Inches. Minutes. It’s all there ever is between Mayo and the best side of this generation. It’s all there ever is between Mayo and Sam.
Listen, just because Mayo can last with Dublin, just because they force what people are arguing to be the greatest team ever to go to the well time and time again, it doesn’t make Mayo the second best team ever. There’s more to a team than good players with breathtaking athleticism. It takes more to actually win and, then, to keep winning.
Mayo are not there yet but, Christ almighty, they’re everywhere but there.
It’s going to sting with the most successful county of all time but, if Dublin don’t win the All-Ireland football championship in 2018, Mayo will.
They’re the biggest threat to Jim Gavin’s dominance, both Dublin and Mayo know that and you’d have to think that even Kerry should know it too after they were outplayed twice in Croke Park by the men from the west in last year’s semi-final.
But the bookmakers have Stephen Rochford’s charges out in third to win the All-Ireland, a significant way behind Kerry’s chances, according to Paddy Power.
Tyrone are next in line and, after that, it’s take your pick then really with a nod of respect given to the last two winners outside of Dublin and Kerry – Donegal and Cork.
But it’s crazy to not just see Mayo at such a long price but to see them behind anyone else but Dublin.
In 2018, the Super 8s are going to test the mettle of the best of the provinces and the qualifiers as eight teams will battle it out in two groups for a place in the semis. Mayo are already used to the slog and maybe the extra competitive games will help Kerry who are buoyed by Kieran Donaghy’s decision to stay on and David Clifford’s arrival into senior football but, despite Jack Barry getting better every year and despite Jack Savage promising to light the championship up at some stage, Kerry are further behind Mayo right now. They’re further behind the two-year runners-up who are basically going again with the same talent and the same intensity and yet another hard luck story to fuel their drive even more.
They have Galway first in the Connacht quarter-finals but it still makes sense to install them as favourites.
Kerry and Dublin are obviously odds-on in their respective championships and there doesn’t seem to be an each way bet highlighted for any province outside of Ulster.
Tyrone are favourites up north but there’s a lot more to play for in the bookies’ eyes.
Meanwhile in the hurling, Davy Fitzgerald’s anger at the odds is not unfounded as Wexford find themselves cut adrift from the favourites.
Mayo fans will probably be happy to slip under the radar for another eight months anyway. They’ll draw a few games, they’ll play poorly against bad opposition and we’ll all write them off.
Then they’ll put Dublin to the pin of their collars again. Then, they’ll be closer than they ever were. Again.
A train journey to Westport had @ConanDoherty wondering if Mayo are actually better off never winning Sam again https://t.co/56UTd6z6do
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) September 10, 2017
