Striking
By Mossy Pat
There was a time when you could watch a good game of hurling and not tremble at the thought of someone striking. Usually because this added to the blood and guts effort on the pitch and spiced the game up for the ever enthusiastic viewer.
You see striking was part and parcel of every game, be it club, county, juvenile or senior, it happened! Player wins ball - player loses ball - player loses temper - player strikes opponent across the shins - ouch! GAA rule book meaning - Striking: (To strike an opponent with a hurl, either with force or causing injury).
Fast forward some years and we have a very different picture - striking has now become common practice in Cork - but not as we knew it! This style of striking requires a panel of 20 plus players, all the key media outlets, all the Club Chairmen one could muster and one perceived bad manager.
Where does it end? The players refuse to play for Mr McCarthy because they think he's simply not good enough for the job. Supposedly, no other person was put forward before the Cork County Board selection committee (on which two of the players sit) for the position of manager, and therefore Mr Mac was reinstated for another two years.
Meanwhile, the 'new' Cork hurling team have started their National League campaign minus the so called County Stars. Their form reads played two lost two. But they are young - any team that loses em.... its team is going to go through a period of rebuilding and right now McCarthy must feel like the site foreman with 15 apprentices and very limited bricks and mortar.
Those striking players are men that kids look up to and aspire to be - and yes - you can argue that what they are doing is righteous - to stand up for what you believe in, but isn't that what Gerald McCarthy is doing - here is a guy who believes he can lead this team in 2009 - and okay last year wasn't great but in reality, no one would have defeated Kilkenny last year - nobody!
After the 2007/2008 strike both the players and the County board agreed to an arbitration, the outcome of such was that 1) The Cork players committed to not engage in future strikes and 2)The new management committee will be five county board members and two players. Why then - are we having further strikes?
Donal Og Cusack and John Gardiner sat on the panel - they agreed to this through the arbitration.
Where will player power stop? Imagine this had taken place somewhere in the North? Antrim's hurlers go on strike! Not exactly the sort of scoop that would have the Irish Independent and co. running for their Mac workbooks or whatever they use these days.
There would probably be a quick segment on RTE's main bulletin but most wouldn't care! The bottom line is - Cork fans are staying loyal to their heroes and backing them all the way whilst the remainder are sticking firmly behind McCarthy and his young charges.
No solution seems likely and the only people losing out are hurling fans all over the country and the hurlers themselves.
No Gael on the gate will tell you they like or agree with their county board 100% but they will also tell you that striking is not the only option - that is, unless you lose the ball!!
