Is it just me or are is Gaelic Football becoming an unwatchable game? Wether it be games played in half full stadia, negative defensive football that would make Pat Spillanes mother puke or the poor standard of refereeing, but it looks like the people of Ireland are voting with their already empty wallets and staying away from games.
Does the GAA have a marketing department? With Croke Park less than half full twice over the weekend, it does not look like it. It seems Westlife and Celine Dion are bigger draws than the reigning All Ireland champions and 11 other counties combined. How can we expect to fill Croke Park when most of the country are enjoying our holidays, with the so called credit crunch in full swing (in my day it was known as a recession) surely the GAA should be putting some serious effort into getting bums on seats, or are the TV deals worth more than you or I travelling to Croker??? Have we reached the point where we actually have too many games on TV?
For me the biggest turn off, for want of a better phrase, is the standard of play. The win at all costs ideology started by Armagh and Tyrone at the start of this decade is now almost nationwide. Fermanagh are now the biggest offenders, being the most unwatchable team in Ireland. 10 wides in the first half today and only 2 scores their first after almost 30 minutes of play. Their crowded defence and quick breaking game has been easily beaten by teams that can actually shoot. I never thought I would say this but I was glad Armagh beat them last week, in fact if anything they were worse last week. Armagh may be cynical and the aim of their game is to stop the opposition playing, but at least they have Clarke and McDonnell, probably the best forward partnership in the country. Monaghan today tried to bully Kerry, but Kerry stood firm enough and were quite deserving winners even though they never really got going.
As a Down man I maybe am in no position to talk about standards after yesterday game, we still haven`t cottoned on to the fact that defences win games in modern football, but for the first time in my life I could honestly say I don`t care who wins this years All Ireland. I have lost interest. There will be two empty seats in Croke Park come September. I won`t be using them. If I want to watch a game of turnovers, defensive tactics and kicking the ball into touch I will watch rugby league. Being honest Leeds Rhinos or Bradford Bulls would probably win this years All Ireland, their kicking would be an improvement over most of the teams and their work rate and tackling would be almost up to scratch. In fact I don't think they have scrums in rugby league, but from the look of todays Gaelic football we seem to have adopted the ruck and maul. For me it is simply unwatchable. Maybe Kerry v Dublin would be tempting as a spectacle, but I doubt any of the others will hold any interest for the neutrals.
And then we have the referees, the Gaelic Football referee most be the most inconsistent type of person in the world, they make our politicians seem competent. Players are conning them, physical contact against a forward seems to have been banned. Yellow cards are being shown for minimal and sometimes non existent challenges. One of the Down defenders was shown a yellow card yesterday because a Wexford player fell and made contact with the Down man on the way to the ground, the result was a Wexford point from 30 yards. Today Freeman beat the Kerry defender and when it would have been easy to punch the ball over the bar he went down and took his man down with him and yet again the result was a scoreable free. There are countless examples were players are buying frees, minimal contact and they are on the ground, writhing in agony until the resulting free has been scored or in Fermanaghs case knocked into row z. Maybe its the modern day players lack of scoring ability that makes them act like this or maybe its the win at all costs attitude thats causing such a blight on our games, but something needs to be done.
Here's the thing, there are some games that are brilliant to watch and some that are absolutely dire, this weekend games were poor but there will be some great games in the QF's Dublin V Tyrone will be a fascinating and to me the best game out there will be Galway V Kerry, that should be a clinker.
Down are unwatchable. Worst defending I've seen in years at Croke Park. They are very worthy to play in division 3
Ah Downgael, you're just sore after losing yesterday.
Torrential rain and small crowds generally don't make for good watching. Teams that would need SatNav to find the opposition goalposts don't help matters either. There should be some savage games from here on in though.
QuoteI suppose its a bad time of year for you pints, you are too busy watching the comings and goings on Big Brother to actually attend a game.
Don't be silly, I only watch big brother for a hour at night.
I don't live in the country - that's why I can't attend games and I live about 50 mile from the nearest tv showing the game - I was going to make the trip yesterday to see the donkeys of down, but wasn't I glad I didn't!.
a bit of common sense with scheduling by the GAA to create a better atmosphere at games would be better
for example(and dont take the selection of venues too seriously) Wexford V Down at Portlaoise in front of a full house of 27,000 would probably have produced a better game.
Fermanagh V Kildare in Breffini in front of 25-30,000 the same.
It cant be easy to play in front of a half empty ground.
Its by no means the only reason for poor quality football,but it will help.
Quote from: pintsofguinness on August 03, 2008, 06:37:35 PM
QuoteI suppose its a bad time of year for you pints, you are too busy watching the comings and goings on Big Brother to actually attend a game.
Don't be silly, I only watch big brother for a hour at night.
I don't live in the country - that's why I can't attend games and I live about 50 mile from the nearest tv showing the game - I was going to make the trip yesterday to see the donkeys of down, but wasn't I glad I didn't!.
So you were going to make the trip to watch Down, but were content to discuss the Ulster final replay on the GAA Board. I am sure Armagh are proud to have fans like you :D
Quote from: Down Gael on August 03, 2008, 06:41:39 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on August 03, 2008, 06:37:35 PM
QuoteI suppose its a bad time of year for you pints, you are too busy watching the comings and goings on Big Brother to actually attend a game.
Don't be silly, I only watch big brother for a hour at night.
I don't live in the country - that's why I can't attend games and I live about 50 mile from the nearest tv showing the game - I was going to make the trip yesterday to see the donkeys of down, but wasn't I glad I didn't!.
So you were going to make the trip to watch Down, but were content to discuss the Ulster final replay on the GAA Board. I am sure Armagh are proud to have fans like you :D
I wouldn't think they're concerned about what I do, you're the only one that seems interested in that ::)
At the end of the day sport is all about winning nothing more or nothing less. Putting on a good poerformance comes a distant second to winning. Tyrone didnt play well yesterday and at times was hard to watch but i didnt care because they came out on the winning side.
Quote from: tyroneboi on August 03, 2008, 06:49:50 PM
At the end of the day sport is all about winning nothing more or nothing less. Putting on a good poerformance comes a distant second to winning. Tyrone didnt play well yesterday and at times was hard to watch but i didnt care because they came out on the winning side.
You're right, teams go out to win and you can be assured there's no one discussing the neutrals viewing pleasure at half time.
It's always been like that and always will.
Must one be from Down to answer that proposition? Understandable I'm sure.
Quote from: Fear ón Srath Bán on August 03, 2008, 06:52:38 PM
Must one be from Down to answer that proposition? Understandable I'm sure.
Must hurt more that they can't even win!
In theory a poor atmosphere shouldn't actually have any effect on the standard of a match on the pitch but this weekend it seemed to. Apart from tactics, the basic skills of the game seemed in short supply too often over the weekend.
Its an awful sport to watch comparable to the ladies fa cup.
I watched two of Donegal's three games this year and the Monaghan and Derry matches, despite our defeats, were excellent, with lots of quality football played by all the teams.
It obviously depends on the teams involved and how the referee handles the game.
It was heart-breaking watching the other teams in Croke Park this weekend J70! I would've fancied Donegal against at least 5 of the teams out there ... well unless we had our staple collapse! haha
teams spend too much time lifting weights,aqua running, ice baths, running up mountains, doing pilates, in fact everything except kicking a ball. there is a reason why golfers spend hours on the range, thats why they generally hit the target. there is also a reason why gaelic is at a low ebb in terms of skill. because half the Gaa players should be in Beijing rather than croke park as they spend f*** all time using the ball in training.
Down Gael is correct, there is a serious decline in the standard of football accompanied by a fall off in people actually attending games, and the two issues are clearly related. Attendances to date this season will bear that out, and this weekends figures were particularly disappointing.With the ever widening gap between three or four top teams and the rest the decline will continue. People are simply not getting value for money. An odd exciting game is no substitute for quality. The four teams involved on saturday were very poor, and yes Down were woeful, in fact our ladies team would have performed better or at least demonstrated more skill. Time there was less of a concentration on athleticism and more on the basic skills. Having been a fanatic gaelic football fan from the late fifties, i am now becoming turned off and disinterested, following what in my opinion has been the worst season of championship football in terms of quality that i can recall. On another point, do we really need Croke Park, i dont think so
Quote from: Down Gael on August 03, 2008, 06:23:27 PM
Is it just me or are is Gaelic Football becoming an unwatchable game? Wether it be games played in half full stadia, negative defensive football that would make Pat Spillanes mother puke or the poor standard of refereeing, but it looks like the people of Ireland are voting with their already empty wallets and staying away from games.
Does the GAA have a marketing department? With Croke Park less than half full twice over the weekend, it does not look like it. It seems Westlife and Celine Dion are bigger draws than the reigning All Ireland champions and 11 other counties combined. How can we expect to fill Croke Park when most of the country are enjoying our holidays, with the so called credit crunch in full swing (in my day it was known as a recession) surely the GAA should be putting some serious effort into getting bums on seats, or are the TV deals worth more than you or I travelling to Croker??? Have we reached the point where we actually have too many games on TV?
For me the biggest turn off, for want of a better phrase, is the standard of play. The win at all costs ideology started by Armagh and Tyrone at the start of this decade is now almost nationwide. Fermanagh are now the biggest offenders, being the most unwatchable team in Ireland. 10 wides in the first half today and only 2 scores their first after almost 30 minutes of play. Their crowded defence and quick breaking game has been easily beaten by teams that can actually shoot. I never thought I would say this but I was glad Armagh beat them last week, in fact if anything they were worse last week. Armagh may be cynical and the aim of their game is to stop the opposition playing, but at least they have Clarke and McDonnell, probably the best forward partnership in the country. Monaghan today tried to bully Kerry, but Kerry stood firm enough and were quite deserving winners even though they never really got going.
As a Down man I maybe am in no position to talk about standards after yesterday game, we still haven`t cottoned on to the fact that defences win games in modern football, but for the first time in my life I could honestly say I don`t care who wins this years All Ireland. I have lost interest. There will be two empty seats in Croke Park come September. I won`t be using them. If I want to watch a game of turnovers, defensive tactics and kicking the ball into touch I will watch rugby league. Being honest Leeds Rhinos or Bradford Bulls would probably win this years All Ireland, their kicking would be an improvement over most of the teams and their work rate and tackling would be almost up to scratch. In fact I don't think they have scrums in rugby league, but from the look of todays Gaelic football we seem to have adopted the ruck and maul. For me it is simply unwatchable. Maybe Kerry v Dublin would be tempting as a spectacle, but I doubt any of the others will hold any interest for the neutrals.
And then we have the referees, the Gaelic Football referee most be the most inconsistent type of person in the world, they make our politicians seem competent. Players are conning them, physical contact against a forward seems to have been banned. Yellow cards are being shown for minimal and sometimes non existent challenges. One of the Down defenders was shown a yellow card yesterday because a Wexford player fell and made contact with the Down man on the way to the ground, the result was a Wexford point from 30 yards. Today Freeman beat the Kerry defender and when it would have been easy to punch the ball over the bar he went down and took his man down with him and yet again the result was a scoreable free. There are countless examples were players are buying frees, minimal contact and they are on the ground, writhing in agony until the resulting free has been scored or in Fermanaghs case knocked into row z. Maybe its the modern day players lack of scoring ability that makes them act like this or maybe its the win at all costs attitude thats causing such a blight on our games, but something needs to be done.
I'll take them from you.
And yet we had Martin McHugh lamenting Donegal's lack of concentration on the physical/athletic side of the game after the Monaghan match last week. Reckoned we were going nowhere until we added the physical training the likes of Monaghan do to what he considered the abundance of ability in the squad. He used the likes of Clerkin and Lennon as examples, saying they were far, far better at breaking through tackles and so on that the Donegal players.
Quote from: INDIANA on August 03, 2008, 08:12:07 PM
teams spend too much time lifting weights,aqua running, ice baths, running up mountains, doing pilates, in fact everything except kicking a ball. there is a reason why golfers spend hours on the range, thats why they generally hit the target. there is also a reason why gaelic is at a low ebb in terms of skill. because half the Gaa players should be in Beijing rather than croke park as they spend f*** all time using the ball in training.
In fairness Indiana that isn't correct most teams spend an awful lot of their training with the ball, the problem is that it is now very difficult to create decent scoring opportunities with packed defences the order of the day. In saying that some of the shooting this weekend was truely woeful but this goes back to a point I made after the International Rules games, we actually aren't particularily good at football. The Aussies came and kicked scores, foot passed and supported team mates far better than we did, why is that? Well obviously they are professionals but our IC teams are putting a lot of time into their game but it doesn't appear to be paying off in a meaningful way. Hopefully coaches will also now consider more positive tactics as a way to win matches, this idea that you are a tactical genius if you get 13 men behind the ball and a niave fool if you don't needs to change.
I genuinely hope Dublin win this years AI, they play an attacking, fast, open brand of football and hopefully a win for them would lead to a sea change in attitude to the game. If not Dublin then Galway who's footkicking game is a breath of fresh air, we badly need football teams to rise to the top once again.
Quote from: The Voice Of Reason on August 03, 2008, 08:02:59 PM
It was heart-breaking watching the other teams in Croke Park this weekend J70! I would've fancied Donegal against at least 5 of the teams out there ... well unless we had our staple collapse! haha
Plenty of counties would have fancied themselves, but they didn't get there. However, I guarantee you that Fermanagh, bad as they were, would have made it very, very tough on us, although with (what I consider) our better forwards we would have a very good chance. I would fancy us against Down too, but I'm not sure about the rest. I think we are a better side than the likes of Kildare, but they are in the last eight and we aren't, so such opinions don't mean very much. Wexford is hard to know, as we have never played this current Wexford side. I would be confident against Mayo, but so would they against us. And, as you say, a spectacular collapse is always just around the corner, especially if we ended up against Tyrone!
the standard in gaelic football is quite low at the minute, their are only 3 or 4 teams with players capable of putting a ball over the bar from 45 yards out and that says it all. whats the point in training all year (nothing wrong with physical fittness levels) if a team cant take scores? the aussies gave us a lesson in how to kick a round ball over the bar in the last series and thats one very good reason to keep the ir series going. we might actually learn something from them...
Monaghan - Kerry restored some pride.
Feel some sympathy to Monaghan as a kinder draw would have seen them in a quarter final.
The poor quality of passing, shooting, decision making was what struck me most from the weekends games. It seems that many intercounty footballers are now incapable of executing 30 or 40 yard kick passes with any degree of accuracy, which is worrying. Ironic as it may seem but intercounty football for many is not improving the standrad of football for many of these talented players.
What a whinging bastard. surely your first concern shold be the future of the down tean and not trying to to piss onevery bodys party. remember all of these team have lost games in the championship this year already ready so are indeed not on their greatest form of their lives a few years back tjey would npt even have a chance to redeem themselves. in fact kerry monaghan oday was as good a game as you d want to see and mayo tyrone had a lot going for it. its obviously why the down wexford games was crap and i think their was a style clash between kildare and fermanagh but clearly the better team won the first requise for a fair game
I think your problem is probably dont actualy like football in the 1st place and were only attracted by the buckfast. Im always highly suspicious when i see the phrase 'Gaelic' used before football. are you a soccer fan?
I remember after the Derry v Fermanagh game, I highlighted just how bad Fermanagh were to watch, only to be lambasted by all quarters, glad to see some of you are coming around.
Basic skills were missing all over the weekend, although conditions were awkward too, I don't think however that the standard of play or the economy contributed to the poor attendances, I reckon it's because of all the teams out there this weekend, whose 'supporters' actually think they're going anywhere this year? Mayo, Tyrone, Down, Wexford, Kildare, Fermanagh supporters all pretty much know that it aint happening this year, Monaghan turned out and Kerry rightly decided against a 500 mile round trip when they'll be needed later on. The matches should have been played at home or away venues, the gaa have tried playing these in croker in the past (certainly in 2005 anyway) and it was an utter failure too, nothing like learning from their mistakes.
Quote from: rosnarun on August 03, 2008, 09:23:13 PM
What a whinging b**tard. surely your first concern shold be the future of the down tean and not trying to to piss onevery bodys party. remember all of these team have lost games in the championship this year already ready so are indeed not on their greatest form of their lives a few years back tjey would npt even have a chance to redeem themselves. in fact kerry monaghan oday was as good a game as you d want to see and mayo tyrone had a lot going for it. its obviously why the down wexford games was crap and i think their was a style clash between kildare and fermanagh but clearly the better team won the first requise for a fair game
I think your problem is probably dont actualy like football in the 1st place and were only attracted by the buckfast. Im always highly suspicious when i see the phrase 'Gaelic' used before football. are you a soccer fan?
cop on ffs, its an excellent thread..
i watched the 4 football games over the weekend plus the brisbane lions v north melbourne. tyrone v mayo was watchable as i'm a tyrone man while kerry and monaghan was a good tight championship affair. the aussie rules game was far more enjoyable to watch than the other 2 games. in fact watching paint dry would be far more enjoyable than watching any game invloving fermanagh.
There's too much focus on getting players unbelievably fit instead of focusing on improving the skills like foot-passing, shooting, blocking and fielding etc. I know fitness is a vital part of being a top team but I think it's starting to take too much of an emphasis of actually playing a bit of football.
Although I completely accept that todays fare involving fermanagh and kildare was nothing short of unwatchable i just think every one is being a bit too hard on fermanagh. Those lads arnt purposely going out to hit the ball wide and also all of this talk about the win at all costs strategy destroying the game and how lads should just go out to 'kick a ball' and play the game is just total nonsense. fermanagh have the smallest gaa ie catholic population in ireland and the fact that they are even competeing without a noteworthy scoring forward is a testament to both coaching structures and the pride these lads have in the jersey. I have seen several comments talking of how fermanagh shud go out to play the game 'man for man' and shud start kicking the ball long into forwards and dispensing with sweepers but where the f**k wud that get us, gallant 6 point losses to derry and the rest of whatever the footballing aristocracy is. nothing beats the winning feeling.
Quote from: erne bhoy on August 04, 2008, 12:15:33 AM
Although I completely accept that todays fare involving fermanagh and kildare was nothing short of unwatchable i just think every one is being a bit too hard on fermanagh. Those lads arnt purposely going out to hit the ball wide and also all of this talk about the win at all costs strategy destroying the game and how lads should just go out to 'kick a ball' and play the game is just total nonsense. fermanagh have the smallest gaa ie catholic population in ireland and the fact that they are even competeing without a noteworthy scoring forward is a testament to both coaching structures and the pride these lads have in the jersey. I have seen several comments talking of how fermanagh shud go out to play the game 'man for man' and shud start kicking the ball long into forwards and dispensing with sweepers but where the f**k wud that get us, gallant 6 point losses to derry and the rest of whatever the footballing aristocracy is. nothing beats the winning feeling.
Dont worry Erne bhoy . I recall a team scoring only 1 point in an All Ireland semi a few years back . They did a bit of practice and won a game or two .
Quote from: johnpower on August 04, 2008, 12:33:12 AM
Quote from: erne bhoy on August 04, 2008, 12:15:33 AM
Although I completely accept that todays fare involving fermanagh and kildare was nothing short of unwatchable i just think every one is being a bit too hard on fermanagh. Those lads arnt purposely going out to hit the ball wide and also all of this talk about the win at all costs strategy destroying the game and how lads should just go out to 'kick a ball' and play the game is just total nonsense. fermanagh have the smallest gaa ie catholic population in ireland and the fact that they are even competeing without a noteworthy scoring forward is a testament to both coaching structures and the pride these lads have in the jersey. I have seen several comments talking of how fermanagh shud go out to play the game 'man for man' and shud start kicking the ball long into forwards and dispensing with sweepers but where the f**k wud that get us, gallant 6 point losses to derry and the rest of whatever the footballing aristocracy is. nothing beats the winning feeling.
Dont worry Erne bhoy . I recall a team scoring only 1 point in an All Ireland semi a few years back . They did a bit of practice and won a game or two .
?????????
well...i suppose we did score 4.....
What a load of yapping. I'm sick listening to ye all. Ye seem to be happy to see a poor spectacle when your own team is not involved (Down Gael is just bitter). Something to bitch about. Ye simply won't give credit to anyone. Every compliment is followed by a 'but'.
I will admit is wasn't high quality all the time in fact it was poor alot of the time. I did see 15 men battle 15 men. This is what I expected to see and this is what I got. Anyone who expected to see men running around with the grace of ballydancers and the precision of a snooker player is a fool. If you think it was better years ago you are a romanticist. With the way the game is played with the ball in your hands in a contact sport it won't always be pretty but it will often be tough. If you want to see 30 men do all they physically can to win a game then go to croke park or any GAA venue around the country. If you want light entertainment go to the abbey theatre or the cinema. This game has been played for 100s of years and it hasn't been pretty for 100s of years. Sometimes it will amaze you with it's beauty but mostly it's savage and unruly.
There is no difference in what was seen in Croke park at the weekend than what is seen across the country every weekend. there never has been. Romanticists seem to think Croke Park deserves something different. It doesn't. How could it? Our memory's of games down through the years are unreliable. Accept the game for what it is and stop the revisionism and romanticising of it.
gaelic football could be made watchable again by doing a few simple things.
any team who has players that hound the referee when he gives a decision against them should book every single player that complains and move the ball up 13m.also any player that holds on to a ball to stop the other team taking a free kick or sideline quickly should be booked and the ball also moved up 13m.make this zero tolerance and this shit will soon stop.
any player who dives or who grabs a defenders arm to fool the ref thinking that the defender has pulled him down should be given a red card and be suspended for 12 weeks for disrepute.if a dive or pull down is missed during the game it can be caught on video evidence and a 12 week ban given.again zero tolerance and this cancer will soon clear up.
award two points for any point scored from at least 35m out from goal except from a 45.
after a hand pass the player who received the ball cant hand pass the ball again unless he gets past an opponent first or he must kick it.
lets put the foot back in football.
1 watchable game in 10. It really is brutal stuff in the other nine.
i can almost see a Give diving the boot campaign with a symbol containing a picture of Martin o Rourke doing a dive off a board. I think its the silly season guys and the board is overrun with wannabees and neverbees. Take a look at your championship last 8 and give them credit for their achievements instead of having a go. Its a well known fact that Gooch dived in the 2005 AIfinal. Does that annoy us Tyrone fans, no, we would rather give great credit to kerry for being fit to give us a game that year. It had showed how much they had come on from 2003. I would guess that the quality of the football only comes into it when your team is put out because at that stage you make the move from being a serious fighting competitor - a matador supporting wholeheartedly your teams brave crusade towards an inevitable Sam and months of celebration and parties and women, then suddenley you are out to a superior football team, yer hopes and dreams are down the pan, ye are back to being a mere average Joe, a semi interested TV spectator eating crisps off yer enlarging belly and drinking Coke on your very own DFS premium seat with yer arse growing fatter for the rest of the season, full of shoulder chips and begrudgery with Spillanes imaginative theories and nasty words yer only source of comfort.
Quote from: feetofflames on August 04, 2008, 10:15:32 AM
Its a well known fact that Gooch dived in the 2005 AIfinal. Does that annoy us Tyrone fans, no, we would rather give great credit to kerry for being fit to give us a game that year.
:D
What a f**king w4nker
Quote from: feetofflames on August 04, 2008, 10:15:32 AM
i can almost see a Give diving the boot campaign with a symbol containing a picture of Martin o Rourke doing a dive off a board. I think its the silly season guys and the board is overrun with wannabees and neverbees. Take a look at your championship last 8 and give them credit for their achievements instead of having a go. Its a well known fact that Gooch dived in the 2005 AIfinal. Does that annoy us Tyrone fans, no, we would rather give great credit to kerry for being fit to give us a game that year. It had showed how much they had come on from 2003. I would guess that the quality of the football only comes into it when your team is put out because at that stage you make the move from being a serious fighting competitor - a matador supporting wholeheartedly your teams brave crusade towards an inevitable Sam and months of celebration and parties and women, then suddenley you are out to a superior football team, yer hopes and dreams are down the pan, ye are back to being a mere average Joe, a semi interested TV spectator eating crisps off yer enlarging belly and drinking Coke on your very own DFS premium seat with yer arse growing fatter for the rest of the season, full of shoulder chips and begrudgery with Spillanes imaginative theories and nasty words yer only source of comfort.
(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/43059000/jpg/_43059069_pgjordanlacey.jpg)
(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40762000/jpg/_40762964_pgcanavandive.jpg)
(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44564000/jpg/_44564760_parsons_mcguigan.jpg)
give diving the boot
Quote from: full back on August 04, 2008, 10:36:26 AM
Quote from: feetofflames on August 04, 2008, 10:15:32 AM
Its a well known fact that Gooch dived in the 2005 AIfinal. Does that annoy us Tyrone fans, no, we would rather give great credit to kerry for being fit to give us a game that year.
:D
What a f**king w4nker
i missed that.quit clutching at straws.
How many of todays forwards can score from 40 or 50 yards. Damn it how many of them can score from 30? How many of our defenders can kick a decent pass 40 or 50 yards? What is the point in having Darragh O`Se or Dan Gordon plucking the ball from the sky only to be mauled when he gets back on terra firma? The day of the big full back is gone, his opposite number seems to be 5`8" or less and goes to ground if anyone enters the same postcode as him. Players are being coached in the art of winning frees, not how to bamboozle defences and score from distance. Its a competition between 2 place kickers, its like Rugby under Clive Woodward. Its not Gaelic Football. Its horrible and its not because Down are out, its happening all over the country. McGeeney has stamped his style of play all over Kildare, its like watching the local bulked up idiots from the gym bullying people in the local disco on a Saturday night. Its horrible, but its effective. The Vitamin tablets hadnt done their work for the first round in Leinster, but they seem to be adapting to them now. Is it water they drink out of those bottles or protein shakes?
We are due to play the Aussies again soon, lets forget that they are professionals. The reason they beat us time and again is because they have the basics correct. They play catch and kick, because they actually can kick a ball accurately over 50 or 60 yards. Their attackers can score, on the run, from 50 and 60 yards time and again. They can tackle and take a tackle. they dont lie down expecting protection from the likes of Pat McEnaney. Sign up for Setanta and see how our games should be played. FFS they dont even use a round ball and they still beat us, imagine if we had to use their ball. Our game is becoming more and more like soccer every day. Prima Donnas, who get injured if they trip over themselves and go down faster than their sisters on a Saturday night. But people are voting with their hard earned cash and staying away and it wont get better until the GAA realise we have a problem. The big crowds of 3,4 and 5 years ago are gone. 6 teams over 2 days couldnt fill Croke Park, the Dubs are massaging the attendance figures. If Dublin were to lose in the 1st round next year the figures would plummet. The GAA need Dublin to win the All Ireland. Kerry, Tyrone, Down and Monaghan wouldnt fill Parnell Park.
Edited because of the use of the word steroids. I honestly meant vitamin tablets/supplements.
well said down gael.but i would take back what you said about steriods and armagh.i talked about it last week and got a warning.
Down were absolute rubbish on Saturday, so please take bitterness elsewhere.
[Edited by Mod 3]
I would admit that the standard is poor but what zap said is spot on, people seem to look back with tinted spectacles. Our game is getting more exposure from more venues and more angles than ever before and that is why some matches seem so ridiculously bad. At the fermanagh derry match I could have sworn to you afterwards that it was the best match I had ever seen because with the adrenaline pumping all the blemishes were papered over however watching again that night i couldnt believe the amount of stoppages and errors and it did seem to be thouroughly average stuff.
Even ten years ago matches like these would never have been televised live and so could potentially be remembered as classics.
Quote from: Down Gael on August 04, 2008, 01:07:32 PM
. Is it water they drink out of those bottles or protein shakes?
That is some comment; are you saying the Kildare manager introduced steroids into the Kidare county squad; i'd say if you said that in print anywhere else you would find yourself in court. There is sour grapes but that is just outrageous.
QuoteMcGeeney has stamped his style of play all over Kildare, its like watching the local bulked up idiots from the gym bullying people in the local disco on a Saturday night. Is it water they drink out of those bottles or protein shakes?
Down Gael, you really are beneath contempt. You remind me of someone else who used to be on this site from the Mourne county.
Obviously the purists in Armagh dont see what teams like fermanagh, Kildare and Armagh are doing to our game. They are killing football. It is unwatchable in its present state. But football will evolve, it always does, wether that be the introduction of a 13 man team or a new style of play that nullifies such negative play. Hopefully football will win out this year and Kerry, Dublin or Galway will win in September.
I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone can speak up in defence of some of the crap we are served up as football. The Ulster final, both games were terrible, I dont think I ever saw worse, but yesterdays game between Kildare and Fermanagh was much much worse. Two dire teams, who couldnt score in a brothel.
Down Gael would you ever give it a rest.
Quote from: smcafee on August 04, 2008, 01:21:59 PM
well said down gael.but i would take back what you said about steriods and armagh.i talked about it last week and got a warning.
Tis good to see the Mods are doing their bit to quell the idiot factor on the board then so 8)
Quote from: Jinxy on August 04, 2008, 06:58:08 PM
Down Gael would you ever give it a rest.
Ah Jinxy, I`m only winding, sure its grand to watch, compelling stuff indeed.
Maybe Down Gael is a wee bit bitter however listening to the Tyrone people go on and on after saturdays match about how great they are ....when they only won by a point!
FACT: Down we're terrible on saturday
FACT: Down still beat Tyrone in the first round
FACT: Down have won as many matches as Tyrone in this years championship.
Fact: :D
Quote
I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone can speak up in defence of some of the crap we are served up as football. The Ulster final, both games were terrible, I dont think I ever saw worse, but yesterdays game between Kildare and Fermanagh was much much worse. Two dire teams, who couldnt score in a brothel.
:D Surely this isn't coming from a Down man?
(http://blogs.chron.com/mamadrama/archives/you%20know%20you%20want%20to.JPG)
Ziggy,
First of all I deleted that post because you posted it upside down :D
Secondly, and in all serousness, this is the second time in a week that someone has posted dangerous allegations about a GAA team, two different teams by the way. Apparently the comment has been 'withdrawn' but it doesn't seem to have been done very promptly or even very sincerely. I don't accept it was a freudian slip, reading the contexts of the posts before, or after.
The next person that posts allegations or insinuations like that will be banned from the board, and I will make a sticky of this now.
Cheers
Mod 3