Why would they change? Eh?
Two of the biggest games of the year - one of which was probably the best game of the year - passed by with just over 37,000 Gaels getting the pleasure of enjoying them.
As provincial games in this era go, you don't get much bigger than an Ulster semi-final - especially two that ended in a draw the first day out.
But the scheduling for the replayed clashes between Donegal and Monaghan and between Cavan and Tyrone left television channels hamstrung.
Donegal's thrilling victory took place on Saturday night at 7pm, clashing with Cork and Dublin's hurling battle.
Tyrone's dismantling of Cavan - which included absolute
magic from Peter Harte - went ahead at 4pm on Sunday, going toe-to-toe with the Munster football final (2pm) and the Leinster hurling final (3.30pm).
As it was, Ulster's scheduling of the fixtures left TV with no option but to go ahead with their original plans and have no means of squeezing in extra games for the viewers at home. And the world of social media were not happy. Of course.
https://twitter.com/TonyThePonyyy/status/749300502278574081
Their loss.
https://twitter.com/poleary7/status/749301494458048512
Was the public's interests really the most important thing?
https://twitter.com/Liamgaoith/status/748833967105794048
Why's poor Joe getting the flak?
https://twitter.com/devlin434/status/748098015756492800
TG4 did some job of the league in fairness.
https://twitter.com/Jamescroarkin2/status/748059143202873348
The struggle is real.
https://twitter.com/mfc_sports/status/749319200573943808
Let's not turn this into a race issue...
https://twitter.com/joecanavan90/status/749319404081573888
Too late.
https://twitter.com/Shaun_McCready/status/749606371335614464
Even the Dubs enjoy Ulster football.
https://twitter.com/eamondoc75/status/749721042080436224
Madness.
https://twitter.com/jboy200/status/749536833613225984
https://twitter.com/Big_A89/status/749591286991187968
https://twitter.com/lennon_gus/status/749595930178060288
As it was, Donegal edged out a ding-dong encounter in Breffni Park with the minimum to spare over last year's Ulster champions. Tyrone and Cavan served up seven goals - both games producing a total of 71 scores. 71.
And not one was televised.
It's not the first time it's happened. Schedules aren't often changed to suit the masses and, famously, Derry and Donegal fans had to miss the end of Ireland's World Cup second round clash with Spain in 2002 - and extra time and penalties of course - to go sit in the Clones rain and watch a drab Ulster game that could've been moved back an hour at least without offence.
SportsJOE contacted Ulster GAA to query why neither game last weekend was moved to suit TV schedules and here was their reply:
"We are delighted with the response to our two Ulster Senior Football Championship semi final replays at the weekend with over 37,000 spectators in attendance at the games.
"The attendances at both games showed increases on the the drawn matches, which is a great credit to all counties involved in the games.
"The venues & times for both fixtures were decided upon by Ulster CCCC after consultation with all stakeholders on event control & traffic management perspectives."
That's that cleared up then.
