Second Captains

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Yep. All the time.

As an Arsenal fan, however, I'm not sure if I can put myself through yesterday's pod.

Same as you! It will be tough listening. I generally listen to FW first, James Richardson and Barry Glendenning make me laugh a lot. Second Captains is the one I look forward to the most though.

Say Your Number

Wow it's three years already, I was away from the internet/radio on the Monday so I didn't hear it till Tuesday evening, I've never lost a close family member so I'd never experienced a shock like it.

I thought they were mental at the time, but hearing Ken talk to that Arseblog fella in a podcast last year I could see where they were coming from, he said they were worried it was going stale and he barely got to see his wife due to their work schedules.

I thought they were irreplaceable but hasn't the listening figures stayed around the same, the replacements haven't done a bad job but it lacks the humour, the lads have the perfect mix of sh1te talk and serious analysis, the new show is a bit dry, I can give or take it while I used to listen to the pre 2013 show religiously.

I'd be happy enough if they continued with the podcasts, as long as Eoin/Murph/Ken stay together it'll be fine.

yosser hughes

wnolan1992 wrote: »

Facebook tells me it's 3 years to the day since the lads left NT... Bloody 'ell. I really would've expected RTE to take more of a punt on them on the radio by now if I'm honest, but I guess they're not easy to place anywhere since they don't want to work the 7pm onwards shift...

There's too many staff in the massive RTE sports department as it is. What they all do is anyone's guess.

Arghus

It was a shock when the boys departed, I'd been listening to them on Off The Ball since 2006, so they'd become a big part of my football following life. It just felt odd to have to listen to Ger Molloy instead. But, I think it's worked out well for all concerned: Off The Ball is still fairly listenable, the boys do a good job in general, even if the sound of Colm Parkinson's voice makes me think they must have a load of helium on standby in the studio at all times.

I do miss the Herbie Hancock backing track for Ken's report on sport from the old days. It set the tone perfectly; shapeless rambling punditry with a lot of left-field allusions to things usually way outside the world of football.

foxtrot101

wnolan1992 wrote: »

Facebook tells me it's 3 years to the day since the lads left NT... Bloody 'ell. I really would've expected RTE to take more of a punt on them on the radio by now if I'm honest, but I guess they're not easy to place anywhere since they don't want to work the 7pm onwards shift...

Give them the RTE Radio One weekend sport shows. It would be an infinite improvement on what Des Cahill, Joanne Cantwell & Co. serves up.

Ol' Donie

Say Your Number wrote: »

Wow it's three years already, I was away from the internet/radio on the Monday so I didn't hear it till Tuesday evening, I've never lost a close family member so I'd never experienced a shock like it.

I thought they were mental at the time, but hearing Ken talk to that Arseblog fella in a podcast last year I could see where they were coming from, he said they were worried it was going stale and he barely got to see his wife due to their work schedules.

I thought they were irreplaceable but hasn't the listening figures stayed around the same, the replacements haven't done a bad job but it lacks the humour, the lads have the perfect mix of sh1te talk and serious analysis, the new show is a bit dry, I can give or take it while I used to listen to the pre 2013 show religiously.

I'd be happy enough if they continued with the podcasts, as long as Eoin/Murph/Ken stay together it'll be fine.

I have serious doubts over the listenership figures. Partially because no one has ever asked me what I listen to, and i listen to the radio every day, and partially because every bloke I know who listened to the lads dropped OTB immediately after the fiasco of them leaving.

I've thawed out a bit on it after I accepted the lads were not at all blameless (even unreasonable, part of what was/is great about OTB is the timeslot), but there's no denying, it used to be way better.

Say Your Number

Ol' Donie wrote: »

I have serious doubts over the listenership figures. Partially because no one has ever asked me what I listen to, and i listen to the radio every day, and partially because every bloke I know who listened to the lads dropped OTB immediately after the fiasco of them leaving.

I've thawed out a bit on it after I accepted the lads were not at all blameless (even unreasonable, part of what was/is great about OTB is the timeslot), but there's no denying, it used to be way better.

If there was no sports show in that slot before and Gilroy/Molloy/Parkinson started it, I would listen to it a lot more and probably enjoy it without the 'it's just not the same' feeling, it isn't a bad show by any means, but it just pales in comparison to what went before it.

I've seen people say on the OTB thread that they prefer the new line up, I'm not the indisputable leader of this country so they evade mental institutions....for now.

wnolan1992

I know it's rehasing old ground and this discussion has been had over and over again over the past 3 years, but still I can't warm to OTB. It has moments where they're brilliant, but then it just comes to a crushing, juddering halt when it descends into "WAHEY! We're just a bunch'o'lads hangin' out and aren't we just mad altogether!" territory. The "Crappy Quiz" epitomises this for me.

Yes, SC can descend into in-jokes and banter at times, and so can Football Weekly for that matter, but the difference is SC and FW still maintain a level of broadcasting competence when it happens, whereas OTB sounds, to me, incredibly amateurish.

I'd agree with Ol' Donie, I too have accepted that the SC lads were being unreasonable at the time. It was never a realistic option, and frankly I think in the current Irish radio market 7-10pm is a perfect timeslot for a sports show. Short of a talkSPORT style station opening up, I can't see that changing.


But yeah, I'm content with the podcast for now. Let's see what happens in the future!

Mr.Prodston

It's funny I never listened to OTB when the lads were on it. I was only young yet and didn't listen to the radio sure don't you know :pac:

So I'm coming from it as a pure religious podcast listener for over 2 years/about Jan 2014.

I love it in its current format, I can listen when I want. Football Weekly fills the gaps if I have another hour to listen.

I can't imagine things without the 4 podcasts each week, back to radio wouldn't be ideal as I wouldn't listen in the evening. I'd have the fear of missing out if they went back to live radio :pac:

Although more Ken talking about things is always welcome at the same time!

buyer95

Mr.Prodston wrote: »

It's funny I never listened to OTB when the lads were on it. I was only young yet and didn't listen to the radio sure don't you know :pac:

So I'm coming from it as a pure religious podcast listener for over 2 years/about Jan 2014.

I love it in its current format, I can listen when I want. Football Weekly fills the gaps if I have another hour to listen.

I can't imagine things without the 4 podcasts each week, back to radio wouldn't be ideal as I wouldn't listen in the evening. I'd have the fear of missing out if they went back to live radio :pac:

Although more Ken talking about things is always welcome at the same time!

Funnily I am coming from more or less the same place. I actually started listening to the boys when I was in Leaving cert. I'd say I got about 2 months of them on the radio before they left Newstalk. Just enough time to absolutely fall for the show. Since they returned in this incarnation, I've scarcely missed a podcast. Fantastic show. On the "in jokes," that's often where the best humour comes from.

Arghus

One thing that I could never stomach was the rewriting of history that went on at OTB once the boys had disappeared. It partly solidified why I despise Graham Hunter as a human being, when I heard him chuckling and laughing about with Ger Gilroy, being busy making it seem like the two of them had been chatting like fast friends night after night for years.

Then they introduced his own intro music. Cheesy Dad Rock Nonsense.... Bleurrgh....

Sure Graham had never heard of the previous guys; It wasn't like he'd spent hours and hours over the years talking crap to Ken...

Kilkenny14

buyer95 wrote: »

Funnily I am coming from more or less the same place. I actually started listening to the boys when I was in Leaving cert. I'd say I got about 2 months of them on the radio before they left Newstalk. Just enough time to absolutely fall for the show. Since they returned in this incarnation, I've scarcely missed a podcast. Fantastic show. On the "in jokes," that's often where the best humour comes from.

I still remember the first time I listened to them, heading back from college on a friday night. Ken used the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles's relationship with Splinter to describe Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.

From then on I was hooked.

Loafing Oaf

Kilkenny14 wrote: »

I still remember the first time I listened to them, heading back from college on a friday night. Ken used the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles's relationship with Splinter to describe Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.

From then on I was hooked.

And the other day he was comparing Wenger to a rich kid with loads of coins hogging a slot machine. Guess he's come full circle with the metaphors...

foxtrot101

Arghus wrote: »

One thing that I could never stomach was the rewriting of history that went on at OTB once the boys had disappeared. It partly solidified why I despise Graham Hunter as a human being, when I heard him chuckling and laughing about with Ger Gilroy, being busy making it seem like the two of them had been chatting like fast friends night after night for years.

In fairness to Gilroy, he was the original presenter of OTB and Graham Hunter had been a regular on the show long before McDevitt took over. Plus, Hunter was on the Breakfast Show and weekend sports shows with Gilroy quite often as well. Why they have Hunter on at all?...well that's another matter.

jooksavage

Kilkenny14 wrote: »

I still remember the first time I listened to them, heading back from college on a friday night. Ken used the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles's relationship with Splinter to describe Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.

From then on I was hooked.

Same back in 2008/2009, I used to listen to them coming back up from college in Cork. Good times.

Rackard

I actually like OTB, not the same as before but it's still very good. It's Colm Parkinson that ruins it unfortunately though. He is utterly terrible.

Skid X

Rackard wrote: »

I actually like OTB, not the same as before but it's still very good. It's Colm Parkinson that ruins it unfortunately though. He is utterly terrible.

Yeah, everytime I give it a chance I find it quite decent until he comes on. He's like that really annoying friend of a friend who keeps turning up on nights out and you think "ah for f**ks sake, why did he bring that gobsh1te along again?"

K-9

foxtrot101 wrote: »

In fairness to Gilroy, he was the original presenter of OTB and Graham Hunter had been a regular on the show long before McDevitt took over. Plus, Hunter was on the Breakfast Show and weekend sports shows with Gilroy quite often as well. Why they have Hunter on at all?...well that's another matter.

Hunter's Big Interview podcast is quite good but as for journalism and analysis...

kazamo

Rackard wrote: »

I actually like OTB, not the same as before but it's still very good. It's Colm Parkinson that ruins it unfortunately though. He is utterly terrible.

I listen to both SC and OFB.
I don't mind Parkinson as at least he will liven things up a bit.
The alternative would be 3 hours of Joe, Cian and Nathan on a Monday or Tuesday with contributors at certain intervals. That would bore me to tears.

Do I agree with Parkinson, hell no, but at least he provides some entertainment.

foxtrot101

K-9 wrote: »

Hunter's Big Interview podcast is quite good

I've heard that alright, but I just couldn't bring myself to listen to them.

K-9

foxtrot101 wrote: »

I've heard that alright, but I just couldn't bring myself to listen to them.

Ah yeah, Hunter can try to make it about himself too much. Often depends on the dynamic in the interview. The Peter Beardsley one was unexpectedly fascinating, Chris Waddle as well.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

K-9 wrote: »

Hunter's Big Interview podcast is quite good but as for journalism and analysis...

I think hunter is meant to be listened to in 5 minute segmentes. I find him incredibly boring...listened to a few of his big interview podcasts and honestly that man loves the sound of his own voice. Can't listen for any long period of time.

Evil_g

I complained a few weeks ago that they hadn't covered Connacht's Season.

In fairness they finally got around to it yesterday, but it was a bit embarrassing that no one in the studio, including their two rugby experts Simon Hick and Thornley, had even a vague grasp of the rules for qualification to next season's Champion's Cup. Neither seemed to think that four Irish teams could easily (and in fact look likely to) qualify. Thornley thinks there's still a play off for crying out loud. How much is this guy paid?

I know they're stuck with Thornley's cliché ridden spoofery because it's an Irish Times Podcast.

But if the guys want to talk to someone who's actually been to the Sportsground recently, (or somebody who didn't heap public pressure on Robbie Henshaw last November, at a time when by all accounts he had yet to make up his mind to move - Gerry Thornley on Wednesday Night Rugby on OTB November 2015:"As far as I know [i.e. my sources in the Leinster camp have told me to say] it's a done deal and I don't know what all the fuss is about") Linley Mackenzie contributes to Irish times and followed Connacht to Siberia this year.

And if they wanted to go one further, they could talk to Rob Murphy (of Galway Bay FM and the Craggy Island Rugby Podcast) who has been commentating on Connacht matches for what must be twenty years now.

Or...y'know, they could just tell us how if you've been to one Pat Lam press conference you've been to them all; it's inevitable that the good players will leave Connacht; and Galway's a great place to go on the lash.

Yes, they said all of the above things.

What used to make the show great was the research they'd put into stories about sports I'd no interest in (chess, or waterpolo or whatever); now they don't even bother researching, what I'd again describe as the Irish Rugby Story (if not sports story) of the year.

WindmillWarrior

I like Colm Parkinson! That is all I want to say.
As you were

Arghus

Found it pretty hillarious that Ken was extremely dismissive of people's attitude to Conor McGregor's new found humility and then five minutes later the MMA "expert" they had on was super impressed by the same thing.

I thought the three boys had a more interesting things to say about the weekends UFC than that guy had, even though he was supposedly the authority on it!

dastardly00

WindmillWarrior wrote: »

I like Colm Parkinson! That is all I want to say.
As you were

Hi Colm! Welcome to Boards!

*waves*

:pac:

wnolan1992

WindmillWarrior wrote: »

I like Colm Parkinson! That is all I want to say.
As you were

I think Colm is a highly intelligent, knowledgeable pundit.

His on air persona and general demeanour is what I can't stand, and he's a major barrier for me to OTB now. To me, he comes across as the typical GAA-head, and I generally find these people really irritating.

Mr.Prodston

I'd like to see Mark Horgan take part more often too. Maybe even just in the preamble or little chats between themselves. He's very likable. The Jimmy Nesbitt fact of the day was a great idea!

Ol' Donie

Mr.Prodston wrote: »

I'd like to see Mark Horgan take part more often too. Maybe even just in the preamble or little chats between themselves. He's very likable. The Jimmy Nesbitt fact of the day was a great idea!

He's also brilliant in the big chair when McDevitt is off.

Arghus

I too was surprised about how easy Mark Horgan slid into the Eoin role.