If you want to do a bit of sad reading, survey the whole history of Mayo's intercounty final appearances - we've always taken a poor proportion of victories:

Apps Wins Losses
Senior (c/ship started 1887,first app 1916): 12 3 9
Minor (c/ship started 1929, first app 1930): 18 6 12
U21 (c/ship started 1964, first app 1967): 10 4 6

As one generous Galway poster (don't you love them?) pointed out, the Rossies have only made one final in recent memory, but they bagged a win - much the same as Armagh did last Sunday. Even more telling at minor level is Galway's own record - they've managed the same number of minor titles as Mayo (6), but they've only ever appeared in 7 finals (so far as I know). If Mayo had achieved the same conversion rate we'd be at the head of the Minor football roll of honour (Kerry lead that with 11 wins out of 22 finals). Sadly, losing like winning becomes a habit and while teams shouldn't be effected by heritage, past failures (and successes in some counties) do effect the mindset - Mayo are the Boston Redsox of the AI scene! It's true the Redsox broke their duck a few years back, but now that's even been mired by a drug scandal (I wonder what painkilling drugs Mayo would need to solve our problem...? I think like that South African athlete, a couple of the seniors could have been subjected to a gender test after the Meath game!!). But then, there's always 2010....

Pericles (Mayo) - Posts: 2521 - 23/09/2009 10:02:22    434056

Good post Pericles.
Like Mayo, The Boston Red Sox had a curse hanging over them for 86 years. The Curse of the Bambino, when, after the World Series win in 1918, they traded a then unknown pitcher called Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. The Yankees went to to win 26 World Series tities in that period, the last in 2000.

Here is the Wikipedia link over who the Curse ended. Its bizarre but 100% true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Bambino#Curse_Reversed

Covie.in.D7 (Mayo) - Posts: 164 - 23/09/2009 11:33:40    434133

Surely its time someone wrote BELIEVE on this thread.

The Face (Monaghan) - Posts: 890 - 23/09/2009 11:44:13    434143

BELIEVE

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11542 - 23/09/2009 11:55:10    434151

As to those who are slagging off Galway because of their near 100% record in minor finals . . .

If ifs and ands were pots and pans,
there'd be no need etc.

Fact is Mayo are on a roll . . . . .

Oggy (Galway) - Posts: 245 - 23/09/2009 12:13:13    434174

BELIEVE

Covie.in.D7 (Mayo) - Posts: 164 - 23/09/2009 12:18:14    434181

That must be a mighty big filing cabinet Maroondiesel!But you still have n't explained that outrageous statement to me.

Barnowl94 (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 23/09/2009 12:38:29    434208

being better footballing county than galway year in year out is no consolation.

beleave us alone.

voiceofreason (Mayo) - Posts: 588 - 23/09/2009 12:39:32    434209

Well I don't know who we upset Covie to be landed with our share of woe... I think it has more to do with the way we're brought up. I'm not saying there are no thugs in Mayo, but very few of them seem to play football or are selected to line out in Mayo's fullback line. I can't remember the last Mayo player with a reputation. We need to get far more agricultural at the back and around the middle... in the modern game only forwards truely need to be skillful. On a positive note, we've probably made as many senior finals during the last 15-20 years as during any other 20 years of our history (mainly due to the lack of emigration), and if this keeps going one of them is bound to turn out alright, even if it's just by some outrageous stroke, or by us being on the right end (for a change!) of a few dodgy calls! We've just got to keep banging on the door...

Pericles (Mayo) - Posts: 2521 - 23/09/2009 15:09:46    434365

Pericles, I have often used the Boston red Sox analagy when talking about Mayo. In particular the fact that during their drought Red Sox fans still acted as though they were a major power in MLB despite their far from stellar record. Of course the main problem I encountered with that analogy was the fact that I am a happy Red Sox fan so whenever I cheered them on, a part of me felt like I was cheering on Mayo. You can well imagine the major identity crises this was bringing on. I was in imminent danger of developing a multiple-personality disorder.

Thankfully the Red Sox have started to win on a fairly regular basis, so I no longer think of Mayo when standing in the crowd at Fenway.

Go Sox.
Gaillimh Abu.
And Long Live Mayo.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3143 - 23/09/2009 22:00:59    434789

There is no pain in Mayo. connaught championship winners in Senior, under 21 and minor this year, what other county won all three

culmore (None) - Posts: 1398 - 23/09/2009 23:04:39    434854

I'm sorry for your troubles Festy, but even though I was born in Galway, educated there and have spent most of my life away from Mayo (and a good chunk away from Ireland), I got dipped in red and green paint just after I was brought into this world and it has never washed off! I suppose you're going to tell me that that's enough psychological damage for one man to cope with anyway, and on the (many) days when it all goes wrong, I'd have to agree. You Galway boys are blessed with the smoother path... of that there isn't a doubt!

Pericles (Mayo) - Posts: 2521 - 24/09/2009 10:21:18    435020

A Mayo man walks past a shop and sees the video "Mayo- The Glory Years". He goes into the shop and asks how much. "E100" says the shopkeeper. "That's a bit steep, how come it's so dear??" "Well its a tenner for the video and E90 for the Betamax recorder!!

kleenex (Wexford) - Posts: 392 - 24/09/2009 15:26:48    435382