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Independent article published the same day as O Rourkes.

Roscommon

Playing a style of football that is both adaptable and enjoyable.

Down

Moved the ball exceptionally well throughout the season and made some brilliant interchanges.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/hope-and-horror-on-the-line-national-league-winners-and-losers-31135187.html

Ah, how refreshing to read something positive for a change!

What impressed me most about Down during the league was our ability to swarm quickly in numbers around an opposition player when they are in their scoring zone, turning the ball over, and counter-attacking at pace. A very Donegal-like attribute, but very effective.

I have also been very impressed with our ability to create goal chances. Jim McCorry has definitely improved our attacking style of play, with players making very effective runs off the shoulder to find themselves in one-on-one positions. There is usually two or three players who burst into space to create these goal-chances, therefore players seem to be lining up to hit the back of the net. Forget about the blanket defense, the blanket attack has the potential to prove just as effective! Time will tell.

The Down posters on here certainly seem confident. Obviously Down's match to lose, based on that.

There's never anything wrong with being confident. It's Down's match to win, if they want it.

Paddy Power have Ros at 33/1 and Down at 80/1 for Sam. Harder to get out of Ulster.

Seen that the other day, couldn't quite get my head around it. 33/1 seems a bit short for Roscommon. Though to be honest, outside of the top 4 (Dublin, Kerry, Donegal and Mayo), everyone else may as well be 100/1.

True, but it would have Mayo at 1,000/ 1

Roscommon will win Sam again before Mayo do

Looking forward to this one after our game with Roscommon. On current league form it's hard to look past Cork winning. Any team that scores goals for fun vs Donegal are a serious outfit. But it is Dublin we're talking about and on their day they can tear any team in Ireland to shreds. This should be a very entertaining match-up, and hopefully plenty of quality scores.

I'll go for a draw.

Where are us Down folk heading for a few pre-match stouts? It's a shame Donegal or Monaghan didn't make the league final, always good craic pinting with our Ulster comrades before matches at Croker.

As for the less important matter of the match, I'll be expecting a high intensity performance from Down akin to near championship pace. With Derry on the horizon it's time to step it up from our relatively average league performances.

Down to win by 5.

An Dún Abú

Paddy Power have Ros at 33/1 and Down at 80/1 for Sam. Harder to get out of Ulster.

Seen that the other day, couldn't quite get my head around it. 33/1 seems a bit short for Roscommon. Though to be honest, outside of the top 4 (Dublin, Kerry, Donegal and Mayo), everyone else may as well be 100/1.

Why do so many GAA pundits seem to think its their job to denigrate the games (esp football) at every chance.
I have seen all mayo games in the league and many others on TVand it was a mixed bag but i enjoyed almost all of them on some level , but all of the paid pundits seem to think it was all poison and we are wsting our time watching   it and then wonder why yesterdays crowd was so small.
Is it just that there are more column inches in being Negative ( there some irony there but its early monday )

At present there seems to be a campaign of negativity in the media coming from ex-county players. It appears they are all feeding off each others negative comments to the point where it has almost become an anti-Gaelic football agenda. Every week we are reading new articles highlighting the 'plight of Gaelic football', which are repetitive, negative and utmost depressing. Yesterday we witnessed two enjoyable, high-scoring, competitive, and compelling league semi-finals. However, you can guarantee these games won't be afforded the same column inches as if they were defensive and low-scoring. These pundits, such as Joe Brolly and Colm O'Rourke, who confess their love for the game, are doing more harm than good. 

The two highest scorers in division 2. Down played an attacking brand of football throughout the league. Any Laois fan in Newry on the last day would testify, Down we're happy to commit players forward into the scoring zones, which resulted in numerous goal scoring opportunities. Very entertaining stuff.

Is there a link to this article?

May I add, Colm O'Rourke is my least favourite GAA pundit, and his views are certainly not objective when it comes to Down. Still hurting from 1991 I'm guessing