With New Year safely behind us – taking with it the final vestiges of that car crash year that was 2008 – it’s good to be looking ahead to the first football weekend of 2009. It’s only pre-season stuff, of course, but it’s still football and, sure, in four weeks time the NFL will be underway again once more. The Dubs were first out of the traps yesterday with their normal New Year’s Day internecine shindig, which, incidentally, provided the GAA world with what will almost certainly prove to be its one and only penalty shoot-out of 2009. The result gave our local man, Pat Gilroy, a successful start to his term as Dublin manager but it’s safe to conclude that more stressful challenges lie ahead for the big Vincent’s man.
As I mentioned the other day, our lads (that’s the Mayo lads, in case you’re getting confused by my use of the term “our”) play their opening FBD match on Sunday against NUIG at their grounds in Dangan (which, I believe, is somewhere in Galway city). I’m not planning on traversing the country for this one – there are limits to my insanity when it comes to The Cause – but I hope to follow the action on the wireless and will report back on proceedings thereafter.
That’s about it, really. Here’s hoping that 2009 will bring us a bit more to shout about than either of the last two years did. Sure, the exploits of the minors gave us plenty of cause for pride last year but it’d be good if the seniors were the ones to do so this year. How will we do in 2009? Well, I’ve provided a temperature tester in the form of a new poll so here’s your chance to express your opinion on the matter.
By the way, do you like the new site banner? As I said to the lads who own them, there’s nothing like a few middle-aged bellies to freshen up the place.
Your Banner seems to have reverted back to the old one again – at least on my PC.
Incidentally, for those who expect to spend many hours and days this on the road going to different venues around the country, there is a very good facility for getting directions to different county grounds available at http://www.larrymahony.com/gaagrounds/index.htm.
Having said that I think a lifetime of following Mayo has brought me to most of them already!
Id say our pat of desthiny wll depend entirely on who we meet in the final 8, after winnin connate of course..!
there are too many wild cards out there at the minute..in the days gone it was easier..you could always have a good idea who would win the province’s and who ever got in their way was gone, and gone forever..
wit the new system its like a game of poker..most sides not wantin to play or show there best hand too early..an instead theyre waitn to take out some high roller on the way up at the right time..
so who do we represent in this game of wits? well we have always had the same game plan. We dont do bluff, and we go out all guns blazin with everything we have..When we do end up loosin our hand, we are ashamed to come back to the table and play again..we have played this strategy constantly..and others know that when we are beat..we’re gone..only loose change to pick up on the way to the final table…
Are we just bad loosers..or…are we bad players of the new game..still having trouble to adjust to the new rules of the table…refusing to acknowledge them by re-entering the contest..?
we have to look at this like a game of chess almost..we can afford to lose our knight in the battle of connate, as long as everyone knows thats its the king of ireland crown that we’re after.. and..as long as they all dont go off in a huff with the board not wantin to play anymore..!
WJ, how did that last poll fare out?? Did the readers of your fine blog believe we need the cash or not in terms of re-naming McHale Park….?!?!
Despite being the eternal optimist (my pint glass is always half full of the good stuff!) I don’t know what to expect for 2009…I am holding judgement for the time being!!
Its a mentality problem we have, we cannot put all our hopes into going to Galway and winning. No one in Tyrone cares that they did not win the Ulster and I’m sure Armagh dont care much about it earlier. The key is to be in position physically and especially mentally for August.
For the poll I would vote for a failure in Connacht followed by a long run in the qualifiers.
Hi Mayoman – I should have written up something on the final votes of the last poll and will do so early next week. It was virtually a three-way split: 32% Yes, 36% No and 33% Maybe. I’d’ve thought there would have been a bigger No vote but that wasn’t the case.
DocG – I’m no techhie but maybe try clearing the cache (which, in IT Helpdesk terms, is one up from “have you tried switching your PC off and on again?”) and see if that works. I suppose, though, it could be that your machine doesn’t like the bellies in question …
Happy New Year to you all!
This is the time of the year when I always have a bit of hope and expectation for Mayo.
Now I have no real evidence to support this optimism, especially given the last 2 pretty dire years. But what’s the point following the green and red if we don’t have a bit of hope?
I think we’ll win the AI this year. I was boring my Kerry/Cork friends with this all over xmas. They laughed at me and I could understand that! I have doubts over JOM and some of our players but I’ll support them 100% for the year.
Let’s all get behind them and who knows where it could take us? Either way, let’s enjoy the ride.
Absolutely, Dan – if we can’t get behind the lads now and dream those dreams (which we do every year) then what’s the point of being a supporter?