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[Why do they insist on holding on to home advantage?]

Tyrone were happy in 2009 to give up home advantage as All Ireland champions to accomdate extra fans so certainly aren't being hypocritical over the issue.

Against who? I don't remember that.

I've a friend from Mayo who'd love to go to the game, he's a big fan of Jim and the new Donegal. To be fair everyone on here is always shiting on about the GAA and its useless marketing department not doing enough to boast the profile of the games. Here we have a mouth-watering clash that could attract 25-30k to Clones by the look of things and yet the Donegal county board are allowed to piss on the parade. Why do they insist on holding on to home advantage?

Ummm, let me see .... what's the last word in that sentence again? 

Some amount of moaning going on here. No doubt it will be a motivational factor for your team which could make all the difference 

Are you so afraid of Tyrone that the All-Ireland champions have to cling to home advantage for this tie?

If you boys are as good as you are telling everyone, then you'd beat us where ever we play. Donegal have never been afraid of Tyrone (not like we were with Armagh). We weren't as good as yous sometimes but were never afraid. I'm delighted that the lads will walk out in McCool park as AI champions, trying to defend their Ulster title.

[Why do they insist on holding on to home advantage?]

Tyrone were happy in 2009 to give up home advantage as All Ireland champions to accomdate extra fans so certainly aren't being hypocritical over the issue.

Against who? I don't remember that.

I've a friend from Mayo who'd love to go to the game, he's a big fan of Jim and the new Donegal. To be fair everyone on here is always shiting on about the GAA and its useless marketing department not doing enough to boast the profile of the games. Here we have a mouth-watering clash that could attract 25-30k to Clones by the look of things and yet the Donegal county board are allowed to piss on the parade. Why do they insist on holding on to home advantage?

Ummm, let me see .... what's the last word in that sentence again? 

Some amount of moaning going on here. No doubt it will be a motivational factor for your team which could make all the difference 

[I will imagine he'll get a lot of jeers from the Donegal fans every time he makes the jog up to take any frees.]

Hard to believe its only 3 weeks away. I'd say Jimmy's more than happy with lying low in the long grass and watching the Tyrone league show going on for all the country to see.
As we know Jimmy's a great thinker and motivator and he'll have no doubt loads to say about how the media don't believe they've got a back to back AI in them. They thought the same about Ulster last year and they won't that handy enough.
The Tyrone team/squad has changed a lot since last year hopefully for the better but the big question is how many of the new guys will be able for the Donegal war of attrition.

I must say its a strange feeling going into a new season talking about our new keeper as being exciting and an important source of scores. I will imagine he'll get a lot of jeers from the Donegal fans every time he makes the jog up to take any frees. Will that pressure tell. If he misses a few at the start will he be able to keep his head. Form so far would suggest so.
After Sunday's game I was delighted to see McAliskey rise to the occasion. I would be delighted to see him and Coney in the corners with a fit again SoN in the middle and for us to play them there the whole game. Easier said than done against teams like Donegal I know.

I just hope we don't get any more injuries or suspensions in the upcoming weeks? Are county players playing league games in the next few weeks?

If he does it will probably be because of his antics in the league game.

So who got in on the tickets .ie release this evening? All of the 1000 tickets that they had sold out in 30 minutes apparently 

The real issue is how the dubs have gone on the offensive over by calling the whole thing a mess, farce etc, no evidence, disgrace that donegal would lie, poor wee o'brien, blah blah.

Havn't seen one comment of condemnation for even the possibility of their player doing this disgusting act

That's not true in fairness. When this first emerged most Dublin folk seemed to want the player banned for life from the Dublin team if he was guilty. It's only as this developed they changed tune and that appears to be because they are 100% sure their player didn't bite McBrearty. I don't know what happened but if I was a betting man, based on the confidence of every Dub and the actions of Dublin GAA during this episode I would bet there was no bite from a Dublin player. I may be wrong but it seems to me that Donegal are saying nothing and doing nothing while Dublin have confidently rejected the charge from the get go.

Honest question Zulu .. .can you give me a link where anyone involved in the Dublin setup has "rejected the charge"? You know as well as I do that the DCB statement about it being a bruise rather than a laceration, in no way denies that there was a bite.

Hell of a difference between a scratch and a bite.

I mean I picked up scratches in every game I ever played in as I'm sure most did. Its a physical contact sport.

If I thought for one minute O Brien did it I'd happily see him banned for life from playing for Dublin. I said that from the start and I stand over it.

Its amazing how nobody is now talking about Donegal's championship preparations at present, their poor league performance or the fact their panel is effectively only 5 subs deep.

Funny that........................

So you can't provide any link where Dublin have denied the incident. That's fair enough.

The real issue is how the dubs have gone on the offensive over by calling the whole thing a mess, farce etc, no evidence, disgrace that donegal would lie, poor wee o'brien, blah blah.

Havn't seen one comment of condemnation for even the possibility of their player doing this disgusting act

That's not true in fairness. When this first emerged most Dublin folk seemed to want the player banned for life from the Dublin team if he was guilty. It's only as this developed they changed tune and that appears to be because they are 100% sure their player didn't bite McBrearty. I don't know what happened but if I was a betting man, based on the confidence of every Dub and the actions of Dublin GAA during this episode I would bet there was no bite from a Dublin player. I may be wrong but it seems to me that Donegal are saying nothing and doing nothing while Dublin have confidently rejected the charge from the get go.

Honest question Zulu .. .can you give me a link where anyone involved in the Dublin setup has "rejected the charge"? You know as well as I do that the DCB statement about it being a bruise rather than a laceration, in no way denies that there was a bite.

Forgive my ignorance but why did Paddy mc Brearty need to turn up ?

Because the allegation concerned him.

It was evident from early on he didn't want to appear.

And from that point onwards we all knew why.

I don't blame Mc Brearty -its very very obvious who is to blame for this in Donegal.

Good man yourself.

Forgive my ignorance but why did Paddy mc Brearty need to turn up ?

I looks like his evidence was at the heart of things and without it, it couldn't be proved that the bite was caused by O'Brien.

I'm certainly not trying to blame anyone RM but this whole thing seems very strange. Why would Dublin appeal if there was evidence of biting? It would seem a risky thing to do in an era where hundreds of phone cameras would have been at the game and it would mean Dublin GAA condoned this behaviour. It's not like this is Bernard brogan and he might miss an AI final. Risking dublin's GAA reputation over this seems unlikely to me.

I don't think any of the reasons you propose for McBrearty to miss the hearing hold much water either to be fair. He would surely have been told o'brien would get off if he didn't attend so I doubt Donegal GAA would accept him not turning up for such a high profile case.

IMO none of this makes sense and I'd doubt very much the truth is as simple as O'Brien biting McBrearty and McBrearty not going to the hearing due to to training or whatever.

Yeah, I suppose it's strange all right. But would he have been sure that O'Brien would have gotten off if he didn't go? Paddy is a young lad and is probably not enjoying the spotlight being on the event. Maybe he felt that he had done his part and from there it was up to the GAA to do what they would with it. I agree with you that the truth of the matter is probably not simple, but this report (if true) certainly doesn't diminish my belief that there was bite.

According to the Examiner, the case couldn't be pursued because McBrearty wouldn't testify.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/officials-fume-as-obrien-escapes-three-game-ban-229675.html

While that article contradicts the previous line that there was no evidence it doesn't make the case any less strange or explain Donegal's role in this fiasco.

Sorry Zulu it certainly does not.

The 'evidence' is exactly as I stated

In a surprise move, Heffo sticks to his story 

According to the Examiner, the case couldn't be pursued because McBrearty wouldn't testify.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/officials-fume-as-obrien-escapes-three-game-ban-229675.html

Does that not lay the blame for this fiasco at the feet of Donegal? Why would McBrearty not attend a disciplinary meeting if O'Brien bit him and received a 3 match ban, surely he'd be happy to see someone punished so it wouldn't happen again and the punishment isn't so severe that he should harbour any guilty about a fellow player?

While that article contradicts the previous line that there was no evidence it doesn't make the case any less strange or explain Donegal's role in this fiasco.

Ah Zulu in fairness .... if this article is correct, it suggests that the only reason KOB got away with it is because Paddy didn't turn up. An attempt to read this piece as something that blames Donegal is crazy.
"... the fact that the CCCC accepted the substantive charge of biting, and the CHC has had to quash the ban based on a technicality."

Why would he not turn up? Who knows. Maybe he felt that his part in it had been done already and didn't want to waste any more of his time on it? Maybe he couldn't be arsed travelling to Dublin on a Thursday evening? Maybe he had training? Maybe KOB or someone else from the Dublin setup contacted him and asked him not to attend?

We have Donegal people saying for certain that they know people on the panel and they can say for certain that McBrearty was bitten. I've seen comments on other forums from Dublin people saying that they know the person mentioned in the Times and that they categorically deny biting anyone hence the appeal to an original sentence that was based on a referee's report. So based on that they issued a three match ban to a player and then asked him to prove his innocence and then throw out the finding of not proven again leaving room for the doubters to say ah yeah he must have done it we just can't prove it.

A fuckin shambles from start to finish and so now we have the situation whereby anyone can make an allegation against another player , provide "evidence" and then say nothing when it's dismissed

Not a shred of evidence. To quote media reports:

There was no evidence.

Not the evidence was inclusive.

Not there was a grey area.

There was no evidence.

I agree. There was a bite but no evidence that KOB did it.

[Is this something extra that producers have thrown in?]

Loving Game of Thrones myself. I'm a good bit ahead (halfway through book 4) in the books but still haven't come across any reference to the Theon torture storyline. Is this something extra that producers have thrown in?

The books are brilliant btw, the inability to include all history and background to the characters is the only flaw in the TV show. However, if you were to do that each series would probably be 20 episodes long!

Nope. You'll get to it.

Crying out for a Poll here.

3 Ulsters in a row for Cavan. Great achievement. Well done to them.

And well done to our boys for getting to the final. They certainly exceeded expectations.