The Croke Park Classic was overshadowed locally by furore over why an All Ireland semi final replay was being played in Limerick rather than the home of the sport but the game itself and the reaction it will have generated back in the United States was worth it.
Advertising that once again on Sunday was devoted to the GAA’s principal sponsors was covered on Saturday in green banners proclaiming Dublin as the European Home of American College Football. If that can become a reality, and there is little reason to believe it won’t then the value to the GAA, to Dublin and to Ireland will be immense.
53,300 made their way into the stadium on Saturday, over 20,000 of them from the United Staes and around Europe. They swarmed across the country throughout the week, dropping dollars in support of a good time and walking away with a smile as wide as the Hudson River.
College football is as, if not more popular within the US as the NFL. The four biggest colleges in 2013 attracted average attendances in excess of 100,000, that’s a third again as big as Manchester United, 25% more than a sell out Croke Park, and that’s an average.
ESPN broadcast Saturday’s game live across America and more college Presidents will have looked on and seen a way that their own business can be lifted through the global exposure that playing outside of their home towns can create.
The NFL season gets underway this Thursday and this year three games will form part of the international series at Wembley. To attract an NFL game may happen in time but for now the focus of that league is on London and building on the success of what started in similar fashion to this College experiment with Dublin.
The Labor Day weekend is an important one in the US and that was what prompted the TV and the razzamatazz of the game between UCF and Penn State. Croke Park management see this weekend as being a potential regular on which to hold a fixture, perhaps not every year at first but certainly every two years. Those who attended out of curiosity on Saturday will want more and there is also a strong base of local fans for the big occasion.
There may be push back from within sections of the GAA on hosting a game at such a crucial time of the GAA Championship season but common sense should dictate that keeping an 82,000 seat stadium idle for a ‘just in case’ need fort a replay is not the best use of resources.
And who knows, just as the NFL series has spread from one to three games, maybe the European home of College Football could also be in line to take on a second match in years to come, on the second or third weekend of October.
Croke Park’s management and operations team came through a tough challenge with flying colours and no pitch discolouration. They are used to hosting double headers but not in completely different sports. This was a triumph and should be seen as such.
It’s long term impact in terms of Ireland’s modern reputation as a centre for sporting excellence could be profound.
