GAA’s dismissive attitude of Ulster problem in new championship proposal is unacceptable

Why the hell are the GAA so content with putting forward championship rule changes but so afraid of actually trying to change where it needs to be changed?

Paraic Duffy is a diligent man - he's a good man - and he's trying to propose something that will appease the masses and "invigorate the championship". His new idea of splitting the quarter-finals into two pots of four is grand. It will create some more exciting games at Croke Park in high summer and it will make sure that the four best teams in the country advance to the semi-finals so you can be certain of even more clinker ties. And, in fairness to the Monaghan native, he's not bullshitting through questions he doesn't have the answer to and he's constantly welcoming debate on the matter. https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/exclusive-chat-with-paraic-duffy-on-the-ills-of-gaelic-football-plus-pat-mcenaney-on-sledging On Wednesday, the GAA released a more detailed report to follow up from Duffy's initials proposals. In it, the association's Director General responded to critical commentary on his proposal but didn't offer any real solution to the biggest problem. That problem is the imbalance in the championship - both the standard and the actual number of games that teams have to play. Nowhere else in the world can you get away with one team playing 100 per cent more games than another team to get to the semi-final, like Mayo (6) had to do to reach the same stage as Kerry (3). It's not fair that Tipperary win three games and they're in an All-Ireland quarter-final, whereas Derry win three and they're still in the qualifiers. It's not fair that Roscommon win three games and they're only at the provincial decider where as three wins for Kerry or Cork would've taken them to the last four of the All-Ireland. It is not by any means a problem isolated to Ulster but it is magnified up north because of the competition - Tyrone for example will have to beat Derry, Donegal and probably Monaghan next year just to get out of the province. But Paraic Duffy's comments on the matter are disappointing.

"There is an imbalance in both the number of counties and in the relative strength of counties within provinces," Duffy agreed before offering nothing to help. "We must accept, therefore, that more games are required to win in some provinces than in others. This is an unchangeable fact, so let’s move on from it. "In addition, the Association’s members have made it clear that they wish to continue with the provincial system."

Where do you even start? Why must we "accept" that there is an imbalance in the number of games and standard? Why? Tell me. It doesn't make any sense. That is only "an unchangeable fact" because the GAA have decided that it is. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/764113938648883202 Duffy says his proposal is to ensure that the strongest teams advance to the latter stages of the competition and yet he's happy to risk some of the strongest teams knocking each other out long before the quarter-finals. One of Tyrone or Donegal, for example, will find themselves in round three of the qualifiers. It can't be seeded up north like it is in other parts of the country because it's too competitive up north but the GAA will do absolutely nothing to rectify the problem.

"No one is claiming that this is the perfect solution, or that it is a panacea to address the perceived ills of the football championship structure..."

Then just stop talking. Please. What is the point of all of this if it isn't to address the ills of the championship? The only real problem is that the provincial championship is directly affecting the All-Ireland series. That creates an imbalance in numbers and an imbalance in fairness. What some teams have to do to get to the same stage as others is a bloody joke. Unfortunately, to the GAA, that's just "an unchangeable fact". The GAA Hour podcast is out every Wednesday. Subscribe here on iTunes or listen on Soundcloud. https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/the-great-ken-mcgrath-in-studio-and-a-new-club-players-association-on-the-horizon