Messages

I understand but surely Burns needs games and plenty of them. we have all seen enough of McCurry and McShane and they aren't going to cut it at the top level.

I think McCurry has shown plenty at this level at various stages to prove he has it. It's very likely that he could end up Tyrone's all time top scorer in Championship.

He's still only 24 but is off the back of a couple of disappointing seasons. I hope he can start putting it back together this year again and I think he has a very good understanding with McAliskey.

Is Burns still at UUJ? I know he wasn't playing with them in the McKenna Cup but Mickey rarely gives over his whole contingent.

So is it just GAA scholarships you don't approve of or all amateur sports scholarships?

Sports scholarships in general but I would think GAA players would get the vast bulk of these in most Irish universities and they already get well looked after by the state as it is.

He has a point in fairness. Especially when you look at the wider societal view. And deciding on who gets a scholarship is very subjective.....what's the criteria? What's the cutoff?

How has he a point ?
If an individual or business wish to give something to somebody then who are we to say it is not right. Getting stuff because you are better at something than most others is the way of the world

A lot of it is public money. Player grants, scholarships and now a government minister in the South calling for tax breaks. Not to mention all their other untaxed earnings and benefits such as free cars that a working individual would have to pay tax on in the way of a BIK.

I think its wrong, they're pursuing a hobby, a lot of other people have to pack in their hobbies without any sort of benefit. There's a sense of entitlement there that they are owed a living because they are good at a hobby.

If they get money or benefits in this way, it should be declared and taxable.

Any team news or report from that game? Result not surprising.....Sligo IT were supposed to be poor this year.

Possibly the poorest team we've had in some time married to the fact that our key forward was instructed not to play by his county manager due to NFL game at weekend. Incredible the power county managers hold.

Proper order, in the case of player burnout, I think its right that players are protected from that sort of schedule. Why should university football take precedence over county?

A lot of county lads are on football scholarships in the colleges though - so they would be expected to play with the college.

So? That should be taken out of their hands. I don't think senior intercounty players should be playing university football. I have an issue with sports scholarships.

Why not, they are both university and county players by virtue of selection, why would one preclude the other?

Player burnout.

The u21 competition, which has been brilliant in recent years had to be completely revamped because of Sigerson.

Bomber do you think all football should be rearranged to suit county teams. University/College football is much more enjoyable to be part of than county u21football. Did you not get to college or something.
What in your opinion is player burnout

I went to university and had to work a 20 hour part time job and take out a student loan that I had to pay back to do so.

I don't think people should be getting handouts because they are good at a hobby that already benefits these guys enough, particularly when it is public money and a number of social crises are prevalent at the minute.

University is for going to educate yourself for your professional career. It's a typical GAA entitlement to think that these lads should get everything handed to them because they are good at a hobby. Many people sacrifice their hobbies for their career.

In you learned opinion what percentage of the student population of Ireland are getting a scholarship to play football.
Have you an issue with Peter Canavan getting paid large sums of money from sky mainly because he was a top footballer

I don't see what punditry has to do with Sigerson and neither do I know the money he makes from it. However, Peter Canadian is  yet another classic example of a player who has done very well financially out of a hobby.

I don't think intercounty players who already do very well out of pursuing their hobby, should really be filleting public money to gain even more perks out of pursuing a hobby.

A hobby ?
Collecting stamps is a hobby. The amount of time and effort county players put into preparing for and playing football makes it a fair bit more than just a hobby !
Supply and demand is the way things work. The more effort lads put into becoming better footballers the more people/schools/businesses wish to be associated with them. Only a very jealous person would begrudge someone the perks that their huge efforts accumulate

If its not a hobby then you tell me what is? Is it their professional career?"Amateur" sports are a hobby, whether you like it or not. Intercounty players get loads of financial another benefits from pursuing this past time.

If they don't enjoy it then why are they doing it?

Any team news or report from that game? Result not surprising.....Sligo IT were supposed to be poor this year.

Possibly the poorest team we've had in some time married to the fact that our key forward was instructed not to play by his county manager due to NFL game at weekend. Incredible the power county managers hold.

Proper order, in the case of player burnout, I think its right that players are protected from that sort of schedule. Why should university football take precedence over county?

A lot of county lads are on football scholarships in the colleges though - so they would be expected to play with the college.

So? That should be taken out of their hands. I don't think senior intercounty players should be playing university football. I have an issue with sports scholarships.

Why not, they are both university and county players by virtue of selection, why would one preclude the other?

Player burnout.

The u21 competition, which has been brilliant in recent years had to be completely revamped because of Sigerson.

Bomber do you think all football should be rearranged to suit county teams. University/College football is much more enjoyable to be part of than county u21football. Did you not get to college or something.
What in your opinion is player burnout

I went to university and had to work a 20 hour part time job and take out a student loan that I had to pay back to do so.

I don't think people should be getting handouts because they are good at a hobby that already benefits these guys enough, particularly when it is public money and a number of social crises are prevalent at the minute.

University is for going to educate yourself for your professional career. It's a typical GAA entitlement to think that these lads should get everything handed to them because they are good at a hobby. Many people sacrifice their hobbies for their career.

In you learned opinion what percentage of the student population of Ireland are getting a scholarship to play football.
Have you an issue with Peter Canavan getting paid large sums of money from sky mainly because he was a top footballer

I don't see what punditry has to do with Sigerson and neither do I know the money he makes from it. However, Peter Canadian is  yet another classic example of a player who has done very well financially out of a hobby.

I don't think intercounty players who already do very well out of pursuing their hobby, should really be filleting public money to gain even more perks out of pursuing a hobby. 

was the tyrone team not named tonight?

Doesn't look like it. Usually on the Thursday night that it's named.

I presume Pearse is being kept hidden so that the strategic politically correct gender balance Dublin based Marylou won't have anyone stealing her thunder.
The O'Neill one seems an absolute disaster.

I know nothing about O'Neill but why does she seem an absolute disaster

Because he's a blueshirt.

Any team news or report from that game? Result not surprising.....Sligo IT were supposed to be poor this year.

Possibly the poorest team we've had in some time married to the fact that our key forward was instructed not to play by his county manager due to NFL game at weekend. Incredible the power county managers hold.

Proper order, in the case of player burnout, I think its right that players are protected from that sort of schedule. Why should university football take precedence over county?

A lot of county lads are on football scholarships in the colleges though - so they would be expected to play with the college.

So? That should be taken out of their hands. I don't think senior intercounty players should be playing university football. I have an issue with sports scholarships.

Why not, they are both university and county players by virtue of selection, why would one preclude the other?

Player burnout.

The u21 competition, which has been brilliant in recent years had to be completely revamped because of Sigerson.

Bomber do you think all football should be rearranged to suit county teams. University/College football is much more enjoyable to be part of than county u21football. Did you not get to college or something.
What in your opinion is player burnout

I went to university and had to work a 20 hour part time job and take out a student loan that I had to pay back to do so.

I don't think people should be getting handouts because they are good at a hobby that already benefits these guys enough, particularly when it is public money and a number of social crises are prevalent at the minute.

University is for going to educate yourself for your professional career. It's a typical GAA entitlement to think that these lads should get everything handed to them because they are good at a hobby. Many people sacrifice their hobbies for their career.

Any team news or report from that game? Result not surprising.....Sligo IT were supposed to be poor this year.

Possibly the poorest team we've had in some time married to the fact that our key forward was instructed not to play by his county manager due to NFL game at weekend. Incredible the power county managers hold.

Proper order, in the case of player burnout, I think its right that players are protected from that sort of schedule. Why should university football take precedence over county?

A lot of county lads are on football scholarships in the colleges though - so they would be expected to play with the college.

So? That should be taken out of their hands. I don't think senior intercounty players should be playing university football. I have an issue with sports scholarships.

Why not, they are both university and county players by virtue of selection, why would one preclude the other?

Player burnout.

The u21 competition, which has been brilliant in recent years had to be completely revamped because of Sigerson.

Any team news or report from that game? Result not surprising.....Sligo IT were supposed to be poor this year.

Possibly the poorest team we've had in some time married to the fact that our key forward was instructed not to play by his county manager due to NFL game at weekend. Incredible the power county managers hold.

Proper order, in the case of player burnout, I think its right that players are protected from that sort of schedule. Why should university football take precedence over county?

A lot of county lads are on football scholarships in the colleges though - so they would be expected to play with the college.

So? That should be taken out of their hands. I don't think senior intercounty players should be playing university football. I have an issue with sports scholarships.

Any team news or report from that game? Result not surprising.....Sligo IT were supposed to be poor this year.

Possibly the poorest team we've had in some time married to the fact that our key forward was instructed not to play by his county manager due to NFL game at weekend. Incredible the power county managers hold.

Proper order, in the case of player burnout, I think its right that players are protected from that sort of schedule. Why should university football take precedence over county?

It's bad when you're linking to Joe.ie. Huge difference between the dozen or so star players in each province and every other poor fecker playing the sport at IC level.

If they were poor, they would hardly be playing it. Lee Chin is proof about how some of these players do very well out of the game.

They were talking about Joe's latest offering today on the OTB paper review on Newstalk.
Apparently he is lamenting the 'fact' that players don't practice skills on their own anymore and everything is so regimented.
The presenter responded to this by saying that every top player they have on says they DO in fact practice their skills on their own, i.e. heading up to the local field with a bag of balls to practice their shooting etc.
My problem with Joe is his reliance on repetitive anecdotes (many of which are rehashed in today's article) and sweeping generalisations.
He is very selective with the evidence he uses to support his assertions, which is ironic given his line of work.

Here's the thing. Joe is out of the loop! How does he know what players do? He has not been involved in intercounty for 20 years! He's relying on hearsay and soundbites.

Also there are different strokes for different folks. I can understand the Likes of Dean Rock and Cillian spending extra time  practicing their skills on their own,  I'd imagine less of this time is spent by back or a midfielder for that matter.

Skills are more important now than ever when you consider that 1-15 have to be comfortable on the ball, corner backs and full backs will get up the field and will have opportunities in front of the posts, you look at McMahon, Keith Higgins, Frank McGlynn etc all bomb on and take scores. From a Tyrone perspective I can see it with the likes of Tiernan McCann and Colm Cavanagh who have improved the footballing side of their game so much over the past few years.

The one sole ill in the game at the minute is the widening gap between the top teams and the lower teams - it comes down to resources really. The game is now becoming pretty professional and the big counties are able to pull a few strings to allow their players to pretty much dedicate themselves to the game full time and be financially secure.

I saw recently that Lee Chin gave up his job recently. These guys can make an awful lot of money from their profile.

Couldn't agree more. Do the colleges hold some power I'm not aware of? It seems very obvious but in all the small changes that have been made, the colleges never seem to be touched.

How about university players play for their college until they get put out of the sigerson. Then they rejoin their county side. The sigerson could be brought forward a week or 2 to first week in February. That way the players may only miss 1 or 2 league games. That way everyone, particularly the players, is happy and the players get to play in the more important competition at that stage of the season.

Why should universities get preference?