The "pointless" NFL

[Hound]

the calendar might need tweaking, the hurling championship definitely needs amending, but in my opinion the football championship format is close to perfect. It would be perfect if each of the provinces had an equal or near equal amount of teams.

The "backdoor" gets a lof of abuse, but the reality is that every game in championship is knockout.
Every team only has one chance to win their provincial title (i.e. lose once and you're out)
Then when you are finished with the provincial championship (either through winning it or getting knocked out of it), you get one chance in the All Ireland series.

A champions league system could never work. Dead rubbers in so-called championship football would be a disaster. If we ever decide to go professional, then we can think about bringing in a champions league style system!

[Zulu]

Hound, I agree a champions league system would be a disaster but the format I've suggested wouldn't as every team has something to play for to the last game. Furthermore, all teams have a realistic chance of silverware, their own division and it also provides team a path to a better All Ireland run. Take Longford for example, they've gone from division 4 to division 2 so when they were in division 4 they were guaranteed to meet a division 1 team in the championship, when in division 3 they had to meet a division 2 team but now they'd meet a division 3 team in the first round of my championship so the chances of a run in the All Ireland series increases. This would/should/could mean a growing sense of excitement in Longford as their team progresses in the league and in the run up to each championship.

As it stands, whatever excitement that a good league run generates is always deflated by the knowing opinions of all that 'it's only the league'. I don't know how you can say the current format is near perfect, not only is January to May (5 shagging months) glorified shadow boxing but even the provincial championships are undermined and any team who has won one or two of them recently are only focused on winning the All Ireland. Who had the happier winter Galway or Kilkenny?

We should never discuss the league or the championship, it's the season that we should discuss and when we do that I don't know how anyone can conclude it's anything other than a disaster. The piece below is taken from a piece in todays Examiner about a recent youth GAA survey;

The issue of fixtures is also an area of concern for older teenagers and young adults, according to Campion.

"It was a big thing that came up. They have said they are not getting enough games. We are looking at why young people are leaving the GAA and that point did come up as one of the reasons.

"If your county is doing really well, the club scene is paused. One person in Mayo said to me his friend had gone on the J1 to America, came back and still the club hadn't played the game. He said he'd have been better going on the J1 as well."

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