Messages

Has to be Forde, really achieved no big scalp in is reign with Galway (who have been over-rated anyway for the last 6 years!).

Have to agree with original poster, €45 for a replay is rip-off. No disrespect to Kilkenny/Wexford but it is a nothing game which will generate little or no interest in even the participating counties. Look you have to generate revenue, but is the GAA ethic of an Amateur organisation with family orientated values being lost. The biggest fear i always have with people paying big money to attend matches is that it heightens the weight of pressure on AMATEUR players. if you are paying PROFESSIONAL prices in a PROFESSIONAL stadium to see games, you expect more and the player is who it falls on. GAA is PROFESSIONAL in approach but really is amateur and this is the abuse when you look at entry prices!

I have found that irish commentators are not neutral in their views. Marty Morrisey will give comments like "we are nearly home now" at the end of a match, where the underdog is winning!

Good effort at putting together a Mid-week GAA programme since Breaking ball. Billy Keane is a welcome addition. The show needs a (Humerous) side kick. Martin Carney statistical item fell on it's head with Mayo being hammered and looked a rushed production. Martin with his ties in co-commentary with RTE was clearly blackmailed into doing the piece and looked uncomfortable! God Tommy Lyons must have had a right pain in his ear listening to Martin telling him what needed to be done!

The Sports personalities predictions is a good idea, but it would help if you were told there predictions so you could get a bit of dept to their knowledge!

1. Monaghan V Donegal / Sligo

2. Laois v Derry / Kerry

3. Galway v Meath / Tyrone

4. Cork v Louth / Dublin

Semi
1 v 3 & 2 v 4

Is this the way it is panned out?

It's an open draw for the quarter finals.

We think.

Don't like the thought of that! Chances we will have replays of provincial finals and earlier meeting in the championship, this makes ties boring and stale and takes the good out of scalps such as Sligo beating Galway. 2001 revisted me thinks....Derry tyrone/Galway Ros/ Meath W/wmeath

Old Colm O'Rourke/John O'Driscoll trick, 4 steps into the tackle and four out. Ref in the excitement of a player heading toward goal interprets it as a bounce of a solo!

1. Monaghan V Donegal / Sligo

2. Laois v Derry / Kerry

3. Galway v Meath / Tyrone

4. Cork v Louth / Dublin

Semi
1 v 3 & 2 v 4

Is this the way it is panned out?

Was always going to be a big ask for last years beaten finalists to push on again this year! Hunger is a strange thing, you just can't train it into a team! The early break will hopefully do us (mayo) some good. We have had a busy time the last 3 years and there has been big falls as well as some good scalps. But from team selection etc JOM has been looking to the future once we lost to Galway and the passage to AI Glory was by the scenic route. Being in Connacht and with the large player base, Mayo do not have to worry about the dog fights Leinster and Ulster teams face every year, so there will be Mayo team emerging again. Problem is to rise above the mediocrity that gets us to AI finals but no Sam. Finally, I would like to thank Nallen, McD, Brady and O'Neill for their contribution to Mayo football for a decade plus. Thanks lads! Also Best of luck to our conquerers Derry.

Did anyone see the Galway/Clare match. I missed the full coverage on Saturday evening, the highlights on Sunday afternoon and the highlights on the Sunday game. Did anyone see the 4 minutes devoted to Limerick and louth also!

Yeah, think its better to be put in the deep end early. If you get over it, it becomes more natural and the build up of (anticipation and fear) waiting the couple of years is gone! The biggest problem with any team/player is to nuture fear.

Yeah Sligo people, enjoy you moment in the Sun! I remember when Westmeath won the leinster in 2004 and Paudi asked for calm. He had no concept of a county winning their first provincial title (Granted he was looking at the bigger picture), But the moment was sort of lost. Galway are in a bit of bother, beating Mayo has been the height of their Championship success for some time now and we all know Mayo/Galway games are a strange type of animal usually having no bearing on who really is the better team championship wise. Like Armagh they have big calls to make on seasoned campaigners who either are not up to the challenge football or hunger wise anymore. Time to blood in the qualifiers! Once again well done Sligo, good to see the Mayo/Galway monopoly broken for once. Hope they get a kind draw, that provincial champions deserve.

Donegal peaked early this year, and are presently running on reserve. If they have any aspirations they should take care of a volitile WM outfit! Like Mayo, Galway, Cork and possibly Dublin they have a level of quality but you just expect them to implode when they meet a half quality team and questions are asked!

Well done SLIGO. Connacht Champions 2007! I wish RTE showed presentation!

Barry Moran effective in an akward way? caused levels of caos and troule. Still not the best under the high ball, but not a bad debut in the Full forward position, for a young (inexperienced) lad. McGarrity understandably looked a small bit off the pace and we had a ups and downs in the full back line. Cavan did alot of huffing and puffing but lacked the killer instinct points wise. McCabe was a powerhouse in Midfield and controled it. Mayos main positive was Pierce Hanley, bar the usual reliables. Here's to the next round!

Over-rated let the facts decide, of course if you take out all the "easy" All Ireland's when all the other great provincial champions were just brushed aside we were probably very overated. But we can only play whats put in front of us. We have lost 19 Senior AI finals as well by the way.

All-Ireland titles: 68

Senior: 34 - 1903, '04, '09, '13, '14, '24, '26, '29-32, '37, '39-41, '46, '53, '55, '59, '62, '69, '70, '75, '78-81, '84-86, '97, '00, '04, '06

Under 21: Nine - 1964, '73, '75-77, '90, '95, '96, '98

Minor: 11 - 1931-33, '46, '50, '62, '63, '75, '80, '88, '94

Junior: 14 - 1913, '15, '24, '28, '30, '41, '49, '54, '63, '67, '83, '91, 94, 2006

NFL titles: 18 - 1928-31, '59, '61, '63, '69, '71-74, '77, '82, '84, '97, 2004, 2006

Munster titles: 171

Senior: 72 - 1892, 1903-05, '08-10, '12-15, '19, '23-27, '29-34, '36-42, '44, '46-48, '50, '51, '53-55, '58-65, '68-70, '72, '75-82, '84-86, '91, '96-98, 2000, '01, '03, '04, '05, '07

Under 21: 24 - 1962, '64, '66-68, '72, '73, '75-78, '83, '87, '88, '90-93, '95-99, 2002

Minor: 39 - 1931-33, '36-38, '40, '41, '45-51, '54, '57, '58, '62, '63, '65, '70, '75, '78-80, '82, '88-90, '94, '96-98, 2001, 2002, '03, '04, '06

Junior: 37 - 1913-15, '24, '26-28, '30, '31, '34, '36, '38, 41, '46, '47, '49, '54, '56, '58-61, '63, '65, '67-69, '83, '85, '91, '94, '95, '97, '00, 2002, '03, '06

....and the wan Hurling title from 1891 which is wan more than Ulster has ever won
(Low blow KM but feck it you are supposed to be an arrogant animal so feck them all)

I agree that the above stats Senior AI wise are (Really) impressive. But Munster Hurling is not strong for nothing. Really Kerry have only one real challenge in Munster every year, Cork. This is no fault of their own but it puts them in the Celtic/Rangers model when counting titles within the provence. For a proud county to go so long without under 21, minor and Club All-Irelands says something about the other emerging counties and possibly the strenght of underage in Cork. Also only one u-21 Munster title in the last 8 years. Counting Junior titles always borders on the joke side as different counties have different rules for player qualification and some counties like Galway don't even bother with it! Still at Senior you cannot argue the record speaks for itself! And Senior will always be the BENCHMARK!