Gaelic Games

We had a good GAA thread going on TDP before that whole forum died a death, interest was lost when weekend after weekend the site was 'down for maintenance' I think just about every time I went to post up the games.
Hopefully we will start here again, but now the season is coming to an end and today's All Ireland Football final is the last big game of the year. So the first is the last for now, but we have to start sometime and in the new year we will be away again with the national league, and be bigger and better than before.

All Ireland Football Final. Croke Park. Sunday 18th Sep 2011. 1530.
Dublin v Kerry.

Paths to the final

Dublin
Dublin 1-16 Laois 0-11 (Leinster quarter-final)
Dublin 1-12 Kildare 1-11 (Leinster semi-final)
Dublin 2-12 Wexford 1-12 (Leinster final)
Dublin 0-22 Tyrone 0-15 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
Dublin 0-8 Donegal 0-6 (All-Ireland semi-final)

Kerry
Kerry 2-16 Tipperary 0-11 (Munster quarter-final)
Kerry 1-26 Limerick 3-9 (Munster semi-final)
Kerry 1-15 Cork 1-12 (Munster final)
Kerry 1-20 Limerick 0-10 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
Kerry 1-20 Mayo 1-11 (All-Ireland semi-final)



Looking at the games that both teams played to get here, It looks like Kerry had the easier path, but they could only beat who was put in front of them and they did it with ease on every occasion. Cork people may say that they gave them a game, but no they did not, Kerry led that game from start to finish. Dublin were tested a few times, but by some poor teams too, they made heavy weather of beating Kildare and Wexford. Then only scored 2 points from play for the whole of the Donegal game.
Hype surrounds the Dubs always, its their own hype, they being the capital of Ireland and having a high opinion of themselves, always get carried away only to flop when put to the test. Their team is a younger team than Kerry, but experience is important in any sport for the big occasion. It is Dublin's first final in 16 years....its Kerry's ninth final in 12 years and they have won 36 titles. Dublin have won it 22 times but only twice in the past 28 years. Many of the articles and comment raise questions about Kerry's backs, 5 are over the age of 30 but as I mentioned the experience and ability they have will make up for any lack of pace, there have been many younger challengers for their places but the fact that they have held on should be testomy of how good they are. Overall Kerry have better footballers than Dublin, and its the forwards that Kerry have that stand out.
These sides have met 26 times in the championship, Kerry have won 17 times, Dublin 6 times and 2 draws.
As Gaelic Games is not a professional sport, where players can be bought and sold, the good football counties have a long tradition of being on top and it takes a very long time for this to change, its said that counties that always beat other counties, always beat those counties! Another old saying is that you have to lose an All Ireland before you win one, this final may be a year or two, too soon for Dublin. The bookies have Kerry as odds on favourites (4/6) for a reason, Verdict Kerry Win.
Kerry -1 5/6 Bet365, StanJames.

Result: Kerry 1-11 Dublin 1-12
Disaster! sick as fuck

Aye shit happens, Kerry surged ahead by 4 points with 7 minutes remaining....then bookies luck struck, a defensive error let Dublin in for a goal and the rest is history......