Kerry v Mayo NFL Round 4 15 March 2009

[deaconblue]

icc-  some truth in what you say for sure, however speaking from a kerry point of view i must correct you on 3 points-
1) dubs, tyrone , and down would be 3 teams we would be happy to beat but are not the top 3, without any doubt cork are the team above all others we enjoy beating, they are our no 1 rivals by far.
2) tyrone have beat us in 2 finals and fair play to them but it has been blown up a bit,we have no real history with them and to be honest loseing to cork would be  far more painfull .
3)having been going to dublin for wends following kerry for over 30 years i can confirm that many a kerryman has been only too happy to settle for a nice lass in coppers 

[muppet]

If I may lower the tone for just a moment, for proud aristocrats like Kerry it must have been like Brad Pitt riding some slapper he picked up in Copper's. The telly was broke and it was grand for a poke but goodness gracious, shouldn't a man of his calibre be doing the nasty with Glenda Gilson or Caroline Morahan or some classy bird like that, having come all the way to Ireland? Isn't that what Kerry must have been thinking?

Imagine how sick they'll be when they meet us in the final again this year? Well Kerry Mike, or any of you? What do you think? Will you stock up on the Bisodol now, or later?

Great stuff ICC, So Kerry are Brad pitt , We are the Slappers and Tyrone are Caroline Morahan   

Just as well you said Brad Pitt and not...oh say Hugh Grant.

[Kerry Mike]

but they particularly delight in beating three teams – Dublin obviously, and then Down, in perpetual revenge for Down's damned cheek to go beating them with oul' tactics in the 'sixties, and now Tyrone, who have got under Kerry's skin like nobody has since that Down team.

And what about having a crack at the Biffos, that loss in 1982 hurts more than any loss to Tyrone or anyone else. But beating Cork has always held a special place in my hyeart. Just love beating the langers.

As for Mayo the law of averages is that they will beat us in Croke Park one of these years  Just like the Jackeens will sooner or later end their 8 game championship losing streak to us 

[IolarCoisCuain]

Do you know Mike, I'm sure that loss to Offaly stung, but I don't think you boys wake up in the dark dead night shivering at the thought of playing them again. Whereas it's quite plain, reading this Board or watching that remarkable game in Healy Park a few weeks ago, that Kerry are really, really bothered by Tyrone.

As for the law of averages, I'm afraid that's already kicked in, Mayo having of course beaten Kerry in 1996, and probably aren't due again for quite some time. Dublin are waiting 66 years and counting, I believe.

But I still don't know what you fellas made of those All-Irelands. Did you think Mayo ever had a chance in either of them? Were you disappointed at not getting your money's worth? Where do you think Mayo went wrong? I heard one of your great players from a great family put it down to lack of heart - is that the general opinion in the Kingdom when you look back?

Actually, speaking of those All-Irelands, as I was leaving the stadium in 2006 with my jersey on and the head down, I met some Kerryman who took one look at me and said "you got some lesson!" I had my eyes peeled for him last year - there to cheer our minors - but no sign. So if anyone reading is that same Kerryman, I'd like to know - are you still in favour of the education now?

Is fada an bóthar gan casadh, a chairde uilig. 

[rosnarun]

the problem for kerry with so many wins is they can only lose at this point . winning is neutral .
also i think their squad is actually quiet weak when you go past the 1st 17 or so players where as mayo probably have 40 players at about the same level. but not many better.at the risk of a row id say only connor is irreplaceable
it certainaly would not be difficult to name as strong a team as played w/meath from the reserves
eg these would well put it up to them
r hennellly
a higgins d heany j nallen
c barret t howley pat kelly
bjp k conry
a dillion a kilcoyne p harte
a campbell b moran M Mullins

not to mention the kilcullens s drake m conroy d munnelly a durcan ciaran mcdonald and many more who could well do a job

[Mike Sheehy]

For someone who is tired of the Kerry/Ulster sniping you seem to be trying your best to get some kerry/Mayo sniping going.

[ONeill]

And what about having a crack at the Biffos, that loss in 1982 hurts more than any loss to Tyrone or anyone else.

I don't believe you. Offaly weren't a threat in terms of length of period. We're talking 23 years now.

[moysider]

For someone who is tired of the Kerry/Ulster sniping you seem to be trying your best to get some kerry/Mayo sniping going.

Dont think anybody looking for sniping. I remember walking out of Croke Park beside a young Kerry fella after 2004 I think. It could have been 2006 maybe. Same difference. He was nt too pleased. Said it was nt much of a match. Waste of time in fact. I concurred. For him it was a waste of time. For me it felt like a waste of life then.

Rosnarun is right. Winning does nt matter to Kerry. Losing is everything. Who they lose to is not important either. Tyrone, Offaly, Down, Dublin, whoever. The proximity of Cork makes it important not to lose to them. As for the rest of us. I dont think we register on their consciousness much. It s all about  their own house in order.

Sport has a very short memory anyway . This years Kerry minors would never have seen Mikey Sheehy, Egan, Jacko etc play live play let alone hold grievances about Offaly or Down.  Kerry have lost more AI finals than anybody. They ve also won more than any other county. Their only objective is to win the next one.

[Mike Sheehy]

I wasnt at the '96 semi-final but a mate of mine who was said that the walk from Croker into the city centre was brutal, plenty of crowing going on so there's no point talking about what some fella said after the game, we have our own stories about what was said to us after defeats. The difference with us is that when we lose 31 counties pile in to have a pop. Especially those that have an axe to grind about some past defeat.

But thats grand, its all part of it and, obviously, I wouldn't trade places with any other county...you just have to give it and take it in equal measure.

[deaconblue]

a few of the lads here seem to understand the kerry mindset better than others, as has been touched on kerry dont really take much notice of who they beat or who they lose to(unless its cork) frankly mayo,tyrone, armagh or whoever is immaterial there just other counties.
ive spend a lifetime going to and discussing games and 95% of those discussions are about kerry,we rarely if ever really talk about the opponents, its of no real interest to most kerry fans, out team is our passion .
that may or may not be a good thing but its reality, and most of us would struggle to name more than 6 players in any other county team,we just dont care, sorry.
the idea that we lie in bed at night thinking about tyrone is beyond laughable as most would not even point it out on a map !!
as i say it may be a bad way we have of looking at things but its our way and will hardly change at this stage.

[Mike Sheehy]

as most would not even point it out on a map !!

I dont think its on any maps. Nobody wants to go there.

[AbbeySider]

...we have our own stories about what was said to us after defeats. The difference with us is that when we lose 31 counties pile in to have a pop. Especially those that have an axe to grind about some past defeat...

You should take that as a complement Mike.
Most other counties are jealous and afraid of Kerry. Beating Kerry is like David slaying Goliath for a lot of counties so you get that exuberance.

On the note of stories from after the All Ireland defeat in '06.
I met a Kerry lad who had a trip away to Westport planned for all his mates after the All-Ireland because they though Mayo had a great chance.
They were coming up to Mayo to join the celebrations. As it worked out, Kerry having hammered us; he said
"We couldnt even celebrate a win like that..."

Imagine not even celebrating winning the All-Ireland because it was so one sided? I was sick when I heard that, but its hard to blame them.   

[IolarCoisCuain]

For someone who is tired of the Kerry/Ulster sniping you seem to be trying your best to get some kerry/Mayo sniping going.

Ah come on now Mike. This is just banter and blather out of me.

I don't believe you. Offaly weren't a threat in terms of length of period. We're talking 23 years now.

That's sniping.

a few of the lads here seem to understand the kerry mindset better than others, as has been touched on kerry dont really take much notice of who they beat or who they lose to(unless its cork) frankly mayo,tyrone, armagh or whoever is immaterial there just other counties.
ive spend a lifetime going to and discussing games and 95% of those discussions are about kerry,we rarely if ever really talk about the opponents, its of no real interest to most kerry fans, out team is our passion .
that may or may not be a good thing but its reality, and most of us would struggle to name more than 6 players in any other county team,we just dont care, sorry.
the idea that we lie in bed at night thinking about tyrone is beyond laughable as most would not even point it out on a map !!
as i say it may be a bad way we have of looking at things but its our way and will hardly change at this stage.

Thanks for that Deacon Blue - you're a real gone kid. This is the closest I've come to having my question answered - what is it like to be in the Kingdom looking out from all those titles, all that silverware.

What Abbeysider is saying is on the level. Kerry are the gold standard - it is against them that all others are judged. If that cup could speak, he couldn't but have a Kerry accent. And that's why you're so interesting to us.

I enjoyed Jack O'Connor's book but I was a little that Mayo were just an afterthought. That wasn't Kerry's fault, of course. That was our own. And that's why we find the league meetings so interesting, and why we're so disappointed that the game isn't on telly. It's only against Kerry that any team with ambition can be judged.

Except Tyrone, obviously.

[Maradona]

AFFS Lads, can ye pander any more to Kerry? Fair play to them, unbelievable record, but why do ye give a f#ck?
Yes we got hammered 04 & 06 - I for one would like to put that behind me, not drag it up and ask kerry lads what it was like for them
I have no major gra for Tyrone, but fair play to them, they sorted their own house out and didnt do the inferior thing with Kerry like we do. I greatly admire them for what they have done. And make no mistake, Kerry lads are too proud to admit it, but they have not beaten tyrone in the last 3 major games they played against each other, tow of them AI finals, and believe me that hurts them as much as our defeats in 04 & 06 hurts us.
So stop the pandering and lets sort ourselves out. We have a manager spouting 'we are up against it' this weekend. Well maybe we are, but shut up and put it right.
Thats what is wrong with us
Rant over

[OirthearMhaigheo]

I think this obsession some lads have with Kerry is unhealthy. It's one thing wanting to learn a thing or two about the way they do things, a completely different thing to want to know what they think of us. Who gives a sh1t what they think of us? They don't care what anyone thinks of them and rightfully so. We're big enough and ugly enough and we need to concentrate on ourselves. A team I wouldn't mind picking the brains of is Tyrone, a team we can beat, but a team who can do what we can't, beat Kerry! That's the conundrum we need to figure out. This obsession with Kerry? keep putting them up on a pedestal lads and we'll always be the gombeens looking up at them.
As for the weekend, it would be a bit like us to get an unexpected result against them given out recent record in the league, going for 4 wins in a row I think. Still, we have looked average at best this year and Kerry seem to be flying it so if we can get to within a couple of points of the 'aristocrats' I'll be happy