|
Post by kerrygold on May 3, 2007 14:14:33 GMT
Do any of ye think that amature gaa players should not be subjected to madatory drug testing by the sports council of ireland.
it seems the kilkenny doctor was very uncomfortable with the way it was carried out after sundays league final.The SCI have taken over from a private company to do the testing.
Some players if dyhydrated cant give samples for up to two hours,and if they fail to do so can be deemed to fail.
Paddy buggy former kilkenny player and past president expressed concerns also after being in the kilkenny dressing room at the time,and stated that he wasnt aware how imbarrassing it could be for players to provide a sample in view of the testers especially if it takes a long time to produce the sample.
the kilkenny doctor it seems has summitted a written concern,and also said that he thinks amature gaa players are not taking performance inhancing drugs and if fail a test are more likely to do so for taken over the counter remidies for colds,flues etc.
My point,should amature gaa players be subjected to these tests by the sports council of ireland.I feel any amature gaa lad should not be asked to urinate into a bottle after intertaing 82000 people in croker for free.
Didnt croker sign up to this testing a few years back in order to recieve some grant aid or other.
its over the top in my view,especially as there is such bregrudgery around to gaa players getting 50 or 60 euro a week in grant aid.
any views on the matter?
|
|
|
Post by owenabue on May 3, 2007 15:48:28 GMT
Weird, I thought I posted up a reply here already! Anyway I’ll try again! I feel drug testing is a necessary evil. While I know one might argue, what’s the point in taking something in a team even where there is no money involved? But people might still be tempted to take performance enhancing drugs. If you have a young lad trying to make the county team, or trying to keep his place, do you think he’d if some one of his buddies said to try something to speed up his recovery or performance that he wouldn’t take it? Or and old lad trying to get one last season out of playing for the county? Without drug testing you are basically giving everyone the freedom to do what ever they like. Do you think parents would be happy with there young children playing a sport where nobody gave a sh^te weather they took something or not because it was an amateur sport? Okay, so it might be an inconvenience trying to give a sample after playing a match, but surely it’s in everyone’s best interest? The integrity of the GAA would be called into question as well if drug testing wasn’t in place. Also I think it might be a bit naïve of people to think that GAA players wouldn’t chance taking things anyway. Unless people are of the mind that every player in the country is extremely honest…
|
|
|
Post by mickmack on May 3, 2007 17:52:30 GMT
Amateur players shouldnt be booed by their supporters or have to go thru drug testing...............
|
|
|
Post by thehighfield on May 3, 2007 18:01:28 GMT
Amateur players shouldnt be booed by their supporters or have to go thru drug testing............... I'd tend to side with Owenabue on this one. I think the drug testing might/could be used more as a deterrent for some of the scenarios he outlined. Steroids and other performance enhancing drugs can be lethal when used improperly and a player who somehow gets his hands on them is not exactly going to go to the local doctor to ask for advice.
|
|
|
Post by kerrygold on May 3, 2007 20:05:43 GMT
I'm in agreement with mickmack on boths counts here,the cork booeing was wrong and shouldnt have happened no matter how frustrated people had become.It should also be remembered too that the geniune kerry fans were at the game while others choose not to go.A small minority of people booed.
secondly drug testing amature gaa players is bluring the line between amature and professional athlete.The gaa player is expected to be of everything associated with the professional athlethes but be frowned apon if associated with monatory gain Its either one or the other in my view. A strickly amature gaa player should not be obliged to give a urine sample,he is a ordinary skin taking part in a past time going to work the next day,i'm surprised the gpa havent fought this,but if they did they would proberly be accused of hiding something.What stigma would it leave on a ordinary gaa player if wrongly accuse of taking drugs?,how would it affect his work life,leisure life,social life,his presence in the small local community,the whispers at the corner. Personally i think if i was asked to give a urine sample as a strickly amature gaa player after playing in front of 82000 people and thus creating vast sums of money for all others concerned i think i would the tell the tester where to stick his or hers bottle.
|
|
|
Post by mickmack on May 3, 2007 20:39:45 GMT
agree 100% with kerrygold. If I was up a ladder on a building site on a monday morning twould be a brake tester to ask me for a sample
|
|
|
Post by owenabue on May 3, 2007 21:13:55 GMT
Okay, so we go with the line that these are amateur players. But as players we will presume they want to achieve things, be it to win a Munster title or whatever. The other side of the coin is say x manager says “shur all those boys are on this and it’s doing them no harm and they have won 3 all Irelands in a row. Wouldn’t it encourage other teams and players to take it? I feel we could end up with things like the systematic doping of players like in Juventus. What if a player didn’t want to take something, he might feel under pressure to do so, if other team mates were. I know there might be argument as to what’s wrong with taking normal medicines which are prescribed by doctors; say like steroids for asthma. I presume like in rugby, if you tell them you have taken it there isn’t a problem. To be honest, I would feel these tests are fairly reliable so to say someone could be wrongfully accused is a bit far fetched. If nobody is tested then everyone could be guilty. Long term I also feel players’ welfare has to be considered. I don’t think sponsors or managers could give a toss in a few years if the players got ill because of what they were given, just so long as they got the results they wanted. Also because a doctor prescribed it doesn’t mean it’s perfectly harmless and maybe more a holistic approach should be taken. The other side of it is how can matches be matches when people aren’t given an equal chance?
|
|
|
Post by owenabue on May 3, 2007 21:34:35 GMT
agree 100% with kerrygold. If I was up a ladder on a building site on a monday morning twould be a brake tester to ask me for a sample Under safety, health and welfare legisation to protect your own S,H & W and that of others, you can bot be under the influence to the extent of endangering your own or anyone elses safety, health and welfare. So I reckon, if you were going up a ladder half locked on a Monday morning, an employer would be fully entitled to ask you to go to be tested.
|
|
|
Post by kerrygold on May 3, 2007 21:57:59 GMT
agree 100% with kerrygold. If I was up a ladder on a building site on a monday morning twould be a brake tester to ask me for a sample they'd want to keep the bottle well held out from their bodies/faces.
|
|
|
Post by kerrygold on May 3, 2007 22:01:31 GMT
you must feel abue that drug taking is rampant in amateur gaa ireland amonst ordinary lads/girls that have to go to work for the rest of their lives.
personaly i dont think its significant in any shape of form.
if people want professional gaa players pay them for the inconvience so.
|
|
|
Post by owenabue on May 3, 2007 22:03:30 GMT
No I'm not saying that at all. But yes, I'm sure there are some cowboys out there. I am just saying it is a safety system and really shouldn't be done away with.
|
|
|
Post by kerrygold on May 3, 2007 22:08:16 GMT
ya, but is it really safety to cure an ipedemic or is it all bullsh1te hype at the end of the day.
|
|
|
Post by owenabue on May 3, 2007 22:24:40 GMT
Not sure it's either. But I suppose you could argue that the average club player could arrive on to a pitch swinging a hurley after ten pints and there is nothing to prevent this happening and he could kill a man. On the other hand, maybe proper health screen of players would be more essential if they really cared about player welfare.
|
|
|
Post by kerrygold on May 4, 2007 8:33:43 GMT
Should the club player be tested also seeing as the county player is?.
|
|
|
Post by owenabue on May 4, 2007 8:52:59 GMT
Should the club player be tested also seeing as the county player is?. If they aren't good enough to make the county team, the drugs mustn't be helping much All jokes aside, I suppose you can't have one rule for one set of lot of players and another for set for different players.
|
|