ALAN DILLON’S GREAT performance versus Cork two weeks ago and the upcoming semi final clash against Kerry brings into focus that despite being one of the classiest and most consistent players of his generation, the Ballintubber man still has an 0-4 record in All Ireland finals.
Dillon might end both his county’s and his own personal drought in September but history has shown us that you can still be fondly remembered even if you never achieved the ultimate prize in your sport. Here are 7 athletes who never hoisted the biggest prize despite having unquestionable drive and talent.
John Mullane- All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Tony Browne may have played longer and Dan Shanahan may have had the best season of any Waterford hurler but John Mullane’s influence on Waterford hurling over the last 12 years is undeniable. Despite winning five All Stars, the closest Mullane ever came to claiming an All Ireland winners medal was a 23 point loss in the final against Kilkenny in 2008.
Mullane played with a rare swagger that he could actually back up. My personal favourite Mullane memory was his hat trick versus Cork in the Munster final in 2003 followed by a middle finger to the crowd. This one was an absolute screamer.
Mick Galwey- Heineken Cup
It was either Galwey or Peter Clohessy in this spot but Galwey edged it because on top of losing two Heineken Cup finals, he also never made a World Cup squad despite winning 41 caps over an 11 period. Now THAT is an impressive feat.
But in fairness to Galwey, he was one of the bridges between the amateur era and the professional set up that Declan Kidney implemented at Munster. While he never collected that coveted European medal, he did score that famous try against England and he was also a skilled bungee jumper (Well, I saw him do it once anyway).
Jim Kelly- Super Bowl
Jim Kelly was the Hall of Fame quarter-back on the Buffalo Bills team who lost 4 straight Super Bowls in the early 90′s. That is like if Alan Dillon had lost all of his All Ireland finals in a row.
Kelly’s Bills were a kick away from winning their first Super Bowl against the New York Giants and were then eviscerated in the next three by the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys (twice). This was the first loss and you can see just how sickening it was.
Being a Buffalo Bills fan is like being a Mayo fan, except you live in Antarctica.
Tim Henman- Wimbledon
For years and years and years Tiger Tim flew the British flag at the Grand Slams. He always saved his best tennis for Wimbledon but he always seemed to save his most heartbreaking defeats for SW19 too. He made four Wimbledon semi finals including a particularly excruciating rain delayed defeat to wildcard hero Goran Ivanisevic in 2001, which was like a winner leaves town match for players awaiting their major breakthrough.
His constant straddling of the line between agony and ecstasy spawned its own gigantic cheering section at Henman Hill and also about 1’000’000 sad BBC montages with a sombre Eddie Butler narrating.
Harry Cooper- Golf Major
I could have went with Lee Westwood or Colm Montgomerie here but I’ll go for a wildcard in Cooper, the man who holds the record for most PGA tour wins without a major. Cooper won 31 regular events but despite two second place finishes apiece in the Masters and the US Open, he was never able to make the major breakthrough.
Dan Carter- Rugby World Cup
Roy Keane may have grudgingly admitted in the Vieira documentary that he did deserve a Champions League medal in 1999 but despite being the greatest rugby player at the 2011 World Cup, you just can’t legitimately say Carter won it. He missed all 3 knockout games and while he was awarded a medal for his part in the early rounds, it doesn’t really mean much.
People might have thought Brazil overreacted to Neymar’s injury but there was similar hysteria in New Zealand after DC pulled up. I recall news reporters in Carter’s family home interviewing his parents as if the poor guy had actually died.
Hopefully Carter gets a chance to win his own cup in 2015 because look at what the rugby public missed out on in 2011.
Jimmy White- World Snooker Championship
This story might be the most heartbreaking one of all, which is saying something. Having lost five previous finals including the last four in a row between 1990-1993 (in the exact years as the Buffalo Bills no less!), White dragged himself back to one more final and was clearing the table on the way to his first world title when disaster struck. (Skip to 38 minutes)
He missed an easy black causing Dennis Taylor to say ”Dear me, that was just a little bit of tension” which is a nice snookery way of saying “Oh no, he just f**king bottled it”. In fairness to White, he took it with good grace afterwards but you could tell that the miss would eat away at him for the rest of his life.
Who are you favourite sporting heroes who were never able to win the big prize? Were these people unlucky or were they missing something in their locker?
