YOU know the hotline has been busy when there isn’t room on the page for praise for the Irish News team.
There were emails through the week offering kudos to Aaron Kernan, Philip Jordan, Brendan Crossan and, believe it or not, even yours truly.
As a result of not having any space in which to reflect that, future policy has been amended. Instead of emailing or Tweeting kind words, you post us Refresher bars or Double Lollies from now on. No Chupa Chups.
Really, though, it's just that we’re not that big of a deal. Not compared to the GAA’s fancy notions of tearing the entire Championship script up and starting over.
What’s that? They’re not going to bother now? They’re leaving things exactly as they are, only introducing a ‘B’ championship that the players don’t want? Ah right.
'North Belfast Gael' gets top billing as the contributor whose thoughts most closely align with the author of Off The Fence. That’s how this is going down.
“I think I was more disappointed than shocked when I learned of Central Council's plan to effectively eliminate any chance Division 4 teams have of challenging for the Sam Maguire from next year. The short lived Tommy Murphy Cup proved that a select 'B' Championship will not generate any interest regardless of whether the carrot of playing the final in Croke Park is in place.
“This proposal will place greater importance on the league for Division 4 teams and those in the lower reaches of Division 3 while the rest can continue to experiment with squad players throughout the league, furthermore, in the proposed 'B' Championship it will be difficult for counties to improve themselves as they will not be facing opponents of a higher level.
“It basically smacks of an attempt by Central Council to make the All-Ireland an elitist competition when surely part of the magic surrounding the Championship is the opportunity for those weaker counties to cause an upset however small the possibility might be; those that are for the proposal will argue that it will eliminate the probability of weaker teams being hammered yet look at some of the All-Ireland quarter-final results from recent years.
“2013, Donegal (Div 1) beaten by 16 points; 2014, Monaghan (Div 2) beaten by 17 points and 2015; Kildare (Div 2) beaten by 27 points.
“Each county, regardless of size or stature, deserves the opportunity to pursue its dream. The introduction of a 'B' Championship will deny that aspiration and only further isolate the teams that are competing in the bottom tier.'”
Response: Did you just rewrite an improved version of my column and email it back to us? Your stats can’t be argued with but likewise, how many teams from outside the top two divisions of the League have made an All-Ireland quarter-final since 2008? Just five. Not more than one per season in any year. And how many of them have won that quarter-final? Just one (Wexford in 2008). The graded championship model has been hugely successful in club football. It's time the inter-county Championship went down that route, but not in the manner Central Council are proposing.
Mickey Harte also spoke out in support of the Division Four counties being allowed to continue in the primary competition on the back page of Tuesday’s Irish News.
‘John in Doire’ took his life into his own hands by agreeing with the Tyrone manager.
“At the risk of being hanged for treason I have to agree with Mickey Harte. GAA is founded on community and participation and all should be able to play in the one competition. In any year how many countries could really feel they had a serious chance of winning an All Ireland without a shock result?
“Should we just have a competition for the Division 1 teams? If the new proposals came in, how long before we found ourselves with a transfer market and players from so called weaker counties transferring to counties where they can compete at higher levels? The Seanie Johnston affair gave us a hint of what could lie ahead.”
Response: There's a good reason why teams are generally graded in every sport the world over. Some are very good. Some are ok. Some are not great. But when two poor teams play each other, at least one of them gets to experience winning. If those same two teams both play two good teams, they get to experience a tanking instead.
‘James from Dublin’ also backed Harte’s comments.
“The comments made my Mickey Harte in the Irish News are a very good argument against the GAA's Ard Comhairle proposal for a motion be included on the Clar for Congress that would see any Division Four county that doesn't reach their provincial final drop to a 'B' Championship rather than to continue in the All Ireland Qualifiers. As a player, Antrim's Sean McVeigh in the Irish News with his argument also slammed the second-tier competition proposal. Both comments spoken like true Gaels.”
In all honesty now, I swear, a part of me feels bad about printing the next submission. In fact, I only printed it so as to rebuke it.
Fermanagh fan ‘Dermot’ is the latest to have a swipe at Tyrone’s on-field conduct following the Red Hands’ win over the Ernemen on Sunday.
“As a Fermanagh supporter l was very disappointed with our second half performance on Sunday. The strength in depth of the Tyrone squad was so much greater than Fermanagh's and this ultimately won the game for them.
“However, I do want to question some of Tyrone's tactics that referees must seriously look at. On numerous occasions Tyrone players pulled down Fermanagh players and started a wrestling match on the ground. The referee books both players.
“Shortly after a different Tyrone starts a wrestling match with the same opposing player, and what happens? The referee books both players again, resulting in the opposition’s player receiving his marching orders.
“Did a Derry player not complain recently about some of Tyrone's tactics? Eoin Donnelly has also a valid complaint. Would he seriously start to wrestle on the ground with an opponent knowing that he already has got a yellow card?
“Tyrone have some marvellous footballers. I hope the management does not tarnish their image by using such unsporting tactics.”
Response: Watch you don’t fall off that bandwagon there. I wasn’t at the game but my colleague Brendan Crossan informs me that Eoin Donnelly’s second yellow card was for a high tackle on Mattie Donnelly, and that he couldn’t have had – and didn’t have – any complaints.
And lastly, there’s the idea of the ‘mark’ being introduced to Gaelic football. While Joe Kernan publicly backed the idea in Saturday’s Irish News (we’ve been busy this week), others remain to be convinced.
Over on the Facebook, ‘Simon’ says (ha): “And here we have the end of football as we know it. Irish Rules Football is on the way. The only positive for the younger players is that they don't have to go the whole way to Australia for their trials. I saw this coming.”
‘Miceal’ appears to agree: “An absolute joke, it will ruin the game. I'm living in Australia and can't follow the AFL. Can you imagine the game stopping every time someone catches a ball. I might as well start watching cricket if this happens.”
Response: Ah now, it’s not that bad.
