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Looks like it's going to be a real dog fight with so many Leinster neighbors fighting it out. Great to see Laois punished with a game in Croke Park! You couldn't make it up.
Down and Westmeath favoutites to go up?

Leitrim survived a real banana skin v New York after a debilitating League; Carlow took out Louth from Division2; Laois got over Div 3 Wexford after ET and bottom of Div 4 Wicklow shocked Offaly. Nice to see the up turn in fortunes for these counties. London recovered from a bad start v Sligo to finish strongly but had left themselves with too much to do.
Antrim to shock Down?
Limerick and Waterford though look like they have too much ground to make up v Clare and Tipp - two counties who were Division 4 residents for a number of seasons just a short while ago.

So maybe the Championship isn't dead just yet!

You wouldn't think the Leinster SFC begins this w/e judging by the topics on this Board!
Wexford travel to Carlow for the right to meet Dublin in the QF.
Laois entertain Longford in O Moore Park.
Louth take on Wicklow in Parnell Park - why not Drogheda, surely they aren't expecting that many that it cannot handle this fixture?

Eugene McGee has a dislike for players taking on the role of reporters, analysts and commentators in his article today.
I'm not a fan of McGee, in fact he grates with me but there is something annoying about players turned opinion writers in particular.

When I listen to Parkinson on Newstalk talking about sledging and gamesmanship I cringe - there was no better ledger around. And now his fellow 'county' man Billy Sheehan has his column. And it's nauseating to read his piece this week about referees and discipline. Another master of the dark arts if ever there was one. He gets involved in more incidents and causes more rows on the pitch than the 29 other players combined!

Love to know what qualities the media look for in pundits!

There's been lots of criticism of the existing structures for the past 10 years or so. Have any new options surfaced yet from the counties?

Antrim have an easy opener v Carlow to get the show on the road. Carlow shocked last year or rather Antrim threw a big lead away but lightning unlikely to strike twice.
Offaly look to have finally got their house in order and surprise surprise Waterford could be a real contender.

There was a time when Presidents were figure heads of the Association but in recent years the post seems to have become very politicised and every candidate has campaigned on issues. Liam O Neill is leading the charge against the great evil of the GAA the 'Team manager'.  The cancer in the Association.......
I think it was Liam who was Co Secretary in Laois when the great Micko was appointed as Laois Manager. Micko could be considered the greatest Manager of all time by many and it was a great coup to get him on board. Can't help but think though that Liam himself contributed to the cult of the team manger with that appointment. Laois had a very active supporters club then too.....
Another keen to have a swipe at all things in the modern game is Eugene McGee.
There is no doubt the final report of the Football Review Committee could have been written in advance by Eugene - many of his gripes down the years featured in the conclusions. Another thing that grates is the excessive coverage he affords his native Longford in his reporting for a national newspaper...all counties should be given equal prominence or at least in proportion to their successes.
Last rant is on the politics of the inter pros. The selections are heavily influenced by the make up of the section committee and office holders in some of the provinces , if not all of them. It's the same year in, year out. There are players on the provincial squads who are not making their county's 24 man NFL panels....

Does anyone know what way the draw is this year? It was Ulster v Munster and Leinster v Connaught last year I think.

Did you here the drivel this man came out with yesterday about Monaghanv Derry on the radio yesterday?
He had problems explaining Gaelic Football to his American visitors because 'the ball wasn't being kicked'! Maybe he could have asked them to explain the American version...... not a lot of kicking there and when there is only one player on a team can do it!
Loves to hear himself talking.