He definitely gambled on it
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Lovely stuff.
āMaxi Muss Maxi Muss Maxi Mussā
Iāve occasionally wondered what pairing has the biggest potential to develop as a hurling rivalry that has genuine crossover appeal to the floating sporting public, in a similar way to how in football, Dublin v Mayo developed into the box office rivalry to beat all box office rivalries, despite them not being historic rivals.
In hurling I think the pairing that might have the biggest potential for mass appeal is Cork v Wexford.
Traditional All-Ireland final rivalries between the big GAA counties, ie. Dublin v Kerry in football, Cork v Kilkenny or Tipp v Kilkenny in hurling, do not particularly enthuse the wider football and hurling public. There may be occasional exceptions like Dublin v Kerry 2011 and Tipp v Kilkenny 2010, but they are the exceptions.
A true box office rivalry must have the following:
- It must have a traditionally hegemonic team playing against a traditionally success starved team. This creates the narrative and the crossover appeal. One team has to be the āvillainā.
- It must be between teams from different provinces.
- It must be between teams with large support bases.
- It helps if it is an urban v rural clash.
Dublin v Mayo had all that. It is impossible for a GAA rivalry to get more box office. Kerry v Tyrone had much but not all of those elements though that was a terrific rivalry.
Cork v Waterford of the 2000s had most of that but it was an all-Munster affair so didnāt have the (almost) nationwide appeal.
Cork is the nearest hurling has to a Dublin. Wexford hurling is similar to Mayo football in the passions it arouses. It has genuine cultural cachet throughout Ireland. Wexford have always been the neutralsā choice.
Cork v Wexford is a lesser spotted rivalry, but the most famous hurling match of them all was Cork v Wexford 1956, while 1993 and 2003 still stick in the memory as great tussles. There is something of an exotic feeling about Cork v Wexford, a touch of the Mediterranean.
The problem with a Cork v Wexford rivalry might be that Cork are traditionally too likeable so donāt fit the āvillainā role. You need the traditionally hegemonic team to have or be perceived to have Phil Taylor levels of cuntishness. Though perhaps some would claim the 2000s Cork team had that.
Anyway, Cork v Wexford and Cork v Waterford are both very appetising potential Allianz League final pairings.
Wexford v Waterford must be the most exotic local derby in the GAA.
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Waterford have to be a genuine threat to the crown for your hypothesis to be valid, sorry
An exotic local derby that has produced 4 (I think) championship meetings. All in the last 20 years.
Because Waterford have been useless for the most part since the inception of the hurling championship. Have you seen them win one?
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Where are you from pet?
Somewhere that I have seen my county win not one but two
Wow.
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Better luck in your next life
Drunk posting is great
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Itās hilarious watching the KK lads lumbering after OāFlynn and Fitzgibbon. Reminds me of me playing midfield back in the day.
KKās discipline is absolute dogshit, persistent fouling for 70 minutes to stop Corkās running game - which they couldnāt do anyway - isnāt going to win them anything.
And Walsh was lining OāMahony up for a frontal charge, hard to blame OāMahony for trying to deflect it.
Those cork lads do not know how to hurl, VERY Clare 2016
Amazing how many fellas live their lives vicariously through a sports team. Says a lot
Yeah they had one tactic and one tactic only
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95ā, 97ā and 2013? Or were you too young to remember 95ā?