They were even at it back in the day.
There’s something good about looking big. It’s the strive to satisfy the importance of being manly, to impress onlookers, and of course, it comes in handy on the GAA field, too.
The majority of players, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, they go to the gym in order to improve themselves, to make those important percentage gains that might make all the difference on the big day.
As a coincidence, the bicep curls that they work so hard at, the shoulder and bench presses that they live and die by also have a positive effect on their appearance, and make them look fitter, better.
Why wouldn’t lads do everything within their power to show off the impressive physique that they have worked so hard to achieve?
How to make yourself look massive for a GAA team photo https://t.co/cyzeGezyzi
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 6, 2017
The fitness boom has really taken off in Ireland in the last few years. Every second young fella goes to the gym, and it would make you think that their’s is the first generation that pulls their jerseys back during team-photos, that has pioneered the tight-fit jersey revolution.
According to the couch of retired players on Friday’s GAA Hour live show at The Academy, that’s not the case.
Kieran McGeeney and Colm Parkinson discussed the various ways they used to try and flatter themselves by manipulating their jerseys.
The Laois boys were mad for a tight jersey to show off their big arms. The only problem was that it was that some of the lads with bellies weren’t so flattered by the skin-tight fit.
“At that time, our trick was to get these skin-tight jerseys, which we tried in Laois, but the problem with that was that the bellies started showing,” recalled Colm Parkinson.
Kieran McGeeney and his Armagh teammates had an even more scientific approach to the process, whereby they washed their jerseys a few times to ensure they really were player fit.
“You had to wash the jerseys a good few times to get them really tight,” said the current Armagh manager.
It mightn’t work as well for a lad with a belly, as Parkinson said, though.
Wooly played against McGeeney’s Armagh a number of times throughout his Laois career, and he remembers being in awe of the size of their arms.
“At that time, the Armagh team’s arms looked huge. Was that just tricks with the jerseys or were ye pumping iron?” he asked of McGeeney.
According to McGeeney, it was all about that jersey trick.
“There was a lot of boys who talked about the gym work that we did, but they wouldn’t know the inside of a gym if it bit them in the arse. Ronan Clarke, Steven McDonnell, these boys.”
So if you’re looking to really look good, get that washing machine of yours going.
You can listen to this fascinating discussion (from 25″00′) and much more from a cracking  GAA Hour show right here.
