Continued reliance on veteran stars in Ulster a major concern
Algernon is an ordinary mouse until an experiment in the enhancement of intelligence turns him into a mouse genius. The scientists would create complex mazes, time Algernon in completing these and compare his times to humans. Algernon won every time. Unfortunately his extraordinary transformation eventually fades and passes away, something that could be plotted on a normal distribution curve.
The book (Flowers for Algernon) describing the above is remarkable as it makes you extremely reflective and questions how we view people of different abilities, disabilities and social classes in respect to how we initially find them and when their circumstances change. Great. But what is the connection to today’s game? The GAA is an organisation that has many great players who develop over time from ordinary men into heroes for the generation that follow. For some, the rise is meteoric and beyond what most would consider human. But the return path to normality is also played out in front of those same adoring public, a process I would consider unnecessary and disingenuous to the individual. But why is this happening? Stephen O’Neill and Conor Gormley were both brought on at half- time to steady the ship for Tyrone on Saturday against Down. Benny Coulter entered as a substitute with 25 minutes of the match remaining with the remit of rescuing Down’s failing chances, while yesterday Christy Toye lined out at midfield for Donegal. All these players, I would suggest, are well down the return curve from the peak of their abilities, yet they all seem to have an important part to play in their respective team. What does this say about these teams? I’d suggest that all these teams are in serious difficulties, that they haven’t got the strength in depth to challenge for national honours, that they are just one game away from exposure.
