The Most Hated Football County?

Just thought I'd start a thread on this as I find it interesting and makes a change from all the All-Ireland talk. As many would know here, I talk very highly and fondly of Meath, mainly as they are fallen giants, so have that respect for them. But there was a time I despised them, and I think the whole country did. In the mid-00's Tyrone were disliked, recently Dublin etc. Most kids grow up now wanting to beat the capital etc. But unless my mind is forgoing me, I remember there was a time, when the whole country despised the sight of Meath.

Even the dislike throughout the country for those Dublin or Tyrone teams, pales in comparison to just how hated Meath were at one point. Surely they were the most hated team in GAA history? If you look at Leinster, Offaly, Kildare, Westmeath and particularly Louth, their only goal was to beat Meath. As for Dublin, the GAA had to inject huge money in the county circa 02, "to make GAA popular in the capital", due to how regular the beatings were that Meath were giving them.

You look at Ulster and Cavan despised them. Then you look at the likes of Tyrone and Armagh etc, hated them. Tyrone and Armagh fancied themselves as two physical teams like we came to see, people saying teams in the south were a bit afraid of this. Meath took this as a personal insult, beating them out the gate in 96 and 99, and not by playing football. It was more a case of showing who the real tough lads were.

You go to Munster, and you'd be hard pressed finding a Cork man who disliked Kerry more than Meath in the late 80's/early 90's. Kerry were bitter Meath usurped them. In Connacht, I don't think Galway disliked them, as I don't think Meath ever really got one over on them. As for Mayo, as much as Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone etc have beaten them, there's a certain vintage of Mayo people who hold out an unnatural contempt for Meath.

What the northern teams did in the 00's, "negative football", I suppose Meath were so disliked as they really were the forebearers of this. Using a sweeper, and ultra physical football. Football was an after thought infact, alot of the time. But am i wrong in saying, at one point, there was a contempt and hatred of Meath football that we've never seen before or since?