interesting to read Liam O'Neill's interview and his comments regarding the Sky deal. He says he didn't sleep for two weeks after the announcement but at this stage he knows the GAA did the right thing! Not so sure about that but no harm to stir up things with RTE.

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 26/02/2015 10:16:25    1696990

The new Stop Out of Control Drinking campaign has a very striking ad now running in the national newspapers. A worse for wear adult is out of focus in the background while standing in the foreground is a young girl togged out holding a hurling/camogie stick. There's a small hurling/camogie stick also on her bag just in case you can't identify the sport involved. The odd thing is that the campaign is supported by Diageo and the IRUPA. Diageo or Guinness is the greatest supporter of rugby union on this island and the IRUPA is the Irish Rugby Union Players Association. Given the rugby union orientation of both wouldn't you imagine that the ad for 'out of control drinking' would have featured a young rugby player rather than a young camogie player. Have you ever seen camogie featured as part of any other advertising campaign involving Guinness? I thought not. It appears that in this instance because the image is extremely negative it has to be linked to camogie rather than rugby union as a means perhaps of protecting 'brand rugby'. I can't think of any reason why the campaign should target camogie's image unless it is to protect some other sport. Another baffling example of media/advertising bias?

mediaman (Antrim) - Posts: 355 - 26/02/2015 16:41:17    1697169

Donegal Tuesday

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 26/02/2015 17:46:27    1697191

It's an interesting perspective on that campaign mediaman. Although I think the most shocking thing about it is that it is being funded by Diageo who apparently are 'concerned' about the level of out of control drinking. I'm sure they had many sleepless nights when they dreamed up the 'Arthur's Day' PR stunt thinking about all of the out of control drinking that would take place each Sept. Only in this country would you have one of the biggest alcoholic drinks manufacturers in the world funding a drinking awareness campaign. Something stinks here.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4737 - 26/02/2015 19:46:17    1697240

It's difficult to know wher responsibility lies with Alcoholism in Ireland. Ultimately it's the free will of the drinker to drink responsibly or irresponsibly. I think teenagers are mores reponse let nowadays than when I was in secondary school in the 80s although I think many, from 14 upwards, still have the 'We're gonna get locked at the weekend' attitude rather than a responsible attitude towards alcohol. I know 'responsible attitude' is a bit pipe'n'slippers for today's youth! The bravado, slap on the back, you're a real man if you can drink 10 pints, attitude is still alive and well.

If they have sex education in schools then surely they should have education on drinks and drugs? Does anyone seriously think that a 16 year old will say to his mates, under tremendous peer pressure, 'I won't drink Heineken because they don't sponsor any sports competitions any more'. Or 'since that genius move of putting another euro on the pint I cannot drink pints anymore''. Would increasing the street value of heroin reduce the number of addicts?

Let the alcohol companies continue to sponsor sports. Make them pay for role models like Henry Shefflin, Ruby Walsh, Katy Taylor etc to talk about a responsible attitude towards alcohol. For most our atitude towards alcohol is not that responsible. So how can the next generation have a responsible atitude if we don't and they don't learn from us and in school that having a few pints is a fantastic thing but going out with the target of getting locked every night is plain stupid.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7910 - 26/02/2015 20:47:29    1697251

problem with alcohol is the generation of politicians and people who are senior in this country at moment.
they made a huge decision a couple years ago that had an impact on the whole country
and when was this discussion taking place throughout the early hours of the morning
where they were all drinking alcohol, whihc ended up with one td pulling a female td on his lap.
what teacher would be allowed teach kids while cracking open a can of beer during their lecture
but the people who run the country can make decisions that effect the entire country while under the influence of alcohol
and then even worse the tab for that night ende up being a good few thousand euros and they made tax payers pay for it.
yet they turn around and blame alcohol as a 18-24 year old problem
what do you expect any 18 year old to think about alcohol when they see their elders behave that way
the only way they see any person celbrate in this country is by drinking alcohol so you can hardly blame young people of this.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/02/2015 11:31:55    1697343

Are there many top GAA players that don't drink? It would be a good idea maybe to get them and other sports people to do an ad or talks to let kids / teens know that they don't have to drink. At the moment every second ad tells them they need to drink to enjoy themselves. I remember Paddy Christie talking about not drinking to some young lads in our club, really made a difference coming from someone like him instead of some corporate campaign

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 27/02/2015 13:43:28    1697394

Some role models could teach them that drinking in moderation is no harm either. A few pints out with your missus or putting the world to rights with your mates can be a great thing without having to get off your face. Everything in moderation including moderation.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7910 - 27/02/2015 15:22:37    1697446

i know philly mcmahon doesnt drink for one
one real shining light came in a sport which was synonimis for alcohol darts
when this years world championship winner gary anderson was asked what way he would celebrate
and he replied il have a meal with family and a nice cup of coffee and enjoy the fact that I won without getting pissed
the astonished reporters face was priceless as she didnt know he didnt drink alcohol.
Italians are a real culture to look towards they dont have their celebrations
needing to revolve around alcohol
instead they revolve around a meal for all and some wine with the meal
cant remember which one it was but an italian soccer player won a cup with an english club
and he was astonished at how after they won every player needed to get off their heads drunk to enjoy it.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/02/2015 15:40:31    1697450

I heard a radio sports presenter talking about giving up alcohol years ago because he got fed up having hangovers
He'd be in a round in the pub and when asked what he wants to drink he'd tell them he'd like a soft drink. Amongst the replies he'd get to that would be 'Aaaaah. Are you on antibiotics'!!!! as if that surely could be the only explanation of such unmanly behaviour.

I have a high opinion of the youth of Ireland, intelligent, humourous, mostly polite with plenty of initiative. But I think some of them think that their mates who can drink 10 pints im a night is a hero while a man who works 3 jobs to provide for his family isn't such a role model.

In countries like Italy, France and Spain a family will let their 14 year old enjoy an occasional glass of wine with dinner. It may help to give them a responsible atitude towards alcohol. We need to start somewhere in changing the atitude amongst teenagers. It's just defeatism if we say about ital 'Sure that's their culture, we couldn't be like that here' and give up before we even try.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7910 - 27/02/2015 16:27:28    1697465

What has the debate about alcohol consumption got to do with how RTE chooses to broadcast or not broadcast our games ?

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6177 - 27/02/2015 16:35:49    1697468