I very much doubt that Ken’s inter county career had a detrimental impact on his economic circumstances.
I doubt his fund raising match would’ve been as successful but for his tremendous career.
To the best of my knowledge he has always found employment when needed and a business going tits up in the recession/depression endured in an economic black spot like Waterford can hardly be attributed to his career. Some might even say that he wouldn’t have opened the shop but for his profile.
It’s ridiculous this talk of the negative career impact that a hobby can have.
It’s all about choices from a very early age. If your job is suffering you give up the job or tailor your hobby commitments.
The physical impact is different though. There has definitely been a lack of knowledge in that area so informed decision making was absent.
He is now selling coffee with the brother around Waterford and other areas and also has his autobiography out. Yeah his sports shop wasnt a success, but as you say, he wouldnt have had the other ventures and economic success if it wasnt for his hurling career.
Players are no different to ordinary people with regards to financial status. That goes for all walks of life. Sometimes things just dont work out in a business venture or whatever. A lot of intercounty players get a massive leg up and job opportunities they wouldnt have got otherwise only for their profile.
Sure in professional sports where players are actually paid to play, players still end up destitute despite being paid full time in their job. The 30 for 30 doc “Broke” covered this in detail.
Good post Gman
Ill have to check out that documentary.
Thanks pal.
Here is a link for you to save you searching. Hope you enjoy it.
That’s very good of you
Ill watch it tonight after I walk the dog
Enjoy the walk pal. Getting out for a good walk with the dog is a lovely way to spend the evening.
yes, sometimes beforehand Im not always in the mood for it but I can honestly say hand on heart that never have I regretted taking him for a stroll when I get back
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Who has your password?
It’s gas the fellas who didn’t have a fucking choice to make because they were fucking useless at sport and never had to make the choice think that it’s so simple to make these choices “at a very early age”.
A lot of difference across the intercounty playing pool. Wouldn’t lump them all into the one category.
As far as rewards go, on the one hand they get a way more attention than almost all of the international athletes we have in this country who train a lot harder than they do. The flip side is that most of them also toil under dictatorial managerial regimes who flat out reject the notion that the players should be enjoying what they are doing - despite it being an unpaid activity.
I certainly think there is a lack of efficency in Inter County training and i beliece the reductionism of seperating gym and fueld training is outdated and everyone would be better served with more time off.
But thats what you get when you get such a poor coaching education system and a copycat culture, prople are afraid to “take chances”
Fact is many professional sports teams get more days off that GAA players. So i think it could be better. However thats still not the angle the IC players want. If anything they want more training, more support, more time off, more allowences to train more.
The problem is more is fine for about 4-8 weeks of the year. Then less is more and quality and cleverness is needed. So what i see, and have heard, county players look for is professionalism for a certain period of the year, but to be treated like ine for 12 months.
How many county players abuse the county board funds (thru facilities and physio etc) during club playing time? Alot. How many of them truly give a fuck about the club anymore? Very few. And thats not really their fault, the love for the club will errode as you spend less time there. They are not being allowed spend time with their club.
But they want it every which way and they moan an awful lot. As i have said too many times, its a choice. I got a similar choice last year and this year, to get involved with Senior clubs and County teams, for money. But i made the choice to concentrate on the business for abother couple of years. I felt it was more valuable long term and to be honest the money was not good enough to compensate the time lost. Thats a choice.
Because of the freedom given and the responsibikity and fairness shown by Jim gavin you had young lads recently makr informed choices i.e. McCaffery and O’ Carroll. That shows the level Dublin are at both mentally and physically they show it all the time. They seem to have great balance, but nothing is a strain for them.
Have seen some great interviews with Liam Hennessy on this topic
The madness appears in the form of making players work hard and suffer. Any eejit can make a player suffer and make them tired. You have these mad practices that go on, but, if the truth be known, it is the same teams, regardless of the mad practice, that still go on and win the All-Ireland,” Liam Hennessy said before explaining that such misguided practices actually come from individuals who mean well.”
And from an older one
“I’d be more appalled by what I see now, to be quite frank. Because the knowledge and understanding are there now, yet it’s quite appalling what is happening. We’ve had thirty or forty years of evidence-based practices to tell us that way isn’t effective. Doing too much is damaging. We see that everywhere.”
Everything is relative.
Successful people often work hard and make good life choices. And get a bit lucky.
The definition of lunacy
Some lads just deserve to be abused.Fuckin ejit
Thats exactly it. You can hear the lads now
“Jaysus leper is some bit of stuff, see he played a few hours after arriving back from the honeymoon”
“Ha, musta been delighted to get away from the ol ball n chain wha?”
Thundering fucking gobshites one and all.
Including O’Neill with his fawning quotes and playing to the gallery as usual.
He sent me a text from 4,000 miles away!!! As if that was anymore difficult than sending a text from 4 metres away. 
Ye you’d think he sent a fuckin carrier pigeon the way he was carrying on