All around the world, sporting organisations are sending players out to play more and more matches except in one place, where they have cut the money-spinning season back to six months. Nobody else would surrender so much of the season.
In the GAA, players are conditioned to wade into brawls safe in the knowledge that the disciplinary process is not the end of the matter but only the beginning.
The four provincial finals in Gaelic football this weekend will demonstrate the evolution of Gaelic football and how anarchy has given way to organised chaos.
There are no certainties in sport and the lack of marketing around the new inter-county season increases the chances of a revolution in the game.
Dublin are struggling for a collective purpose and the anchors that held Jim Gavin's side together no longer hold, but there is still one thing that could make them a force.
The stand off between the GAA and the GPA over expenses also exposes many of the governing myths about the GAA and shines a light on the most hallowed belief of all: amateurism
Navigating your way through GAA congress can be tricky for those outside the administrators' world but what happens there can have real meaning.
A number of GAA players are considering walking away from the sport because of the joylessness of the games during lockdowns. Interventions might be necessary again but they make it harder to enjoy a sport that is a hobby.
Ireland has a great advantage in sport thanks to the number of different sports so many people play. Sporting bodies need to realise the benefits of embracing all codes and the pointlessness of hostility.
Making the transition from playing to what comes next can be daunting for many but Henry Shefflin may have all that is needed to succeed in management.
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