Messages

Looking at the long game, O'Rourke's appointment may be the best thing to happen to Meath.
It will show the traditionalists that the old school football they demanded is no longer fit for purpose.
The next man in charge can go in with a strong mandate now.

I see parallels with Offaly hurling in Meath football. As Offaly fell away, the old timers insisted that the solutions were to be found by looking backwards - more ground hurling, direct ball, no short passing, ignore S&C.
Sometimes it has to get very bad before it bounces back.

Does Lowry pump much money into Offaly GAA?

He certainly contributes, but I've seen nothing to suggest it's on the same planet as JP McManus shovelling cash into Limerick.
Lowry's profile also helps with sponsors and fundraising.

Was it really poor refereeing? It was the barest of tips, and the ball hardly moved. Perhaps the ref. just didn't see that it had moved?

The ref wouldn't have seen it mainly because he wasn't expecting it. It's a blurred line because in the preamble before a sideline cut, players are teeing the ball, making divots, bending the hurl off the ground. No doubt the ball regularly gets touched during this foreplay without anyone ever considering it to be alive.

[Hip Hip Horray]

Great win for Offaly in the game of the week-end. Some crowd and atmosphere in Nowlan Park.  Great for it to be acknowledged on the anniversary.

As for the game, a super game but Offaly always seemed to have the edged and finished strongly. They have a strong spine and some silky lads up top. A good few different scorers also.  It showed how many players (from the two teams) who were in the minor a few years back - a good majority are back which is good to see.

Good to keep them players on board as I think it's harder to keep them on board after minor level, so, both Offaly and Tipp, have done a good job.  Maybe it's easier when you're in a county panel that's having a bit of success.

Offaly are a county on the rise. Joe Mc Donagh (which always seems to be a good final) should also be a good one between Offaly and Laois.

Jarlath Burn made a great sppech at the presentation. Even told the Offaly captain twice to say Hip Hip Horray for the Tipp team.   

Always hated that bullsh*t

Yeah, much prefer to go 'yeeeeoooooooo ya c#=ts yez' 

Resident hurling referee, what did you think of the wee line ball that Screeney touched and walked away from and let his teammate come steaming in and pick it up?

The lad was 13 metres away and IMO Stack should have let it go, but he pulled them back and made them retake it.

It's a smart move, but the problem is, you'd may need to give the ref the heads up beforehand about what you're planning.

In this case the poor refereeing worked out for Offaly. The retake went into the square and the keeper had to put it out for a 65 that was pointed.

Getting to the U20 final again is the 3rd All-Ireland underage appearance in a row for Offaly. Though this is mainly with the same nucleus of players all along. 11 of the starting 15 will be underage again next year.

Yeah, they looked very young and were overpowered by Cork last year, so it will be interesting to see how they manage against a Tipp team that were outhurled everywhere but the scoreboard in the Munster final and have a very decent full forward line with Darragh McCarthy the new rising star of Tipp hurling who's racking up the medals a fair bit and probably has another year at this level as well.

Yep, Offaly's chances against Tipp are better. They play more conventionally and don't dominate physically or with possession to the same degree.

Big rumbles in Offaly now because the match is already a sell out via Ticketmaster and there is no separate ticket allocation for Offaly clubs. Tipp took 5k for their clubs.

No acknowledgement that bringing an army up to a border (after years of US backed revolution and conflict in that said country) is an act of aggression. 

One side good ..... the other side bad

Russia acting in self defence. 
Those theatres and hospitals really are dangerous things that could attack Russia at any moment.

On the other hand, the people who are 'too clever to believe the MSM' and 'do their own research' - remember when they were telling us that Putin was stepping in to sort a Nazi problem, or rescuing Ukraine from joining NATO.

Strange how tankies and 'both siders' have gone quiet about these justifications?
Now imagine if Putin had been able to topple Ukraine in 3 days, with a few rusty tanks on the road to Kyiv, as he originally thought.
Would he have realistically have stopped there? I expect he'd already be sorting out Moldova's problem by now.

Getting to the U20 final again is the 3rd All-Ireland underage appearance in a row for Offaly. Though this is mainly with the same nucleus of players all along. 11 of the starting 15 will be underage again next year.

Fran Rooney. Former tech CEO and FAI head.
Rooney was the new face of the 'New FAI' post the 2002 World Cup debacle and Genesis report.
He was ousted soon enough to allow John Delaney build his empire.

Spillane, Brolly and O'Rourke while entertaining in some ways, had long since run out of anything fresh to say. Chat GPT could churn out what they were going to say about every game...before it was even played.

The Point: A player kicks the ball over the crossbar. The crowd yawns. A white flag flutters. A point! But what's the point, really?
The Goal: A primal scream—a player hurls the ball into the net. The crowd blinks. A green flag unfurls. A goal! But why? No one knows.
The Heroes:

The Keeper: A masochist in goal, diving to save shots. His life motto: "Embrace pain, reject logic."
The Midfield Maestros: They weave spells, teleporting the ball. Their secret? A pact with leprechauns.
The Forwards: Like lost souls, they sprint toward the heavens, seeking redemption. Spoiler alert: They won't find it here.
The Aftermath: Bruised, bewildered, the players emerge. Victors or vanquished, they've achieved... well, nothing. The crowd—half-asleep—mumbles their names.

The All-Ireland Senior Championship: A cosmic farce, held at Croke Park. Crowds gather, hoping for enlightenment. They leave with sunburns and existential dread.

If that's the answer, what was the question?

Donal Og used to be good but now seems just to be out to make a name for himself. Daly very likeable yeah.

Yeah, Donal Óg just wants to go on a rant with cliched soundbites.  Good at the start but repetitive now.

Maybe that's the way they go after a few years. Daly seems a nice guy. He comes across as a genuine lad.

Punditry and rock bands are similar. In music, your first album is your lifetime of ideas and observations, then you have a short window to come up with fresh ideas for the second one, and third one if the second one didn't bomb.

Donal Óg brought something fresh when he first came on the scene. His analysis of 'spare hand hurling' having watched Kilkenny and others at close quarters was unique. He's now at the point where something new is needed.

Spillane, Brolly and O'Rourke while entertaining in some ways, had long since run out of anything fresh to say. Chat GPT could churn out what they were going to say about every game...before it was even played.

Who knew that the 1994 L.A. earthquake helped get Simpson acquitted? Had the Santa Monica courthouse not been damaged by the quake, a trial held there would have seen a jury with a very different ethnic and socio-economic makeup.

'thats very Irish'

If its used once its too many

Or 'only in Ireland' for things that happen all over the world.

In Work/LinkedIn bs:
- Empowering
- Disruption
- Game Changer
- Dynamic
- AI

GAA:
- Like
- So it is
- I suppose
- Favourites
- Wrote off

[Especially with the boy who it's about sitting beside him.]

I'm surprised Joe is still peddling the Gilroy and MDMA boot story, when it was debunked.

https://twitter.com/UnOfficialGaa/status/1353402764844539906

Especially with the boy who it's about sitting beside him.

Yeah not overly many from that down minor team though I think it maybe showed them they could compete with the best of them too.

Yeah , I found that boots story  very odd  (whether it was true or not) , especially with MDMA  actually sat there. It's  like Joe  knows more about  the sanctity of the Dublin dressing room  than a fella who was actually there!

But we all know Joe likes to cosy up to  successful teams. They do everything  right and the rest do  everything wrong 

Photo/video evidence and the internet have debunked a lot of latter day sporting yarns.
Jason McAteer and Tony Cascarino have also been caught out telling porkies about their Ireland days too.