When a group of Kilkenny footballers take the field against serious opposition these days, their uppermost ambition should be to lose by a margin which is of no interest to the internet.
Usually, when one team ships an unmerciful hiding, observers remark that 'no one learned anything' from the exercise. Such an outcome is the best case scenario for the Kilkenny footballers.
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Their highest aim should be to ensure that no one learns anything from the experience. To lose in such a way that doesn't prompt a national debate.
Unfortunately, last weekend, the Kilkenny minor footballers suffered such an eye-popping, scoreboard-breaking hiding that people are taking learnings from the event.
Many are concluding that the Kilkenny county board are grossly under-serving their football inclined youngsters.
Many people - none of whom have previously advanced the idea that Cavan should be penalised for not fielding a hurling team - have argued that Kilkenny GAA should have their funding cut as a punishment.
The suspicion here is that folk are so weary of Kilkenny's hurling dominance and so hungry for variety at the top that are willing to use any ammunition to damage them.
Unofficial GAA have alerted us to Kilkenny's results in the Minor Football Championship since 2000.
Amidst all the odious beatings, the most shocking finding is that Kilkenny actually won a championship match in the minor grade, against Louth in 2005.
They won 2-7 to 0-9 in Drogheda. They were down to fourteen by the end. Their fairytale ended with a highly respectable three-point defeat to Longford in the next round. Expect the class of 2005 to become much mythologised in future years.
Sadly, recent results suggest the team are getting worse. In six championship matches since 2010 (they didn't compete in 2015) they have amassed a total score of 1-3. That's a total score, not an average score. Three times they have scored 0-0.
2010: Meath 6-27 Kilkenny 0-0, 2011: Wexford 7-17 Kilkenny 0-0, 2012: Offaly 8-30 Kilkenny 1-0, 2013: Kildare 2-29 Kilkenny 0-1, 2014: Offaly 7-20 Kilkenny 0-2 2016: Wexford 17-20 Kilkenny 0-0.
The Kilkenny LMFC record since 2000 #GAA pic.twitter.com/YyoY8eTZ1d
— UnOfficialGaa (@unofficialgaa) April 18, 2016
