I’ve been meaning to do a quick post for ages about the house rules on comments, not because there’s any particular problem in that area per se but just to provide a general reminder to everyone about the rules and how they operate and to help ensure that everything on that side of things stays on track. This little gap between games, allied to the rising hope that we might be in for another long championship season, makes it a good time to do this.
Those of you who’ve been on this journey here for several years and who know how things operate can probably tune out at this point. Those of more recent vintage and who, perhaps, are active elsewhere on social media – where it would appear that anyone can say anything they want without let or hindrance – might want to stick around and pay closer attention.
Unlike most other places online, what gets posted here on the comments is actively moderated. That doesn’t mean that every comment is approved before it goes live but all are reviewed and unacceptable comments are removed as quickly as they’re seen. Those who break the rules find themselves being shunted – some for just a short while, others for far longer – into comment moderation.
Some may view this approach as an overly paternalistic, heavy-handed, pain-in-the-ass way of regulating what’s said here. That’s fine – you’re entitled to your opinion – but in my experience if I did anything less then the bad would quickly drive out the good and the place would descend into a zoo in short order. I’d have no interest in keeping such an enterprise going so, like it or loath it, comment moderation is here to stay on the site.
In any event, I don’t believe that the rules are overly restrictive. They’re designed to ensure that the debate is free-flowing, fair and respectful. A strange concept, I know, in a world where shouty online assertions increasingly hold sway but, hey, I’m an old-fashioned guy in this regard.
I’ve rejigged the rules a little bit so if you’ve been commenting on here ten years or ten days you should probably take a few minutes to scan through them. They’re here.
The three main problem areas I’ve come across are how people interact with each other, what they sometimes say about players and the posting of unsubstantiated rumours. There are clear rules relating to all of these areas, rules which the vast majority of you abide by at all times but which a minority have trouble with. Hopefully this update will help to clear up any confusion that might be out there about what’s okay and what’s not, which in turn should make my life a bit easier too.
Mayo GAA is a huge passion for so many of us and the many insightful, inspired, uplifting and laugh-out-loud comments posted here on the site over the past decade and more bear that out. Long may this continue to be the case. Thanks to all of you for making this great online community of ours such a unique place in the GAA firmament.
Most sensible set of rules I have seen anywhere. Some made me laugh out loud!
Spot on. By the way has anybody heard from Martin the Dub in a while? I always enjoyed his friendly gracious comments.
First post….. brilliant blog love it and really enjoy reading it…. one thing I do hate is how some (not all) say hurtful things about our players…. some (not all) should remember these lads and girls give up their lives to play football and give us so much to be proud of…. they owe us absolutely nothing, but we owe them for the joy and trips that we have with them… I know they haven’t got the main prize and I do be more gutted for them than for myself, it has to be so hard for them to keep coming back year after year…. I am gutted that I cannot go to any of their matches this year because ill health has taken it toll ?? one things for sure I’m glad the matches are on TV whether it’s RTE or SKY….. even when I was able to go I always recorded them and watched when i got home….
another poster no longer on here is Cait. Wonder where she is.
Fair play WJ!
It’s why we stay WJ fair comments no rumours or inuendo and certainly no personal attacks on our or any player or management, often a place of solace and comfort when the wheels come off or a place to celebrate in good times, keep it up Maigheabu
I’ve also been wondering where cait is gone? Miss her unwavering love for the Cillian and Diarmuid!!!
Good set of owl house rules alright and no danger of “the place descend into a zoo”.
Great place for news on Mayo GAA. If this place wasn’t here we might have to get our information from Martin Breheny, Eugene McGee, Ciaran Whelan, Who ate all the cakes, The Bomber, one of the O’Se’s, some fella from Meath and Sean Ban Brannach etc. Jaysus.
And don’t forget Dessie Dolan
I probably sail close to the rules because I hate to see anything negative about players or management, because for the last six years we have been so Lucky to follow such a fine team,and hopefully this year we will see them reap their reward, than you for such an informative and well run site
I wish other places would have the same rules. Saw an awful comment this week on Dublin Gaa fb page about COC. I was shocked and sickened. I thought I’d read it all by now. Anyway well done WJ. This site is one of a kind.
Thank you!
if mayo get past cork i think mayo will take kerry as kerry will be out in the cold kerry are beatable
True words Cait, kerry will have been sitting a while and could be caught by a team that’s been moving and tuning themselves in, just like Mayo are. Hopefully we get over Cork and are able to experiment a little in the process. Some of the goals recently are training ground style moves which points at a different approach than just winging it.
Cait your comment has got me all excited here!! I’m currently on holidays in the mighty Kingdom and everywhere you visit you see photo’s, article’s or something about Kerry football and all their All Irelands! If only we could get our hands on the big prize. But like you Cait I too think they can be beaten by this Mayo team no doubt about it. Hon Mayo
You driving from Dublin to limerick Willie joe
What about a bit of carpool Caroke ? 🙂
I’m not, Mayoman, I’m away for this one. Carpooling isn’t really my thing either, to be honest. I do enough for the cause as it is!
i think tyrone could topple dublin m harte seems to have spell on the dubs i could be wrong but dublin seems to struggle against tyrone
I hope you’re right Cait. It will take goals to take them down and lately we’re seeing promising signs in this area from Mayo but doing it against the top teams is the challenge.
Well done Willie Joe. Your rules are perfect…no shit and to the point; a bit like yourself! I appreciate the time and effort you put in for the love of Mayo GAA. Thank you. Bernadette I heard what you said and say thank you to you and all the supporters who cannot travel for whatever reason. I wish you health and the joy of seeing a Mayo victory this year. We live in hope. Maigheo go deo. Let’s pop the Cork before we talk of any other games. Thanks too to all who write here. I may never meet you or know you but we are sisters and brothers.
Welcome back cait !!
I love this blog I have been in the sin bin at least once and deservedly so. This blog kept me sane after the defeat to Kerry in Limerick as I tried to make sense of it all as another poster said this blog is a great source of comfort when the wheels occasionly come off the wagon
Yes its a great blog….Credit to WJ and some really insightful bloggers with some great names….Its the first port of call in the morning…..Just drove up from Cork and its excacly 35km from Ennis to the Jack Lynch tunnel in Limerick.. I wonder is the Sin Bin still closed….
Was only messing Willie joe . Hope you enjoy ur trip away
You go beyond the call of Duty ,
I wonder is this the best gaa blog in the country ?, it would have to be I think
Well done on a great blog WJ . Great way to keep up with all things Mayo gaa when u don’t live in the county. Love the house rules in relation to use of the big F word. LOL
Hopefully a good performance against Cork will see us through to face Kerry or the Rossies would be fun.
Best wishes to the Lads for the rest of the season and what ever it brings
Thanks Willie Joe.
WJ, all my comments go straight to moderation. Am I on the naughty step?
Great site – excellently managed and if we ever manage to land Sam Willie Joe will deserve a specially minted medal for all his efforts in serving us the supporters.
Us Mayo folk are fanatical when it comes to football. Our day will come. There have been days when I thought our goose was well and truly cooked but this group of players are rewriting the script in terms of dedication, tenacity and pure bullheaded determination not to quit. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were thick enough to go on and win the bloody thing this year against all expectations, defying conventional logic and common sense.
Sure isn’t it grand!
Only problem is I cannot control my emotions or words when we start talking about that Donkey Deegan, I genuinely hate that man..Keep him away from me…
It is your moderation which makes this site so enjoyable and informative, WJ. When I get some news on Mayo GAA here I know it is Gospel, no bullshit. And every comment is worth reading, again no bullshit, even if I do not have the time to read them all. Which makes me wonder how you make the time as well as holding down a paying job. God Bless You.
Did anyone notice the piece the Bomber wrote for the Indo last week about Mayo’s finest? Can’t remember much of it but what I did notice were the pages the article was on, yes! you’ve guessed it! 50 and 51, I nearly peed on the chair with excitement! Maybe I need help, maybe I could talk to Joe, maybe if I told you the right words, at the right time, Sam you be mine.
You’re not, Trevor! There’s been a glitch on that front the last while and a few people, yourself included, are getting caught there but it’s not intentional. Apologies for that.
Sound job WJ!! You’re up early!!
Thank you W.J. for this great blog. Luv it.
Following our great team of gentlemen and the supporters on here is so amazing, and a journey we’re so blessed to be a part of to reach the summit P.G.
For those who cannot attend matches due to ill health especially, this right here makes them feel included, and a place to express their thoughts and feelings in a safe way on our journey together. Mayo forever wherever you are in the world. Thank you.
A big thank you WJ for the Blog and especially for the moderation. I hate personal attacks on the team, and squad members and management. I understand it must take a lot of your valuable time for the cause. The quest goes on, as long as people like yourself are involved
Ah, AndyD, I feared we had lost you to Leitrim hurling or is that an oxamoran.
Or even an oxymoran.
I’ve been thinking about that for a while too cait that Tyrone could get the better of Dublin this time out.. Donegal did it in the semi’s before but it was kinda unexpected.. you would think that Dublin wouldn’t get caught like that again? Are Tyrone better than Dublin? hard to call. Thanks Willie Joe for your hard work and effort’s. I can only speak for myself but the only reason Im on here is because of the way you run things. If it was to become zoo like I’d be outta here. Life’s to short for listening ta and putting up with all that other kinda shite hawking
It says something about this site Willie Joe that you can generate 38 replies by posting the House Rules!
Its amazing how you keep this site going WJ and its a real credit to you! I find it hard to keep up with reading the comments, never mind having to moderate them as well, as you have to do.
I find too when I post, after I read them back I nearly always see a word out of place or I find that I have spelt something wrong etc. but I very rarely see that with your threads, reports etc. So fair play to you for that as well. This blog is run so professionally. Keep up the great work and many thanks to you also, we’d be lost without you!
Am I been monitored for my comments on the site Willie Joe?
Heard … [Deleted].
For a bit of levity.
It all boils down to one rule really,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE8ooMBIyC8
Thanks George.
Any idea when ref for next week will be announced ? What’s the betting it will be Reilly or Deegan ?
You are, Mayoman, and in your comment there you’ve just shown why – spreading rumours is verboten!
Mayo Mick was on the pitch after the Tipp game 😀
What a “performance ” by the ref . Clearly doesn’t understand the advantage rule. And maybe the black card rule too !
Holy disgrace once again…..poor Tipp and not for the first time!!
OMG…Paddy Neilan followed by Cormac Reilly.Is the GAA having a laugh.
Hope Mayo never have the misfortune to get either (again)
Enough to deal with Mr.Deegan.
Cormac Reilly wearing a gps vest below in Carlow!! I’ve literally seen it all now!
😮 :-0
Should have gave the tipp man the advantage when he was heading for goal. carlow throwing the game away with them wides could come back to haunt them
Tipp v Armagh ref Paddy Neilan
Carlow v Monaghan ref Cormac Reilly
Down v Tyrone ref Joe Mc Quillan
Kildare v Dublin ref Anthony Nolan
Mayo v Cork ref TBC
Galway v Donegal ref TBC
Apologies Willie joe . It’s not a romour it’s fact
If it’s not reported in the papers it remains a rumour and the rule is crystal clear – this isn’t a place for spreading stories that aren’t already out in the public domain.
Does this information relate to an injury or is someone gone from the panel??
I’m not getting into the details, MayoDunphy, only to say that (a) it’s nothing at all to be concerned about and (b) this is precisely why I won’t allow this place to become Rumour HQ.
In fairness, the ref did the exact same to Armagh in the first half, and they actually scored a goal in that play. That would have put Armagh 2 up. Instead they went in at HT 2 down.
It’s not like the Tipp lad was clean through, there was plenty of work to do.
Thanks for clearing that up Wille Joe, just want a smooth sailing into the Cork game.
Huge credit and thanks to you WJ. I’d be lost without this blog. I really would. Have often been up till the wee hours trying to keep up with all the posts so cannot figure out how you manage to moderate it. Also I completely agree with HopeSprings WJ, your posts are always SO impeccably written and not only from an informative perspective but also from a grammatical point of view! You could teach a thing or two to our so-called sports journalists. If we ever win this damn thing, the site will surely go into meltdown!! Keep up the good work and thanks again.
Two bad pantomimes even!!!! Has the GAA any decorum at all. These qualifiers could do so much for football all around the country…look at the joy in all the faces this evening on the one hand and then listen to the booing on the other. These refs would be better off staying at home and reffing through the TV. They re a sight to behold, the lot of them.
For one who has got a slap on the wrist back in the day, I must admire your diligence Willie Joe in keeping up with comments on the site, especially following a poor performance from the guys on the pitch. That said there’s hardly a day goes by that I don’t check in on the site for a quick update on what’s happening in the world of Mayo football. Long may it last ……
John Casey writing in the Advertiser wrote (Complacency is root of all evil in football as Galway know only too well. Roscommon tore into their well fancied opponents who obviously believed in there own hype.) Colm Cooper writing off Cork’s chances on the Sunday Game, Marc O SE writing in the Mail saying that Cork’s performance against Kerry
in the Munster Final, that they were a disgrace to the Cork jersey, was he trying to fire up Cork for the Mayo game? (I am sure Kerry would love to Mayo beaten on Saturday).
gerard
thats it exactly. kerry would be very pleased, as would dublin if Mayo were removed from the equation. In a strange way i think the put downs Mayo get before the big games are to o the same, which is challenge Mayo to try that bit harder and show them.
Hope that Deegan is not reffing this…That would be a disaster.
Not 1 referee id have any confidence in , there absolutely useless in football more so than the hurlers referees, jasus christ bring back the duffys from magpie country………
delighted to see aido coming back to his best with all the flak hes took, 2 man the match performances and we need him to deliver in croker if were to cross the line, he prob knows him self he did t perform to his best in finals and if he wants to be up there with the big boys , hes gotta deliver in croker…..i think he will ,, as we say in the mullet ya can see hes got the bit between his teeth now,just hope he gets a bit more from refs as 2-3 opponents do be hanginging off him at times and doet get the free…… Should take cork by 6-7 pts……Hon Muigheo
I know the lengthy and meticulous process you have to go through to become an intercounty referee but I’m sure Willie Joe you would be granted all sorts of dispensations if you put in your name for the odd game. You de do a great cleaning up job there and we de all fall in behind and do the line and the white coats and all ……are ya on for it? Ah gwan gwan gwan…..gwan!
The old rumour mill is mighty and all part of the craic of championship season, it does need to be tightly regulated though. I’ve a man who rings me every Monday morning with some of the most outrageous stories you’d ever hear, real mad stuff now, the kind of stuff you’d see in those American tabloids “Aiden O’Shea seen drinking pints with Elvis and Bigfoot the night before the All Ireland”. I’ve been caught out once or twice passing on his jive filled stories but in fairness he’s a mighty supporter of club and county.
Forget about the Ref—they all make mistakes as do all players & managers. If i was a Cork man i would hate to see Reilly reffing this match—he might try to compensate for the errors he made in 2014. Galway complained a lot about last weeks ref but most of his calls were correct. It is the rules that are the problem not the ref.
Yesterday’s games once again highlights the problem with the standard of refereeing in the gaa. It appears any two different refs could be using a totally different set of rules. I accept it’s a difficult job but it’s becoming a talking point after every game. I’ve been to games where after 5 mins it’s abundantly clear that this ref is not playing the black card rule. The more experienced teams will spot this and use it to their advantage. What is the function of the linesmen or more so the umpires? Are they only there to signal a point or a wide? Cos to be honest their as useful as tits on a bull in my opinion.
The inconsistency of refereeing is making a complete mockery of the game.
Although the Rossies were worthy winners, Galway could rightly feel aggrieved at the couple of frees given against the full back for barely a touch of his opponents back.
Calls like that can be momentum changers. Contrast that then to the abuse the Aidan OSheas and Michael Murphy’s etc get, often with no referee protection.
Technically, maybe Gough was correct to award the frees, but far far worse is routinely let go. Maybe players and teams were warned before the season or even before a match of the rules of engagement and how strictly the ref intends to apply them. I’m guessing this happens but unfortunately there is still an inconsistent application of the rules. It must be frustrating and infuriating for players.
Well tits or no tits nothing is going to happen soon in this area of refereeing. In the meantime our fellas need to be meticulously prepared for and know exactly what are the best ways to tackle and to dispose oppositions….tackling techniques. The attempts at tackling are more than sometimes quite pitiful and ineffectual. Teams don’t seem to appreciate that the skill of tackling is right up there with that of scoring. What’s so lazy as someones hand stuck out to put a stop to a breaking runner up through the middle? …..when what he should do is run with him as close as pos and bide his time and wait for the opportunity. Certain fellas in the vicinity should be particularly earmarked for that job. It’s not that it happens all thro a game but we know what a lift it can give a team and what a blow it can be at same time to oppos.
Remarkable interview there between Liam Hayes and Ivan Yates. Some footballer and some guy …highlighted openly the toughness they took on under Boylan to match up to the great Kerry’s and ruthless Dubs of the time. Mentioned that there were two near psychopaths on that Meath team .
So C’mon Mayo……let’s be careful out there!
Poor Kildare. Getting gutted as I type, how long before the parents in Kildare decide that soccer or rugby is the sport the kids should be playing rather than wasting their time with Gaelic football?
Only 4 in it at half time
Bit hasty Dave…. Well done K and best of luck in second half and as O’rk said ..mark your feckin man….
Jaysus – Martin Carney is seriously painful to listen to. He hasn’t a clue either about cards and whats what.
Rte commentators commending Kildare for getting battered
What an utter waste of time – again
Interesting all the same to see Kildare getting clean through on goals on a couple of occasions, also Dublin getting caught by the high ball into the square at the end.
The All Ireland football Championship is not a level playing field at present. I just watched Kildare being demolished by Dublin. What chance do Westmeath or Carlow have of winning even a Leinster Championship? Dublin can pick six forwards from 12 available players for any one match. Each of those 12 would make the starting 15 of most inter county teams.
It puts into perspective how good Mayo were in the 2016 Championship. The GAA need to address the imbalance in regard to resources available to the weaker counties. Otherwise people will just stop going to watch matches.
It’s says it wall that the commentators spent the end of the match commending Kildare and all the effort they put in after getting bet by 9 points. What an utter waste of time the Leinster championship is. And samseeker, people stopped going to matches in Leinster years ago and what’s happening now is the dubs are starting to stop. Why would they bother leave the pub.
I don’t know Niall Mc 67,000 was an impressive turn out for what was always going to be a mismatch. Dublin never got out of second gear. It will be a Dublin Tyrone semi-final in that half and that is when the Dubs will be seriously challenged.
J j , they’ll always turn up for a final
With the “Super 8” coming into play next year – it will make it very hard for teams coming in the backdoor. For example if they were in place this year Mayo would have been playing 6 games in 8 weeks to get to semifinal stage. The super 8 will favour both Ky and Dub – the chances of either been caught at quarter final stage will be gone. With Ky and Dub dominating most of the underage – i think they are going to share Sam between them over next 10 years and gap is only going to get wider. The Football championship could get very boring.
JPM …. the very it! His time is up but you can say the same for a lot of them and Ger! They always manage to sound the same regardless of the game. Of course you can always turn off the sound for a while ……it’s a relief. And the BBC Championshop commentary was a bit funny too…. cept you re not laughing!!
To day I have a small bit of faith restored for football in Leinster. I want to congratulate both teams for a sporting game of football. I don’t think there was a nasty bit of dirt in the whole game. Not unlike the Connacht final. Fair dues to Kildare and their manager. They were up against one of the best teams over the past few years and they were not one bit over awed by this. O.K. they are learning and this game will stand to them going forward. Dublin are still the team to beat BUT they are beatable. 67 K at the game . I would say if you added the Munster, Connacht, Ulster final, you had nearly that amount for Leinster final. Roll on next weekend, We are now going to be playing Divison 1 teams. If we played against Dubs the way we played against Derry and first half against Clare it would be “Good night Irine”. Did the Dubs miss Connelly? His name wasn’t even mentioned and the young player who replaced was something else. Where in the fuck do the get wonder kids like that?. If this happened to us we would be moaning and groaning about it for months. And please don’t tell me they are not to be found. We have young players who now at presently in USA who could be like this young lad in Dublin, but as usual we let them slip away. Enough said as I don’t want to be the first to have WJ,s rule book thrown at me. Thanks WJ for giving us a place to air our views even though I have sailed close to the wind at times.
True Grit… Forget about people who are not in the county, they are not interested enough to put the effort in. We need to get away from any ‘field is greener’ kind of attitudes.
There are plenty of footballers in Mayo for us to win All Irelands. It’s all about the coaching structures and focus on skills development. That’s where the wonder kids come from. You don’t just stick your hand in any hat and pull out a rabbit.
Anyone know the investment of coaches per square kilometer in Dublin versus the other counties?
You have indeed, True Grit! This is a broad church, though, and I’m always keen to see a wide range of views expressed here, even if some tack very close to the wind from time to time.
On the football, I wouldn’t be as optimistic as you on Leinster after today’s final. Leinster is finished. Not only was that Dublin’s seventh Delaney Cup in a row it’s also their 12th in the last 13 years and nobody will be beating them in the province any time soon.
Football in Leinster is in an utter crisis. Meath have given up to all intents and purposes, Laois, Louth and Wexford have fallen back badly, Offaly have fallen off the radar and the rest are nowhere. Kildare are as good as it gets in terms of challenging Dublin and Dublin still beat them very handily without ever having to get out of second gear.
None of this should be a surprise, I suppose. Massive money – including a €1 million annual grant direct from taxpayers via the Irish Sports Council that only Dublin gets – has been pumped into the county since the boom days of the Celtic Tiger. The results of this are fairly stark now – unprecedented success in Dublin, the rest of Leinster an utter wasteland. Money talks.
Well said WJ and thanks for all you do for this blog for us!!!! The extended Mayo family here is awesome, fun to celebrate with on the good days and nice to have to commiserate with in the bad days!!!! Here’s to celebrateions on September 17!!!!!
You need to get a couple of early goals to test these boys. Twould be interesting then to watch the outcome or at least let’s be just scouring and at the right times.
Thought I might cheer all up by mentioning that Mayo selection u-15 lost out pretty badly to other Provincial sides yesterday in Bekan. Must be something going on … or not!
Scoring not scouring….ups!
First they beat Carlow by 20 points and I did not speak out
Then they beat Meath by 20 points and I did speak out
Then they beat Mayo by 20 points and still I did not speak out
Finally they beat Kerry by 20 points and there was no one left to care.
We are watching the state aided destruction of our game and the Con O’Callaghans are the first product of the Blue Wave development plan put in place in 2010 by Dublin Inc. The greed of Croke Park is such that even though they can see they have created a monster they still refuse to do anything. Population, finance, coaching structures, administration are all already in place and will continue to produce regardless of the €1 million or not. They’ve bankrupt us trying to keep up with them, like compulsive gamblers we’ve continued to chase money with bigger bets on the senior team every year while neglecting the underage structures. We got lucky with a minor and U21 All Ireland purely because we’ve such a strong footballing ethos in the county, outside of these two titles it’s been an abysmal 6 years.
As if to prove our CB are living on another planet they now want to heap more debt on the clubs and county by building a Centre of Excellence. The line we hear is “well Kerry have one and Tyrone have one”, yes they have them, but that’s because they fundraise for them and not levy their clubs for them. Our CB is like the lad on the dole feeling entitled to all the same benefits his working neighbour has, but doesn’t want to do the work. Going to New York with a biscuit tin or having your biggest critic at a supporter function won’t raise money, hiring a director of finance will.
I for one would much prefer we spend the estimated €2 or €3 million on hiring more coaches over the next 10 years otherwise we won’t have much “excellence” to coach.
It kills me to say it but Dublin looked very impressive yesterday, makes you think what are they doing so different from other counties at underage level, how do they manage to keep turning out these fabulous players, I know they have a lot more money than the rest of the counties, but still, the talent needs to be there to begin with, yet every player from Dublin from 1 – 25 is fantastic ….. even the great Kerry teams were not this good, hard for anyone to compete with this.
And this was them in 2nd /3rd gear…………………..
Don’t know what else to say
Forgot to mention, they always had the population , but were never this good.
Saw that the Indo yesterday had Dublin, Kerry and Tyrone as their three contenders for Sam, with us featuring nowhere. If the lads ever needed any extra motivation, this is it! As the bould Jonno once said, “There’s only one f***in’ answer to that”.