Gaelic Football RIP

[Rossfan]

What do 'fans' want to see?

Contested kick outs
High fielding
One on one battles
Kick passing
Defenders not protected by sweepers
Risk taking

All the things coaches and managers don't want to see

[trailer]

I'm not adverse to change. What I am adverse to is ill-thought out, stupid ideas that have been thought up by some drunk down the pub who wouldn't know if the ball was blew up or stuffed.
Shot clocks, banning the hand pass and having players stay in certain areas of the field, are some of the ideas that fall into that category.

I also appreciate when a team holds onto possession. Happens in all sports. Giving the ball away in today's game comes with a huge penalty as the skill levels and conditioning of players is now so high it almost always results in a score. Good teams know this. One of the best games I saw this year was Tyrone v Monaghan. Neither team gave the ball away and it was a joy to watch. Forcing teams to give up possession is a backward step in my opinion.
Look with your own eyes, don't listen to what other so called commentators say and you will see it different. I can see why some people are confused and frustrated that their team won't kick the ball away, or give up possession cheaply, but there is no need to be.

[trileacman]

I'm not adverse to change. What I am adverse to is ill-thought out, stupid ideas that have been thought up by some drunk down the pub who wouldn't know if the ball was blew up or stuffed.
Shot clocks, banning the hand pass and having players stay in certain areas of the field, are some of the ideas that fall into that category.

I also appreciate when a team holds onto possession. Happens in all sports. Giving the ball away in today's game comes with a huge penalty as the skill levels and conditioning of players is now so high it almost always results in a score. Good teams know this. One of the best games I saw this year was Tyrone v Monaghan. Neither team gave the ball away and it was a joy to watch. Forcing teams to give up possession is a backward step in my opinion.
Look with your own eyes, don't listen to what other so called commentators say and you will see it different. I can see why some people are confused and frustrated that their team won't kick the ball away, or give up possession cheaply, but there is no need to be.

That depends on how you view it. I don't see it as forcing a team to give up possession I see it as forcing a team to use possession.

For example Ciaran Kilkenny is probably one of the most talented players in the game. Huge levels of stamina, comfortable with the ball, pace to burn, he should be lighting up the championship week after week. Instead he spends the vast majority of his playing time running backwards and making multiple sideways hand passes. Michael Murphy is in the same boat as are many of the Tyrone players. Comer is probably another.

There's a generation of wonderful footballers who are being wasted playing keep ball and probing a blanket defence for weakness. It's not exciting or invigorating and moves to combat it must at least be tried. There's no point in simply revoking all suggestions as "that won't work, neither will that". We'll not know until they are tried. Most importantly good ideas must be aired and the conversation must be had as to what we do otherwise the GAA will just do the first thing the old brigade committee, chaired by Eugene McGee, come up with.

[sid waddell]

Because it wouldn't change the blanket defence. Where is the 2 point zone? Outside the 45? Not many players can kick a point from outside the 45, hence the reason the defence is inside the 45.
Why not go to 13 aside, and limit subs? There's two very simply changes that would make more of a difference than all the stupid 2 point kicks, or shot clocks, or forward marks, or no back passing, insert stupid idea here, rule changes.

13 aside risks increases ball carrying. Which is precisely the dull spectacle we are trying to challenge

Or, it may increase the kicking quotient -- you don't know that for sure, like I don't, but it's equally or more probable, I'd say.

Get rid of the handpass, it would make it a lot more difficult to play keep ball.

"Sorry lads, I know yous have been taught to handpass from you were 5 year old but we are completely changing the sport. You'll just have to suck it up".

If we are to change the game then that means to stop doing something that we are currently doing

Restricting the handpass might be more viable than a ban

Restricting the handpass is not viable,unnecessary, and unwanted. It was tried before, it was a total failure.

13 a side is another stupid proposal. It would only make keep ball easier and make teams even more cautious.

There is nothing wrong with the playing rules of Gaelic football.

Reducing the amount of subs down to three is the obvious change, in order to cut down on the advantage large panels have.

[APM]

Because no matter what anyone tries to tell you, for those who play the game, it's all about winning and not entertainment.

I really worry for some people. They want change, not sure what they exactly want, but change, even if we have to introduce some ridiculous rules. Similar to those who voted Brexit. Some very confused people around.

Who says I haven't played the game?
There's some patronising shite on here!  Come back to me lads when Tyrone win an All-Ireland in 2045 in front of 20,000 people in Portlaoise and tell me then that this win was as good as 2005, even though it no longer captures the imagination and interest of the county. 

[BennyHarp]

Because no matter what anyone tries to tell you, for those who play the game, it's all about winning and not entertainment.

I really worry for some people. They want change, not sure what they exactly want, but change, even if we have to introduce some ridiculous rules. Similar to those who voted Brexit. Some very confused people around.

Who says I haven't played the game?
There's some patronising shite on here!  Come back to me lads when Tyrone win an All-Ireland in 2045 in front of 20,000 people in Portlaoise and tell me then that this win was as good as 2005, even though it no longer captures the imagination and interest of the county.

I didn't say you hadn't played. My point is that for those playing and managing it's all about winning not entertainment. I'm sure you have played, and I'm sure you've played for your club against a better team and had to use tactics to overcome the advantages they had. Maybe double team their best player, or use a sweeper as your defence is a little bit leaky, or use kick short kicks out to by pass their strong midfield. And I'm pretty sure you didn't say to your manager during the team talk. "I'm not comfortable with this because these tactics are going to mean that the game may not be entertaining for those watching." And if you won a shitty game 0-4 to 0-3, I'm pretty sure you and all your team mates and supporters wouldn't give a rats ass if the game was enjoyable for the neutrals or not. For me, the enjoyment in Gaelic sports is trying to win a battle between two sets of players and that includes overcoming disadvantages in skill or quality to do so. Different tactics enable that to happen. But clearly we are on different ends of the scale on this so you crack on posting about the death of Gaelic football, I'll leave you too it and for what it's worth I cannot wait for the Donegal v Tyrone game in Ballybofey. I'd suggest you don't bother watching as it won't be one for the purists.

[sid waddell]

Come back to me lads when Tyrone win an All-Ireland in 2045 in front of 20,000 people in Portlaoise

Now that's ridiculously far fetched.

The bit about Tyrone winning, obviously.

[Cunny Funt]

Any thoughts on Tommy the tank Carr rant? or is it the case that few with any sense pays much attention to him.

'It's atrocious stuff' - you would have to pay me to watch modern gaelic football

“I’m telling you here and now, it is a bore. It’s boring,” he reiterates.

“You don’t need to watch the first half of a game of Gaelic football. You don’t need to any more. You can just go in and watch the last 20 minutes, and you’ll get what the game is.

“It is atrocious stuff. It is horrendous stuff. I wouldn’t go to a football match unless I’m working at it.”

“I was involved with the Westmeath hurlers for the last three years, doing their fitness and strength and conditioning.

“They’re a different breed … hurlers actually care about the game of hurling. Footballers care about themselves first, and then they care about the game of football.”

[RedHand88]

Any thoughts on Tommy the tank Carr rant? or is it the case that few with any sense pays much attention to him.

'It's atrocious stuff' - you would have to pay me to watch modern gaelic football

"I'm telling you here and now, it is a bore. It's boring," he reiterates.

"You don't need to watch the first half of a game of Gaelic football. You don't need to any more. You can just go in and watch the last 20 minutes, and you'll get what the game is.

"It is atrocious stuff. It is horrendous stuff. I wouldn't go to a football match unless I'm working at it."

"I was involved with the Westmeath hurlers for the last three years, doing their fitness and strength and conditioning.

"They're a different breed ... hurlers actually care about the game of hurling. Footballers care about themselves first, and then they care about the game of football."

He's just a hurling snob 

[sid waddell]

Any thoughts on Tommy the tank Carr rant? or is it the case that few with any sense pays much attention to him.

'It's atrocious stuff' - you would have to pay me to watch modern gaelic football

"I'm telling you here and now, it is a bore. It's boring," he reiterates.

"You don't need to watch the first half of a game of Gaelic football. You don't need to any more. You can just go in and watch the last 20 minutes, and you'll get what the game is.

"It is atrocious stuff. It is horrendous stuff. I wouldn't go to a football match unless I'm working at it."

"I was involved with the Westmeath hurlers for the last three years, doing their fitness and strength and conditioning.

"They're a different breed ... hurlers actually care about the game of hurling. Footballers care about themselves first, and then they care about the game of football."

Few more so than Tommy. Let's just say he didn't distinguish himself during the latter part of his Dublin career, when could easily have broken Brian Murray's leg with a cowardly kick from behind in the 1993 League final replay, then refused to take his medicine when he was rightly given a six month suspension for it.

The next year he hit one of the worst misses I've ever seen late on in the draw with Kildare, then sulked his way through the rest of the championship on the bench.

He didn't distinguish himself during his managerial career either.

[imtommygunn]

Any thoughts on Tommy the tank Carr rant? or is it the case that few with any sense pays much attention to him.

'It's atrocious stuff' - you would have to pay me to watch modern gaelic football

"I'm telling you here and now, it is a bore. It's boring," he reiterates.

"You don't need to watch the first half of a game of Gaelic football. You don't need to any more. You can just go in and watch the last 20 minutes, and you'll get what the game is.

"It is atrocious stuff. It is horrendous stuff. I wouldn't go to a football match unless I'm working at it."

"I was involved with the Westmeath hurlers for the last three years, doing their fitness and strength and conditioning.

"They're a different breed ... hurlers actually care about the game of hurling. Footballers care about themselves first, and then they care about the game of football."

He hates it but he'll take money for commentating on it

[Jayop]

someone who quite clearly hates the sport probably shouldn't be having their opinions asked for on it and they certainly shouldn't be getting paid to have those opinions foisted on the rest of us.

[seafoid]

Any thoughts on Tommy the tank Carr rant? or is it the case that few with any sense pays much attention to him.

'It's atrocious stuff' - you would have to pay me to watch modern gaelic football

"I'm telling you here and now, it is a bore. It's boring," he reiterates.

"You don't need to watch the first half of a game of Gaelic football. You don't need to any more. You can just go in and watch the last 20 minutes, and you'll get what the game is.

"It is atrocious stuff. It is horrendous stuff. I wouldn't go to a football match unless I'm working at it."

"I was involved with the Westmeath hurlers for the last three years, doing their fitness and strength and conditioning.

"They're a different breed ... hurlers actually care about the game of hurling. Footballers care about themselves first, and then they care about the game of football."

Few more so than Tommy. Let's just say he didn't distinguish himself during the latter part of his Dublin career, when could easily have broken Brian Murray's leg with a cowardly kick from behind in the 1993 League final replay, then refused to take his medicine when he was rightly given a six month suspension for it.

The next year he hit one of the worst misses I've ever seen late on in the draw with Kildare, then sulked his way through the rest of the championship on the bench.

He didn't distinguish himself during his managerial career either.

That's quite poor by your standards

The rest of the article is top notch

"Being in a second-tier competition is not going to address the problem that these teams have, because it's psychological and it's traditional," he argues.

"Solving the problem they have is getting a group of guys who have belief. And you can ring John Maughan now and you can ask him, 'John, how the f*** did you win a Munster final with Clare in '92?'
"And he'll tell you straight up, 'We weren't that talented. But we had a bunch of fellas who were as thick (stubborn), and believed in themselves, and wouldn't stand back.' That's the only reason ...""Second tier teams, you can talk about that all you want. It's not (the answer). And I'm looking at Monaghan at the minute. They continue to make the same mistakes that they made ten years ago. Their decision-making at crucial times – they actually trip themselves up.

"I was at the Fermanagh game – they'd the job done against Fermanagh, they'd the job done against Kerry."
Just as they'd the job almost done against Kerry back in a 2007 All-Ireland quarter-final, leading by two points after 65 minutes.
Carr can still recall it: "There were two, three passes that should have been made in the last five minutes, and they weren't made. And I know that's very specific stuff.

"But they've done the same thing year upon year upon year, and it must be so frustrating for Malachy (O'Rourke)."
While it's a manager's job to man-manage, he can "only do so much" to solve this perennial conundrum for non-traditional counties seeking to smash through that glass ceiling.At the end of the day," he concludes, "it has to come from within the players themselves. It really does."

[Jinxy]

Anybody know CPR?

[trileacman]

Tyrone and Galway now proven to be nowhere near the Dubs. Hopes lie with Monaghan who where beaten by Fermanagh this year.

People need to wake up from the dreamworld that Dublin are regressing and football will turn a corner soon. The game we love is dying, being turned into a corporate procession. A famous quote by one of the Dublin supporters on here was that Flynn, Connolly, Brogan and MDMA were the golden generation and when they aged Dublin would drop into the chasing pack. That's not happening, with the flair of previous Dublin teams being transmuted into the workmanlike efforts of Scully, Howard, Small, Kilkenny and Mannion.