A Big Weekend in Sport

It's a big weekend in sport, here in Ireland. Last night was a big occasion for the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association). At first I was having a difficult time trying to figure out what all the hype was about, but it appeared that the Gaelic Football match between Dublin and Tyrone was the first match to be played at night under some new flood lights at Croke Park. According to the author of this RTE article, all the fanfare will probably be looked at as a bit of hyperbole in the future. As for this Yankee living Dublin, it looked like hyperbole happening before my eyes in the present. I'm pretty sure I heard some GAA or Croke Park official say in an interview before the match, “this is the biggest event of the weekend in the northern hemisphere.” Right. Never mind the Six Nations tournament happening throughout the weekend. (Yep, that's people in at least SIX nations who'll be watching the rugby matches.) And I don't think anyone told him about the 232 countries who'll be watching the American Super Bowl today, with a potential viewing audience of 1 billion people.

The GAA's self-aggrandizing aside, I watched some Gaelic Football today on the telly (a re-broadcasting of “the weekends biggest event in the northern hemisphere”) and I rather enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind learning more about it and picking a team and maybe even heading over Croke Park for a match or two. One of the refreshing things about the game is that it's an amateur sport. I don't think any of the players make a living at it, which means that fans don't have to put up with egotistical celebrity athletes like those of American pro sports and European football.

As for tonight's big event, I'm hoping for an exciting game. Kick-off is at 23.25 here in Ireland and I'm hoping it's a contest worth staying up until 2.30 in the morning to watch.

(Click here for the Gaelic Athletic Association wiki or Google.ie it.)