Bit of a light hearted thread. Some YouTube channel sat a few Americans down to give their thoughts on hurling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi8MJ2_kAXQ

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 14/11/2014 16:51:48    1672341

As John Wayne replied when asked on being introduced to hurling if he'd like to be out on the pitch himself with a stick.
"Well I'd sure hate to be out there without one"

SLLY (Dublin) - Posts: 463 - 14/11/2014 19:39:36    1672383

why are we Irish so obsessed with what everyone else thinks of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
its not just GAA, its everything! As a nation we crave praise from others!

its cringe!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 15/11/2014 09:03:59    1672426

Liamwalkinstown
County: Dublin
Posts: 5937

AH HERE another bredrudger. its a bit of fun. your probabaly one of those depressing party pooerps who bauked at the british reaction to hurling too.. My god man its a bit of fun. its unique, its ours and its a very good sport. Were proud of it so wed like to get reactions of other people.

Fishermantom (Limerick) - Posts: 569 - 15/11/2014 11:22:35    1672436

Liamwalkinstown
County: Dublin
Posts: 5938

1672445
so they cant pat us on the back and tell us what mmaaaaadddd bbaasssttaarrddss we are....

Sad

---

You never know what Yank might pick up the stick. Obama was swinging the hurley on his visit there. He might be a long lost relation of yours. ;-)

mikeyjoe (USA) - Posts: 415 - 15/11/2014 14:14:35    1672453

I think it's interesting to know what other cultures and people think of our sports Liam, I wouldn't say we're obsessed with that, just curious.

I like this one, I think it simplifies what must look confusing to people watching it for the first time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i3-Qk7FNeQ

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8746 - 15/11/2014 19:18:09    1672535

I think its more interesting to see American kids being coached to play hurling by other Americans, as is the case in the Milwaukee Hurling Club, i.e.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1NfpDZC4UI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ1ArTZgbuE

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 15/11/2014 20:15:50    1672546

Because we have unique sports and culture that until the last few years very few people outside of Ireland have experienced. But now with all the technological advances and faster than ever communication networks we are now able to show off what we have... And the reactions are priceless as the whole world play sports with a lot less fluency and contact and our top players are amaeture!!!

wise_guy (Tyrone) - Posts: 1584 - 15/11/2014 20:36:42    1672551

But we are maaaaaaad baaaaaaastids Liam!

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 15/11/2014 21:07:25    1672556

I would agree it great to see other people learning about hurling/gaelic but i would agree with Liam in sport and everything else we always seem to be looking for a pat on the head from other people.

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 16/11/2014 21:34:45    1672720

I'm with Liam on this one. Fair enough showing our games to foreign people and hopefully they can enjoy them as much as we do. But for a lot of people, when they do so, it's merely as Liam says that they're begging for validation and praise.

Same as when nearly any celebrity visits we seem to do our utmost to discover any remote hint of Irish heritage in them!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9748 - 17/11/2014 10:45:04    1672764

I agree with Liam (for once!)
Who cares what people from other countries think of GAA?

pdempsey (Mayo) - Posts: 1313 - 17/11/2014 12:34:45    1672794

why are we Irish so obsessed with what everyone else thinks of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
its not just GAA, its everything! As a nation we crave praise from others!

Where is the obsession Liam?
As Jack said it's just a light hearted thread. This is just one of millions of Youtube videos out there.

I could just as well say why are we Irish so insular and begrudging. It would describe some people but not all.
Judging by the Product Placement in the clip I would think it is a marketing tool and no harm in that either.

Westfester (Limerick) - Posts: 979 - 17/11/2014 12:45:40    1672799

American football makes hurling look like Badminton

A savagely physical and dangerous game

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 18/11/2014 13:10:07    1673026

Ooooh goody, lts bring them over for an All Ireland Final like we do with BBC Commentators so they can write glowing articles about us and then see what everyone on twitter has to say after SKY broadcast their first hurling game!

Totally cringeworthy to see people so pathetic as to give a damn about what a few foreigners say about our games!

Take note of this: Of the hundreds of thousands of foreigners already in our country with the same access to it as you and I.....they are still happy to stick to soccer and dont care all that much about our games really!

Give up this cringeworthy obsession of foreigners reactions to our games!....who cares!!!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 18/11/2014 13:58:30    1673043

hello, welcome to Ireland, what do you think of it ?. are you having a nice time ?.
do you think we are friendly ?. have you tried the guinness ?. what do you think of hurling ?. have you been to Croke Park ?.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5520 - 18/11/2014 14:15:14    1673047

They also did one on Irish people reacting to baseball

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 18/11/2014 15:20:20    1673073

i have been to yankee stadium, to see yankees tampa bay

and it was TEDIOUS !

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 18/11/2014 16:20:03    1673094

I didnt bother watching the clip before commenting the last time, but now I have watched it I have a few observations:

1. The viewers have a lot better knowledge of hurling than some of the people on HS!
2. The comment: "there seems to be very little rules" just goes to show that even people who have no idea about the game can clearly see that the standard of ref in the GAA is dreadful and that the GAA seem to just 'make stuff up' as they go along!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 18/11/2014 17:25:55    1673117

My best friend introduced me to Hurling on an extended trip to stay her in the TTown area of Kilkenny. It changed my life. Having a couple hurls and a bunch of sliotar's waiting for me and a perfect wall to entertain the neighbors while I spent hours and hours outside, night and day, rain and sun, loving every single minute. That gift of YOUR NATIONAL TREASURE was so much more than a couple pieces of Ash. It was a life long gift that hopefully I'll actually be able to enjoy if the GAA ever gets it's act together when it comes to letting people outside the republic view matches(especially county, I'd have paid 20 quid to watch last weekends club matches and the weekend before but it's not possible, so the radio will have to do. As far as the GAAGO mess, well every time I've used it I've had to get a refund because new hardware and a 75Mbs connection(they recommend 5 for HD viewing) is not enough to watch it at the lowest resolution.
But thank you for the thread. I love playing, I love teaching, I love hurling. Greatest gift I've been given. Hurling fan first, KK fan second. Changed my life and to be honest, I've never watched another professional sport since. got rid of opinionated rant about recent events. Thank you for sharing your sport. It's the greatest game hands down! I only wish I'd had the chance to play as a youth before my body was destroyed by my sport and then my job(offshore commercial fisherman). Take care all, enjoy next weekends matches and as someone with a very different perspective, don't ever take that wonderful sport of Hurling for granted. The modern GAA, sure, take em for granted as they're a joke but I won't hold that against players or the sport and all I have is gratitude for what I'll say again was the greatest gift I've ever received. Not sure I even knew what that piece of Ash was but soon as I felt that in my hand and stopped holding it like the Yank I am(baseball style; strong hand on bottom), I knew I'd found a new passion, just not how much of a part of me it would become.

Gowran_Yank (Kilkenny) - Posts: 96 - 19/11/2014 13:29:58    1673352