Topics

1

GAA Discussion / Andy McEntee article

« on: June 05, 2017, 10:54:25 PM »

Keith Duggan's interview with Andy McEntee.
Very enjoyable read, regardless of your county allegiance.
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/by-royal-appointment-andy-mcentee-trying-to-reverse-meath-s-slide-into-obscurity-1.3104110

2

GAA Discussion / Are we mad?

« on: April 03, 2017, 10:43:57 AM »

And by 'we', I mean the GAA.
Yesterday was one of the most enjoyable days of action I can remember in a long time.
There was a huge sense of excitement & tension across all the divisions (well 1-3 anyway) as the games progressed and teams moved up or down in the table  relative to one another.
Added to this, we had great crowds showing up at grounds all over the country for hurling and football on a gorgeous Spring day.
I'm all for tradition, but it seems abundantly clear to me that the league is our premier competition in terms of quality & competitiveness.
Could it become the premier competition in the hearts & minds of the average GAA fan?
The answer to all our fixture woes, and the lack of competitiveness in the championship is staring us in the face.

I thought this picture of the Wexford lads stretching after the game pretty much summed up the whole day.

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p.s. I'm not interested in rehashing loads of different 'alternative' structures for the championship.
The alternative is the league.
It's really that simple.

3

GAA Discussion / Fair play to Roscommon.

« on: April 02, 2017, 05:09:32 PM »

Did not let petty local rivalry get in their way today.
Instead, they went all out to save their close neighbour's Division 1 status.
I salute them.
It was the manly thing to do.

4

GAA Discussion / New President John Horan

« on: February 24, 2017, 09:27:34 PM »

What do we know about this fella?
I believe he's a Dub.
Still though, he deserves a chance.

5

GAA Discussion / Rule change on the way for kick-outs?

« on: January 13, 2017, 10:09:20 AM »

Restriction on kick-outs being looked at by GAA

Jarlath Burns, chair of the standing committee, says that an anomaly has arisen in that players in the corners are both outside the 20-metre line and 13 metres from the ball and the idea of requiring the kick-out to go forward is being considered.
‘Slip of hand’
“There is an argument that there is a slip of land on the field where it would be advisable to prohibit a player from receiving a kick-out if you wanted to make the ball go forward. When the rule on kick-outs was changed the rule wasn’t correspondingly changed that the ball had to go forward 20 metres.
“It has been discussed and might be worth looking at. It wouldn’t take a lot to change that but it might have a positive implication.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/restriction-on-kick-outs-being-looked-at-by-gaa-1.2935222#.WHiWV4lToVE.twitter

I suppose it's basically closing a 'loophole' that the wording of Rule 2.7 didn't allow for.

6

GAA Discussion / Registration for Club Players Association

« on: January 10, 2017, 11:11:31 AM »

http://gaaclubplayers.com/
Registered yesterday and it took me about 30 seconds.
You don't have to register as a player either, as there are a number of options.
I'm curious to know if people object to this, or don't see any particular reason why they should register.
Seems a no-brainer to me, but that's only my opinion.
I doubt anyone who listened to Liam Griffin on Off The Ball last night would see this as anything other than a big step in the right direction.

7

GAA Discussion / Guess who's back!

« on: December 17, 2016, 11:18:25 AM »

Joe Sheridan set for shock Meath return - as a goalkeeper

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/joe-sheridan-set-for-shock-meath-return-as-a-goalkeeper-35301484.html

8

GAA Discussion / Tom Cunniffe speaks...

« on: December 07, 2016, 09:44:05 AM »

'We were unfair on managers' - Mayo star regrets player revolt'

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/we-were-unfair-on-managers-mayo-star-regrets-player-revolt-35274707.html

9

GAA Discussion / Chronic back, knee & hip problems

« on: November 22, 2016, 09:46:35 AM »

Just reading about Conor Gillespie this morning and it looks like he'll have to jack in football altogether.
Very disappointing for him and it's an awful pity we didn't get to see him build on his potential.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/meath-star-gillespie-set-to-call-it-a-day-as-injury-persists-35234607.html

In the last 10 years, we seem to have had a disproportionate amount of serious, chronic injuries to some of our best players.
And by 'serious', I don't mean hamstrings etc. I mean stuff that will actually affect your quality of life when you've stopped playing football altogether.
Kevin Reilly had loads of back & hip trouble, as did Shane O'Rourke.
We'll probably never see Shane in a county jersey again either.
Are taller players more susceptible to this type of thing or is the training load (and quality) a factor?
Or is it just bad luck?
We've also had a fair few cruciates in that time as well.

10

GAA Discussion / Paul Kimmage interviews Jim McGuinness

« on: September 19, 2016, 01:34:07 PM »

Have to say, I found this absolutely captivating.
To be honest, at this stage I don't care about the Declan Bogue stuff, but the bits where Jim talks about the death of his two brothers, and the impact this had on him, are incredibly powerful.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/paul-kimmage-meets-jim-mcguinness-peeling-away-the-layers-of-a-man-a-manager-and-a-sporting-enigma-35057252.html

11

GAA Discussion / How long before we are back at the top table?

« on: August 30, 2016, 09:20:38 PM »

I give it two years, and by that I mean we will be competitive in the All-Ireland series again.
Promotion to Division 1 has to be the short-term goal.
The two boys won't accept anything less than 100% commitment so hopefully next year we will see a fitter, stronger, better organised group of players that are terrified of the management team.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/football/andy-mcentee-time-for-meath-to-catch-up-with-dublin-415101.html

“Obviously, everybody realises there’s a big gap, and needless to say our ambition is to close that gap. We’re not really competing with Dublin, who are the benchmark for everybody. So that’s the aim, to close that gap and to be more competitive.”

On the appointment itself, he said: “Any Meath man in a managerial role would like to be managing Meath. It’s a huge honour and a huge privilege and that’s the way I’m approaching it.”

As for what type of football Meath will play under him, the Dunboyne-based man said: “You got to do what you got to do but I still have ideas about how I like to see it played. You still have to compete. I wouldn’t make any definite predictions but Ballyboden play a certain way similar to the way the Meath minors played a number of years ago so it’s hard to see it change too much.”

McEntee’s brother, former Meath midfielder Gerry, along with ex-county players Donal Curtis and Finian Murtagh have been named as selectors.

McEntee said he didn’t need to ask his sibling twice about getting involved.

“Gerry is the type of guy who when he makes his mind up , makes his mind up. People probably know that! This is something he’s wanted to do for some time as well. He feels now is the right time and of course, it’s nice to have a big brother there to help you along and mind your back! He’s been doing it all his life so why change now?”

12

GAA Discussion / Defibrillator used to good effect again

« on: August 09, 2016, 01:48:04 PM »

This time during an IFC game in Meath between Curraha and Drumbaragh.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/team-mates-revive-gaa-star-after-he-suffered-suspected-heart-attack-on-pitch-34951003.html

Another incident which highlights the importance of,
a) Having IMMEDIATE access to a defibrillator,
and
b) Having people that know how to use it and do CPR.

Best of luck to Danny and I hope he makes a full recovery.
How many times have we seen potential tragedies like this averted in recent years?
It's a testament to the great work being done by clubs and county boards, with the help of organisations like The Cormac Trust.
That reminds me, how is Kevin McCloy getting on now?

13

GAA Discussion / "If he was from Tyrone..."

« on: July 11, 2016, 11:46:37 AM »

If Usain Bolt was from Tyrone, the IOC would have disqualified him for eating a box of chicken nuggets before the 100m final in Beijing.

14

GAA Discussion / Former players you wish were still available to you now

« on: June 10, 2016, 01:29:54 PM »

I'm not taking about the All Stars.
The legends.
The 'go-to' guys.
I'm talking about the fringe players.
The lads who were 'in-and-around' your more successful teams but were probably never that highly-rated within their own county (relative to the superstars at least).
Or the lads that were considered solid and dependable and could play in a few different positions (and possibly suffered as a result by sacrificing their own game).
From 1999 onwards for us, that would be lads like Ray Magee, Daithi Regan, Donal Curtis, Nigel Crawford, Hank Traynor, Nigel Nestor etc.

15

GAA Discussion / Eamon Fitzmaurice is going to be hung, drawn and quartered over this comment

« on: April 25, 2016, 12:31:18 PM »

Of course I don't mean literally hung, drawn and quartered as that would be insensitive to all the people who have been hung, drawn and quartered.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/football/eamonn-fitzmaurice-there-was-basically-rape-and-pillage-going-on-394851.html

Eamonn Fitzmaurice: ‘There was basically rape and pillage going on’

The Examiner's sports sub-editor did his job anyway.
Eamon will either apologise quickly or he will be made to apologise.
If he's smart, he'll opt for the former.
We all know what he meant, but you simply cannot use the 'R' word nowadays in any context outside of the actual crime itself.
Funnily enough, if he'd simply said, 'There was basically murder going on', nobody would bat an eyelid.