Off The Ball Official Thread <Mod Note - Post #1, #533, #6651>

Jayesdiem

Faugheen wrote: »

The fact people want to have a pop at OTB for simply highlighting this says a lot. They don't even care about the story, just how OTB is covering it which is quite pathetic imo.

The whole purpose of this thread is about the way OTB cover stories. Just because you don’t see the words you want doesn’t invalidate the points. I’m sure there’s a Mayo GAA or feminist causes thread somewhere on this site. Maybe you should check those out.

NIMAN

Is anyone able to say what exactly the issue of player welfare was?

I've been hearing this running for a while now, and have been really curious as to what actually happened.

anthonyjmaher

NIMAN wrote: »

Is anyone able to say what exactly the issue of player welfare was? I've been hearing this running for a while now, and have been really curious as to what actually happened.

Yeah but that phrase is the key to the issue. If the Mayo players are using the words player welfare to describe players being physically mistreated or mentally/emotionally abused in some way, then that's fair enough.



But if the Mayo players are using the words player welfare to describe Cora Staunton only being used as a sub (or some other tactical or selection issue that the Cornacon players don't agree with) then this is an abuse of the phrase and they are deliberately using it to make their side of the story seem more reasonable and plausible. In the same way that the GAA misused the phrase health and safety to try to force Kildare to play Mayo in Croke Park.



If it is the former, I find it hard to believe that all of the club boards would have voted against Cornacon. Either way, I think it was unfair and unprofessional of Joe Molloy to set the narrative within literally seconds of hearing the story for the first time, particularly given the massive conflict of interest that OTB has when reporting this story (i.e. Cora Staunton will be working with them next week in the lead up to the All Ireland final).

anthonyjmaher

It still makes me laugh when OTB bring on that used car salesman Leon Blanche from Boyle Sports, and there he is like you oul mate down the pub giving you tips for the horses in Cheltenham. Were they not front row centre before giving out about how sinister the avuncular nature of the Paddy Power advertising was? And it seems like Leon Blanche (presumably real name Reginald Paul Joseph Morris) has to give interviews no matter where he is. Won't be long before he's phoning in his tips from the jacks.

gormdubhgorm

anthonyjmaher wrote: »

It still makes me laugh when OTB bring on that used car salesman Leon Blanche from Boyle Sports, and there he is like you oul mate down the pub giving you tips for the horses in Cheltenham. Were they not front row centre before giving out about how sinister the avuncular nature of the Paddy Power advertising was? And it seems like Leon Blanche (presumably real name Reginald Paul Joseph Morris) has to give interviews no matter where he is. Won't be long before he's phoning in his tips from the jacks.

NIMAN

anthonyjmaher wrote: »

Yeah but that phrase is the key to the issue. If the Mayo players are using the words player welfare to describe players being physically mistreated or mentally/emotionally abused in some way, then that's fair enough.



But if the Mayo players are using the words player welfare to describe Cora Staunton only being used as a sub (or some other tactical or selection issue that the Cornacon players don't agree with) then this is an abuse of the phrase and they are deliberately using it to make their side of the story seem more reasonable and plausible. In the same way that the GAA misused the phrase health and safety to try to force Kildare to play Mayo in Croke Park.



If it is the former, I find it hard to believe that all of the club boards would have voted against Cornacon. Either way, I think it was unfair and unprofessional of Joe Molloy to set the narrative within literally seconds of hearing the story for the first time, particularly given the massive conflict of interest that OTB has when reporting this story (i.e. Cora Staunton will be working with them next week in the lead up to the All Ireland final).

agree, but I'm still none the wiser.

When I first heard it reported and so many players pulled out of the squad I was thinking it was something VERY serious, but in this day and age of snowflakes, I'm starting to think someone was called 'rubbish' after a game and its all collapsed due to this.

Can anyone even PM me to tell me what actually happened?

Dots1982

Having Declan lynch on the paper review. Jesus, does he ever listen to himself-sneer, sneer sneer...Irish journalism is rife with sneerers but he’s the galatico.

anthonyjmaher

Dots1982 wrote: »

Having Declan lynch on the paper review. Jesus, does he ever listen to himself-sneer, sneer sneer...Irish journalism is rife with sneerers but he’s the galatico.

You know when I saw all the Boyle's Sports bunting festooning the Off The Ball studio, I did wonder about Declan Lynch too. He has been known to give half hour lectures on the dangers of gambling, a serious bible thumper with regard to the oul gambling is Declan, and the alcohol. But to my surprise there he was in studio today. And here is where I fear a comedy opportunity was missed. Can you imagine just before the paper review today:


Declan Lynch: "who is doing the papers with us today Joe?"
Joe: "He'll be here in a second. Used to be a used car salesman, did you know that?"

*door bursts open*

Leon Blanche (Real name Tom Smith): "Ah how yiz boyaz... Ah Declan buddy, how are ye getting on. Chelsea looked good last week but I think they might struggle against Arsenal today, but there's great value today cos you can get them at five to one today with Boyle Sports or you can combine bet with a bet on with two flies running up a wall and a bet on the cartoon horses for twenty to one"

*sound of Declan's jaw hitting the floor*

elefant

NIMAN wrote: »

Is anyone able to say what exactly the issue of player welfare was?

I've been hearing this running for a while now, and have been really curious as to what actually happened.

I'm curious to find out what exactly the issues were too. I'm not making a judgment on the club or the county board until more comes out, but unfortunately it did seem like Joe Molloy had decided it was the LGFA county board were fully at fault.

Also, one other point: it wasn't really made clear for the average listener that this was indeed the Mayo Ladies Gaelic Football County Board making the decision. It wasn't a bunch of men with no attachment to ladies' sports screwing a team of footballers over without a second thought.

anthonyjmaher

Thought Kilbane was way over the top last night. Rice obviously has a lot of people in his ear influencing him one way or the other, and he's under a lot of pressure with the eyes of the nation on him. He's only a kid. Kilbane's contribution on this is very unhelpful and will just make things difficult for everyone. For the player himself, who will no doubt be asked about Kilbane's comments, as will Martin O'Neill.

And it's a bit hard to take Kilbane's continuous moral grandstanding now that he has chosen to become the face of Boyle Sports advertising.

OldMrBrennan83

anthonyjmaher wrote: »

Thought Kilbane was way over the top last night. Rice obviously has a lot of people in his ear influencing him one way or the other, and he's under a lot of pressure with the eyes of the nation on him. He's only a kid. Kilbane's contribution on this is very unhelpful and will just make things difficult for everyone. For the player himself, who will no doubt be asked about Kilbane's comments, as will Martin O'Neill.

And it's a bit hard to take Kilbane's continuous moral grandstanding now that he has chosen to become the face of Boyle Sports advertising.

Kilbane is spot on. 100%.

The last paragraph doesn't even have any worth commenting on.

gormdubhgorm

anthonyjmaher wrote: »

Thought Kilbane was way over the top last night. Rice obviously has a lot of people in his ear influencing him one way or the other, and he's under a lot of pressure with the eyes of the nation on him. He's only a kid. Kilbane's contribution on this is very unhelpful and will just make things difficult for everyone. For the player himself, who will no doubt be asked about Kilbane's comments, as will Martin O'Neill.

I came across the bit on you tube. It was the first time in a long time that I have seen/heard a bit on OTB that was hard hitting, and people actually gave thier heartfelt opinions.
There are only two things that get Kilbane going where he is less reserved and careful. Playing for Ireland, and Downs Sydrome issues.
I think it is great to see him let rip. He made a lot of valid points as well.
You cannot accuse OTB of being social justice warriors on this one.
This story is about sport, nationality and passion for one's country.

gormdubhgorm

Credit where it is due, Molloy is doing a great of this interview with Martin O'Neill.

He seems to have him at ease, and is asking interesting questions, unlike Ger Gilroy's effort with MON around last year.

bloodless_coup

What's the point in the off air road shows?

buckfasterer

doylefe wrote: »

What's the point in the off air road shows?

To make money?

Tell me how

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Credit where it is due, Molloy is doing a great of this interview with Martin O'Neill.

He seems to have him at ease, and is asking interesting questions, unlike Ger Gilroy's effort with MON around last year.

Yeah. MON is obviously on a charm offensive from the FAI. If some of the same questions had been asked by Tony O'Donoghue there would quite possibly have been different answers though .

I think Joe's an excellent interviewer. Has done some very good ones with Austin Gleeson and Keith Earls already this year. Did have the one that was a bit of a train wreck with Roy Jones Jr.

I think the good ones he has done are usually face to face, I think that has an impact as you can form a better connection with the interviewee than over a phoneline.

Tell me how

doylefe wrote: »

What's the point in the off air road shows?

Money. I usually skip them. I usually found that the jokes and laughter seemed too forced.

bloodless_coup

buckfasterer wrote: »

To make money?

But why not broadcast it?

riemann

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Credit where it is due, Molloy is doing a great of this interview with Martin O'Neill.

He seems to have him at ease, and is asking interesting questions, unlike Ger Gilroy's effort with MON around last year.

What does a Newstalk employee and MON have in common?

gormdubhgorm

riemann wrote: »

What does a Newstalk employee and MON have in common?

Is it joke you are going to tell me?

I don't know what does a Newstalk employee and MON have in common?

pc7

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I don't know what does a Newstalk employee and MON have in common?

The same overlord! All Hail Denis!

gormdubhgorm

pc7 wrote: »

The same overlord! All Hail Denis!

I had forgotten that angle entirely

Which makes Gilroy's antagonism of MON a year ago all the more amusing.

Happy4all

I was listening to the John Giles hour on Thursday. Did he repeat the story of the Aston villa player within five minutes or did my radio loop the same segment?

NIMAN

Happy4all wrote: »

I was listening to the John Giles hour on Thursday. Did he repeat the story of the Aston villa player within five minutes or did my radio loop the same segment?

Did he mention the Leeds team of the 70s?

Blanco100

Excellent show with McGeeney and McGuinness. Dont often say it but really enjoyed it

Ol' Donie

Turnef on the radio in the car.

Wasn't two minutes into it and someone was talking about setting up a Boylesports account to bet on man of the match.

Ask me bollix.

gormdubhgorm

Blanco100 wrote: »

Excellent show with McGeeney and McGuinness. Dont often say it but really enjoyed it

Didn't listen to it.
Was McGuinness asked about his Dublin 'extremism' article?

monstermag

Blanco100 wrote: »

Excellent show with McGeeney and McGuinness. Dont often say it but really enjoyed it

I taught Jim McGuinness was brilliant, he definitely won't be taking on the Mayo job, l hope he gets an opportunity to manage a football team (soccer) l think he has what it takes to make a sucess of it.

gormdubhgorm

monstermag wrote: »

I taught Jim McGuinness was brilliant, he definitely won't be taking on the Mayo job, l hope he gets an opportunity to manage a football team (soccer) l think he has what it takes to make a sucess of it.

Personally I think McGuinness has turned into a bit of sh*itehawk, with middle-management speak, pseudo-intellectual guff. He will fit right in with the soccer media game. Like his fellow Ulsterman Rodgers
.

Say Your Number

Did they ask Jim about Brolly tearing his article to shreds, a verbal joust between those two would be the fight of the decade.

gormdubhgorm

Say Your Number wrote: »

Did they ask Jim about Brolly tearing his article to shreds, a verbal joust between those two would be the fight of the decade.

Just listening to Colm Parkinson's Podcast he has read both Brolly's and Jim's article.
He has ripped McGuinness' article to shreds piece by piece.

Parkinson's most telling point was:

'I know McGunness personally, great man manager, but I am starting to wonder if he is not that great tactically'

passremarkable

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Just listening to Colm Parkinson's Podcast he has read both Brolly's and Jim's article.
He has ripped McGuinness' article to shreds piece by piece.

Parkinson's most telling point was:

'I know McGunness personally, great man manager, but I am starting to wonder if he is not that great tactically'

Just listening to it now

gormdubhgorm

monstermag wrote: »

I taught Jim McGuinness was brilliant, he definitely won't be taking on the Mayo job, l hope he gets an opportunity to manage a football team (soccer) l think he has what it takes to make a sucess of it.

Just listening to the roadshow podcast now. McGuinness bullsh*tting like mad. Saying that his article was 'taken out of context' and browbeating Joe Molloy. :eek:

I think he now a managerial con-artist, but is a superb self-marketer in fairness to him.

anthonyjmaher

Hi lads, did Cora Staunton say anything of note about the situation in Mayo. I started listening to it, but she's very hard to listen to. I'm presuming she just dodged the question?

I think it is very important that it's made clear what exactly constitutes "player welfare issues"

OldMrBrennan83

anthonyjmaher wrote: »

Hi lads, did Cora Staunton say anything of note about the situation in Mayo. I started listening to it, but she's very hard to listen to. I'm presuming she just dodged the question?

I think it is very important that it's made clear what exactly constitutes "player welfare issues"

It's Off the Ball and she's female so I doubt they even asked her.

deisedude

Patww79 wrote: »

It's Off the Ball and she's female so I doubt they even asked her.

No they didn't ask her. Joe was on his moral high horse saying how terrible it was and she just agreed basically. I didn't think she came across great out of it, she clearly has a very high opinion of herself

anthonyjmaher

I actually listened back to it a few minutes ago. Cora Staunton said "It is an extremely personal issue for the girls". So we now have "player welfare issues" and something that is "extremely personal issue for the girls". I think if I were the Mayo manager, I would be making a statement to protect my own reputation.

It's not like OTB are giving the other side of the story. Joe Molloy was immediately on side with Staunton again. She was allowed to dismiss the county board vote against Cornacon as essentially just jealousy because Cornacon have won so much.

NIMAN

anthonyjmaher wrote: »

I actually listened back to it a few minutes ago. Cora Staunton said "It is an extremely personal issue for the girls". So we now have "player welfare issues" and something that is "extremely personal issue for the girls". I think if I were the Mayo manager, I would be making a statement to protect my own reputation.

It's not like OTB are giving the other side of the story. Joe Molloy was immediately on side with Staunton again. She was allowed to dismiss the county board vote against Cornacon as essentially just jealousy because Cornacon have won so much.

As I still have no idea what all this drama is about, these types of statements being made do make it sound very dodgy.....if you get my drift.

OldMrBrennan83

NIMAN wrote: »

As I still have no idea what all this drama is about, these types of statements being made do make it sound very dodgy.....if you get my drift.

They're basically trying to ruin someone and not being questioned on it.

Coillte_Bhoy

Hadnt heard Pat Nevin for a while but caught him last night talking about the Celtic Rangers game, he reckoned the gap had been closed and Rangers were much stronger in defence.

This is insane. True they only lost 1-0 and didn't get the usual hammering of recent meeting but they can thank the crossbar (hit 3 times) and their keeper who was in brilliant form. Celtic's dominance all over the park was the same as its been recently. I dont get how an experienced analyst can come out with such rubbish.

On the ticketing row which was started by Rangers he seems to be suggesting that both cubs are equally to blame and the talk is of who will blink first. This is wilfully ignoring why we have the present farcical situation.

Now my username obviously gives away where my loyalties lie but id like to think i could be reasonably objective unlike Nevin whose anti Celtic bias is pathetic at this stage.

NIMAN

I suppose its hard to get an unbiased opinion on Celtic and Rangers from a Scotsman.

They are all either green or blue.

BPKS

Joe seemed to gloss over the statement by the Mayo Ladies GAA team today that says there were no player welfare issues.

OldMrBrennan83

BPKS wrote: »

Joe seemed to gloss over the statement by the Mayo Ladies GAA team today that says there were no player welfare issues.

Couldn't be upsetting Queen Cora.

anthonyjmaher

Richie reads out the statement from the Mayo Ladies team "We believe that no player welfare issues exist or have ever existed under the current management and categorically disagree with the statement issued in July by the individuals that departed the Mayo senior ladies panel regarding the welfare issues raised".

it goes to Joe - "Well we really now need to know what exactly went on, it's not enough to just keep releasing statements, we need to know what went on". Hang on Joe, you've been speaking in full support of Cora Staunton and her merry band of (apparent) mutineers since this happened. It's not them who made any mistake, you're the one who jumped the gun without knowing the full story.

No doubt if you look at his Twitter feed from a few days ago you will see something like "Poor Roxanne Pallet, she could have died. Will people join me to protest against Ryan Thomas on O'Connell Street tomorrow at 10am".

gormdubhgorm

anthonyjmaher wrote: »

Richie reads out the statement from the Mayo Ladies team "We believe that no player welfare issues exist or have ever existed under the current management and categorically disagree with the statement issued in July by the individuals that departed the Mayo senior ladies panel regarding the welfare issues raised".

Cora is starting to seem like a bit of a self-publicist rather then a guardian of player welfare/women's ladies football?

Would Joe not just quiz her directly on it, get her to answer the question using his journalistic powers of persuasion?

yosser hughes

When you take a side or have an agenda on a particular issue, then you are not a journalist. You become partisan, an interested party. Effectively an activist.

Sadly this is the way a lot of Irish 'journalists' have gone now. Not just bottom of the barrel sports journos. I blame the training they get in journalism colleges such as DCU, Griffith etc. The teaching staff are dominated by middle class,superannuated, left wing, 'idealists' incredibly well insulated from the issues the effect most people today.

Joe Molloy and his buddies have long since strayed from journalism on their show.
They're just a bunch of lads,sharing whatever comes in to their head.. Not much individual thinking going on.usually safe, politically correct doctrine too. It's badly informed a lot of the time. Which makes you wonder, what is the point of them at all?
At least with Parkinson he was willing to go against the grain a bit,question the accepted pc view; like him or loathe him.

mr_edge_to_you

Staunton is on OTBam this morning. Interesting to see if Ger pushes her a bit more than the armchair ride she’s had with Joe.

OldMrBrennan83

Guess who they have on about the Mayo players statement this morning?

Now that the specific 'player welfare' was refuted in their statement, they'll surely have to push her to say exactly what they were.

OldMrBrennan83

mr_edge_to_you wrote: »

Staunton is on OTBam this morning. Interesting to see if Ger pushes her a bit more than the armchair ride she’s had with Joe.

You know by the way Gilroy has just introduced the segment the way it's going to go. The evil empire vs Staunton and her merry band of heroes.

anthonyjmaher

Cora Staunton on OTB AM after 8AM this morning to "break the Carnacon silence and respond to the Mayo Ladies statement yesterday afternoon". OTB have aligned themselves faaaaaar to close to one side of the argument.

It's getting really childish at this stage. - I wonder is it an argument over a boy.