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I see that the Big two (Cork/Kerry) in Munster will be seeded for the coming Munster Championship in Football. This will mean that neither will meet untill the final. Any of the remaining 4 weaker counties will have to beat both to win a title. Added to this most of the weaker 4 will not be able to avail of the back door as they are Division 4 teams and will go directly into the TM Cup.

This leaves the other provinces also at a disadvantage as teams that emerge have to peak earlier.

Talk about the strong getting stronger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why don't we just hand SAM to Kerry now?

I'll add options as they arise. Contrary to the beliefs of Michael O'Muiratheaght that Basketball is the second game in Mayo (Probably because of McHale and McGarrity for team Merry Monk Ballina). Soccer is second.

Best of luck to the Mayo ladies on Sunday!

The GAA is an amateur organistaion. This ethos has alway sold the ethics that the players should not be payed for playing and in turn the fan does not have to bear the blunt at the gate of the professional game. The Amateur ethos was sold as "Being of the people" and was part of the voluntary succcess that is so important at ground level in the GAA. This has been all ok in the past, but the emergence of Media, corporate and professional interests have left two very important units of the Association more abused as time goes on, the fan and the player. Both are being heavily exploited. The Fan is paying more and more to see amateur players and the players are being treated more and more like professionals in their duties to play more games, to deal with the media and to sacrafice their day to day paying job.

This clearly cannot continue. Already people have been voting with their feet as venues around the country noticed a down turn in attendances. Players are retiring younger and most players do not want to go beyond club football as they know the unpaid commitment.

Between 1955 and 1981 Mayo won only 2 connacht senior provincial titles, they went the whole of the 70's without a title.

Despite Cavan holding 39 Ulster senior titles they have only won one title since 1969.

Despite 30 AI titles, Kilkenny will be going next year for only their second three in a row AI's ther last one was in 1911/12/13.

Anybody else have useless trivia (pub talk) to share?

With the hurling final being a shambles and the football being a down south affair have people fecked off to do something more interenting than write about GAA.

..........Provincial winners gained no advantage over Provincal losers as to progression in AI competition.
..........The Semple gate affair, handled terribly. Amateur players deserve better.
..........Cork could have won an AI having lost two games.
..........Kilkenny have not played a Munster team.
.........Waterford played 5 championship games this year yet only met two teams.
.........No one outside of the Big 8 made the breakthrough.
.........Limerick are in the final having played no one outside of Munster.
.........Wexford got to a semi-final and distorted their standing.
.........League games proved to be a mess with Laois, Dublin, Antrim and Offaly getting hidings.
........The doubling up of replays of quarterfinals with Semifinals to get 45 euro for tickets where often the other game was the other code.

Kilkenny and Cork win AIs. We have 4/6 others who can pretend. And we have 24 others who are just so far off of the mark it is not funny. The Ring and Rickard Cups have tried to address the problem in weaker counties but this has been nearly impossible to grade and the finals just end up one sided. Yes we got some good games but, there seemed to be a case of rearranging the deck chairs to the Championship. You lose here you go into a league Basis, it just seems to be about giving you chances and chances to qualify for the quarters. then again when you have a championship with 8 teams i suppose you have to do that. So much for it being called an "ALL" Ireland title.

True over the last 3 years Kerry has won 2 AI Senior titles. But at underage they are struggling to win Munster and AI Titles. The County has not won an underage AI title (u21/Minor) since the mid ninties and you have to go to the early 90's for a AI club title! This seems a strange lapse of time without titles for the so called kingpins. Am i being cruel or calling it as it is?

Who will be champions in Football In Munster?

Who will be Leinster Football Champions in 2007?

Who will win the Nestor Cup In Connacht?

So lads who will win the ulster championship in 2007?

I hope that this was not covered b4! I xpect Galway/Mayo/Tyrone/Dubs/Armagh to be near the top!

Apologies to clubs left out......I am not a Man u fan but expect them to get as many votes as all the rest of the clubs put together.

My point is that Gaa has tried to alienate other sports (Codes) that they have felt threatened by over the years, the ban etc. The comparisons above show that Rugby and Soccer never undermine each other, but Gaa always have a go! The argument is choice, without choice we lose all quality in all games! I'm sure that Damien Duffs, Roy Keanes, Ronan O'Garas or Brain O'Driscoll would not be above average at either football or Hurling. The question is do you have more pride in our National games than in our Nations achievments in all sports. Don't get me wrong i love the Gaa and it is number 1, but i also take great pride in Irish achievements in other sports that can come at a worthy cost to GAA. So don't be afraid to take that cost!

Our Club shares a Community Field Facility with a Soccer Club. Both are affiliated to the Gaa and Fai. This is proving to be a problem with fixtures etc over the last couple of Months. Is there any other club in a similar situation and how do ye deal with issues?