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Looks pretty cool... watch the video

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1190240/You-controller-Microsoft-unveils-Xbox-360-device-banishes-joypad-puts-player-IN-game.html

[North Korea steps up war of words]

I have been following this one for a while. So far they have tested 2 atomic bombs and this is the seventh missile test.
Extremely aggressive behaviour and they look to be on the brink of an attack against South Korea.



North Korea steps up war of words

North Korea today vowed to take further "self-defence" measures if provoked by the UN Security Council, which is discussing how to punish the regime for its nuclear test.

Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry also said in a statement the country will not recognise any Security Council resolutions unless the council first apologises for criticising Pyongyang's rocket launch last month.

"It will be inevitable for us to take further self-defence measures" if the council provokes the North, the statement said.

Tensions have been running high after the North conducted its second nuclear test and missile launches this week, rising further today as Chinese fishing boats pulled away from its coast, possibly to avoid skirmishes between the Koreas.

The North has been strident since its test – which it has also called a self-defensive measure. It did not specify what further action it was considering in response to UN resolutions, nor what it would consider a provocation.

Fears have increased of military skirmishes, particularly in disputed waters off the western coast, after North Korea conducted the nuclear test on Monday and then renounced the truce keeping peace between the Koreas since 1953.

The waters were the site of two deadly clashes in 1999 and 2002.

From Yeonpyeong, the South Korean island closest to the North, about a dozen Chinese ships could be seen pulling out of port in the North and heading elsewhere. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that more than 280 Chinese vessels were fishing in the area earlier this week, but the number has dropped to about 140.

It was not clear if the Chinese vessels, in the area for the crabbing season, were told by the North to leave or if they were leaving on their own for fear of clashes at sea.

South Korean and US troops facing North Korea raised their surveillance on Thursday to its highest level since 2006, when North Korea tested its first nuclear device. About 28,000 American troops are stationed across the South.

North Korea, whose 1.2-million strong military is one of the world's largest, says it is merely preparing to defend itself against what it says are plans by the US to launch a pre-emptive strike to overthrow its communist government.

The US has repeatedly denied any intention to attack North Korea.

In Washington, the Army's top officer, Gen George Casey, expressed confidence that the US could fight a conventional war against North Korea if necessary, despite continuing conflicts elsewhere.

But US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates said the situation is not a crisis and no additional US troops will be sent to the region.

Gates, en route to Singapore for regional defence talks, tried to lower the temperature.

"I don't think that anybody in the (Obama) administration thinks there is a crisis," Gates told reporters aboard his military jet early today.

Meanwhile, talks at the United Nations Security Council over possible sanctions for the nuclear test were moving forward slowly.

Russia's UN ambassador said there was wide agreement among key world powers on what a new UN resolution should include, but said putting the elements together will take time because the issues are "complicated".

A list of proposals was sent on Wednesday to the five permanent veto-wielding council members – the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France – and the two countries most closely affected by the nuclear test, Japan and South Korea.

Diplomats said a draft of the proposed resolution is not expected to be circulated until next week.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/north-korea-steps-up-war-of-words-412786.html#ixzz0Gu3OsGMT&B


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North Korea test-fires short-range missile
29/05/2009 - 12:00:42
North Korea test-fired another short-range missile off its east coast today.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency did not provide any details about the reported launch.

The launch would be the sixth short-range missile North Korea has test fired since its nuclear test on Monday.

Officials could not immediately confirm the report.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/north-korea-testfires-shortrange-missile-412804.html#ixzz0Gu3ArILR&B

Thats funny... 

If you are betting on a soccer match and it says 90 min only and your team win in injury time (93rd minute) do you lose the bet?

Could someone explain it exactly?

Im a fan of getting a crate of Miller and a few lemons. Adding the lemon to the bottles as you would add lime to Corona. Nice.

Thinking about changing it for a few cans of cold Guinness though... maybe a bit heavy?

Does anyone know a way to automatically ignore posts from certain users?

You can create an ignore list for PM's... but can you do it for threads?

Like a bullshit filter?

Funny, crazy, unbelievable and tragic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCYIa-gDRfI

Im wondering has anyone any experience in building and/or running a club gym?

At the minute we are in the process of redeveloping club facilities and we are incorporating a gym, predominately for players but it may open to club members and the public.

What is the story and implications with insurance?
Is there someone working/supervising there all the time?
Has anyone any links or contacts on equipment?

Basically how do other GAA clubs with gyms run it?

I have been in contact with a number of parties all ready but I would welcome any advise from other clubs... Thanks! 

Its a sensation.
I (downloaded and) watched it last night and again tonight.
One of the best films I have seen.

[Club of the Year]

This topic is to discuss reflections on Mayo club football this year.
If there is any stories or opinions on the season post away.


Club of the Year
It has to be Ballaghadreen for me. They had one of the hardest roots to the final and played some of the best football in the championship. Although I was disappointed with their Connaught club championship performance.


Club Manager of the year
It has to be Frank Kelly again fro finally bringing the title back to Ballaghaderreen although my gut feeling is that they will struggle next year.


Club Player of the Year
Barry Regan was head an shoulders above anyone this year. He clocked up huge scores and always looked like the danger man for Ballagh upfront.


Young club player of the year
Jason Gibbons from Ballintubber had some unreal displays this year. At 19 he is a good prospect for the future. Aidan O Shea deserves an honorable mention ans he was the main guy this year for Breaffy U21's at 18 years of age, with 3 years of U21 football left.

Best up and coming side



Feel free to add to the list....

["Domain Parking is a simple way to earn money from your domains' natural traffic. If you have registered domain names, but they are not currently being used, then domain parking is a great way to put those domains to work earning you revenue. You can make money without even lifting a finger! The idle domain is used to display relevant advertisements - every time a consumer clicks on one of the advertisements you earn money."From:http://www.sedo.com/services/tour_parking.php]

Firstly dont click any links that tyrone2010 posts.


Heres why.
On some threads (namely the Best GAA Websites topic) tyrone2010 is posting a link that is essentially used for Domain Parking.

"Domain Parking is a simple way to earn money from your domains' natural traffic. If you have registered domain names, but they are not currently being used, then domain parking is a great way to put those domains to work earning you revenue. You can make money without even lifting a finger! The idle domain is used to display relevant advertisements - every time a consumer clicks on one of the advertisements you earn money."
From:
http://www.sedo.com/services/tour_parking.php

He is posting links on here that have no relevance to GAA and trying make himself money.


Mods; delete his posts and ban this idiot!
The rest; dont click any of his links, ever.

Original post:

Boycott The International Rules Series

This year, and from now on, I for one will be boycotting the International Rules series totally. The Idea (or moment of clarity if you will) occurred to me while watching the minor All-Ireland finals this year.  We are completely playing into the hands of the Aussies and their poachers by supporting and promoting this series. Its crazy when you think about it.

The International Rules U-17 development panel is nothing but a team of potential young players to be stolen from our game. Pearse Hanley won the Ron Barassi medal as the best player of the 2006 U-17 International Rules for Ireland against Australia. Now, instead of shining for his county he is in Oz playing Aussie Rules for Brisbane Lions. Martin Clarke from Down, Armagh's Kevin Dyas, and Cork's Michael Shields have all taken up contracts as of late. I know that a lot of other counties have lost players too.

It seems to me the whole series was set up as a catchment net, where Ireland show off their best young talent to our Aussie counterparts. I cant think of any other legitimate reason for this hybrid game. What is the point of it?? So the Aussies can embarrass us again?? All we are doing is putting ideas in young lads heads, promoting Aussie Rules and letting the Aussies see the best we have to offer. We are being played as fools. The wool has being pulled over our eyes for long enough and its time that the whole thing was boycotted for good. It's a shite game anyway IMO.

Above was my original gripe but I think it was in vein as the development squads have now stopped.

But it seems Nicky Brennan agreed with me about showcasing our young talent.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22617052-11088,00.html

Anyway im still not supporting it.
I dont want to see our senior players getting humiliated/hurt again after that debacle 16 months ago

Just got these in an email. I dont mean to offend any Dubs BTW!
The same jokes came out about us after our AIF losses so its only a bit of fun.
(and personally id like to see the Dubs win Sam)

Anyway here is goes...


Question: What's the difference between a Dublin GAA jersey and a school uniform??
Answer: You can see school uniforms in September.


Question: Did you hear about the Dublin bra?
Answer: All support and no cup!!


Question: What do you say to a Dub on All-Ireland Final day?
Answer: 2 hot dogs please


Question: Whats blue and navy and goes beep, beep, beep?
Answer: Dublins's open top bus reversing back into the garage!!!


Question: What do you call a Dublin man with an all Ireland medal?
Answer: An antique dealer!


Question: What Dublin's national anthem?
Answer: What's another year!


Paul Caffrey was arrested last night after vandalising a cigarette machine, he replied by saying he was in a bad way for 20 players!!


Question: How does a Dublin man become a Millionaire?
Answer: By saving for the All Ireland.

I want to bounce a few ideas and get an opinion on if the following is possible.

I am flying from Dublin airport at 930 on Saturday night (international flight) but id like to get the Mayo match in Croke Park at 4pm.
Ill be coming up from Mayo with luggage so im wondering what are my options and if its logistically possible??

One possibility is to park early at the airport and head to croke park (dont know how)
and then head back to the airport after the match (again dont know how, perhaps taxi)

Any ideas? Is it possible?

Im heading to Morocco for a week and someone asked me if im getting any jabs for Hep A and Typhoid etc...

Do i need them? Cant imagine wandering far from the Complex and beach. And wont drink the water!

Hi Guys,
I will be in Morocco for the weekend of the 2nd of August until the 9th and im wondering is there any Irish Pub In Morocco that would be showing the GAA matches including the Mayo match that weekend in the AI qualifiers?

[Forward thinking beats blanket defending]

Another article in The Coach Corner by Liam Horan in the Galway Independent regarding forward play and playing the ball first time into the forwards.
I have heard the boast by Kerry lads that they pioneered this tactic by having Donaughy in at Full Forward and hitting it first time into him from way out.
But a lot of clubs play a similar style. In Mayo Crossmolina rarely take a solo and its all first time football. Great to watch the early runs and long passing perfected. Its hard to defend against it.

The Coach 25th June 2008     

Forward thinking beats blanket defending

A senior club coach writes: "Our best forward is getting marked out of a lot of games. Opponents always put their best defender on him and often they double up. What can we do to get him more into the game?"

We put your question to a man who knows this predicament well, two-time All Star winner and iconic Tipperary forward, Declan Browne. Only 30 but retired from the inter-county scene for a year, Browne has given a few forwards' sessions to Matty Forde and co in Wexford recently as well as taking charge of the Under-14 team at his club Moyle Rovers.

He's thinking of getting into inter-county management "maybe in five to ten years", but is still focused on playing at club level. Unfortunately Tipp's most famous ever footballer is sidelined with a cruciate injury and will be out until at least early 2009. It's a long road back but he has trademark determination on his side, and drew encouragement from the rehabilitation of the man who many would see as his hurling equivalent, Henry Shefflin.

"First of all, coping with the best defenders is part and parcel of the game," he said. "As a forward you're depending on your outside men to get the right ball in to you. Then it's easy to make space for yourself. Otherwise it's 50/50 and most good defenders will win the majority of 50/50s. You need to weight it 60/40 in favour of the forward."

And the right ball is? "First-time ball every time. No soloing. The forward needs to be isolated and as soon as he makes the run the ball must be played in to him, then it's up to the forward to do his job."

As we discussed last week, the ability to kick off both sides is essential to a forward. "Training my juvenile team I practice that more than anything else: it gets you out of so much trouble," said Browne, continuing: "And as regards getting double-teamed, I try to stay out of the game as much as possible then – drag the markers out to the sideline because if I do that then someone else has to be left free.

"It can be frustrating not to be in the game as much when that happens but it's a team game and you have to put the team ahead of yourself."

[Visualising the road to glory]

A couple of weeks ago we had the topic on Overtraining which was in relation to Articles from the "Coach Corner" in the Galway Independent
(http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=6554.msg243849#msg243849)

This week they expand on the idea of visualisation techniques as part of sport psychology and preparation.

Here is the article...


Visualising the road to glory
Written by Liam Horan   

Last week, we talked to Cork-based sport psychologist Canice Kennedy about the role of psychology in ensuring that athletes regained peak performance after injury. A number of readers have enquired about the visualisation techniques Canice recommended, with several keen to know how these techniques can be applied to free-taking.
Image

Sports psychologists often describe visualisation as a rather complex five-step process.

   1. Internalising: Picture yourself making the perfect kick
   2. Externalising: Project these pictures outside of yourself
   3. Forecasting: Imagine yourself in a game situation
   4. Emotionalising: Feel the energy of a successful kick
   5. Verbalising: Describe the process out loud.

Canice Kennedy likes to keep things as simple as possible.

"Basically, visualisation is what we all did as kids. When we pictured ourselves in Croke Park or Wembley scoring the winner, that was visualisation. The problem is, as we move into adulthood, those positive visual images are increasingly replaced by negative ones.

So instead of putting good message into our brain – which is what visualisation is all about – we are sending negative ones. We recall the time we missed that crucial free. We fear letting the team down. All these negative thoughts impair performance.

Let's take the example of a free taker. Closed skills like kicking frees are ideal subjects for visualisation.

Without getting too bogged down in the scientific jargon, the key to successful visualisation is not to picture yourself kicking but to experience the kick in your head.

Go to a quiet place, relax and cut out any distractions. You must carry out the entire process of the kick at game pace.

Carry out your regular routine in your mind. Place the ball as you normally would – picture the logo facing towards you maybe. Take your steps back and begin your run-up as you normally would. Experience the kick itself and watch it sail over. Enjoy the feeling. Keep sending your brain positive messages.

The ideal age to start practising visualisation techniques is in the early teens, when the mind is more open, but athletes of any age can benefit hugely.

Jonny Wilkinson is probably the greatest example of a kicker using visualisation to retain his technique during injury layoffs."

***************************************

[GAA on red alert amid Aussie scout invasion]

From the HoganStand...


GAA on red alert amid Aussie scout invasion
13 February 2008

Alarm bells are ringing in the GAA after word spread that Aussie Rules scouts will be placed in all 32 counties to tap emerging talent.

The proposed scheme is the brainchild of agent Ricky Nixon, who will sell information on Ireland's pool of talent to AFL clubs.

Having already lost the likes of Martin Clarke, the O hAilpins, Tadgh Kennelly, Colm Begley, Pierce Hanley, Brendan Murphy and Kevin Dyas to the Aussie code, the GAA will not want the drain of talent to accelerate.

The situation is a grave concern to Association chiefs, who are expected to act quickly in the face of this new threat.


*****************************

It sounds like the Aussies are stepping up their recruitment of players from Ireland.
The article above sounds a little sensationalist but if there is any truth in it; there is need for concern.

Realistically can anything be done to stop top GAA players from playing in the AFL?
Its not right to place a ban on players who choose to play another sport but is there an alternative?
Is it possible to provide an incentive to stay?   

[Pushing them too hard? The signs of overtraining.]

This is another article from "The Coach" in the Galway Independent by Liam Horan. A few weeks ago I posted the article about stopping a big full forward like Donaghy. This week they are talking about over training and fatigue.


Pushing them too hard? The signs of overtraining.

An Intermediate football club's coach asks: "We trained harder than ever last season. But when it came to our biggest game of the year, the lads looked very flat. I'm worried we left it, as they say, on the training field. What are the signs of overtraining?"

We talked to Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, whose Tyrone teams famously adopt a less-is-more approach to training, yet maintain impressive fitness and hunger levels when championship comes round.

"We've always adopted a policy of organising collective training one night per week until the clocks change. Then we step it up to a second night. And if we have no game at the weekend we might sometimes have a third session.

Obviously everyone has their own ideas, but it's my feeling that if you have guys slogging through the muck four nights week in the depths of winter, it's awful hard to ask them to step up another level when the summer evenings come round.

But guys have their own strength and conditioning programmes, so it's still important to watch carefully for signs of overtraining.

Every player responds differently to training regimes but there are ways a coach can gauge players' different levels of fatigue. You can get players to record their own heart rate before they get out of bed each morning. Increased resting heart rate is a real indicator of overtraining.

Blood tests also very revealing. Overtraining can be detected from changes in blood variables.

But the important thing is to know your players. Watch them carefully. The symptoms of overtraining typically appear in three stages.

   1. Psychological; the tired player will exhibit mood changes and increased levels of mental fatigue, tension, depression and disinterest.
   2. Performance; watch the players' movement and the way they run. With a fatigued player, the execution of skills and movement patterns that were previously smooth, now appear strained.
   3. Physiological; in the final stages of overtraining-related fatigue, the tired player will suffer joint and muscle soreness and stiffness, heart rate may increase and the player may suffer loss of appetite and bodyweight and become more susceptible to headcolds and headaches."

Next week, Mickey talks about the ways you can prevent and treat overtraining. Mickey Harte has just launched a Player's Training Diary, available at sporttracker.ie Questions to coach@dvdsales.ie


*****************************************************************


Interesting stuff. It is the case that sometimes "it is left on the training ground". It certainly seemed that way when Mayo last faced Galway in Pearse stadium. I cant be sure if its related to over training but that Mayo team had reached the final stages of the AI Championship since 2004 and they looked very flat on the day. It could have been the case that they hadnt any prolonged break or a chance to recover properly and were training nearly all year.

Players need a good break to be fresh for matches too. There shouldnt be much done on the training ground the week coming up to a match. It was Jack O Connor that said in his book that its the work you do the month before a big match that counts on the day; not necessarily the work you do the month leading up to a match.

It will be interesting to see what Mickey comes up with next week in the same article but I reckon the proper diet, rest and lots of sleep will be the order of the day.