Its not, but its ok for you to believe what you believe. Just dont try tell me to.
It is the same situation and it isnāt. Rugby was a sport with nine countries playing at the top level in 1981, similar to cricket. Ireland had power in rugby and rugby in Ireland had power. It was an elective test series which Ireland could cancel without major sanction. They didnāt cancel.
The basketball was part of an international competition. Basketball is a minority sport in Ireland, itās run on a shoestring. Basketball is a more widely played sport internationally than rugby. The international governing body refuses to kick Israel out, because international governing bodies are in fear of their life because of the Israeli propaganda machine. That means the consequences fall on the Basketball Association of Ireland. And nobody would bail them out if they boycott. And a boycott, while significant symbolically, would likely not be copied.
Association football is the big one. I hope Ireland draw Israel in the World Cup. Weāll then see how serious people are about boycotts.
Robbie Keane should be getting it in the neck from all quarters. We should pull out of Eurovision if Israel is not kicked out. And we should boycott Israel if we draw them. Up to and including being expelled from the competition if necessary. That gesture would have power.
Ultimately, to start a boycott, somebody has to take the hit. The strikers in Dunnes Stores will be remembered forever because they took a stand and took a hit.
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This, from you 
Yeah look, its plain as day, but it is what it is. Iām just glad the whole thing is over. I do feel for those girls, and the ones who didnt go. I hope it all moves on quickly now.
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The size off the sport is irrelevant. The impact of the gesture is irrelevant. Using these fig leaves renders all āgesturesā irrelevant.
Sure Rosa Parks was just a seat on a bus.
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The people who should be most expected to boycott are the people that have power.
Ireland had power in 1981 to boycott South Africa for the rugby in a way that the basketball people donāt. That had/has everything to do with the respective profiles of the sports and the effect of a boycott.
It would have been great had the basketball people boycotted, but I can see why they didnāt. They would have had to stand alone and suffer, and nobody would have backed them up. Nobody.
Robbie Keane has no need to be in Israel.
Ireland would not suffer from boycotting Eurovision. Thus they have power to do it.
Ireland boycotting a World Cup qualifier against Israel would have way more power as a gesture because of the profile of the sport. Nobody cares about womenās basketball outside those who play it. People care about football alright.
Itās down to the people who have the power to make a powerful gesture to lead. You canāt expect minnows to lead. If they do, more power to them, but the responsibility lies with those with the power and the profile.
Much more should be made of Bonoās silence. He has visited Ukraine. He has been extremely vocal on Ukraine. Correctly so. But he has very much been found wanting on this and it is a big black mark against him and against U2.
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80k fine if they didnāt play. A sizeable chunk of their budget I imagine.
Worse again than that
According to the rules of the competition, Ireland risk fines of up to ā¬180,000 for refusing to play and a five-year ban from international competition.
5 years is a bigger hit imo.
They would have raised multiples of the fine on Gofundme tonight if they had refused to play. I donāt know how many games they would miss out on with a 5 year ban though, I suspect their schedule isnāt all that busy.
It would mean that most would never again play for their country, and the next generation would start at the bottom playing the real basement teams
The money is irrelevant, they were in an impossible position
Like the lad was in apartheid.
I had a look there and their last 3 victories seem to have been in 2021, and came against Kosovo, Malta and Andorra. Is there a level below that they could drop to for taking a stand? The website I I looked at suggests they have 2 further games in 2024, against Israel again and Latvia.
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Very easy for lads to call for a boycott from a distance.
Five years is a serious chunk of a sports career.
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27000 is a fair chunk of innocent civilians.
Bit lousy to put 27,000 deaths on a few girls from Ireland playing a basketball game for their country.
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To some people, everything has a price.
I will just state for the record that Iād have asked my daughter not to play.
Nice to put blood on young innocent girls hands for playing a sport. Some girls didnt play. Some did.
It is but I donāt think thatās on the basketball team.