Messages

If he is working hard to help others with this addiction then fair dues.  I have followed this for months and this is an intriguing story. 

Listening to his interviews he sounds truly reformed character but his actions would state otherwise.  He was thrust into the public eye when the porn scandal came out, and he has kept himself there with this book and the exploits he gets into as explained in the book.

I think anyone who releases an autobiography is open game for questions on any aspects of it and Gilroy was more than right to prod for more information.   

It was clearly inferred that the reason for Tyrone clubs lack of success in ulster was due to the fact their championship was that "competitive" teams were spent the time ulster matches came around; comments that the same faces from Armagh/Derry/Down/Monaghan were always there or thereabouts in Ulster was that they "walked" through their championships without challenge which is bull.   

From reading posts, people are clearing trying to make a point the Tyrone championship is the toughest in Ulster.  The point I was trying to make is that if it that tough, and the winner is that deserving of the title, why do they not compete as well as they should?   

Regarding Maghery, semi-finalists, they have done as well as any Tyrone team in ulster in the past 10 years bar Omagh in 2014, as far as I mind the only Tyrone team to reach a final?

Beg my ignorance, but is the point of each county championship not to determine the best team in that county at knockout football? Therefore the best selected team would go on as representatives of their county in the provincial club championship to determine the best team in the province?
If the Tyrone championship is superior to the rest, surly their county champions would have more of an impact in the ulster series than they have? Surly the tougher run of games will stand to them better?   

Bar sneaking/cheating behind his GF back he sort of was no?

Although the word "victim" dramatizes his role in this, he was still being a sneaky sod!

What is the purpose to this book? Is it an autobiography detailing his journey so far both GAA/Personal or more of a guide on how he has overcame his gambling problems or both?
To be honest, he wouldn't be the most interesting player in the game to talk about his GAA exploits with Tyrone. 
If he talks about the situations he has got himself into I would have to take them with a pinch of salt also, he is hardly going to make himself come off the villain everyone thinks he is. 
The only remotely interesting thing I would find in this book is how he managed to overcome his addiction to gambling.  But tbh the idea of a book at this stage in his career/life stinks of opportunism.

Spot on Mo, where does the line be drawn if the court was to rule the other way.  People with genuine bigotry could use deep religious values as a fall back to discriminate at will if that were the case.   

The family clearly are deeply religious and the negative media will depict them as something they are not, but surely they should know there's a difference in writing a sentence on a cake which they will never see again and attending gay pride rally's for example.   

Would expect Monaghan/Down winner to be there or there abouts, tough opening round draw but will serve the winner well.  Kilcoo seem to be gaining traction with every game.  Would Scotstown be favourites for Monaghan again?

Cross may get it tough against Cullyhanna in the Armagh semis, Cullyhanna being very consistent all year and wouldn't suffer from the deer in headlights effect that plagues club teams playing Cross.  Both Maghery and Clan Eireann would pose a serious ask in the final also.   

Good piece in Belfast Telegraph worth a read.  There would be many people out there with fragile mental health issues, but to do this is something else. 
Agree with ONeil in that until this tragedy is fully analysed from all angles it would be unfair to speculate what caused this

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/stop-making-excuses-for-alan-hawe-he-killed-three-sons-and-wife-with-hatchet-and-knives-35024458.html

I suppose it can be seen as another performance indicator for certain players on the field.  The same can be said for total distance run, not an indicator of how well a corner back plays whose game would be limited to containing a forward, but equally important to know how hard a half forward/back may be working. 

Given the state of the game at present I would imagine it wouldn't be too hard to rack up high possessions all the same!

Entourage great show, Drama one of the funniest characters on tv, also watch Ari's best bits on YouTube, they are hard to beat.  Last few seasons not as great as the first few but very watchable all the same!

Thought the ref was inconsistent with the black cards but Donnellys was deserved. 

The most frustrating thing was Donegal style, they kept trying to draw the Tyrone players out and at one stage at the 60min mark they had the ball at the 21 and it was again returned to the halfway line but then Tyrone's zonal marking and counter attacking style led to this.  It would have been some game if they went man to man, shackles off attacking football, not to be tho!

Club football should not be a reflection on the county team.  The CB are working to make club football as competitive as they can, last few years a backdoor existed in the championship (unsure if it is still running this year?), effectively giving bigger teams such as Maghery, Cullyhanna, Harps the second, presumably nerve free shot at Cross.  This year they have split the leagues into smaller pairings, most senior matches I have seen have been top standard and competitive, no real tankings taking place compared to last year so really don't think club football is a factor. 

As for the standard Armagh club football is at compared to elsewhere how do you measure that?   

I would find gambling similar to how people would have treated smoking 30 years ago, more of a social thing.  It's an opening for a conversation, keeps the craic going and very much keeps you in the click.  Sometimes I pick up on a thing or two and spark up a betting convo with older players to kill an awkward silence(even though I don't have a clue wtf I'm on about). 

At club training there isn't a 5 minute period were someone is not talking about betting to some degree.  Our wattsapp group is littered with "tips" and when the thing gets going there are over 100 messages in the space of an hour.  A few of my friends are big big gamblers and when I say something about it it's usually brushed aside with comments such as "sure I haven't gambled in 10 days". 

We are usually educated at football about drinking before matches and training, but I would imagine waiting on a big bet to come in would have as detrimental an effect as rolling onto the pitch hungover. 

Good read and very on point, it is easy to assume there must be a fallout with cross players due to the lack of them but most have valid reasons for not being a part of the panel.  Aaron Kernan has gave 10 years' service to the team also, a long slog for any player. 

With respect to Brolly, most of what he says is true, but his manner and snide tone in which he says it really hinders his punditry and analysis.  Also some of his facts are blatantly wrong.  Mc Geeneys "vice grip" on Armagh football is factitious, as Maghery had the Forkers playing league football for at least 1 match I know of, but sure someone sitting listening to it would believe it, such comments would indicate research at some level. 

Tony's right, Jamie Clarke's attitude is pure ridiculous.  Armagh GAA should tear up his 100k a week contract he is on for his lack of respect he has shown them.  He should be banned from south Armagh for playing a foreign sport and booted out of Ireland full time if he likes travelling that much.  It's a farcical a man in his mid-20's is allowed to make his own choices these days. 

T Fearon  = GAA Board Joe Brolly.  Are the statements extravagant because he genuinely believes them? Or does he love the attention they garnish.