Messages

1

General discussion / Re: The IRISH RUGBY thread

« on: November 20, 2018, 02:09:42 PM »

But they couldn't hold it from their employer without being in breach of contract I imagine. They may be able to dictate what they, or the employer, puts into the public domain.

2

General discussion / Re: The IRISH RUGBY thread

« on: November 20, 2018, 12:28:36 PM »

Irish Rugby players are all being educated on GDPR, their medical data is their's to control and they are refusing the IRFU to give more detailed responses on injuries.

Heh???

3

Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling

« on: November 16, 2018, 10:40:22 AM »

I see Bobby Farren has been proposed as Chairman opposing the incumbent Brian Smith.

4

General discussion / Re: Brexit.

« on: November 15, 2018, 01:09:48 PM »

There has been a lot of whooping and hollering from nationalists and republicans, and indeed sundry others [not so much on here but on SM generally] about the Dup getting egg on their face [laughable and richly deserved as that is] and that there is an inevitability about this process leading to a UI.

I would caution anyone to get too cockahoop about any of the outcomes of Brexit as regards how it will affect the north. The outworkings of any scenario - no deal, hard deal, soft deal or remain - are far too complicated to predict how this may pan out with regard to reunification. Any or all of these could lead to a UI becoming more likely but could equally cement NI's place in the UK. The results of this may not be seen for many years.

5

GAA Discussion / Re: Positive proposals at last to address the spectacle of Gaelic Football

« on: November 14, 2018, 11:13:03 AM »

Back to 21 aside and point posts!

That just typifies the attitude.

6

GAA Discussion / Re: Positive proposals at last to address the spectacle of Gaelic Football

« on: November 14, 2018, 10:49:28 AM »

Ironically the best change they could make would be to tier the Championship. The weaker teams play these keep ball systems in order to frustrate the more talented teams. But that would be too much sense. Better to make players kick the ball and if they don't kick it we'll take the ball off them and let the other team kick it back to them until someone kicks it over the bar.

Trailer, as a proponent of Tiering can you think of any negatives that may arise from a tiered championship?

I can think of no downside.

Teams get to compete at their level.
Opportunity for more teams to realistically win something.
More competitive, better quality games.
Teams will take the field with a view to beating their opponents rather than an attitude of avoiding a tanking. Resulting in more positive play.
More regular games.
More meaningful games.
If done right, a condensed county season should also come out of an overall fixtures plan that will benefit club and county player alike.

In future all threads on this subject, and indeed committees designed to change the rules should be named 'I can think of no downside'.

The above is a great example of something I said in an earlier post. This debate is characterised by great ideas about how to solve all the ills of our sport, usually shamelessly plagiarised from another poster, media outlet, or indeed another sport altogether.

The proposal is usually accompanied by a point blank refusal to contemplate that there dearly held beliefs might have some unintended consequences that don't make the game the magnificent spectacle they had been planning on.

All sport has good and bad games, all sport has periods when there is a level playing field between a number of teams that makes for a great competition, all sport has periods when there are defensive systems in place that make for a dour spectacle, all sport has turgid games.

It appears to me though that Gaelic football has a larger proportion of followers and commentators who are continually self flagellating about the ills of the game and proposing how to fix it than does most other sports, including hurling. And it also appears that this clamour to 'do something' is getting louder and more widespread.

And it also appears that the determination to avoid any contemplation of doing harm to the Association by the constant and unremitting criticism of our games and the demands to make changes is getting more strident also.   

7

General discussion / Re: Things that make you go What the F**k?

« on: November 13, 2018, 12:44:09 PM »

https://news.sky.com/story/ufo-investigated-in-ireland-after-multiple-aircraft-sightings-11552908

Among the most interesting lines from this is the last one:

"This report will be investigated under the normal confidential occurrence investigation process."

Why does it have to be confidential?
It's not like Ireland is conducting important air defence manoeuvres and we want it kept secret from adversaries!

Nobody knows 

8

GAA Discussion / Re: Positive proposals at last to address the spectacle of Gaelic Football

« on: November 13, 2018, 12:31:06 PM »

Ironically the best change they could make would be to tier the Championship. The weaker teams play these keep ball systems in order to frustrate the more talented teams. But that would be too much sense. Better to make players kick the ball and if they don't kick it we'll take the ball off them and let the other team kick it back to them until someone kicks it over the bar.

Trailer, as a proponent of Tiering can you think of any negatives that may arise from a tiered championship?

9

GAA Discussion / Re: Positive proposals at last to address the spectacle of Gaelic Football

« on: November 09, 2018, 03:15:37 PM »

Jases Keyzer you've some paranoia about change
Anyway anyone with half a brain would want something done about the abomination that is throwball.
That and the non stop possession borefest are the main (interlinked) problems.
We want more contests for possession and the ball in play more.
Will the current proposals give us this though?

Are you out to get me 

10

GAA Discussion / Re: Positive proposals at last to address the spectacle of Gaelic Football

« on: November 09, 2018, 01:21:21 PM »

Is there any other sport that introduces as many rule changes and trials as Gaelic football?

The AFL are concerned about some aspects of their game especially possession and bunching.
They are looking at some changes too to alleviate these.
The fact that people here and HQ are suggesting changes is a sure indication all is not well with the game at present.

As for the proposed changes I hear some " tidying" of the Sin bin will take place before CC considers the changes.
One change I'd love to see is an end to "throw points"

Sure, I know that every sport tweaks its rules, formats etc on an ongoing basis, but for as long as I can remember there has been a constant barrage of tinkering with formats, playing rules etc in GAA. It is a never ending process of change change change and where has it got us??

It appears from the media, and indeed this board, that we are at the to the stage where people are talking about the demise of Gaelic football despite there being an constant stream of changes to playing rules over the past 25+ years.

There is a constant clamour for change ... change this... change that .. change the other... and everyone has an opinion and a suggestion about what needs to be done to make the game perfect. I don't think I have ever seen a poster or pundit who has made a suggestion to amend rules who has given a single line of consideration to the down side of the changes they might propose, everyone only sees the merit in their own proposal. Maybe they need to re examine some of the changes already made which have contributed to the situation we are in now instead of mooting further changes to alleviate problems caused by previously introduced rules.

The latest proposals from this working group could have been formulated by any schoolboy reading this forum for a couple of weeks. And these are the people who are supposed to the Brains Trust of our organisation.

11

GAA Discussion / Re: Positive proposals at last to address the spectacle of Gaelic Football

« on: November 09, 2018, 09:59:13 AM »

The people who proposed this probably got their ideas from one of the regular threads on here pontificating that we need to "DO SOMETHING".

Most of their proposals have been proposed on here at some stage, and many of them in multple threads.

Is there any other sport that introduces as many rule changes and trials as Gaelic football?

12

General discussion / Re: man city new invincibles

« on: November 08, 2018, 11:39:13 AM »

Its mental stuff if true, little or no coverage thus far but I see journos on Twitter starting to call it out now..

Here's today revelations, I'm sure link to previous articles is in it.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/manchester-city-exposed-chapter-3-recruiting-pep-guardiola-a-1236621.html

Heres the original overview.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/football-leaks-manchester-city-paris-saint-germain-gianni-infantino-a-1236277.html

I know a bit about football revenues and it was obvious what City were up to but didn't know to that extent. They've not just broken the rules they've absolutely taken the piss out of it. The likelihood is that of City's turnover of £500m that at least £120m is complete fabrication. They wouldn't have won any of those league titles without doing so.

The Glazers don't care as its not really affecting them too much but can see why the likes of Real, Barca & Bayern want something done about it.

Are your concerns, and the concerns of Real, Barca and Bayern for ethical reasons, or purely because City can now challenge you all for honours? I don't remember too many concerns from United fans or fans of other big clubs of the financial advantages they had and still have over their fellow competitors? And lets be honest that advantage is significantly greater than any advantage City now exert over their immediate rivals. Financial doping ruined the competiveness of professional football a long time before City came on the scene, so don't expect the average fan to shed tears for United and other big clubs that don't like what City are doing.

You do not seem to understand what the term financial doping actually means. Having a large fan base and generating more revenue than other teams is a legitimate sporting and business model. Getting a massive handout from a random foreigner with no relation to what the club is able to generate from its own resources is an entirely different matter. It is the latter which is termed financial doping. Man Utd have suffered from the exact reverse of financial doping for the past decade, having had an owner who has used them as a cash cow from which money can be siphoned off at an enormous rate. 

Though I don't see why Real Madrid have any grounds to complain as they have benefitted from massive financial doping for decades.

And to the poster eulogizing Leicester's achievement as a strike against financial doping .. it appears to have slipped your mind  that they were taken over by a Thai billionairre, the recently deceased Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha RIP, which was the sole reason they were able to challenge for a title.

In no way was that Leicester team acquired in the manner of financial doping, it was an exercise in top class scouting and a fairytale season. Yes the Thai billionaire owns the club.

Are you seriously postulating that it wasn't his money that won them the league?

13

General discussion / Re: man city new invincibles

« on: November 08, 2018, 11:33:18 AM »

Its mental stuff if true, little or no coverage thus far but I see journos on Twitter starting to call it out now..

Here's today revelations, I'm sure link to previous articles is in it.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/manchester-city-exposed-chapter-3-recruiting-pep-guardiola-a-1236621.html

Heres the original overview.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/football-leaks-manchester-city-paris-saint-germain-gianni-infantino-a-1236277.html

I know a bit about football revenues and it was obvious what City were up to but didn't know to that extent. They've not just broken the rules they've absolutely taken the piss out of it. The likelihood is that of City's turnover of £500m that at least £120m is complete fabrication. They wouldn't have won any of those league titles without doing so.

The Glazers don't care as its not really affecting them too much but can see why the likes of Real, Barca & Bayern want something done about it.

Are your concerns, and the concerns of Real, Barca and Bayern for ethical reasons, or purely because City can now challenge you all for honours? I don't remember too many concerns from United fans or fans of other big clubs of the financial advantages they had and still have over their fellow competitors? And lets be honest that advantage is significantly greater than any advantage City now exert over their immediate rivals. Financial doping ruined the competiveness of professional football a long time before City came on the scene, so don't expect the average fan to shed tears for United and other big clubs that don't like what City are doing.

You do not seem to understand what the term financial doping actually means. Having a large fan base and generating more revenue than other teams is a legitimate sporting and business model. Getting a massive handout from a random foreigner with no relation to what the club is able to generate from its own resources is an entirely different matter. It is the latter which is termed financial doping. Man Utd have suffered from the exact reverse of financial doping for the past decade, having had an owner who has used them as a cash cow from which money can be siphoned off at an enormous rate. 

Though I don't see why Real Madrid have any grounds to complain as they have benefitted from massive financial doping for decades.

And to the poster eulogizing Leicester's achievement as a strike against financial doping .. it appears to have slipped your mind  that they were taken over by a Thai billionairre, the recently deceased Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha RIP, which was the sole reason they were able to challenge for a title.

On a side note I am always interested when GAA people say something like this regarding soccer. Because they are generally the same people who give off about Dublin and unfair competition. And yes I am aware that the GAA is amateur before anyone asks.

On a side note you saying this in relation to me is nonsense.

14

General discussion / Re: man city new invincibles

« on: November 08, 2018, 10:30:31 AM »

Its mental stuff if true, little or no coverage thus far but I see journos on Twitter starting to call it out now..

Here's today revelations, I'm sure link to previous articles is in it.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/manchester-city-exposed-chapter-3-recruiting-pep-guardiola-a-1236621.html

Heres the original overview.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/football-leaks-manchester-city-paris-saint-germain-gianni-infantino-a-1236277.html

I know a bit about football revenues and it was obvious what City were up to but didn't know to that extent. They've not just broken the rules they've absolutely taken the piss out of it. The likelihood is that of City's turnover of £500m that at least £120m is complete fabrication. They wouldn't have won any of those league titles without doing so.

The Glazers don't care as its not really affecting them too much but can see why the likes of Real, Barca & Bayern want something done about it.

Are your concerns, and the concerns of Real, Barca and Bayern for ethical reasons, or purely because City can now challenge you all for honours? I don't remember too many concerns from United fans or fans of other big clubs of the financial advantages they had and still have over their fellow competitors? And lets be honest that advantage is significantly greater than any advantage City now exert over their immediate rivals. Financial doping ruined the competiveness of professional football a long time before City came on the scene, so don't expect the average fan to shed tears for United and other big clubs that don't like what City are doing.

You do not seem to understand what the term financial doping actually means. Having a large fan base and generating more revenue than other teams is a legitimate sporting and business model. Getting a massive handout from a random foreigner with no relation to what the club is able to generate from its own resources is an entirely different matter. It is the latter which is termed financial doping. Man Utd have suffered from the exact reverse of financial doping for the past decade, having had an owner who has used them as a cash cow from which money can be siphoned off at an enormous rate. 

Though I don't see why Real Madrid have any grounds to complain as they have benefitted from massive financial doping for decades.

And to the poster eulogizing Leicester's achievement as a strike against financial doping .. it appears to have slipped your mind  that they were taken over by a Thai billionairre, the recently deceased Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha RIP, which was the sole reason they were able to challenge for a title.

15

General discussion / Re: The Many Faces of US Politics...

« on: November 05, 2018, 09:44:47 AM »

I see this thread is on Page 888. The number of the beast!!

Fake news