TYNAN'S TAKE: My sporting memories of 2022
A WORLD CUP FOR THE DARK AGES
Something tells me that FIFA president Gianni Infantino (whose ego would make Sepp Blatter blush) will be delighted with the way the FIFA World Cup entertained the masses and the competition being described by many as its best ever.
The same competition that saw FIFA threaten to book captains who wore armbands in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
The same competition in a country that has laws banning homosexuality.
The same competition where reportedly up to 6,500 migrant workers died since FIFA’s decided to award the World Cup to Qatar in 2012 – 37 directly linked to the construction of World Cup stadiums - as well as marred for corruption and bribery.
What an advert for sportswashing.
MILEBUSH CLASSIC
A bit closer to home now. The Mayo Football League had the perfect advertisement for football in Mayo, but for all the right reasons, as the Calor Gas Super Cup final between Castlebar Celtic and Kiltimagh/Knock United was one for the ages at Solar 21 Park.
Bear in mind it had to follow a brilliant game between Ballinrobe Town and Manulla B in the Premier Cup.
Celtic and KK took the drama, excitement and quality from that game and dialled it up to 11.
Finishing 4-4 after normal time and 20 minutes of extra-time, Celtic won an epic penalty shoot-out 12-11, with the standard of the spot kicks on a par with anything in the professional game.
A staggering game of football, and arguably the best the home of Mayo football has ever seen.
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Less than 24 hours after defeat to Kerry in the All-Ireland championship quarterfinal, James Horan left his post as Mayo senior football manager. Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILEImage 2 of 2
Katie Taylor and coach Ross Enamait celebrate victory after her undisputed world lightweight championship fight with Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden. Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILEJAMES HORAN’S ERA WITH MAYO ENDS
Was the writing on the wall after last year’s All-Ireland final?
You could feel the tone shift in Croke Park that day, as the many heads who left Croke Park ached with ‘what-ifs’ as Mayo’s best chance to date of bringing Sam Maguire across the boarder was left behind following a poor display.
The National League looked promising, but a heavy defeat to Kerry at Croker in the Division 1 final might have been the final straw for many supporters.
Defeat to Galway in the Connacht championship followed. Unconvincing wins over Monaghan and Kildare in the qualifiers felt like the inevitable was being delayed before Mayo fell to Kerry on June 26 in the All-Ireland quarterfinals.
Less than 24 hours later, James Horan departed as Mayo manager. It ended with a whimper but history will be kinder to Horan as time goes on.
Mayo have become consistently competitive under his tenure and now it falls to Kevin McStay to see can he be the man to lead the Green and Red to the Holy Grail.
TAYLOR STILL THE BEST
Still unbeaten after 22 fights, Katie Taylor has now got to be in the conversation as one of the greatest athletes this country has ever produced.
She retained her IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO world titles against rival Amanda Serrano before a win over Elizabeth Carabajal, and you couldn’t disagree with RTÉ’s decision to award her another Sportsperson of the Year award even in such a stacked field.
Talk over a potential rematch with Serrano in Croke Park is underway, according to Taylor.
We can all dream, right?
BLACKMORE’S CHELTENHAM DOUBLE
You felt it couldn’t get any better for Rachael Blackmore after last year, when she became the first female jockey to win the Champion Hurdle and then the Aintree Grand National.
All eyes were on her at the Cheltenham Festival once against to see could she repeat the trick with Honeysuckle in the Hurdle - and there wasn’t a safer bet all week.
On the Friday of the festival, she made more history as she became the first female jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and in very convincing fashion on A Plus Tard, as she blew the field away to win by 15 lengths.