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Confirmed AISF and Final pushed back a week!

Could have pushed it back to 2008 to give Tyrone a decent chance of winning it.

If players have COVID a 1 week delay would not be much time to recover from it.

The match was originally scheduled for Sunday (a week from the outbreak) and now with the rescheduling to Saturday week there is now 13 days until the game. Jesus christ  use your head man

Think the poster was saying a 6 day delay isn't going to help players recover. They will be out of isolation but won't be anywhere near fit. To stand a chance at making a game out of it all tyrone players would have to be fully fit.

This is the point.  I think some people are assuming that these guys are really fit and there will be no implications for fitness to play, that it is just an administrative problem around self-isolation. We talked about this on another thread.  Some players will have no symptoms, but there will be some who will be hit like a tonne of bricks and will take a while to recover. 

Looking at the stats, Covid is rampant in Tyrone and those players that have managed to avoid it will also be walking on eggshells for the next 10 days.

Gaa suits be happy to cancel means an extra 24000 at 50 a piece imo.

Wtf are you talking about.

WTF are the "GAA suits"! Pejorative language for administrators. They are needed a club level, county level and in HQ. I have to laugh at members of the GAA complaining about the GAA.  The "suits" are either elected to run the organisation or appointed by those that are elected. The association has to have an administration.

Rugby isn't "doing more than most". As a sport it continues to bury its head in the sand that the size of the pitch and number of players on it, innately encourages players to bulk up to the point that they're all uncoiled weapons.

They are suspending players for high tackles and forcing players to leave the pitch for assessments if they get a head injury or a hit to the head. That's way ahead of football and GAA who don't have any policies in place for head injuries and even if they do they're certainly not enforced. Players being taken off with head injuries or after getting hit on the head are the exception rather than the rule.

Changes do need to be made to the rules to make the game less about physicality and speed up the game

Absolute nonsense.  Hard to even know where to start with that. 

[others will be exhausted for a week or two after it.]

Never mind the disruption, would be surprised if it doesn't impact the team's performance also. Some will have no symptoms, some will have symptoms and bounce back very quickly, others will be exhausted for a week or two after it.

Yes, big problem alright. I know a few players and it took them a few weeks to get the lungs near right.

It was interesting to hear the response of certain people when the Armagh goalkeeper was ruled out with it.  They were along the lines of, why on earth did he get tested and he could have played away.  The assumption seemed to be that because these guys are young and extremely physically fit, there would be no implications on their physical ability to play football.  I'd say that's far from the case!

1 of the guys I know who was hit with it is an absolute machine. As fit a man as I know. For a few weeks after the all clear was really struggling APM

Spot on! An extra week will be of limited benefit to any player in that position depending on when they test positive. You will also have guys that will just want to get out and play and say that they are better. Not a good place to be in for a management team.

[others will be exhausted for a week or two after it.]

Never mind the disruption, would be surprised if it doesn't impact the team's performance also. Some will have no symptoms, some will have symptoms and bounce back very quickly, others will be exhausted for a week or two after it.

Yes, big problem alright. I know a few players and it took them a few weeks to get the lungs near right.

It was interesting to hear the response of certain people when the Armagh goalkeeper was ruled out with it.  They were along the lines of, why on earth did he get tested and he could have played away.  The assumption seemed to be that because these guys are young and extremely physically fit, there would be no implications on their physical ability to play football.  I'd say that's far from the case!

Never mind the disruption, would be surprised if it doesn't impact the team's performance also. Some will have no symptoms, some will have symptoms and bounce back very quickly, others will be exhausted for a week or two after it. 

Economic inactivity is a much wider issue than benefits cheats, but I guess it was the poll question at the top of the page that sent all of you off on one. 

Few things for you to consider:
The economically inactive includes housewives or stay-at-home mums.  It includes lots of people that get no benefits because a partner is working.  Maybe they are unwell or maybe they are 100% fine and choose not to work.  They might be in education.  There is a good chance that they are working in a cash in hand job. 

For all the talk about benefits cheats and the big corporations who pay no tax, there are plenty more who bend the rules, particularly in the cash economy where there is very little tax paid.  Unless you are PAYE there is a good chance you are bending the rules to some degree, maybe not declaring any or all of your income. 

But even if you are a PAYE worker, ask yourself have you ever asked for a cash quote from a tradesman in the knowledge that it would be a cheaper job. 

There are very few people whiter than white.  Plenty of people have a great work ethic, but it doesn't mean that they are pulling their weight in every way.

PS - I'm not judging anyone here - I just think he without sin cast the first stone

It does look worse, but you can be damn sure you won't get the time it takes to take 7,8 or 9 steps, which players routinely get away with.

You are actually more likely to be blown for "too long" if you dither on the ball and don't move.  That's the irony of it.

McGeeney ratified for a 8th season with Armagh https://t.co/PFAnHXp9Wo?amp=1

He's not cut out to be a football manager.

He has a lot attributes that make him suited to be a good manager.  However, if I would have one criticism, it would be that he doesn't seem to drop anyone from the panel.  I wonder if he is  too close to the players and isn't brutal enough in his discipline. 

You say he isn't cut out to be a manager.  You don't explain why.  On the basis of results, I would argue that 95% of the managers in intercounty GAA are not cut out to be a manager.  You might say in response that most of them aren't involved without a break for 14 years.  On that basis, however, you could equally argue that if he wasn't cut out for it, he would have lost the dressing room in Armagh and Kildare, and players would have seen through him - which hasn't happened. 

That brings me back to the original point.  I think the loyalty of the players explains the weakness. He isn't brutal enough. 

To add to the above:

A lot of the economically inactive are actually working, but they are working in the black economy or in the cash economy.  Childminders, domestic cleaners etc.  Even hairdressers based at home etc. They mightn't be drawing any benefits as the husband/wife may be working full time, but they are doing this work cash-in-hand. 

A good number of the economically inactive will also be unfit for work as they might not be physically or mentally capable of work.  This mightn't be chronic illness, but could be mild depression, stress, back pain etc. Again, a partner may be working, so there may be no benefits involved.  There will be another cohort that are carers.

Economically inactive covers all manner of issues and it's wrong to generalise.  It's not just a case of people not being arsed working.  Some of them are working, some of them aren't fit to work and some of them are in education.

McGeeney ratified for a 8th season with Armagh https://t.co/PFAnHXp9Wo?amp=1

I'd take him back to Kildare in a blink.

McGeeney has his knockers in Armagh and for good reason.  Progress has been slow with one step forward, two back at times.  It's been frustrating that it has taken so long to get this team as far as he has got them, and yet they still haven't managed to beat a Monaghan, Tyrone or Donegal in the Ulster Championship, and while they preserved their Division 1 status, they still couldn't put away Donegal when it mattered.

However, there is something in this team that he has assembled and you get the feeling that they are capable of making a breakthrough.  Whether that potential is more based on McGeeney's management abilities or on the performances of the O'Neill brothers in particular, is definitely up for debate.  Would another management team do any better given the lack of defensive quality - I'm not so sure and think we are better of with him in place.  He has got them moving now and hopefully progress will continue.

At the end of the day, Armagh supporters want silverware and that's all that count, nomoreso than in Kildare. 

Nonetheless, for all of the negative comments about McGeeney from outside the county, he has turned Armagh into a team that are fantastic to watch (most of the time).  Kildare likewise.  There might be a question-mark over whether McGeeney is good for Armagh and what he done for Kildare.  But there is no question that he sends his teams out to play positive football that is great to watch.  Cold comfort when you are knocked out of the Ulster Semi Final mind you. 

Beggan gives all to his county, and some keyboard know alls fee they can push a button and let him know that he was to blame for costing his county an Anglo Celt. Shocking case of cyber media at its worst!

Agreed! I watched the two games over the weekend.  I have already commented on the borefest that was Dublin v Kildare.

Monaghan Tyrone was an exciting game and the contribution Beggan made to it was immense.  He is a serious footballer and he plays like a sevens goalie. No-one mentions the ground he made up in catching Donnelly.  Beggan outran one of his own men to make that tackle. 
I think one of his points was on the '65. These are not scores that most teams can count on getting. 

His kickouts malfunctioned in the first half, but his outfielders have to take their share of the blame for that also.   

Over the long run, there aren't as many tiers in football as there is in hurling. 

I would say you could get away with two. 

Consider over the last 20 years, there have been many times where typical division 3/4 teams have contested the latter stages of the championship or division 1 /2 in the league, or beaten typical mid- or top tier opposition.

It's becoming rarer, but off the top of my head:
Fermanagh 2004 AI Semi, Ulster Final 2018 - beat Armagh & Monaghan
Tipperary - All Ireland Semi - 2016
Wexford - All Ireland Semi - 2008, League Final - 2005, beat Galway in 2010
Wicklow - knocked Cavan, Down and Fermanagh out of the qualifiers in 2008
Carlow, beat Kildare 2018
Antrim, beat Donegal and Cavan to make an Ulster Final
Sligo have played in AIQFs and won Connacht
Limerick were respectable in the Munster Championship for much of the noughties

The point I'm making is that, for all of those teams, a Tier 2 competition could actually provide a spring board for success for a few years in the top tier. 

This will never happen in hurling, because while an Armagh, Tyrone or Mayo may win the Rackard Cup, they are unlikely to progress on and win a Ring Cup and get promoted to the Joe McDonagh or Liam McCarthy.  Even if they do, there isn't the interest or structures long term to sustain a long term progression, because the gap is so wide and the skills development from a young age is so critical. 

Football is different and some of these counties would have serious support (Sligo, Wexford etc).  If Dublin are to come back into the pack, it is possible to see a two tier competition work extremely well.

There are still plenty of instances of Division Three and four teams beating Division Two teams. There are zero instances of shock defeats for the established counties at the top of the pecking order - Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone, Mayo, Donegal. Monaghan seem to be the only team that are able to trouble those elite powers, but can also be vulnerable to sucker punches from weaker opposition themselves.

Take away 2020, when no team was prepared properly, and basically the only teams that beat that elite group are each other. There's your tier one, and everyone else is tier two. There's a greater chance of a bad Division four team like Sligo or Carlow beating a top ten side like Roscommon or Meath than there is of that top ten team turning over Kerry or Dublin.

Anything that happened prior to 2010 is irrelevant. Since we changed the leagues from 1a/1b/2a/2b to 1/2/3/4, the strong got stronger and the weaker fell away. Before that change (allowing a couple of years for the effects to bake in) is a different world.

I think that's spot on actually. 

Changing the leagues from 1a/1b etc, probably seemed like a logical thing to do at the time. 
Ironically, it was probably good for the league as a competition, but ultimately as you say, it was bad for overall competition. 

I would previously have explained the progress of Sligo, Wexford, Fermanagh etc in the 00s by the qualifier system.  I'd say there is a very strong case for it being the league structure. Because for a good 10 year period, you had the top 16 teams playing against each other. 

Am I right in saying that the big downside was that promotion was between 1b and 2b and between 1a and 2a it was a case of never the twain shall meet for teams that were in league division A and those in league division B.

Over the long run, there aren't as many tiers in football as there is in hurling. 

I would say you could get away with two. 

Consider over the last 20 years, there have been many times where typical division 3/4 teams have contested the latter stages of the championship or division 1 /2 in the league, or beaten typical mid- or top tier opposition.

It's becoming rarer, but off the top of my head:
Fermanagh 2004 AI Semi, Ulster Final 2018 - beat Armagh & Monaghan
Tipperary - All Ireland Semi - 2016
Wexford - All Ireland Semi - 2008, League Final - 2005, beat Galway in 2010
Wicklow - knocked Cavan, Down and Fermanagh out of the qualifiers in 2008
Carlow, beat Kildare 2018
Antrim, beat Donegal and Cavan to make an Ulster Final
Sligo have played in AIQFs and won Connacht
Limerick were respectable in the Munster Championship for much of the noughties

The point I'm making is that, for all of those teams, a Tier 2 competition could actually provide a spring board for success for a few years in the top tier. 

This will never happen in hurling, because while an Armagh, Tyrone or Mayo may win the Rackard Cup, they are unlikely to progress on and win a Ring Cup and get promoted to the Joe McDonagh or Liam McCarthy.  Even if they do, there isn't the interest or structures long term to sustain a long term progression, because the gap is so wide and the skills development from a young age is so critical. 

Football is different and some of these counties would have serious support (Sligo, Wexford etc).  If Dublin are to come back into the pack, it is possible to see a two tier competition work extremely well.