An Mhí v Cill Dara

[Donnellys Hollow]

Hmm. Didn't McQuillan send off both Dermot Earley and Ronan Sweeney in a league match at the same venue a few years back? Dermot's red was rescinded afterwards.

[Dinny Breen]

Hmm. Didn't McQuillan send off both Dermot Earley and Ronan Sweeney in a league match at the same venue a few years back? Dermot's red was rescinded afterwards.

2009, never a red card offence card rightly rescinded

I wonder which Joe will turn up the one that reffed Wexford or the one that reffed Dublin?

[Jinxy]

Stop giving out about the ref.
We got there first.

[Orangemac]

Paddy O'Rourke and wet weather together could be good, though.

Certainly was against Down. Oh that Paddy O'Rourke!

[Offalylad]

Kildare have the greater potential to advance further than Meath would if they were to win I think.

[Hardy]

That's true. The loser had little enough potential to advance anyway.

[Royalranter]

That's true. The loser had little enough potential to advance anyway.

Never a truer word spoken.

[Jinxy]

That's true. The loser had little enough potential to advance anyway.

That'll learn him. 

[Offalylad]

That's true. The loser had little enough potential to advance anyway.

I was clearly saying Kildare would be the better bet to advance late into the competition  if they won than Meath would be if they won. Smartarse.

[Jinxy]

Don't be coming in here starting rows.
The Kildare lads will be diving all over the place.

[Dinny Breen]

Did someone mention my name?

[AZOffaly]

Jaysus Dinny, that's a rare photo. He's standing up.

[Jinxy]

He must have rotated it in photoshop.

[PAULD123]

Kildare have the greater potential to advance further than Meath would if they were to win I think.

That makes little sense if Meath are better than Kildare then they have a better chance of advancing than Kildare. The best team has the best chance. You are basically suggesting that Meath are worse than Kildare even if they are better than them.

I think you are just buying into a ridiculous media hype about Kildare that has no real basis. Kildare are a good side but that's about all. Dublin outclassed them until stupidly taking the foot off the gas. Kildare beat unprepared Wicklow and Meath sides. The only time they faced a quality team (Dublin) they lost, and should have lost by more.

Your point would be valid if one team had a load of injures/suspensions which were all due back in the next game. But that is not true of either side. So basically it is nothing more than buying into foolish hype.

[AZOffaly]

Jaysus Paul, have you ever been wrong about anything? I've never seen anyone so *certain* all the time.

Surely you've seen games where the better team didn't win? Due to a bad day perhaps? I can think of a certain All Ireland quarter final last year for example.

Maybe other factors? Lucky bounce? Sending off? I distrust anyone who deals in absolutes, and anyone who says that the winner of any game is definitely the better team is on dodgy ground.

Lets say, for hypothetical purposes, that Meath beat Kildare because a) They are local rivals with a history, b) They are at home, c) They get a lucky goal or 2, d) Tomás O'Connor is sent off for decapitating the Meath full back.

In those hypothetical circumstances, would you accept that were Meath and Kildare to meet on neutral grounds 10 more times, there's no guarantee that Meath won win even 5? (There's no guarantee Kildare would either by the way).

So, we are back to Offalylad's point, which I understand. (Maybe it's a BIFFO thing)

On paper, and on performances to date, Kildare are a better team than Meath. If they were not playing each other, you would fancy Kildare to go a bit further than Meath, all things being equal.

The fact that they are playing each other brings all the variables I mentioned into a one off contest, which might well end up with Meath winning.

That does not invalidate his opinion that Meath would not then be a better team than Kildare. (He may be wrong, but I understand his point).

The better team does not always win, otherwise we wouldn't bother playing the games. Offaly would never have beaten Kerry in 1982, and hundreds of other upsets would never happen. If Clare beat Down (as they should have on the day) in Ennis, would you think Clare are better equipped for a run at the All Ireland than Down are now?  I doubt it.