Emmet Moloney writes for the 'The Irish Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

With more pressure and media attention than ever before on inter-county hurlers and footballers, Emmet Moloney wonders why the “underdog” tag is still embraced in today’s GAA...

Watching Sligo fall agonisingly and inevitably short against Galway on Sunday I was struck by the plight of “the underdog”. Why is it embraced? Being the underdog means you are not expected to win, you hardly ever win and, on occasion, you’ll definitely be robbed.

All us neutrals love and support the underdogs, especially when they are up against the likes of Kerry, Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork or Tipperary. The weaker counties join together and pray for the downfall of the big boys. We revelled when Donegal beat the Dubs in the 1992 All-Ireland final. Ditto Derry in ’93, and when Westmeath and Laois caught them just a few short years ago we were all delighted. We culchies take particular delight when the Dubs are beaten. Clare catching Kerry in ’92. That was a day. Leitrim lifting the Connacht championship in 1994. Another wonderful and poignant occasion. But when was the last one?

We need that romance in our games. In hurling it is harder to manufacture because counties like Clare, Wexford, Waterford and Limerick are hurling counties. They are competitive most years and are not taken (that) lightly by Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary.

This is why we need Dublin to put it up to the Cats this Sunday. It is why we hope Tyrone don’t blow away the Antrim footballers and Cork fall asleep against the Limerick equivalent. When our own county is knocked out we naturally invest our hopes in the underdog and this keeps us interested. But has anyone ever done the study as to why underdogs don’t win?

This ran through my head when I watched Sligo outplay Galway and kick away their chance of the upset on their own ground. Why? How? A game that should have been won was lost and a year that could have been special could end up with an away tie in Killarney against a ruffled Kerry. Bye-bye Sligo. Our hearts go out to them.

We’ve seen it so many times before. The overwhelming favourites are on the rack. Monaghan had Kerry in their sights and were six minutes away from beating them but the Kingdom won the All-Ireland about six weeks later. Longford could have beaten the Dubs two short years ago.

The number of these games thrown away is far higher than those grabbed by the scruff of the neck and actually won. So why is it that a player suddenly can’t kick a ball over the bar from 30 yards out? Why do forwards who have been playing with fluency suddenly shovel the ball sideways and spurn the kick at goal. Why are balls continuously dropped short and into a goalie’s hands in those last crucial moments.

How come a Kerryman doesn’t do these things? What makes his instinct different? Why do Kilkenny work that score when they most need it? There’s a study just waiting to be done.
My theory has to do with breeding. But I can’t prove it. Having lived in Kerry for a number of years I suspect they think they’re just better than the rest of us! They don’t say it out loud but a year they don’t win an All-Ireland is a year that is never spoken of again. School children that don’t see the Sam Maguire at the end of September are scarred for life and that day off for winning is pencilled into every teacher’s calendar – a lie-in that morning.

Kilkenny are a little different. They never go too long without an All-Ireland and usually they come in bunches. I watched a Cats supporter leave last year’s All-Ireland final early with the match still on and the presentation to come. He had his six- or seven-year-old with him. We had chatted throughout the match and this man knew his hurling and had great respect and sympathy for the Déise. So why didn’t he stay to let his son see Liam McCarthy being lifted? “Ah shure he’ll see it again,” was his answer and there wasn’t a trace of arrogance in his statement. And let’s face it, he was right.
Every dog doesn’t have his day in the GAA. More’s the pity. But maybe if teams shied away from the underdog tag and stopped positively seeking it out, their lot and mental approach might improve. Maybe if a player or a manager bristled when asked about it. What if a player said we expect to win? Would that player think differently with five minutes to go and the ball in his hands? Will he take on the shot quicker? Will he shoot with a lot more conviction?

In football, in particular, there should be a better distribution of All-Ireland and provincial titles. I can’t see how fifteen Kerry men can be any stronger than the best fifteen Carlow or Wicklow have to offer, each having spent eight months fine-tuning their bodies and minds. But they are.

I’d love to see Kieran McGeeney publicly disown the underdog moniker before facing the Dubs. “What have they done? Why shouldn’t we be favourites? We’re a better team!” But that won’t happen. The Lilywhites will play the build-up game and keep to their place. It will be as boring as it will be predictable. “Dublin are a great team, hugely impressive against Westmeath. We will have to lift our game, improve, if everything goes right ...”

Think like underdogs and it is inevitable that you will play like them. Those six inches between the ears are the most important, so why start at a disadvantage? Think like winners. Sound like winners. There is a fine line between arrogance and confidence. I just wish teams would find it more often. If Sligo had it they would have taken Galway last Sunday. With it maybe Antrim wouldn’t be overawed by the prospect of Tyrone in Clones. From experience I know that Anthony Daly was born with that fine line. He will believe Dublin can beat Kilkenny in Croke Park this weekend. Really believe it. Now it’s down to his players.

To catch Emmet's latest column, get 'The Irish Farmers' Journal' every Thursday...