GAA & Job Creation

What a superb athlete a guy like John Mullane is. He is truly inspirational - both on and off the pitch. No-one can deny the mans' committment, his courage or his skill.

But every day he is denied the opportunity that is available in every other sport in the world that I can think of - to become a professional full time sportsman. Now don't get me wrong - I know nothing about John Mullane on a personal level and perhaps he would not want to be a professional sportsman but I am merely using John to ask a question: what have the GAA got against job creation?

The States has the 'World Series' in baseball - where they are the only Country taking part. Australia has Aussie Rules which no other Country plays. They have all successfully created professional leagues in these disciplines.

What would be so wrong about the GAA creating a professional league for Gaelic Football and Hurling? Why wouldn't it work? It's not like the GAA couldn't afford it. I'm sure there would be difficulties and things to consider as to how it would be structured - and indeed no County could be FORCED to have a professional set-up but I just can't understand why there is no room for the GAA to support professional athletes.

Lets face it, the guys who play for the top teams train and perform as professionals. In fact they deliver on a higher level than many other already professional sports and sportsmen and women. And yet they have to get up Monday to Friday and go to their 'day jobs'.

What have the GAA got against professionalism? They have all the pieces that would go into making a truly professional league but some unfathomable (to me) committment to 'amateurism' - like that's some holy grail - is stopping them creating it. Like creating a professional league would somehow destroy the parish and county committment to the great GAA sports? Why would it? It would only enhance it in my opinion - as young people would have a life to actually aim for. It is unfair to expect guys (mostly) to train to the highest professional levels - while they are still amateurs.

This country can and does support their GAA teams at a level which would support a professional league. Why can that step not be taken? What would be so bad about a guy making his living from being a professional GAA sportsman? I think it would be fantastic. And it is the logical next step.

Do I think it will ever happen? Probably not. But I still have to ask the question why not? Do the players not merit it? Is there not the money there to fund it? It seems to me that the reason is a principalled one. But is it the right ethos?

At the very least in these troubled times it would create an admirable amount of jobs in an economy that very badly needs them. We are desperately seeking entrepeneurism in every sphere of life. Why not in the GAA?

It's just a question to put out there..... Why are we so stuck on amateurism? And amateurism in name only - because other than not being paid - our GAA players ARE professionals in every other way. Is it really fair to deny them a living? Why?

(Yes, I am writing this from a perspective of knowing little to nothing about the internal workings of the GAA so you needn't slag me off! What's so different between Gaelic, hurling, and any other sport in the world??? I honestly think our sportsmen are being denied a fantatsic opportunity - but maybe I'm wrong. What do you think?)