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Heartbroken Clifford can find comfort in Jordan’s wisdom

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2 years ago

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Left: Michael Jordan. Right: David Clifford after Kerry lost to Dublin in the All-Ireland final. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.

by Adam Moynihan

In a TV advert for Nike in 1997, Michael Jordan spoke about failure.

"I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

By '97, Jordan was already considered one of greatest sportspeople of all time. He had won five championships with the Chicago Bulls and his reputation for being a big game player who delivered in clutch moments was legendary.

But, as he noted in that Nike ad, his record was far from perfect.

Observing a disconsolate David Clifford as he sat on the wet grass following Kerry's heartbreaking defeat to Dublin, I wondered if he was familiar with Jordan's piece of wisdom.

I'm sure he is, although at the time he probably had nothing in his head but the shot for a point he missed late on. Or maybe the goal chance he blasted wide a little earlier. On a good day, he would have converted those opportunities with apparent ease. Sadly for him and for Kerry, Sunday was one of those rare days that wasn't so good.

Even so, he deserves credit. One of Clifford's most admirable traits is his willingness to shoulder massive responsibility, even when the team is struggling or when things aren't going his way. He has done it throughout the 2023 season, which is a remarkable psychological feat in itself but even more so when you consider that his mother, Ellen, died in May (on the eve of the Munster final, in which he kicked 2-6).

He was well marked by Mick Fitzsimons yesterday but he kept showing and kept shooting, desperately hoping to drag his team over the line. Even at the highest level, some players go hiding from time to time. Never Clifford.

By a normal player's standards, he actually did fine. Apart from some bad wides and a couple of turnovers, he kicked three points and set up Paul Geaney's goal with a wondrous assist. But Clifford isn't a normal player and he isn't judged by normal standards.

Back home, Kerry fans are gutted about the outcome but the 24-year-old won't be getting any abuse from them. The most common remark I've heard from supporters in the past 24 hours is "we wouldn't have been there (in the final) without him", which is undoubtedly true.

A lot of cameras were focused on the Fossa man at full time but they could have panned to any Kerry player and found a regretful expression. With a wet ball and a slippery pitch to contend with, not to mention an excellent opponent in Dublin, errors were commonplace. No Kerryman was flawless.

Clifford's mistakes are magnified, though, which is understandable. To many, he is the GOAT. All eyes are on him.

Today, those misses will be replayed far more often in his own head than anywhere else. He will try to figure out what went wrong and agonise over the result like all runners-up do.

Maybe he can find some crumb of comfort in Jordan's words. All the greats fail. In fact, they fail over and over and over again. Ultimately, that's why they succeed.

Michael Jordan 'Failure' commercial (1997)

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Home cup tie for St Paul’s could be epic

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1 month ago

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7 November 2025

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Paudie O’Connor National Cup (Round 1)

Utility Trust St Paul’s v GCU Brunell

Saturday 7.30pm

Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre

The St Paul’s women’s team will be hoping to get their National Cup adventure off the ground on Saturday when they welcome 2024 champions Brunell to Killarney. Tip-off in the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre is at 7.30pm.

Paul’s have displayed some fine early season form, although their unbeaten start in the Super League came to an abrupt end last weekend when they lost to the Trinity Meteors in Dublin. James Fleming’s side weren’t at their best on the day but they were well in contention heading into the final quarter with the scores at 47-45 in favour of the hosts. The Meteors pushed on in the fourth, however, eventually running out 63-53 winners.

St Paul’s scorers on the night were Maisie Burnham (13), Tara Cousins (12), Lorraine Scanlon (12), Lovisa Hevinder (9), Denise Dunlea (5) and Leah McMahon (2).

The Killarney club are now joint second in the table alongside the Meteors with both teams holding a 4-1 record. Killester are top having won each of their first five games.

Paul’s opponents on Saturday, Brunell, have won three out of five league matches so far.

LAKERS

The Utility Trust St Paul’s Lakers have now won three of their last four games in Division 1 of the Men’s National League following an impressive home victory over Moycullen in Killarney.

Eoin Carroll and Jack O’Sullivan made significant contributions of the Boys in Black; Carroll hit 17 points and collected 13 rebounds while O’Sullivan had 14 points, 12 rebounds and some spectacular blocks.

Steve Kelly posted 30 points and the durable Sam Grant played every second, adding 21 points along the way.

The Lakers started well before the visitors found their footing and the sides went in level at the half-time break after scores by home captain Carroll. There was still nothing to separate the teams entering the fourth quarter (68-65) but buckets by Carroll, Pablo Murcia and Grant opened up a nine-point lead. Moycullen fought back admirably, however, cutting the deficit to just four, but Luke O’Hea’s charges held firm to prevail by eight (88-80).

Next up is a cup tie against the Tipperary Talons, a side they defeated by 30 points just a couple of weeks ago. The cup can be very different to the league, though, and they will need another solid performance to advance to the next round. Tip-off in in Killenaule is at 6.30pm on Saturday.

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Chances of Kerry v Cork Munster final in 2026 decrease as Munster GAA delay seeding plan

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1 month ago

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7 November 2025

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After facing a backlash from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipperary players, Munster GAA have postponed their plan to keep Cork and Kerry separate in the 2026 Munster Football Championship.

The new seeding system – which gives the two highest ranked Munster teams in the National League byes to separate semi-finals – will now come into play in 2027, twelve months later than initially planned.

This will give Clare and Limerick a chance to earn promotion to Division 2 of the league, potentially overtaking Cork if the Rebels were to get relegated to Division 3.

Despite traditionally being the two main contenders for Munster football honours, Kerry and Cork haven’t met in a provincial decider since 2021. The Kingdom have won each of the finals since then (one versus Limerick and three versus Clare) by an average margin of 15.75 points.

More high-profile Kerry v Cork finals might be desirable for fans of those teams, businesses in Killarney and Cork, and neutrals alike but Munster GAA’s plans to effectively keep the great rivals on opposite sides of the draw understandably drew criticism from the other participating counties. A statement by the GPA confirmed that players from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipp had met via Zoom to discuss the matter. They were said to be “deeply disappointed and concerned” by the decision.

The 12-month delay will at least give two of those disaffected teams an opportunity to benefit from the new seeding process.

The draw for the 2026 Munster Football Championship will take place on November 27 under the old rules. As 2025 finalists, Kerry and Clare will get byes to the last four (but they will not necessarily be kept apart).

Nine members of Kerry’s squad are up for All-Stars at tonight’s awards ceremony in Dublin with Joe O’Connor and David Clifford also in contention for the prestigious Footballer of the Year award.

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