ASK any Gaelic Games follower what the initials NFL represent and, until this week, the odds were heavily stacked in favour of National Football League being the answer you'd get. But, if the Ulster Council have their way, very soon the sport's second most important competition will not be quite as instantly recognised by those initials.
That's because they've launched a new initiative which uses those precise letters, because they spell out exactly the message they are striving to get across to all those involved in the sport.
NFL stand for No Foul Language and the laudable ambition is to rid the sport of the nasty expletives, whether they be uttered by players, coaches, managers, officials supporters - or even referees!
Patrons supporting Tyrone in the McKenna Cup matches at Healy Park last week were given rubber wristbands free, these publicising the scheme. Black, with yellow script, they merely said 'NFL No Foul Language' and carried the Ulster Council's website address.
And, says county chairman, it's an eminently laudable scheme which will be given the full backing of the officialdom in Tyrone.
No Foul Language "We're trying, and I would have to say very successfully so, to encourage women and family groupings to come to our games and that wouldn't be helped by people effing and blinding, whether the culprits are players, coaches, managers, supporters or anybody else" explained Pat Darcy, left.
"Players can be sidelined for eight weeks for using foul language, but that is no deterrent to many other people who don't come under the same sort of scrutiny.
"Referees are usually the target of such expletives and, while we aren't naive enough to think people are going to turn full circle and shout complimentary quips to officials, it would be nice to see them temper language to a large degree.
"It's especially bad when you hear the foul language coming from the sidelines, and particularly so when the coaches in question are in charge of underage teams, so I would appeal to them to cut out the bad talk and lead by example.
"The county board fully supports any such initiative and the Ulster Council are to be commended in their bid to eliminate what is a side of the sport that is not very nice at all" added professor Darcy.
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