Hurling will be left behind in professional era

One of the striking things about Casement Park for the Antrim v Cork game was the paucity of the crowd.
This should be a cause of concern to the hurling authorities but it won't.
After all we had one of the top two hurling teams in the country at Casement today, a Cork side coming down with All-Ireland medals and whose short passing and possession game have changed the face of hurling in this Millennium.
Despite what should have been a very attractive billing for the fans I'd reckon only a thousand or so turned up.
A larger crowd had turned out for a Division Four football match the previous night.
This statistic points up yet again the greater popularity of the big ball game despite the high standard of hurling at the top level of the game.
Hurling has become all too predictable with not enough counties in with a realistic chance of success in the major competitions.
It's hard to see anyone out of the top three win this year's or any year's Liam McCarthy.
Only Waterford are a good outside bet at best and if the game is to prosper then a lot of work is needed in the second tier of hurling counties, Clare, Limerick, Wexford, Galway, Antrim and Offaly, never mind in the minor counties.
Hurling is a great product, but it is not getting the promotion it needs and deserves.
Ongoing failure to do so will eventually mean that in the professional era we are entering into that it will get further let behind by the appeal of football to the crowds and the TV.