Messages

To right. When you consider that  the gaa has provided rte with their best viewing figures for years its strange how little they put back into marketing the gaa. Their teletext service being a prime example with it being updated on less than a dailly basis. The championship coverage will soon be starting and you'd think theyd be looking to hype the thing up a bit with a preview show. There coverage from October to May is also extremely poor. If there's a market for live AIB rugby on a Saturday then surely an half and a half pure highlights show on a Sunday night for NFL/NHL would get sufficient viwers. I know Sunday sport does show about 12 minutes on a Sunday night from a game but it isnt enough. 3 games should be featured with camera's at other matches.

Any updates on tonights games?

Its ok to say things arent broken in the leinster and ulster championships. Both these provinces produce a fair number of decent games and bring out the big crowds. The reason I think change might be neccesary is because the munster championship seems to be dying on its feet. Few decent matches with low turnouts. Connacht also doesnt produce enough decent matches with 2 few teams. The system I proposed would ensure that most counties would have something meaningful to aim towards winning and still keep the all quarter finals up which has become the most exciting bit of the championship. It would also reduce the length of the county season which is currently 9 months down to 4 or 5 and take away the shadow boxing of the league whilst allowing the top counties to meet on a regualar basis. Its just something which could be worth considering in the near future. A condensed county season with more counties clashing on a regular basis, whike more time free for the clubs. The only thing is that some counties mightnt be happy that they wouldnt be competing for sam (which they realistically arent competing for anyway but if they improved could be back in the running the next year)

Would it be to much to ask for RTE to do a we preview show ahead of the start of the championship? Maybe one is planned but I havent heard of it. I see there's talk of a mid week show, hopefully itll provide a good preview of upcoming matches.

I think the championship and national league format has become outdated and its time for change. How about combining the league and championship into one competition played in a more condensed time frame freeing up more time for clubs. The ulster, leinster championships etc could be played of as a warm up to the main competition. There's currently to much time of relative inactivity in county football and to many parts of the season without enough meaningful games. Im afraid due to the gulf in class in counties the championship would have to be split in 2 seperate competitions of 16 (New York would have to go). Each championship would then be split in 2 again to leave groups of 8. In both competitions the top four would qualify for the qnockout, with the top division teams competiting for Sam. 1st would play 4th,2nd v 3rd etc. Int the top division the bottom two in each group would become involved in relegation playoffs, with 2 teams emerging as going down. The playoffs in the bottom division would also decide who go's up. This competition would provide much more meaningful matches for all and if marketed right could potentially lead to the use of much more county grounds. Teams would have 3 home games and 3 away depending on the quality of their ground (otherwise they could nominate their home venue). 1 match would then be played at a neutral venue, possibly croke park.
What does any1 think? (and saying im crazy aint an option)

On a seperate note the black tick should be banned as its being overused by referees who are wasting far to much time over them. When the opposition now fouls they are basically being given the advantage because the referees are wasting a load of time and allowing them to get all their players behind the ball. Refs must learn that slowing the game down only penalises the attacking team.

Rant over.