Hurling Nation: Microwave season too fast to savour
Good morning, Hurling Nation.
We haven't reached the middle day of June and after tomorrow there's five inter-county championship games left.
The crazy microwave season has given us another summer that's been too fast to savour.
The Munster final gripped the imagination of the country. There will be no complaints from Cork but a replay was the most natural and fair outcome – an opportunity to promote the game and earn bonus money that could make a difference for grassroots hurling.
But the microwave season leaves no room for breathing, let alone replays in the competition that's the golden fig leaf for the GAA's hurling shame.
On Sunday, just before a dreary, badly-attended Leinster final, Kildare became one of the best stories of the year.
They were young, fast, skillful and a joy to watch. They play again tomorrow, just six days later.
Are this new exciting team on the television? Of course not. GAA's own GAA+ channel, which seems like it should be designed for such a service disdains the Joe McDonagh Cup until the final.
You can watch Laois versus Tipperary. However, don't hold your breath. The last time Tipp played in one of these games, they put 7-38 past Offaly, who then stood where Laois now stand after losing the final.
Did those experiences do Offaly any harm? They certainly didn't do them any good. Outside of Laois beating Dublin once, the average losing margin of the other nine involving McDonagh finalists has been 17 points.
McDonagh finalists become McDonagh survivors a week later. The cup is a good idea badly executed. Nobody has made the breakthrough.
Teams that win need support in keeping their energy going. They don't need to be put back in their box six days later.
Tomorrow, get out to support Kildare playing Dublin in Newbridge and Laois playing Tipperary in Portlaoise. You probably won't see a thriller in either place but they've earned the support.
Enjoy yourselves, it's later than you think. The stingy annual ration to hurling from those who've become gatekeepers of the game, not its guardians, is running out.
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