As we've tried to convey countless times before (here and here), the 'hurling snob' is not an insult, far from it. The hurling snob is simply a unique state of mind that anyone can achieve after becoming enthralled by what is, a very special sport. That state of mind regularly then becomes interlinked with a sense of disgust at every other sport that you've watched and, coupled with the proliferation of social media, is broadcast to the world.
In a traditional sense, the hurling snob is from counties like Kilkenny and Tipperary but in recent times, the hurling snob has multiplied and now men and women who have never even attended a hurling match can attain that special state of mind.
It often comes to the fore at a time when the Premier League is gaining a lot of attention across the water and the football championship is enjoying a rather dour year. Those factors, coupled with a particularly enthralling game of hurling on live television, create the perfect storm in which hurling snobs emerge in their droves and preach from high about just how bloody great hurling is compared to all the other windy/boring/shitebag sports out there.
Yesterday, conditions were absolutely perfect. First you had the soccer comparisons.
Changing from the hurling to this walking pace football is some come down
— Conor Waddellson (@sidmobadger) August 16, 2015
Just turned on the man city game after watching the first half of the hurling, waiting for a game of football to break out #borefest 💤💤💤
— Alan Smith (@alansmith631) August 16, 2015
Don't think I'll be putting the football on after this hurling, worlds apart when it comes to excitement #galwayvtipp
— niall dunne (@nialldunne7) August 16, 2015
If you're watching the soccer instead of the hurling I don't like you
— Big B (@MrColinBrowne) August 16, 2015
It's some shock to the system when u turn over to a Premier League match at the end of a 1st half of hurling like that - zzzzz - #rtegaa
— Ryle Nugent (@ryle_nugent) August 16, 2015
Then you had the obvious Tyrone/puke football references.
I wonder is Tiernan McCann watching the hurling
😳😳😳
Double hard bastards all over the field— FeedTheBear (@rossabear14) August 16, 2015
This is hurling as it should be played man for man, 15 v 15. None of your imported "puke football" sweeper systems #gaa @sportsdes
— Diarmuid (@DD2705) August 16, 2015
After the quality of hurling today what's next only Kerry v Tyrone in football semi final.. Oh dear..... #hurlingisking
— Declan Drake (@dubdec) August 16, 2015
@Jonathan_OBoyle Look at the skill levels/speed of hurling. Light years ahead of boring Gaelic Football.
— john barry (@johnbar30701964) August 16, 2015
Tiernan McCann are you watching the hurling you bitch ?
Posted by Alan Walsh on Sunday, August 16, 2015
That's a very good feeling. The slightly less than optimum standard that we had been seeing before yesterday had us worried that the hurling snob would be absent from our screens this summer. We all have Tipperary and Galway to thank for fixing that.
