Like many of my fellow Gaels I was shocked and saddened by the death of Offaly manager Liam Kearns.
To his family, friends, club and county, my deepest condolences.
Football results pale into irrelevance at times such as these, except it is within this football life that people such as Liam Kearns lived and fulfilled a life's work.
It defines us all to a certain extent.
I often think how much football means to me; I believe it makes me who I am to a large extent; and this is both a positive and a negative.
Of course, the positives far outweigh the negatives and for all the inconvenience, the juice is normally worth the squeeze.
I am not just sure most people deeply embedded within the GAA think this way; I am certain of it.
Whether you are a camogie player or a reserve, it is likely you not only share a friendship with many of your team-mates, but you share a life with them.
As Antrim hurling legend Terence McNaughton says 'the county boys are ones you invite to the wedding, the club men are the ones who will carry you to the grave'.
I have met some of my closest and best friends within Gaelic Football. I still have yet to meet anyone who regrets their involvement in the game.
A great friend of mine and I were recently discussing the years and the shared common regrets we both carry in the years when success was very difficult to define. We both felt that be could have become more vocal within the playing squad much earlier in our careers.
We were young and when you go into any squad for the first time, with experienced 'pros' in the changing room, you keep your head down and mouth shut.
There is an 'imposter syndrome' element that kicks in too, it must be added. I still feel you also have to earn the respect of your peers in order to be vocal.
You may lead by example, but in many ways, some players do need to be convinced; and that is when an encouraging voice needs to kick in.
'You are a top player, just go out and show it'.
This type of encouragement is so important to players, especially young players.
Having the belief of those you are playing with can alleviate any anxieties you may have as a competitor.
I recall my first training session at Leitrim Fontenoys and Brendan McVeigh welcoming me (this was his first season too).
The fact that he knew my name made me feel like a million dollars.
It helped my nerves.
Brendy was a leader, a future All-Star for us, but one of the men we would rely on for many years, off the field as much as on it.
Liam Kearns struck me as a leader of men.
You do not get to manage those counties such as Tipperary and Offaly without being a leader.
Ronan Sexton, another great friend of mine, once summed up a person we both felt had a huge amount of integrity.
Someone had asked us, what made up this individual's 'integrity' we speak of?
Ronan replied, 'Because he will do the right thing when no one is watching'.
We have plenty of people who will do the right thing when people are looking on, but few who do the right thing when they don't.
That is integrity.
A weekend's break last weekend for the football fraternity makes way for the last two remaining games over two weeks.
For many counties this will be the best chance to measure success for the season.
Given that Donegal, Monaghan, and Tyrone occupy three of the bottom four spots of Division One, one would assume that, after this weekend, one of them will be gone.
Given the recent headlines around Donegal and particularly the administrative operations and Karl Lacey's resignation, Paddy Carr can arguably feel like he is in the middle of a perfect storm.
With Paddy McBrearty out with a long-term injury, Donegal may feel a bit doomed.
However, they beat the All-Ireland champions on the first day and given that Mayo are flying, it may be the Roscommon fixture on the last day on which all survival hopes rest.
The Rossies had their bubble burst in Clones the last day out, so doubts may begin to emerge in their psyche.
Tyrone also gave themselves hope with a great win against the Kingdom, two weeks ago.
Kerry are far from the finished article this early in the season, so it could be an element of a champions' hangover with them.
Their salvation is that they are at home this weekend against Roscommon.
Jack O'Connor's men are safe should they win this fixture and their focus will move toward a defence of their All-Ireland crown.
I am looking forward to the Armagh-Galway tie in the Athletic Grounds on Saturday and again a win for the Orchard will secure their survival for this season.
Meanwhile Derry should be heading to Division One. They have deserved their success and as an unbeaten team, their focus will turn toward defence of their own crown – the Anglo-Celt Cup.
While it does not carry the same weight under the new championship structure, silverware was rare in the Oak Leaf county for many years. If I were in their boots I would not want to relinquish this title without a fight.
Cavan and Fermanagh are also positioned positively to secure promotion to Division Two.
I think Cavan's squad is one of the strongest around and with Gearoid McKiernan coming off the bench against Down last day out to great effect few teams can call on such quality.
Antrim and Down, while showing improvements on last season, are in the early stages of what can be described as 'a work in progress.'
Depending on your outlook, this can last for months, years, or decades even.
We tend to use 'work in progress' when describing teams that are on the start of a journey.
And for counties with new management teams this season, it is a hope that what they do now will eventually bear fruit.
Derry are the perfect example, once in an even worse position than both Antrim and Down, look how they have turned it around.
This doesn't just lie at the door of the manager, in this case Rory Gallagher.
It lies at the door of every Gaelic footballer in the county and their aspiration to play at the highest level possible.
It means encouraging young lads to want more for themselves, for their club, for their county.
It's an arm around the shoulder.
It's 'welcome', 'You are a top player, so just go out and show them'.
I call it a 'Brendy McVeigh'.
