Sport evokes primal instincts in human beings. It musters hormones in our brains which trigger emotions like joy, despair and hope. These instincts draw us to our favourite teams and players.
One characteristic of how we rank our GAA teams that is not recognised consciously, or discussed publicly but is subconsciously at work is that of sex appeal.
Here we will look at some of the sexiest GAA team down through the years.
The Kerry Team of the 80s
It can be hard to define sex appeal but my god the Kerry Team of the 80s had it. Adjectives like fitness and stamina are routinely used to describe these multi All-Ireland winners. Wearing scandalously short shorts and revealing legs that never quit they were one of the first teams to make GAA sexy.
The Meath 1988 Team
A rugged, rough and ready man has bundles of sex appeal. The Meath 1988 team were a collection of forest monsters who were as likely to score a point as they were to wrestle a bear. They are essentially the prototype for the male character in romance novels who would kick in a door carrying an axe and carry the female character back to his wooden cabin (consensually).
The Wexford 1996 Hurlers
A well grown moustache has never failed to garner approving looks from prospective partners. Made sexy by Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I. it was Martin Storey and George O'Connor who wore the lip-rugs with pride in 1996.
The Mid-2000s Cork Hurlers
This picture of Seán Óg O'hAilpin. No other reason needed.
The Bearded Tyrone Team
Slightly less sexy but still causing a stir in the loins is an out of control full on beard. Modelled by both Joe McMahon and Ryan McMenamin in 2008 a poorly maintained beard indicates that this is a man of business who has no time for your puny beard trimmer. Be careful though while a reckless absence of grooming and cleaning in a beard is desirable the same cannot be said for the rest of the body.
The Current Dublin Team
This Dublin team exudes a different sort of sexiness. More conventionally handsome than some of the others in this list this team seem to be quite well groomed in general. Boasting the likes of Bernard Brogan, Cian O'Sullivan and Johnny Cooper you can be sure that outside of a good diet and plenty of sleep there is a strict regiment of cleansing and ex-foliating too. And what man can say that he hasn't on a visit to the bathroom tried every single product in his sisters or girlfriends face maintenance kit on himself.
