Business of Sport: The picture of Henry Shefflin's eye said it all and the mass brawl between players and officials of Cork and Laois told us more about attitudes and discipline.

That's the ugly side of the GAA and yet picture the other side of the coin: the CEOs and their clients sipping fine wine and eating prawn sandwiches as they watch from their carpeted corporate boxes the beautiful Gaelic games in the modern amphitheatre of Croke Park.

One begets the other, but how much longer will corporate money put up with the other side of our games? The punches might hurt, the digs may do damage, but where all the indiscipline will really hit the GAA hard is if Big Business takes its money elsewhere.

And for that reason alone, Seán Kelly will ensure brawls and flare-ups can't and won't continue on and off the pitch.

In the last few days, I contacted Guinness, the sponsors of the hurling championship; Bank of Ireland, sponsors of the football championship; and Vodafone, sponsors of the Clare hurlers and the All Stars, to see if negative publicity has raised doubts about their sponsorships.

While none would admit they were having immediate concerns over recent events, both title sponsors said they were monitoring developments closely.

Vodafone would only say that it was "inappropriate" for them to comment as the GAA were dealing with matters themselves.

But how much can the situation deteriorate before brands become tainted by negative events? John Trainor, director of Amárach, a research and consultancy group specialising in Irish sponsorship markets, says negative publicity does effect consumers.

Citing a UK report that found 33 per cent of respondents less likely to buy a product if an athlete sponsored by the brand was involved in an off-pitch scandal, he said consumer-brand relationships needed to be carefully cultivated and could be easily damaged.

Trainor suggests, however, that consumers will often blame individual athletes rather than teams or organisations. Bad press, he says, becomes focused, in the consumer's eye, on the transgressor and not on the team he or she plays for.

Good news then for the GAA and sponsors like Guinness and Bank of Ireland; current transgressions are not being associated with their sponsorship and therefore not damaging their carefully cultivated brands.

It is noticeable that Kelly is taking a strong leadership role on disciplinary matters, aware of the commercial effects worse scenarios could incur.

Guinness aren't worried yet, saying recent incidents have been unfortunate.

Diageo spokesperson Pat Barry states, "We can't condone what has occurred but feel the GAA is committed to dealing with it appropriately and they have the processes in place to do so. In light of the volume of games and activities, the number of incidents have been relatively modest. We do monitor and conduct research on a regular basis and all reports indicate that the Guinness sponsorship of hurling is successful and should continue."

Lisa Brown, Bank of Ireland's sponsorship manager, says they have every confidence in the GAA.

"These events have been disappointing for all and it is something that we would keep an eye on but we have every confidence that the GAA will deal with it. We are not surprised that anything that happens in the GAA gets commented upon - positively or negatively - coverage of the games has grown exponentially in recent years and as sponsors the more coverage the better."

As sporting organisations deal with their sponsorship potential and update their own rules and structures to coexist in a sponsors' world, Trainor believes the challenge for the likes of the GAA is to engage more with their sponsors.

"The likes of Guinness and Vodafone are mega-brands not just nationally but globally. They have the expertise and know-how in marketing and branding and because of that, property partners (ie, the GAA) should take advantage of that and develop closer relationships with them and learn from them."

Judging by recent sponsors' comments, it would appear dialogue between them and their property partners is minimal and that sporting matters are best left in the hands of sports organisations. However, if Trainor, who specialises in analysing and predicting future trends, believes sports organisations and their sponsors should develop even closer ties it raises a question. Where will the line between on-pitch and off-pitch be drawn? And just how much say over a sport can a business have for x millions a year?

Is the doomsday scenario one where multinationals begin to own games we watch and play?

For those to whom this seems over the top, watch over the next few years as the GAA gets its disciplinary house in order, realise that sponsorship is growing in Ireland by six or seven per cent annually and that sport makes up 70 per cent of the sponsorship market in Ireland, and then start to ponder the millions being pumped into the game.

He who pays the piper . . .

bizofsport@eircom.net

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ListentoLombardi "People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defences or the problems of modern society."