Hurling puts football in the shade

[ONeill]

From 2002-2009 the only teams to knock Kerry out were Armagh (once) and Tyrone (3). You're being sensationalist.

[Il Bomber Destro]

From 2002-2009 the only teams to knock Kerry out were Armagh (once) and Tyrone (3). You're being sensationalist.

And in that time they teams such as Monaghan (twice), Galway and Sligo who came very close to putting Kerry out of the Championship. Only the big teams of the current era are capable of giving Dublin a game, the same cannot be said of Kerry in the 00s. They had plenty of close escapes.

[BennyHarp]

I think they should run the hurling championship in the same format as the football. Everyone chucked in together, let's see Tyrone v Clare in the first round of a qualifier. Let's see the first round of the Connacht senior hurling championship between Mayo and Roscommon live on National TV or Sky. Let's see the div 1 teams only play each other in on four occasions throughout the whole championship campaign until the final. Then see if the quality of the hurling on show puts football in the shade.

[lenny]

I'm not sure about that. Only Tyrone or Armagh stopped Kerry. For a while, only Tyrone or Kerry stopped Armagh. Tyrone were the weak link.

Down beat them, Donegal beat them, Monaghan should have beaten them, Sligo nearly beat them.

The fact was teams didn't go up against Kerry before games with -15 handicaps. They were plenty of teams who could put it up to them, there are 3/4 teams who could put it up to Dublin and they will probably all start the match at odds of 2/1 or greater. As a competitive spectacle, football is fucked.

As usual you are talking absolute drivel. Dublin only won last years final by a kick of a ball and were taken to a replay in the semi. Donegal were within a kick of a ball of them in the latter stages of last weeks game. A lot of people consider the 70s and early 80s to be the golden period of gaelic football. In that period Kerry were far more dominant than Dublin are now and it certainly wasn't considered to be bad for football as a spectacle. I'm really enjoying watching the dubs at this time because they are the one top team who play the game in a positve way and are always entertaining.

[johnneycool]

I think they should run the hurling championship in the same format as the football. Everyone chucked in together, let's see Tyrone v Clare in the first round of a qualifier. Let's see the first round of the Connacht senior hurling championship between Mayo and Roscommon live on National TV or Sky. Let's see the div 1 teams only play each other in on four occasions throughout the whole championship campaign until the final. Then see if the quality of the hurling on show puts football in the shade.

This could be taken two ways;

• Hurling is an unequal sport with the haves and the have nots but the way hurling is structured means we don't see these uneven contests.
• Its about time football counties caught themselves on and reduced the number of teams competing for the Sam Maguire as 80% of the counties involved haven't got a snowballs chance of winning it and should be playing in a B championship

Which one is it?

[AZOffaly]

The issue about that comparison is that for many years the 'lesser' counties either didn't bother, or didn't want to, play in the Leinster/Munster/Connacht championship, and therefore just didn't enter teams. The Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups filled a void, and that has led to these counties fielding teams.

In football, that sort of lack of interest, Kilkenny aside, doesn't exist, so a B/C competition would not be filling a void, it would be creating a separation the the counties don't want.

[screenexile]

I think they should run the hurling championship in the same format as the football. Everyone chucked in together, let's see Tyrone v Clare in the first round of a qualifier. Let's see the first round of the Connacht senior hurling championship between Mayo and Roscommon live on National TV or Sky. Let's see the div 1 teams only play each other in on four occasions throughout the whole championship campaign until the final. Then see if the quality of the hurling on show puts football in the shade.

This could be taken two ways;

• Hurling is an unequal sport with the haves and the have nots but the way hurling is structured means we don't see these uneven contests.
• Its about time football counties caught themselves on and reduced the number of teams competing for the Sam Maguire as 80% of the counties involved haven't got a snowballs chance of winning it and should be playing in a B championship

Which one is it?

Both... realistically you might get 4 maybe 5 decent hurling matches a year! For some reason it is acceptable to have the hurling tiered system to make sure the best teams play eachother more times.

For some reason it is sacrilege for Football to do the same!

[Jeepers Creepers]

Hurling viewing would be even better if RTE showed in in HD.

[johnneycool]

I think they should run the hurling championship in the same format as the football. Everyone chucked in together, let's see Tyrone v Clare in the first round of a qualifier. Let's see the first round of the Connacht senior hurling championship between Mayo and Roscommon live on National TV or Sky. Let's see the div 1 teams only play each other in on four occasions throughout the whole championship campaign until the final. Then see if the quality of the hurling on show puts football in the shade.

This could be taken two ways;

• Hurling is an unequal sport with the haves and the have nots but the way hurling is structured means we don't see these uneven contests.
• Its about time football counties caught themselves on and reduced the number of teams competing for the Sam Maguire as 80% of the counties involved haven't got a snowballs chance of winning it and should be playing in a B championship

Which one is it?

Both... realistically you might get 4 maybe 5 decent hurling matches a year! For some reason it is acceptable to have the hurling tiered system to make sure the best teams play eachother more times.

For some reason it is sacrilege for Football to do the same!

There's some very decent, competitive games outside the Liam McCarthy every year as teams are playing at the right level for their ability, you won't see them (unless you go to them) as they're not on TV, but football wise there's a lot of dross put on TV during the first rounds and backdoor games as that's the way its always been.
Hurling is also a cruel sport where a team can be beaten by 10 points and still have been pretty competitive throughout whereas in football a team could be been beaten by 4 points and never looked liked winning..

The two sports are really incomparable and its a debate I find futile, but there is good competitive games in hurling outside the top level, and IMO its time some county boards had a good hard look at themselves and realised their not within an asses roar of winning a Sam Maguire and that the football structures really need revised along the lines of the hurling ones.

Could you imagine Down CB voting for a motion at Congress where they'd be in a tier two competition?

They'd no bother doing it for the hurling.

[johnneycool]

The issue about that comparison is that for many years the 'lesser' counties either didn't bother, or didn't want to, play in the Leinster/Munster/Connacht championship, and therefore just didn't enter teams. The Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups filled a void, and that has led to these counties fielding teams.

In football, that sort of lack of interest, Kilkenny aside, doesn't exist, so a B/C competition would not be filling a void, it would be creating a separation the the counties don't want.

There's as much chance of a dozen or more counties winning an AI football championship as my arse winning a gold at the Olympics for snipe shooting, but them actually realising it would mean acknowledging their own failings and that's not going to happen unless Croke Park takes the lead and forces through a revised championship structure for the football.

[Il Bomber Destro]

I'm not sure about that. Only Tyrone or Armagh stopped Kerry. For a while, only Tyrone or Kerry stopped Armagh. Tyrone were the weak link.

Down beat them, Donegal beat them, Monaghan should have beaten them, Sligo nearly beat them.

The fact was teams didn't go up against Kerry before games with -15 handicaps. They were plenty of teams who could put it up to them, there are 3/4 teams who could put it up to Dublin and they will probably all start the match at odds of 2/1 or greater. As a competitive spectacle, football is fucked.

As usual you are talking absolute drivel. Dublin only won last years final by a kick of a ball and were taken to a replay in the semi. Donegal were within a kick of a ball of them in the latter stages of last weeks game. A lot of people consider the 70s and early 80s to be the golden period of gaelic football. In that period Kerry were far more dominant than Dublin are now and it certainly wasn't considered to be bad for football as a spectacle. I'm really enjoying watching the dubs at this time because they are the one top team who play the game in a positve way and are always entertaining.

You are quite dumb.

I have quite clearly stated that there are 3 or 4 teams that can give Dublin a game. All you have served to do is repeat that statement in a contrary tone.

[AZOffaly]

The issue about that comparison is that for many years the 'lesser' counties either didn't bother, or didn't want to, play in the Leinster/Munster/Connacht championship, and therefore just didn't enter teams. The Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups filled a void, and that has led to these counties fielding teams.

In football, that sort of lack of interest, Kilkenny aside, doesn't exist, so a B/C competition would not be filling a void, it would be creating a separation the the counties don't want.

There's as much chance of a dozen or more counties winning an AI football championship as my arse winning a gold at the Olympics for snipe shooting, but them actually realising it would mean acknowledging their own failings and that's not going to happen unless Croke Park takes the lead and forces through a revised championship structure for the football.

It's not all about winning an All Ireland. It's about competing, and when the Provincial Championships are there, they feel they are able to compete and try and progress within their province.

Why are we bothering our holes sending people to the Olympics when we know we might as well put your arse on the team for snipe shooting? It's because you want to compete at the top level, and I don't think we should be telling teams we don't want them.

In hurling, the counties themselves decided 'f**k it, we won't bother'. That's a different kettle of fish, and that *is* a good reason for B championships. If a number of counties decided not to enter the football championship, then you'd have an appetite for that sort of tiered competition.

[johnneycool]

The issue about that comparison is that for many years the 'lesser' counties either didn't bother, or didn't want to, play in the Leinster/Munster/Connacht championship, and therefore just didn't enter teams. The Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups filled a void, and that has led to these counties fielding teams.

In football, that sort of lack of interest, Kilkenny aside, doesn't exist, so a B/C competition would not be filling a void, it would be creating a separation the the counties don't want.

There's as much chance of a dozen or more counties winning an AI football championship as my arse winning a gold at the Olympics for snipe shooting, but them actually realising it would mean acknowledging their own failings and that's not going to happen unless Croke Park takes the lead and forces through a revised championship structure for the football.

It's not all about winning an All Ireland. It's about competing, and when the Provincial Championships are there, they feel they are able to compete and try and progress within their province.

Why are we bothering our holes sending people to the Olympics when we know we might as well put your arse on the team for snipe shooting? It's because you want to compete at the top level, and I don't think we should be telling teams we don't want them.

In hurling, the counties themselves decided 'f**k it, we won't bother'. That's a different kettle of fish, and that *is* a good reason for B championships. If a number of counties decided not to enter the football championship, then you'd have an appetite for that sort of tiered competition.

But are they competing? Would Longford or Louth realistically compete with Dublin, then hope for a kind draw with a similar standard county in the backdoor?
Some counties are deluded in terms of thinking they're competing.

As for football orientated county boards deciding not to enter hurling teams, its hardly surprising, is it!

[AZOffaly]

No, it's not surprising, but it's a different dynamic to the hurling situation. People say 'look at the tiers in hurling', but counties and players WANT the tiers in hurling. Counties and players don't want the tiers in football.

Now, if Dublin keep mullering teams in Leinster, and that makes teams just decide it's not worth entering, then you'd see an appetite for a B championship. But as it stands, all teams want to enter their provincial championship, and the All Ireland qualifiers, and I say let them. Who are we to tell them they are not entitled to?

[johnneycool]

No, it's not surprising, but it's a different dynamic to the hurling situation. People say 'look at the tiers in hurling', but counties and players WANT the tiers in hurling. Counties and players don't want the tiers in football.

Now, if Dublin keep mullering teams in Leinster, and that makes teams just decide it's not worth entering, then you'd see an appetite for a B championship. But as it stands, all teams want to enter their provincial championship, and the All Ireland qualifiers, and I say let them. Who are we to tell them they are not entitled to?

But they won't do that as that is an admission that they are putting all this resource into football and still coming up well short.
But some will gurn when the players decide not to give the commitment or take off to the states for the summer, so some players know they're on a hiding to nothing even if their county board don't..