Paul Kimmage

[AZOffaly]

With all due respect, that's different than hoping they lose! It's fine to say in the abstract 'I'd prefer a tougher competition where you don't know you are going win every game'. But at an individual game level, that's a long way from shouting for the opposition!

[easytiger95]

As AZ notes, wishing for a tougher challenge in no way is equivalent with wishing your team to lose. And if we define Dublin supporters as people who actually do go to matches, I think you'd be walking a long time before you found one who would agree with your original premise.

[seafoid]

As AZ notes, wishing for a tougher challenge in no way is equivalent with wishing your team to lose. And if we define Dublin supporters as people who actually do go to matches, I think you'd be walking a long time before you found one who would agree with your original premise.

I'd  say 1 in 10 fans would take a broader view after 5 Sams.

[Hound]

Kimmage for all his morals and ethics is very quiet over his "good friend" Tom Humphries....

Was he the journalist who wrote a letter to the judge saying what a great fella Tom is? A GAA person did the same.

[screenexile]

Kimmage for all his morals and ethics is very quiet over his "good friend" Tom Humphries....

Was he the journalist who wrote a letter to the judge saying what a great fella Tom is? A GAA person did the same.

Pretty sure it was Kimmage's ex best friend who Lance Armstrong also doesn't like!

Still no idea who the "sportsman" is who gave a character reference.

[sid waddell]

As AZ notes, wishing for a tougher challenge in no way is equivalent with wishing your team to lose. And if we define Dublin supporters as people who actually do go to matches, I think you'd be walking a long time before you found one who would agree with your original premise.

What if we define Dublin supporters as including people who used to go to matches regularly but now rarely do? There are quite a lot of them.

Back in the 2000s, Dublin regularly attracted crowds of 70k plus to Leinster championship matches and Leinster finals were always sell-outs. That hasn't happened for a long time now.

Dublin used to pack out Croke Park for stand alone quarter-finals.

That hasn't happened since 2009.

So it seems there are actually quite a lot of people who have lost interest.

Generally when a team is successful and winning All-Irelands, their support base goes up. But Dublin's has gone down. I find that very interesting and can only presume that quite a lot of Dublin people are bored of the seemingly relentless nature of their dominance.

Wishing for a tougher challenge could mean wanting the opposition to do well, just not quite well enough. Or it could mean actually mean wanting the opposition to win. But, whatever, it definitely means wanting the opposition to do better than they're doing, so in many respects, that does actually amount to cheering against your own team.

Would you like Dublin to win 10 in a row? How about 15 in a row? Or 20 in a row?

[Captain Obvious]

2011 was the first of Dublins 7 in a row Leinster titles the attendance that day was 43,983. Looks like some "supporters" were bored before that dominance even began. Now lets stick to the point that no true supporter would want his team to lose end of.

[rodney trotter]

The supporters are probably  too use to being in Croke Park.  Dublin played the League games in Parnell Park in early 2000s. A different buzz for supporters going to watch Dublin in championship back then, when Leinster was more open.  Westmeath,Meath,Laois all being competitive

[tonto1888]

As AZ notes, wishing for a tougher challenge in no way is equivalent with wishing your team to lose. And if we define Dublin supporters as people who actually do go to matches, I think you'd be walking a long time before you found one who would agree with your original premise.

What if we define Dublin supporters as including people who used to go to matches regularly but now rarely do? There are quite a lot of them.

Back in the 2000s, Dublin regularly attracted crowds of 70k plus to Leinster championship matches and Leinster finals were always sell-outs. That hasn't happened for a long time now.

Dublin used to pack out Croke Park for stand alone quarter-finals.

That hasn't happened since 2009.

So it seems there are actually quite a lot of people who have lost interest.

Generally when a team is successful and winning All-Irelands, their support base goes up. But Dublin's has gone down. I find that very interesting and can only presume that quite a lot of Dublin people are bored of the seemingly relentless nature of their dominance.

Wishing for a tougher challenge could mean wanting the opposition to do well, just not quite well enough. Or it could mean actually mean wanting the opposition to win. But, whatever, it definitely means wanting the opposition to do better than they're doing, so in many respects, that does actually amount to cheering against your own team.

Would you like Dublin to win 10 in a row? How about 15 in a row? Or 20 in a row?

Maybe money is a factor?

[sid waddell]

2011 was the first of Dublins 7 in a row Leinster titles the attendance that day was 43,983. Looks like some "supporters" were bored before that dominance even began. Now lets stick to the point that no true supporter would want his team to lose end of.

What's a "true supporter"?

Somebody who is utterly one-eyed about anything to do with "their team"? Or somebody who can see the bigger picture of their continuing relentless dominance in the vast majority of their matches, the vast majority of which are played in their home stadium, against a background of vastly superior financial and playing resources, being both boring and bad for the game in general?

[sid waddell]

As AZ notes, wishing for a tougher challenge in no way is equivalent with wishing your team to lose. And if we define Dublin supporters as people who actually do go to matches, I think you'd be walking a long time before you found one who would agree with your original premise.

What if we define Dublin supporters as including people who used to go to matches regularly but now rarely do? There are quite a lot of them.

Back in the 2000s, Dublin regularly attracted crowds of 70k plus to Leinster championship matches and Leinster finals were always sell-outs. That hasn't happened for a long time now.

Dublin used to pack out Croke Park for stand alone quarter-finals.

That hasn't happened since 2009.

So it seems there are actually quite a lot of people who have lost interest.

Generally when a team is successful and winning All-Irelands, their support base goes up. But Dublin's has gone down. I find that very interesting and can only presume that quite a lot of Dublin people are bored of the seemingly relentless nature of their dominance.

Wishing for a tougher challenge could mean wanting the opposition to do well, just not quite well enough. Or it could mean actually mean wanting the opposition to win. But, whatever, it definitely means wanting the opposition to do better than they're doing, so in many respects, that does actually amount to cheering against your own team.

Would you like Dublin to win 10 in a row? How about 15 in a row? Or 20 in a row?

Maybe money is a factor?

Hardly.

Mayo's regular support base increased hugely during a time of recession.

Donegal's support base swelled at the same time.

And both those counties were affected far more by the crash than Dublin.

Also, Dublin supporters don't have to travel very much for matches.

[Captain Obvious]

What's a "true supporter"?

Someone that doesn't want to see his team lose their most important match of the year.

[Ball Hopper]

https://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/paul-kimmage/paul-kimmage-they-will-never-forget-his-name-the-paedophile-tom-humphries-36270205.html

[Itchy]

https://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/paul-kimmage/paul-kimmage-they-will-never-forget-his-name-the-paedophile-tom-humphries-36270205.html

Great two sides to the story article. Can anyone point me to the two sides tongue story article on Lance Armstrong?

[JimStynes]

https://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/paul-kimmage/paul-kimmage-success-and-acceptance-at-the-centre-of-jason-sherlock-story-36249221.html

Another class piece by Kimmage.