Dublin v Mayo 2020 All-Ireland final

[From the Bunker]

A few thoughts:

There may be a few retirements put on hold because of the short season next year. 6 months is a short stint to commit. ANyone who retires will have been told by management to retire.

The GAA are in real trouble. The only survivor out of all this is the Connacht, Munster and Ulster Championships.

The Leinster and AI Championships are effectively dead rubber games.

The organisation (GAA) is hugely controlled by Dublin. Be it financial, administration and media.

Corporate boxes, advertising, newspaper sales, Tv viewership all influence the narrative.

Many not from Dublin chose not to rock the boat for fear of losing out on their handy money.

Des Cahill, Joanne Cantwell supposedly neutral observers have even upped the bias.

Dublin control the debate, just like Dublin control everything else.

I watched they AI final yesterday like I'd watch a mid week game in the premiership with my any team playing. There was no real excitement, anticipation, grief, sadness.

I did not feel bitter/jealous toward the Dublin players, I did not feel sad for the Mayo players. I did not really care.

I have never felt like this about a game involving Mayo in an AI Final. Never!

Of course Covid has had an influence. But things have been changing and yesterday was a continuation of that change toward the AI being a non entity.

When we lost heavily to Kerry in 2004 and 2006. I was despondent, but there was always a light.  There was always a chance. A chance we'd get it together. There is no chance anymore. Anybody thinking otherwise does not have any comprehension of the Gap and what you are up against.

For Dublin Fans this has been a Magical decade . Eight out of ten titles. Kerry in the '70's and '80's won eight out of eleven. At the time of their last win that group were really old men and the lack of integrating new talent seen a famine of 10 years after. In contrast Dublin are about half way with their second group in their dominant decade.

Thanks to the Mayo team for the last decade. I don't know how history can deal with them. History only records the feats of winners and lets face it that group did not win anything. And you cant make anything tangible up to even acknowledge how good they were. Can you?

But then again who cares? it's only football. There are other things in life that will far more define them.

[Itchy]

You'd wouldn't have thought McStay was from Mayo. He was more biased towards Dublin. Looking for the O Connors to be carded, saying Cooper should stay on because he was sent off last year.. Generally foaming over Dublin
They are good but no need for theatrics

That was terrible fawning over 'poor' Johnny Cooper alright.

I didn't/couldn't watch RTE. Sky was brilliant. Grainne mcelwain top notch, Donaghy excellent and always great craic. Mcguinness intense genius. Canavan knowledgeable and engaging ( even threw in a Healy-Rae jibe at Donaghy) . No personal insults, pathetic sound-bites, no contrived humour, no "back in my day"drivel, no disrespect, no partisan pundits/presenters,  graphics much better........if only it was free to view.

Couldn't agree more. 1st year I never even bothered with RTE and I take no pleasure in saying that. Question is how do they come late to the party and get better pundits

[WhoDat]

kevin mcstay was awful on the commentary

[StPatsAbu]

The spin and deflection from the DUPlin fans about the unfair advantages they have is outright embarrassing at this stage.

So how come you weren't winning AIs when it was a level playing field? How come despite Pillar's best efforts Mayo, Tyrone, Kerry, Cork were hammering you in Croker year in year out? Even back then the referees did their best to help you win it and your last AI win without refs cheating the other team was 1983!

[Angelo]

The spin and deflection from the DUPlin fans about the unfair advantages they have is outright embarrassing at this stage.

So how come you weren't winning AIs when it was a level playing field? How come despite Pillar's best efforts Mayo, Tyrone, Kerry, Cork were hammering you in Croker year in year out? Even back then the referees did their best to help you win it and your last AI win without refs cheating the other team was 1983!

Think you're quoting the wrong poster here.

Dublin's sustained success is mostly down to GAA HQ intervention, disproportionate funding which has created a financial behemoth that enables Dublin to train and prepare at higher standards than any other team.

[The Trap]

Thoughts on All Ireland Final
1. Dublin love to be challenged. They have so few opportunities to be involved in a real battle and when one comes along that's when they come alive.
2. Well done to Mayo for being one of the few counties that can provide that challenge. They went for it......in doing so they won the kick out battle for a long time
3. The first goal should never happen. How can an all ireland final team concede that? Mayo never lost composure though and came right back into it.
4. I noticed the embraces Farrell had with McMahon Kevin Mac MDMC etc. They were long and heartfelt. No bitterness seemed to be present and that takes a lot from both parties. Dublin do seem to have a very special bond, again this comes across in interviews. It's not all about money. Wi ning brings a team closer together. Can see them all back in 2021
5. Mayo could take a lot from this game and this year. They had several new players who now know what is required and then fitness levels they have to get to.
6. Other counties need to go after dublin like mayo did. Get 20/22 players to the level required. Can see Kerry Donegal Tyrone possibly Galway getting close in 2021.

[WhoDat]

when will the fiction around donegal end? every year we're told they're going to do something, every year they fail to do anything. they won't do anything next year either. neither will tyrone and you can forget about galway. kerry might make a final but they won't beat dublin.

mayo's youngsters did well. but they ran out of legs once dublin introduced their bench. surely the mullin lad's future is out the field? he had a great game.

[Angelo]

6. Other counties need to go after dublin like mayo did. Get 20/22 players to the level required. Can see Kerry Donegal Tyrone possibly Galway getting close in 2021.

They do need to go after them like Mayo did but do we see it being any different for them? I don't, teams can't live with Dublin's level of conditioning for 70 minutes.

[Armamike]

Hard to see how Dublin will be beaten by any team until someone comes up with a very different style or approach to playing football. Trying to better Dublin purely on athleticism, power, and accuracy will be extremely difficult unless there is a drop off from them in terms of their hunger and focus.  Dublin have taken what we know about how football should be played and have essentially perfected it.  Time for a great managerial innovator to emerge who can look at football very differently and create a new puzzle for them.

[Rossfan]

Wait till some County* increases it's population to around a million.
Or till the GAA goes full time professional with 8/10 regional teams.

* Antrim, Down and Derry excepted for well known reasons

[Milltown Row2]

Wait till some County* increases it's population to around a million.
Or till the GAA goes full time professional with 8/10 regional teams.

* Antrim, Down and Derry excepted for well known reasons

Hardly be Roscommon increasing its population

[6th sam]

You'd wouldn't have thought McStay was from Mayo. He was more biased towards Dublin. Looking for the O Connors to be carded, saying Cooper should stay on because he was sent off last year.. Generally foaming over Dublin
They are good but no need for theatrics

That was terrible fawning over 'poor' Johnny Cooper alright.

I didn't/couldn't watch RTE. Sky was brilliant. Grainne mcelwain top notch, Donaghy excellent and always great craic. Mcguinness intense genius. Canavan knowledgeable and engaging ( even threw in a Healy-Rae jibe at Donaghy) . No personal insults, pathetic sound-bites, no contrived humour, no "back in my day"drivel, no disrespect, no partisan pundits/presenters,  graphics much better........if only it was free to view.

Maybe that's why you have to pay for it?

Pay for quality V RTÉ's wooden contrived set up.

Turned on RTE at the start and O'Rourke started off with his usual moaning about Dublin and switched over to sky. Much better as the lads focused only on the game. I don't know the presenter on sky, but she's far better than Joanna Cantwell and Rachel Wyse who used to do it on sky

Is it not Gráinne Mc Elwain from Monaghan?

She's excellent, knowledgable and very down to earth - not trying to be the story, unlike Cantwell.

She has huge experience from the woman's football, on TG4, over the years.

A good Ulster bias on Sky!!

Yes, it's not just about money in Sky. Look at who they select. Gráinne selected on her peerless ability especially in letting the experts flow. Donaghy arguably the most charismatic footballer of a generation and the perspective of another sport, Mcguinness one of the best managers in history and again perspective from top level of another sport . Canavan arguably the best player of all time, Intercounty manager. All share natural banter rather than contrived sound bites and insults . Then you have RTE🤦🏻‍♂️

[Eire90]

if donegel were so good they would have beaten cavan and dublin destroyed cavan so there

[Eire90]

do  you think casuals will watch if theres franchise teams only reason bandwagoners get onboard is cause its there home country the same bandwagoners that go to ireland games but probably dont watch the world cup final cause ohhh its not ireland.

[dublin7]

A few thoughts:

There may be a few retirements put on hold because of the short season next year. 6 months is a short stint to commit. ANyone who retires will have been told by management to retire.

The GAA are in real trouble. The only survivor out of all this is the Connacht, Munster and Ulster Championships.

The Leinster and AI Championships are effectively dead rubber games.

The organisation (GAA) is hugely controlled by Dublin. Be it financial, administration and media.

Corporate boxes, advertising, newspaper sales, Tv viewership all influence the narrative.

Many not from Dublin chose not to rock the boat for fear of losing out on their handy money.

Des Cahill, Joanne Cantwell supposedly neutral observers have even upped the bias.

Dublin control the debate, just like Dublin control everything else.

I watched they AI final yesterday like I'd watch a mid week game in the premiership with my any team playing. There was no real excitement, anticipation, grief, sadness.

I did not feel bitter/jealous toward the Dublin players, I did not feel sad for the Mayo players. I did not really care.

I have never felt like this about a game involving Mayo in an AI Final. Never!

Of course Covid has had an influence. But things have been changing and yesterday was a continuation of that change toward the AI being a non entity.

When we lost heavily to Kerry in 2004 and 2006. I was despondent, but there was always a light.  There was always a chance. A chance we'd get it together. There is no chance anymore. Anybody thinking otherwise does not have any comprehension of the Gap and what you are up against.

For Dublin Fans this has been a Magical decade . Eight out of ten titles. Kerry in the '70's and '80's won eight out of eleven. At the time of their last win that group were really old men and the lack of integrating new talent seen a famine of 10 years after. In contrast Dublin are about half way with their second group in their dominant decade.

Thanks to the Mayo team for the last decade. I don't know how history can deal with them. History only records the feats of winners and lets face it that group did not win anything. And you cant make anything tangible up to even acknowledge how good they were. Can you?

But then again who cares? it's only football. There are other things in life that will far more define them.

There are far more problems in the championship than Dublin. If Dublin was split tomorrow it would help the likes of Mayo and Kerry, but what difference will it make to the majority of counties like Carlow, Sligo, Leitrim, Clare etc?

Likes of yourself are whining because Mayo can't beat the dubs in an All Ireland final/semi final. Leitrim, Carlow, Clare have to play in a provincial championship every year they have no chance of winning and get hammered most years. At least the second tier championship is a step in the right direction. Until the provincial championships are scrapped and a proper structure is put in place mismatches will continue in all provinces