Replying To Roger: "Nostalgia sometimes makes old games seem wonderful but there were plenty of duds over the years even in the good old days. 1990 was a year to remember with league trips to Kiltoom and Casement Park in the spring bringing beatings of the likes we didn't think possible. But we somehow ended up in a Division 2 playoff with Tyrone and Mayo, before beating Donegal in the quarter-final, Cork in the semi-final and then Down in the final. That Cork game stands out for me - the bitterness from the '88 All-Ireland finals hung in the air and Cork as '89 All-Ireland winners were there to be taken down a peg. It was as tough a game of football as I can remember, Cahalane was sent off for a tackle on O'Rourke, every Larry Tompkins free was booed and there was an atmosphere of menace. Down has beaten Roscommon in the first semi-final and I can remember Down fans in front of me amazed at the near loathing between Meath and Cork. A different era in so many ways. Roscommon beat Meath by 16-points in Kiltoom and Antrim put four or five goals past Mickey McQuillan in Belfast to win. Can you imagine the hysterics of lads if there was a forum back then."
But that's when the league meant less to teams/fans than it does today. Back then we were winning All Irelands and Leinsters. So it didn't really matter that we were getting beat by lesser teams in the league. That was their all Ireland by beating us. We had bigger fish to fry. Nowadays we are winning absolutely nothing. So don't be comparing the beatings by lesser teams that we're taking today, to be the same as 30 years ago. In general, today teams place more emphasis on the league. It's seen as a stepping stone for greater things.