Fawning over Mayo

[TheGreatest]

The heat wave is making people delirious.

" they're the best team to never win an All-Ireland but contrary to the history books, this is a team full of winners."

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/american-club-confirm-deadline-day-signing-of-mayo-duo-166706 

Its getting to embarrassing levels now on Social media and indo media fawning over the peoples champs.

The only sure thing on annual basis in the GAA that Mayo would not win the all Ireland. 

[Farrandeelin]

The heat wave is making people delirious.

" they're the best team to never win an All-Ireland but contrary to the history books, this is a team full of winners."

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/american-club-confirm-deadline-day-signing-of-mayo-duo-166706 

Its getting to embarrassing levels now on Social media and indo media fawning over the peoples champs.

The only sure thing on annual basis in the GAA that Mayo would not win the all Ireland.

Well why start a thread on it?

[longballin]

The best games every year in recent times have involved Mayo some they won some they lost. They should have got over the line to win an All Ireland but deserve huge credit. Remind of Waterford team of Mullane etc another very good team not to win an All Ireland.

[Tubberman]

The heat wave is making people delirious.

" they're the best team to never win an All-Ireland but contrary to the history books, this is a team full of winners."

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/american-club-confirm-deadline-day-signing-of-mayo-duo-166706 

Its getting to embarrassing levels now on Social media and indo media fawning over the peoples champs.

The only sure thing on annual basis in the GAA that Mayo would not win the all Ireland. 

Amazing how it grates with some Dublin supporters so much that Mayo get credit. Dublin are lauded as "the best team ever" by many, but it's not enough. 

[longballin]

The heat wave is making people delirious.

" they're the best team to never win an All-Ireland but contrary to the history books, this is a team full of winners."

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/american-club-confirm-deadline-day-signing-of-mayo-duo-166706 

Its getting to embarrassing levels now on Social media and indo media fawning over the peoples champs.

The only sure thing on annual basis in the GAA that Mayo would not win the all Ireland. 

Amazing how it grates with some Dublin supporters so much that Mayo get credit. Dublin are lauded as "the best team ever" by many, but it's not enough.

That Dublin team isn't best ever. That's just hyperbole. Kerry 1975 to 1986 would have beat them. Won eight All Irelands in that era.

[GaillimhIarthair]

The heat wave is making people delirious.

" they're the best team to never win an All-Ireland but contrary to the history books, this is a team full of winners."

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/american-club-confirm-deadline-day-signing-of-mayo-duo-166706 

Its getting to embarrassing levels now on Social media and indo media fawning over the peoples champs.

The only sure thing on annual basis in the GAA that Mayo would not win the all Ireland. 

Amazing how it grates with some Dublin supporters so much that Mayo get credit. Dublin are lauded as "the best team ever" by many, but it's not enough.

Dublin had a ways to go yet to emulate the Kerry mid 70's to '86 squad IMHO.

[Syferus]

The heat wave is making people delirious.

" they're the best team to never win an All-Ireland but contrary to the history books, this is a team full of winners."

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/american-club-confirm-deadline-day-signing-of-mayo-duo-166706 

Its getting to embarrassing levels now on Social media and indo media fawning over the peoples champs.

The only sure thing on annual basis in the GAA that Mayo would not win the all Ireland. 

Amazing how it grates with some Dublin supporters so much that Mayo get credit. Dublin are lauded as "the best team ever" by many, but it's not enough.

Dublin had a ways to go yet to emulate the Kerry mid 70's to '86 squad IMHO.

Dublin will have six titles from eight seasons soon. There's very little way to go now when you consider the level of preparation that teams put into IC football these days.

[longballin]

Kerry were better players and with the same preparations and conditions would beat this Dublin team imo... but we'll never know.

[weareros]

Yeah the Kerry team of the 70s/80s were full of individually brilliant players (eg Egan, Sheehy) who gelled wonderfully as a team. They won most of their All-Ireland's well. This Dublin team has scraped over the line. They may well do the famous 5 in a row and if they pull that off, then they will be entitled to that moniker. But they may equally be beaten this year or next by a new, Young Kerry team. Just like it's too soon to write Mayo's obit, it's too soon to crown Dublin as the greatest.

[mup]

The heat wave is making people delirious.

" they're the best team to never win an All-Ireland but contrary to the history books, this is a team full of winners."

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/american-club-confirm-deadline-day-signing-of-mayo-duo-166706 

Its getting to embarrassing levels now on Social media and indo media fawning over the peoples champs.

The only sure thing on annual basis in the GAA that Mayo would not win the all Ireland. 

Amazing how it grates with some Dublin supporters so much that Mayo get credit. Dublin are lauded as "the best team ever" by many, but it's not enough.

That's exactly it. How dare anybody else praise anyone other than Dublin. Some of them are like a spoilt child who craves attention.

Wait for the 'sure I was only winding you all up' line.

[From the Bunker]

In fairness this Dublin team are the Greatest. They have a brilliant home record in the Championship. They have also a 90+% record in recent knock out games in the League at home. Their commitment to training, is unparalleled in terms of time off work and travel.  Despite all the disadvantages Dublin come good every year.

[Syferus]

Yeah the Kerry team of the 70s/80s were full of individually brilliant players (eg Egan, Sheehy) who gelled wonderfully as a team. They won most of their All-Ireland's well. This Dublin team has scraped over the line. They may well do the famous 5 in a row and if they pull that off, then they will be entitled to that moniker. But they may equally be beaten this year or next by a new, Young Kerry team. Just like it's too soon to write Mayo's obit, it's too soon to crown Dublin as the greatest.

Even if they lose one they will just keep winning them regardless, as has already happened. Their depth caused by both their ridiculous population and financial advantage means their position is very sustainable. Anyone who thinks Dublin aren't remaining on top is just fooling themselves.

Dublin are the best team to ever play the game. But they are under few definitions even a county.

[trileacman]

Jim did a piece yesterday stating history will be kind to mayo and I think he's right. In the same regard I think history will be unkind to this Dublin side. The drubbings they hand out greatly diminish their appeal to the neutral and even to their own fans as the dwindling attendances turning out to see them play is testament to.

I don't think they'll get talked about in 10 years time the way Kerry and Tyrone of the noughties are referenced now, the bitter rivalry of that era stirring up considerable emotion and interest in the two sides. Similarly there's nothing defining about their victories, the age old sporting adage of conquering the insurmountable,, like sixties Down, eighties Offaly, or Jimmys Donegal.

[Hound]

Jim did a piece yesterday stating history will be kind to mayo and I think he's right. In the same regard I think history will be unkind to this Dublin side. The drubbings they hand out greatly diminish their appeal to the neutral and even to their own fans as the dwindling attendances turning out to see them play is testament to.

I don't think they'll get talked about in 10 years time the way Kerry and Tyrone of the noughties are referenced now, the bitter rivalry of that era stirring up considerable emotion and interest in the two sides. Similarly there's nothing defining about their victories, the age old sporting adage of conquering the insurmountable,, like sixties Down, eighties Offaly, or Jimmys Donegal.

A bit harsh to moan abut drubbings in early rounds when others have complained about the lack of drubbings in the latter stages!

There have been magnificent games against Mayo and Kerry.
The final where Kev Mac got the goal to get us back in it when all looked lost and then Cluxton nailed the long range last kick of the game free to win was truly epic. There was the semi final where Gooch and others looked to be destroying us, but we came roaring back to win. Pretty much every match v Mayo was a great watch and went to the wire.

IMO this Dubs team is better than the Kerry mid 80s team, but I didnt see enough of the Kerry late 70s/early 80s team to compare, so they could still be better.

I doubt very much there has been a better team than Mayo who has not won it.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Eamonn Sweeney got in on the act yesterday. A tad OTT I feel.

Eamonn Sweeney

July 2 2018 5:00 PM


The two-goal start handed to Donegal in the 2012 All-Ireland final, the defensive mix-up which gave Bernard Brogan his first goal in the 2013 decider, the five-point lead with five minutes left lost in the 2014 semi against Kerry, the two own goals in the drawn 2016 meeting with Dublin, the decision to replace All-Star goalkeeper David Clarke for the replay, the red card for Donal Vaughan just when it looked like they'd have an extra man for the closing 20 minutes of last year's final.

No team ever amassed quite as many might-have-been moments as Mayo. Their story is one of turning points which turned the wrong way. Hope and history never quite rhymed. Lady Luck always left with someone else.

A momentous era ended in Newbridge on Saturday night. It began on July 31, 2011 when an unfancied Mayo side, who'd only defeated London by a single point in their opening Connacht Championship match, beat reigning All-Ireland champions Cork 1-13 to 2-6 in a Croke Park quarter-final. Kerry disposed of them easily enough next time out but Mayo, under manager James Horan, seemed a team on the way up. The following year they once more upset the reigning champs, beating Dublin by three points in a tremendous semi-final. Yet this was Donegal and Jim McGuinness's year. Cynics suggested Mayo had merely made life easier for the new champions by clearing a better side out of the way.

Mayo demanded respect in 2013. For the third year in a row they deposed the title-holders, beating Donegal by 16 points in the quarter-final. The final could have gone either way but it went Dublin's by a point. Yet it looked like Mayo's time would surely come soon.


They were perhaps never better than in the 2014 semi-final against Kerry. Mayo played the second half with 14 men after Lee Keegan was sent off just before the break but looked to have won the game before Kieran Donaghy came on.

The moment when the big man superbly fielded a high ball before slipping it to James O'Donoghue who stuck it into the net felt like a significant turning point. Mayo lost the replay after extra-time, their disappointment exacerbated by a sense of injustice. There were some dubious refereeing decisions and the game had been played in Kingdom-friendly Limerick because Croke Park was hosting an American Football match.

The resignation of Horan afterwards seemed to confirm the feeling that this Mayo side, like their predecessors who'd lost the 1996 and 1997 and 2004 and 2006 finals, would fade away in the face of sustained disappointment.

Yet they were back in the semis the following year, under the joint management of Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes, and led Dublin going into the final quarter before being undone by a devastating three-goal burst.

A players' putsch saw Stephen Rochford take over as manager for 2016 but a first Connacht Championship defeat to Galway in eight years and a halting progress through the qualifiers suggested a team in decline. Few predicted anything other than comprehensive defeat for them in the final against Dublin.

Instead Mayo would have won the drawn game but for own goals from Kevin McLoughlin and Colm Boyle which kept the floundering Dubs in the contest. The unfortunate nature of both scores made you wonder if somebody up there didn't like Mayo.

In the replay, the misfortune was self-inflicted. Rochford's decision to replace Clarke with Rob Hennelly may well be the worst miscalculation in All-Ireland football final history. A botched kick-out by the replacement led to Lee Keegan, the best player in football that year, getting a black card. A Hennelly fumble gave Dublin a penalty converted by Diarmuid Connolly which proved vital as Mayo lost a second final in four years by a single point.

By now Mayo's attempts to finally land the All-Ireland had become Irish sport's great epic quest. Their 2017 championship campaign was extraordinary. Another defeat by Galway led to an odyssey which saw them play seven games, two of which went to extra-time, before encountering Dublin once more in the final.

When an inspired Mayo led by two points with six minutes left, the grail seemed within their grasp. Instead Dublin prevailed by one point for a third time. Cillian O'Connor's free to put Mayo ahead in injury-time came back off the post, Dean Rock's similar effort for Dublin sailed over.

The Mayo story had come to seem like the saddest GAA story ever told. Yet the memories are not all of what might have been.

There's also Kevin McLoughlin's rocket against Cork that announced the team's arrival, David Clarke pulling off a point-blank save from Bernard Brogan, Aidan O'Shea soaring high and finishing with aplomb against Donegal, Cillian O'Connor landing a last-ditch equaliser against the Dubs, Lee Keegan galloping through the Dublin defence and lashing a shot past Stephen Cluxton, Keith Higgins hunting down and foiling Paul Geaney with the game in the balance, Chris Barrett's herculean blocks, intercepts and dispossessions in last year's final and the whole of Andy Moran's incredible 2017.

Saturday's game ended with Moran firing a shot narrowly over. Last year he produced probably the greatest veteran season in GAA history. This year he fought to the bitter end. He deserved better and so did his team-mates. A popular cliché tells us that no-one remembers the runners-up. But everyone will remember this Mayo side.

They'll be remembered when some teams which did win the Sam Maguire are forgotten outside their own county.

Mayo's big fault may have been that sometimes they cared a little too much and tried a little too hard. A touch more sang-froid at key moments might have worked wonders. But their flaws only made this big-hearted team all the more engaging. There was something emotionally involving about almost every one of their games.

Mayo 2011-2018 were a team unlike any other. They were everyone's favourite other side. They were Ireland's team.

God, we'll miss them.