It's as common place as a tried and tested cliché amongst sports' pundits.
The award for the man-of-the-match always seems to go to a player from the winning team.
However, Seamus Callanan's performance for Tipperary in their heartbreaking 3-16 to 0-26 defeat to Galway in the All-Ireland Hurling semi-final today meant the Sunday Game panel had little choice but to bestow the honour on the centre-forward.
Callanan scored an incredible 3-9, but still finished on the losing side.
https://twitter.com/TheSundayGame/status/633025509933322240
It's not often, in any sport, players from the losing side are given the award, which will be little consolation to Callanan, but shows just how brilliant his performance was.
