RTE sport

ScumLord

For gods sake lads will ye make an effort.

RTEs commentating on the WRC was a joke they did exactly the same ****e they do with every sporting event. 3 guys sitting in a room talking about the rare ol times (because they got a rally driver from the 70s to commentate) and how different it is to today.

Same people, same table, same backdrop.

I can't watch the befores and afters on any rte sporting event because it just puts me to sleep. I wonder are they just being cheap or do they even realise how poor all they're efforts are?

Mossy Monk

How long before this becomes a debate on the licence fee.

DMC

ScumLord wrote: »

For gods sake lads will ye make an effort.

What they do, they do well. IMHO.

ScumLord wrote: »

RTEs commentating on the WRC was a joke they did exactly the same ****e they do with every sporting event. 3 guys sitting in a room talking about the rare ol times (because they got a rally driver from the 70s to commentate) and how different it is to today.

At least they made the effort to cover the rally live, which logistically hard. IMHO, it was fine, barring the technical hitches on the Thursday night. A lot of people, like myself, have drifted from standing on the ditches in recent years. It was good to see the biggest rallying event this country has seen live on TV. A decent effort.

After all, it could've been left to Plumb Tyndall, and be a week late.

ScumLord wrote: »

Same people, same table, same backdrop.

And Sky and the BBC don't do the same?? And are you saying that RTÉ's team of pundits on any sport are lacking? They piss on the British channels.

mike65

RTE has a very shallow pool of talent to draw on for anything which it does'nt cover on a week-by-week basis - ie GAA, rugby (well not now) and footie.

Also comphensive coverage of a sport which covers miles of countryside over several hours is not cheap and would need a major commitment of resources. How many OB units did RTE use I wonder?

Mike.

Utopia Parkway

Sport is one of the few things RTE does very well IMO. Can't comment on the rally coverage though. Have no interest in it so didn't see any of it.

kevmy

I think most people would agree RTÉ's soccer coverage is second to none and up there with the best especially the analysis.

The GAA coverage is extensive and well handled in many respects. Some refreshment is probably needed in the panellists to shake it up and bit and Pat needs to be let off the leash but they still do a better job than there competitors.

The rugby coverage is certainly entertaining even if Hook is grating me at this stage.

After doing all this they probably don't have a hell of a lot of cash left over for minority sports.

pd101

ScumLord wrote: »

I can't watch the befores and afters on any rte sporting event because it just puts me to sleep.

Have you ever watched RTEs Champions League coverage? If you want to fall asleep try listening to Skys commentary on all there coverage (except rugby), its absolutely terrible compared to RTEs

Wertz

As a rally fan who couldn't make it to the west for the event I was miffed to say the least with RTÉ's coverage.
I counted perhaps 3.5 hrs of broadacst time throughout the w/e...as mentioned above, much of that was devoted to talking heads instead of cresting cars, but I have no issue with the commentary team (I find RTÉ's sports output top notch usually)....what I have a problem with is that RTÉ had the broadcast contracts and were providing the camera coverage, but could only manage to cobble together perhaps 2 hours total of actual race footage; very little in car stuff, very little of anthing except sittin' in a hedge with a camera. I realise the logistics and expense of covering the WRC but at the same time, this is a very rare event for the country and it was a chance to showcase our wonderful scenery and brutal roads ...surely some more effort or a bit more airtime could have been set aside for the 3 days.
I watched the official WRC show on some sky channel last night....it was 30 minutes long but I got a more enjoyable balanced coverage from their half hour than I did from any of RTÉ's efforts (even though it was the same cameras).

Had I wanted the most comprehensive coverage what channel should I have been watching over the weekend? Does some subscrip channel have the bulk of the rights for the WRC events?

I think RTÉ missed a genuine opportunity over the weekend; loads of cameras and stuff to film and then broadcast from the rally....yet we get a meagre and poorly presented portion, even though we're the citizens of the country where it was held....and (here it comes) paid well for the privelege to watch. Why couldn't RTÉ have pushed the boat out for this?

Mossy Monk

I agree about the WRC coverage. It was a shambles. Friday night all I can remember is hearing about how expensive it is these days and was reminded again every 2 minutes. Eurosport's coverage was much better.

Milktrolley

Eurosport's was way ahead. Did anyone see the report with Peter Collins commentary had on Sunday afternoon's programme? It was roughly ten minutes long. The sound levels were all over the place - about 70% (conservative estimate) of Collins' speech was drowned out by the other track (i.e. the cars, supporters, drivers etc.). At one point, a person standing in a ditch laughing was louder than the commentary. Did we even get an acknowledgement afterwards about it? Nope. Just "we'll be back after the break."

ScumLord

pd101 wrote: »

Have you ever watched RTEs Champions League coverage? If you want to fall asleep try listening to Skys commentary on all there coverage (except rugby), its absolutely terrible compared to RTEs

I don't watch much soccer but I just can't stand listening to 3 old men bitching about soccer I could go down to the pub and listen to that. ITVs coverage of grand prix is my idea of good sports coverage. They do background on drivers, cars, teams and try to explain the sport.

Wheels

While I'm not a sports fan, it offends me greatly that one of their main "all rounder" sports shows is called OB Sports, standing for Outside Broadcast. I'd really like to find out what possessed them to call it that. Do they think punters go around going "oh look, RTÉ are doing an outside broadcast? Jolly good". It might be an event to broadcast from outside Montrose (and a chore) for them, but for the rest of the population they aren't that impressed by it.

That_Guy

You kinda have to take into account that we simply do not have enough presenters for specialised sports.

They're doing their best with what they have. If we did have different presenters for every sport then some presenters wouldn't be earning enough really.

I think we should give RTE Sport a break. At least they're showing a wide range of sports.

Speaking of RTE Sports and its presenters.... I love watching the football analysis. Nowhere else can you see three or four guys criticise the way Dunphy and co do.... That's Irish tv for you.

Mossy Monk

Infinitely better than the yes men on BBC and Sky. That's for sure.

kevmy

ScumLord wrote: »

I don't watch much soccer but I just can't stand listening to 3 old men bitching about soccer I could go down to the pub and listen to that. ITVs coverage of grand prix is my idea of good sports coverage. They do background on drivers, cars, teams and try to explain the sport.

If your into soccer it is fantastic coverage. They criticise when needed and give praise when warranted and have pretty much free reign to say what they feel. Also I've learnt more about the art of defending of Johnny Giles than I ever did of any football coach.

I agree the WRC coverage wasn't great but then it's not really there thing. I'm sure if they were doing it again they would do it better. They have very little experience dealing with live top quality rallying

prendy

if your a sporst fan in general RTE is fantastic...how many sporting events with Irish interest do they show...most of them.
IMHO they do a great job showing the sports and events that matter to the general population.
ok they mighnt always get it right but id watch them 100 times before the boring british panels.

pd101

prendy wrote: »

if your a sporst fan in general RTE is fantastic...how many sporting events with Irish interest do they show...most of them.
IMHO they do a great job showing the sports and events that matter to the general population.
ok they mighnt always get it right but id watch them 100 times before the boring british panels.

+1, couldn't have put it better.

dulpit

For the major sports that the UK channels show (rugby & soccer) they are second to none... It pisses me off big time when you're in a pub and constantly have to watch sky's coverage instead... If a match is on RTE live, watch it on RTE, their pundits are superb... Don't understand why (how) people go out of their way to watch it on a UK channel instead, with the usual excuse of "RTE are rubbish, can't do anything right"