GPA to offer players media training - obviously
Talking Balls
Whilst browsing about in cyberspace, as you do, Talking Balls was greatly taken with the news that the Gaelic Players Association - that’s the GPA of course - is offering media training for players.
According to GPA chief Dessie Farrell - himself well house-trained in the ways of the media: “Our players need to communicate effectively on a daily basis and the Communications Clinic can help them achieve this.” Never will the call for low ball be the same again. Indeed, how many different ways can you ask for bottled water or a quick protein shake. Communication’s the key.
Ostensibly the training will help players with after dinner speaking, job interviews, negotiations and other facets of communication. The training will be offered by the Communications Clinic - the Ballsbridge based consultancy whose strapline is ‘unlocking potential’. Employees at the self styled ‘workaholic’ agency include well-known PR guru Terry Prone and uber-respected sports psychologist and All-Ireland winner Enda McNulty.
We decided to investigate and nearly gagged when we came upon a website for an outfit called the Communication Clinic that offered professional help to people on how to swallow. Surely this was the wrong place altogether? Indeed it was.
Anyway, you heard it here first. In future when any players are caught playing nude pool, or go on strike, get into a row in a Tipperary hotel, or are accused of batin the shite out of someone outside a nightclub, or go on the beer for a week and get caught, or get caught in flagrante with a ladyboy on the team holiday in Thailand - we can all look forward to a highly polished media performance. Likewise after match interviews may never be the same.
Obviously the lads done well!