The cynics won’t like this talk… they never do
Dublin County Board secretary John Costello is eager for hurling chiefs to debate the merits of the black card following its introduction into football this year.
Costello makes a number of interesting comments, in his annual report, about introducing the measure to prevent cynical fouling from blighting a game that is currently in full attacking bloom. Costello writes, ‘After the recent, relentless trend of All-Ireland hurling final classics, it may strike you as churlish to even pose the question.’
‘Why tinker with a product that keeps on giving? Why foist some rulebook foible that belongs to football onto a game that is working perfectly well,’ Costello asks.
The secretary notes the furore with which Sean Cavanagh’s cynical fouling against Monaghan was met, in 2013, and remarks that a similar foul in a ‘high profile’ hurling game during the summer went largely unremarked upon. It was, Costello claims, a despairing yet just as intentional infraction.’
‘I’m not saying hurling definitely needs a black card,’ Costello continues, ‘but the notion shouldn’t be completely laughed out of court either. Games evolve and the rulebook needs to keep pace with change, especially where cynicism lurks, unimpeded.’
‘And don’t tell me the mindset of a hurler is intrinsically different to that of a footballer. The elite are, by instinct, winners. They hate losing and will do what it takes to avoid such a fate – especially if there is no proper deterrent.’
Costello would also like the penalty rules to be revisited as 20m efforts are finding the net less and less since ‘The Nash Rule’ (no advancing to the 13m line) was introduced in the summer.
He adds, ‘Here’s another rule where hurling could learn a thing or two from its big ball cousin. The advantage rule. It favours the attacker. It punishes the cynic. Just go for it.’
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