SPECTATORS AT TODAY’S Croke Park Classic were treated to some hurling at half-time during the college football game in Dublin and were suitably amused as a result.
Of course, this isn’t the first time a foreign audience has been treated to the delights of GAA, with the British reaction to its debut on Sky Sports drawing similar levels of bemusement across the water earlier this year.
American TV station ESPN duly attempted to explain the sport to its viewers today, inviting Donal Óg Cusack (or the “Michael Jordan of hurling” as they called him) to provide some expert analysis.
Check out some of the best responses below…
I introduced my American boyfriend to Hurling last year, he was so impressed by it. I think most people are genuinely amazed when they see it for the first time.
Oh look at me with my fancy foreign boyfriend. Tell him to keep his eyes off my field or there’ll be trouble. ;-)
You might want to start making arrangements to move them cattle out.
Think he’s got a favourite sheep there as well!
Please excuse the “it’s” instead of “its”… I used to be a teacher so the excuse of the auto-correct on the iPad is redundant since I spent years telling teenagers to “read over all you write before you hand it in”
Ah Dolores, you’re lovely. Best of luck in your next post.
It’s like a cross between hockey and murder
Brilliant!
That you Alan Shearer?
Good one!
With a brick shaped like a ball.
Next stop..the Olympics.
If you could integrate AK47s into the sport it would go down a bomb in yankee land.
Probably get as many countries playing hurling as play curling
Love us, please love us..we need reassuring
Tell me about it. Very cringeworthy.
Why do we think there is something special about *everything* we do and that everyone in the world should live us for it ??
The above comments are brought to you by that most loathsome of creatures, the self loathing Irishman.
Try addressing the point made Alan rather than going straight to the insult.
I really would be interested to know your view.
My view is that I think you’re wrong. First of all you say ‘we’. So automatically you are claiming to speak for a number of people. So already you’re full of it because I don’t remember anyone electing you as spokesperson for the country as a whole.
After that, well, it’s just nonsense you’re spouting.
You didnt make a point. What you did do was throw us all in together as having the same opinion as you.
There’s nothing wrong with being proud of a great thing) And this article was only highlighting peoples reaction to a bizarre sport. (if you’d never seen it before)
But why do you think I am wrong ?
What’s wrong with being proud of something unique to Ireland.
I think it’s all that Catholic guilt in you!
Why? Because you used the phrase ‘everything we do’. Patent bullschite. Now stop looking for attention.
Why do you think that we need to know your point of view on anything. Why do you feel the need to share your opinions publicly? Why do you feel the need to vindicate your own comments by asking strangers to argue with you? And by we I mean the rest of the world.
I think the point is the baseball is a legit odd sport. But the American don’t particularly care what other people think and proudly proclaim they have won the world series.
Hurling is great we shouldn’t need validation from anyone else.
Its nothing to do with that David, its called the world series cos it was sponsored by a newspaper called The Daily World. Americans are just as proud and try just as hard to promote their sport, otherwise, what was yesterday all about??
Have to hand it to Donal Óg, I think this 11s is his idea/he is driving it. More that see the game the better. As for the begrudgers, feck them.
We play 11′s in football and hurling in continental competitions. Much faster than 15 man game and on a soccer pitch. No space for Junior B full forwards to hide!
Greatest field game in the world and it’s ours!
Why do some Irish people have a problem with a organisation promoting their sport. Hurling is special, and as a sport it has everything that a sports fan wants to see. It’s fast, you must out score the opposition because you can’t out defend a hurling team. Its just a great game. Period
.. Periods
I got turned onto Hurling a few years back… Love it!! :)
Next stop the “world series” of Hurling
Please validate our sport! Oh please tell us it’s good.
It’s a swell sport
You’re darn tootin’ it is.
It is a swell sport, maybe we shouldn’t be looking for someone else to tell us that.
Dumb yanks. Dumber paddies. Sad.
Yes, it’s so sad isn’t it. How dare anyone outside of our country praise or show any interest in our ancient indigenous sport.
Watch joe rogan on hurling …
On youtube.. hilarious !