Overheard in the Snug: Feb 27th

Wanna talk Gaelic Football

This was an exciting week in the world of Gaelic Football. St. Brigid's of Roscommon beat Nemo Rangers in the Club Championship. Crossmaglen overcame and early 6 point deficit to progress to the final over Kilmacud Crokes in a game which is best described as Gaelic Foot-brawl. Galway's hideous decline continued as they put in a shocking second-half effort against Mayo. Bernard Brogan and Dublin staked their claim as a Championship contender with a single-point victory over Kerry. Also, the Sigerson Cup will be decided in a 3-Day marathon at UCD in Belfield. Here are my topics for the week...

What the Hell Earns a Red Card?
I felt bad for the backs this week in the Club Championship. To have come so far and be treated with such inconsistency is a shame. The lads have no idea when they are committing a foul or a yellow card offense. To make matters worse, it seems the referees were out to use the red as much as possible this weekend.

Kilmacud Croke's Kevin Nolan's second yellow was a joke. He was running behind a Crossmaglen forward who fell - maybe even took a dive like an Italian striker. Crossmaglen's Danny O'Callaghan earned a red which also wasn't deserved. Nemo were crippled early in their match against St. Brigid's. We all want to see fair play and consistency.

While these lads were sitting on the bench, mayhem was breaking out all over the pitch. At one point a Crossmaglen player was carrying the ball when he punched an opponent in the face while he spun away. When Brian MacGrath tripped a player while on the ground and saw red the match started to resemble scenes from the classic brawling ice hockey movie 'Slapshot'. 

Why can't the referee, linesmen and goal judges figure out what's happening on the pitch. How many more officials could one game need? We owe it to the players to find a fair system that works.

Laois are Looking Good - Despite Their Ugly Uniforms
Laois whipped Derry at the weekend 1-21 to 1-7. The match actually was worse than the score suggests because Paddy Bradley converted a meaningless penalty in the waning minutes. This was a Derry side which topped Kildare by four points the previous week. Laois are now top of the table in Division 2 and undefeated. Rumblings of Colm Begley and the gang making a run in the Championship are starting to be heard. I'm not convinced but keep an eye on the county with the ugliest jersey in Ireland.