No easy answer to culture of binge drinking in GAA

TWO excellent articles over the last two weekends from current Galway star Joe Canning and Kerry legend Tomás O Sé may have many intercounty players asking themselves - is all the commitment, effort and sacrifice really worthwhile.

They both spoke about GAA players’ relationship with alcohol and how a culture of sporadic binge-drinking has seeped into the game over the last number of years.

All intercounty panels nowadays routinely adhere to drinking bans (either imposed by management or self-imposed by the squad themselves) for various periods of time during the season. These periods of abstention are broken up by ‘free passes’, sanctioned by management to allow players to blow off some much-needed steam.

The problem, however, is that these blow-outs turn into one or two-day binges that can take some lads up to a week to fully recover from. Players, who live like monks for months on end, suddenly go on the lash for a couple of days to celebrate a big win or get a bad defeat out of their system. This type of behaviour flies in the face of everything the recently arrived sports scientists have told us, but the culture continues nonetheless.

Elite athletes in other sports like soccer and rugby don’t appear to suffer from the same regimental-type alcohol bans being imposed on them. They are trusted to behave like adults and routinely have just two or three beers and seem to be able to leave it at that. Because the GAA lads are held on such a tight leash for such long periods of time, they tend to go ballistic when the rare opportunity presents itself.

O Sé likened the binge effects to Armageddon on the vital organs.

The same type of feast or famine habits have also developed on the club scene in recent years, with players abstaining from alcohol at the behest of management for up to six months at a time. They then go crazy when the sanctions are relaxed.

Just in case anyone thinks I’m adopting a ‘holier than thou’ attitude to this subject, I’ve sat on both sides of this precarious fence. I’ve led the players charge while running with foxes and I’ve imposed the penalties while hunting with the hounds.

But the bottom line is that neither party are winning this battle. A major change of culture is required, but where do you begin?

King Canute and holding back the tide come to mind.

For decades English soccer had a very similar culture, but the introduction of continental managers in the mid-90s revolutionised players’ approach. Coaches like Arsene Wenger introduced dramatic lifestyle changes which brought fitness levels and player preparations to completely new levels.

For a time during the summer I had a recurring dream that the Louth County Board had prised the Frenchman away from the Emirates in favour of Darver! Perhaps next season.

O Sé also referenced the inevitability of the four teams remaining in the 2017 All-Ireland football championship. From a long way out, the dogs in the street could have predicted semi-final pairings of Dublin/Tyrone and Kerry/Mayo. The gap between those four and the rest is growing by the year. He asked the burning question that I’m sure many players have posed to themselves at the conclusion of their long and arduous seasons. Is it all really worth it?

So long as the answer is affirmative then the status quo will continue, but I sense we are closing in rapidly on a tipping point. It’s worth noting the dictionary definition of the term; the critical point is an evolving situation that leads to a new and irreversible development. And the powers to be think next seasons ‘ Super 8s’ is the solution!!!

Father time waits for no man. Never were the words more true than last weekend at the World Athletics Championships in London.

Athletics superstars Usain Bolt and Mo Farah, who had been unbeatable in major championships for as long as I can remember, both came up short on the track at Olympic Stadium.

Although he had already pocketed gold in the 10,000m Farah had to settle for silver in the 5,000m as his customary last-lap kick let him down. 2017 was also one season too far for Bolt as he collapsed with cramp on his final appearance on the track on the last leg of the 4x100m relay final. This was not the way he wanted to bow out and his bronze in the individual 100m will be scant consolation.

The game of hurling had us on the edge of our seats again for the second weekend running as Waterford and Cork served up another thriller for over an hour, only for the Deise to pull away in the closing stages. If only we could bottle this excitement and transfer it to the football championship.

Maybe I’m being a little harsh. Perhaps the big ball exponents will surprise us all over the next few Sundays.

I fancy Tottenham and Chelsea to finish level in the big game in the Premiership next Sunday - at 5/2.