Messages

Currently the only team in the Provincials that doesn't get a second chance are the winners... yeah, that's really fair.

They don't get a second chance because they don't need a second chance. They qualify straight for the quarter finals. All the other teams need to play extra games before they can reach the quarter finals.

Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig Palin.

They also get dead rubbers.
That's how sport works.
So that's a nonsense argument.

There are no dead rubbers in the current system, which is what you are proposing to replace, so it is not a nonsense argument.

Under this system the provincial finals are meaningless as both teams will be seeded for the group stage.

Any group system can result in dead games where one or both teams have nothing to play for.

In this example group (Group H Sligo (Seeded) Carlow Armagh Mayo) I could only see one game (Mayo/Sligo) getting a traditional championship attendance with large number of fans from both teams.

A group system could see teams going out with no losses. If two teams go through from each group then a team with two losses could advance.

Even if you don't pre rank your players your picks will be whatever the highest ranked available player is according to Yahoo. Their ranking is probably going to be pretty close to the consensus about who are the better players.

Stew should be along this evening, so I thought I'd get this here first.
Cue the Queens will win nothing, Favre is a joke and so on and so forth. In fairness he is some attention seeking hoor
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp10/news/story?id=5433551&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines

I wonder what the NFL record is for most consecutive seasons announcing your retirement?

Gerry Adams hurls tribute at unionist icon Edward Carson with GAA trophy

A new GAA trophy has been named after the founding father of unionism.

Competitors in the first hurling event in the Stormont estate in Belfast will be playing for the Edward Carson trophy.

On face value, the Dubliner who led the campaign against Irish independence a century ago is an unusual choice for anyone looking to christen a prize for the nationalist sport.

But Sinn Fein MP Gerry Adams, who has helped organise the inaugural 'Poc ar an Cnoc' (Puck on the Hill) which will take place below Carson's famous statue in Stormont next month, thought otherwise.

"I discovered, much to my surprise, that Carson was a hurler in his days at Trinity College (Dublin)," he explained at Parliament Buildings yesterday.

He added: "He got an honourable mention in the Irish Sportsman (journal of the day) as having distinguished himself on the field, so we thought it would be a great idea to have an Edward Carson trophy."

The Poc Fada (long puck) will see hurlers hitting sliotars (hurling balls) up the mile-long Prince of Wales Avenue.

I think he will have a hand in many Red Bulls goals.

As already noted Bogball XV is the winner, here are the final standings

Bogball XV 8 + 11 + 7 + 4 + 6 + 16 + 16  + 12 = 80

JohnDenver 7 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 16  + 16 = 67

Catch the high ball 5 + 6 + 9 + 2 + 4 + 16 + 8  + 16 = 66

Dinny Breen 9 + 9 + 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 16  + 0 = 65

dec 7 + 7 + 8 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 8  + 16 = 62

Orior 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 16  + 4 = 61

Doogie Browser 9 + 7 + 8 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8  + 16 = 60

Mac Hinery 10 + 9 + 5 + 8 + 6 + 8 + 8  + 4 = 58

ballinaman 9 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 8  + 16 = 57
Paco 5 + 8 + 6 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 16  + 4 = 57
Tony Baloney 7 + 8 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 8  + 16 = 57

A Quinn Martin Production 9 + 5 + 7 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 0  + 16 = 53
SambaSaffron 10 + 7 + 6 + 8 + 6 + 8 + 8  + 0 = 53

HIGHORLOW 4 + 8 + 8 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8  + 12 = 52
Shrek 7 + 7 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 8  + 4 = 52

AFS 8 + 5 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 0  + 16 = 51
Upmonaghansayswe 8 + 6 + 5 + + 8 + 4 + 16  + 4 = 51

CaptPat 7 + 10 + 7 + 6 + 8 + 4 + 8  + 0 = 50
laoislad 9 + 6 + 9 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 0  + 16 = 50

Never Beat the Deeler 5 + 7 + 9 + 6 + 6 + 8 + 8  + 0 = 49
ONeill 8 + 5 + 8 + 4 + + 4 + 8  + 12 = 49
take_yer_points 5 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 8  + 4 = 49

Minder 7 + 7 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 8  + 0 = 48

Hoof Hearted 4 + 5 + 6 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8  + 0 = 47

Croí na hÉireann 8 + 7 + 7 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 8  + 0 = 46

Gabriel_Hurl 7 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 8 +  + 0 = 39
Milltown Row2 10 + 7 + 8 + 2 + 4 + 8 +  + 0 = 39

AERLIK 5 + 6 + 5 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 8  + 0 = 38

Ross4life 7 + 5 + 5 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 0  + 4 = 37

Bensars 8 + 6 + 9 + 2 + 6 + 4 + 0  + 0 = 35

Carmen Stateside 8 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 +  + 0 = 34

maddog 7 + 7 + 3 + 8 + 2 + 0 + 0  + 0 = 27
stagmeister 10 + 5 + 6 + 6 + + +  + 0 = 27

Gallsman 8 + 7 + 9 + + + +  + 0 = 24
maxpower 10 + 6 + 7 + + + +  + 0 = 23
The Blegard 5 + 9 + + + + +  + 0 = 14
eggybread 6 + 7 + + + + +  + 0 = 13
Celt Man 6 + + + + + +  + 0 = 6
under the bar 6 + + + + + +  + 0 = 6

Update of those who had a chance to win overall going into todays game.

Bogball XV 8 + 11 + 7 + 4 + 6 + 16 + 16 = 68 (Bogball XV,uruguay,draw) + 0 = 68
Dinny Breen 9 + 9 + 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 16 = 65 (Dinny Breen,Uruguay,Spain) + 0 = 65
Orior 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 16 = 57 (Orior, Germany, Holland) + 4 = 61
Mac Hinery 10 + 9 + 5 + 8 + 6 + 8 + 8 = 54 (Mac hinery,Germany,Netherlands) + 4 = 58
Paco 5 + 8 + 6 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 16 = 53 (paco, Germany, Spain) + 4 = 57
SambaSaffron 10 + 7 + 6 + 8 + 6 + 8 + 8 = 53 (no entry) + 0 = 53

So going into the final
If it is a draw at full time Bogball XV will win
If Spain win Dinny Breen will win
If Netherlands win Orior will win

Still waiting for a few entries.

Just a reminder for those of you who only have access at work, get your picks in.

Lebron goes to the Miami Heat.

Last round
Predictions due by kickoff off 3rd place match on Saturday at 7:30pm

"Secret" predictions
Because you could get an advantage by waiting to see what other people pick anyone can PM your picks to me, though it really should only matter for those who can still win.

After the deadline I will publish all the picks I get by PM

Scoring is 4 points for the 3rd place game and 12 points for the final.
Prediction is for the end of normal time, extra time and penalties don't count

format is username followed by picks all separated by commas.
eg.
dec,Germany,Draw

Saturday, 10 July 2010
Uruguay v Germany, 3rd, 19:30
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Netherlands v Spain, F, 19:30

Standings after the semi finals

Bogball XV 8 + 11 + 7 + 4 + 6 + 16 + 16 = 68

Dinny Breen 9 + 9 + 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 16 = 65

Orior 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 16 = 57

Mac Hinery 10 + 9 + 5 + 8 + 6 + 8 + 8 = 54

Paco 5 + 8 + 6 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 16 = 53
SambaSaffron 10 + 7 + 6 + 8 + 6 + 8 + 8 = 53

JohnDenver 7 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 16 = 51

CaptPat 7 + 10 + 7 + 6 + 8 + 4 + 8 = 50
Catch the high ball 5 + 6 + 9 + 2 + 4 + 16 + 8 = 50

Never Beat the Deeler 5 + 7 + 9 + 6 + 6 + 8 + 8 = 49

Minder 7 + 7 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 8 = 48
Shrek 7 + 7 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 8 = 48

Hoof Hearted 4 + 5 + 6 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 47
Upmonaghansayswe 8 + 6 + 5 + + 8 + 4 + 16 = 47

Croí na hÉireann 8 + 7 + 7 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 8 = 46
dec 7 + 7 + 8 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 8 = 46

take_yer_points 5 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 8 = 45

Doogie Browser 9 + 7 + 8 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8 = 44

ballinaman 9 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 8 = 41
Tony Baloney 7 + 8 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 8 = 41

HIGHORLOW 4 + 8 + 8 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8 = 40

Gabriel_Hurl 7 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 8 + = 39
Milltown Row2 10 + 7 + 8 + 2 + 4 + 8 + = 39

AERLIK 5 + 6 + 5 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 8 = 38

A Quinn Martin Production 9 + 5 + 7 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 0 = 37
ONeill 8 + 5 + 8 + 4 + + 4 + 8 = 37

AFS 8 + 5 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 0 = 35
Bensars 8 + 6 + 9 + 2 + 6 + 4 + 0 = 35

Carmen Stateside 8 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 + = 34
laoislad 9 + 6 + 9 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 0 = 34

Ross4life 7 + 5 + 5 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 0 = 33

maddog 7 + 7 + 3 + 8 + 2 + 0 + 0 = 27
stagmeister 10 + 5 + 6 + 6 + + + = 27

Gallsman 8 + 7 + 9 + + + + = 24

maxpower 10 + 6 + 7 + + + + = 23

The Blegard 5 + 9 + + + + + = 14
eggybread 6 + 7 + + + + + = 13
Celt Man 6 + + + + + + = 6
under the bar 6 + + + + + + = 6