Newstalk: Off The Ball

Butson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121702028#Comment_121702028

I was in the car and heard this. It was painful.

The lady on the phone was a social justice warrior first, journalist second.

Poyndexter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709860#Comment_121709860

They can discuss trump and politics all they want on the hard shoulder and throughout the day but when I tune in to a sports show I would like to hear about actual sports.

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121713130#Comment_121713130

Well, each to their own but you can pretend that sports and social affairs are not interlinked all you want but I think you are fooling yourself if you think they are mutually exclusive.

Plenty of people (myself included) do like to hear about actual sports while also discussing the impact of these sports on social affairs, politics, etc where they are linked.

Since everybody can't be pleased all the time, I think those who don't want to hear about it need to be able to turn off for 20 minutes, just like I would do if they are discussing something I am not interested in. There's a world of sporting podcasts to fill that 15-20 minute void where they discuss a social issue in a sporting context.

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121710850#Comment_121710850

Yeah I was just going to say that, I think its when there are no games on that they'll pre-record. And to be fair, would any of us choose to work 9-10 at night rather than do it during the day? I don't think so.

Jack Daw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121711680#Comment_121711680

Her name is Shalise Manza-Young, she writes for the Yahoo sports website (or at least she did , I haven't seen much of her on it recently) and essentially 95% of the articles she wrote were about racism, sexism, "social justice" with some tiny link thrown in to sports , she was painful to read and most of her articles really showed she was a complete **** stirrer and was desperately trying to find racism , sexism angle to what happened in sports even if none existed to any sensible person.

Jack Daw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121715308#Comment_121715308

The issue is a lot of sports journalists these days are far more interested in finding some sort of politics within the sports they cover than actually covering the sport.This is probably because of the fact that deep down they know sports are essentially completely unimportant and frippery and in order to make themselves feel like serious journalists they try as often as they can to shoehorn politics into sports coverage.If they want to do that then fine but it doesn't mean people have to enjoy listening to their recreation and escapism time being taken over with discussion of serious issues.Sports are escapism fro the vast majority of people, understandable some people don't like seriousness interrupting their escapism.

Danny Drier

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716112#Comment_121716112

She’d be right at home with the woke baes on Newstalk so. Is Ger going to sign her up?

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716112#Comment_121716112

I like GAA and rugby with a passing interest in most sports and I'd definitely pay a tenner a month to be lectured by an American eejit like this.....

Oh wait a minute,no I wouldn't,like most of the population.

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716131#Comment_121716131

A good post and you could be on to something. As usual, its just all opinions and mine is no more correct than yours!

But you got to put yourself in their position too. I don't think most people no longer read the "With 3 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter, Kansas City converted a 3rd and 10", or "United scored in the 25th minute" article. And Off The Ball, etc do plenty of factual reporting and covering of sports in a direct and analytical way.

I don't see the problem with them spending a couple of hours every week getting in to the nitty gritty of the social impacts of the undeniable links between what happens on the pitch versus what happens off it. Also, lets face it journalists need to cover items which gain traction, listens and clicks - audio or written. They have no choice but to cover items which are of the interest of both the hard core and the passive fan.

You can't satisfy everybody all the time.

DaithiMa

Caught a bit of the Newsround in the car earlier. Talking about football and Mick says something along the lines of 'Chelsea were awful at the weekend, I didn't watch it, I saw highlights on Match of the Day but they were so bad.'

Maybe I am being harsh but surely you should watch the whole game if you are going to comment on how a team has played (even if he is correct). It isn't quite as bad as the time they had Danny Mills on and he blamed Luke Shaw for a United defeat at Anfield when he wasn't even on the bench, but at least it was free when Mills gave that expert piece of analysis.

StuttgartKY

Interesting bit on a slight tangent this week. Someone emailed in complaining how the scheduling of OTB is poor in terms of you never know who will be presenting or guests etc. The lads dismissed it really, which I thought was interesting as I believe its a valid criticism. Also gives an insight into thoughts within the team and maybe they don‘t see much wrong with how its going as of now.

In fairness Joe did acknowledge that they could do better on it but was pretty brief

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121732506#Comment_121732506

Well I don't know about you but honestly, there is so much football on bar he spent his whole weekend watching and did nothing else with his life it he'd have to just see the highlights of some of it! You can more often than not tell from highlights when a team is brutal in a game. It was on at the same time as United v West Ham and Bournemouth Forest - both games had more riding on them. I would cut him some slack to be fair.

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733759#Comment_121733759

It was an interesting piece I thought. I thought they defended their turf well. They said its Joe Sun-Wed, Nathan Thursday, Friday Ger and John Duggan on Saturday and has ever been thus.

They said that sometimes pieces of the show get uploaded at different times rather than a "7am drop" like some podcasts do. But they said that things crash, etc during upload and I can understand that too!

I didn't see the issue, although to be fair to the emailer he was paying more than I am for their services!!!

FazyLucker

Both GAA shows - The Hurling Pod and The Football Pod - being offered free.

As a GAA fan, I am delighted. I wonder did Bord Gais Energy (sponsors) put the foot down and say "Here Ger, we didn't sponsor the show to have 20 listens behind your "tenner a month" paywall, make it free to air or we're off".

Felexicon

Not sure about the Hurling Pod but Football Pod is one free on a Monday and one behind the Paywall on a Thursday.

I think it will most likely dilute what is a good product but such is life.

Billy Ocean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745692#Comment_121745692

Same arrangement on the hurling pod

Ol' Donie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733759#Comment_121733759

Along these lines, I don't often catch the show on Friday, but I have it on here.

There doesn't seem to be a newsround, instead there's some (what sounds like) pre recorded rugby chat. Is that usual?

Gusser09

Whos that one talking? Nails down a black board. Cat being strangled.

Lads come on. Its radio. It matters how people sound.

Ol' Donie

Followed directly by ad-for-bookie-masquerading-as-radio-segment "Who you got?".

spakman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745692#Comment_121745692

listened earlier this week for first time this year - maybe it's just because I hadn't listened in so long, but Paddy Andrews seems to have actually got worse at talking over everyone.

I'd have lost the rag with him long ago - I don't know how the producer (probably Tommy Rooney) hasn't reined him in at this stage, it's actually rude behaviour.

Billy Ocean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121746872#Comment_121746872

Friday evening show is always pre recorded which is understandable in fairness.

Coolcormack1979

Turned on the hurling pod from Monday nite but gave up after 10 mins.loved the show even putting up with that mattie skehill.the gra for otb has gone for me since the paywall nonsense.

sticking with smaller fish and our game for the gaa.say what u like bout woolly but it’s good stuff

StuttgartKY

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121746872#Comment_121746872

Yeah the friday evening show always seems a bit like its thrown together

spakman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121749390#Comment_121749390

Surely there's a lot of people on th3 Rroad on a Friday evening - people driving home for the weekend etc

Putting on a good show might entice them to subscribe, whereas throwing together a show without much thought, is likely to do the opposite?

Having said that, as a music fan at roughly the same time, I always think John Creedon's selection on a Friday is very poor compared to weekdays, but I don't know what the motivation for that would be.

Acosta

Christ, Boohig exceptionally annoying on the breakfast show this morning. No need for the producer to be on the show, when there's already two presenters, plus guests.

Zymurgist

He can be a hard listen at times.

No malice in him and seems like a fairly decent guy but the constant “Here’s one for ya….Tell me this now would you prefer….can you name the only…..” starts to grate very quickly.

applehunter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121702028#Comment_121702028

He never challenged this lady at all.

She was basically calling anyone that is white and Christian in America a racist.

Acosta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121757540#Comment_121757540

It's pure pub chat.

Poyndexter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121757618#Comment_121757618

It was actually disgraceful hence my need to vent on here about it.

But according to some posters who didn’t even listen to the segment that’s what people want on a sport show now. Not for me thanks.

Flatwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121747069#Comment_121747069

Could not agree more and reflects quite poorly on Rooney that he has not put a stop to it. It makes the program a hard listen and quite uncomfortable at times.

PacePower89

Bit strange Richie still able to do newsround from home. Rough listen on the radio when kids are screaming in the background.

sleepyman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600546#Comment_121600546

Listened to him last night with Nathan and have to agree.Doesn’t seem very keen on Arsenal having a set piece expert. I get the feeling Nathan wanted to probe Gilsey’s answer but held off.

I’d imagine he has probably no time for data analytics, director of football etc.

Do like when he talks about old games/players and I think they should have more of that.

In saying that I grew up with him,Bill and Dunphy.It will be a sad time when he passes on.

keeponhurling

For me Giles adds nothing at this stage.

i actually find their most insightful soccer contributors are journalists, from Ireland (Gavin Cooney) plus from France, Spain, Netherlands, Germany etc.

XabiAlonso22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121763858#Comment_121763858

I came in to mention this what is this lad doing the the newsround from his bedroom and how are the powers that be allowing him to do so. It looks so bad him in the bedroom.

XabiAlonso22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121760629#Comment_121760629

I get the feeling Rooney has no authority and comes across as a lad that's a fan and can't believe his luck getting to do the show with two ex players. He's even got podge Collins doing work for Newstalk cause he's now living in the same parish. Nice guy just as a touch of the wants to be friends with the cool players type of guy.

Beechwoodspark

With Johnny, I’ve been listening to him nigh on 30 years, his stories of the old days can be mildly entertaining but I’ve heard it all before with him.

Sorry now but He is no good on the modern game.

Total cliche ville and mixing up teams, players, managers.

Same old generalised bordering on nonsense - “but does he have it Joe??”

Johnny is a very different man when questioned about his dealing with John Delaney and the “John Giles foundation” and some very odd payments around that - he shuts down any questions on that - as journalists like Mark Tighe found out.

Chun the Unavoidable

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121750072#Comment_121750072

the friday evening show has been an odd thing for a long time - right back to the time the SC lads were the hosts. It was live then NT got friday night live rugby and on evenings there was none it was only on till 9 (same during the football off season for the whole week) and may have been a pre-record.

OTB have in recent years had a live segment till 730 then the Crappy Quiz and various pre recoded bits with live updates slotted in. There was another soccer show which was on at about 10pm friday for years on NT which seems completely unrelated to OTB and *i think* this was brought back to 9pm a few years back and in effect is now the final hour of the 7-10pm show. Had a brief look at the OTB website and i cant see it as a stand alone show any more. They had a premier league preview of all the matches after 7pm on a friday as well I assume this is still going but I recall long repeats of that days earlier pods on horse racing and rugby filling in Fridays.

It is bizarre that on a Friday night a sports show wouldn't have dedicated previews of the upcoming weekend sports with a live crew, but maybe they feel the saturday and sunday shows do this. Game On does this although RTE1 had a GAA preview show it was at 10pm Friday evening in the summer in a kind of a "ok, we've done that so feck off" way.

Incidentally the weekend following the complaint about not knowing who hosts what OTB show there were substitute hosts on the sat, sun and monday shows probably because of Joe doing the Rugby on the TV and the hosting duties being rescheduled.

left_hander

There is not the same numbers on the road on a Friday evening as their once was due to WFH, I'd have to admit I'd have no interest in listening to them on a Friday night.

gormdubhgorm

I turned on the radio on way to Croke Park today. The otb football show was on, jayus it was bad. As George Lee on RTE would say about the environment "Reaaly baaad".

They spoke for what felt like forever about a "piece" Dan McDonnell wrote on Stephen Kenny. Basically the gist was that people feel sorry for Stephen Kenny, and if they don't they should. Ireland is not a bad place and the players are there. They even mentioned the number of players Kenny capped. Then I thought have they checked Staunton's record?

Meanwhile all this chat was interrupted by John Duggan throwing in the Premier League results in the middle of Dan rambling. Why does he call Duggan JD? It sounds hilariously poor.

The next bit was discussion on Ireland manager, that was a disaster as well. David Connolly said he did not know which manager would excite him etc etc. Even though the lads were trying to set it up for some sort of manager to talk up.

I had to switch it off it was pathetic stuff, people pay for that shite now?

keeponhurling

^ that sounds bad.

Nobody wants to hear about yet another “piece” on S.Kenny

David Connolly reminds me of one of these English pundits “on the circuit” who expects to turn up and get a few quid for throwing out a few tired and vague cliches. Occasionally there’s tension if Joe pulls him up on it when one sentence just contradicts the next…

Keith Treacy is an odd choice too. He talks as if he was a great of the game or something..”even I would have been happy with a goal like that”. Still better than Connolly though.

Kenny Cunningham is always a good listen

Acosta

Can't watch the breakfast show anymore. I'm from Cork, but even Boohig's accent irritates me. He's a broadcaster. Why can't he pronounce the letter "O"? "What a weekend of spart we just had, lads."

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121819084#Comment_121819084

I would give Connolly credit that he is honest though, he could have bluffed the answer.

My god it really wound me up listening to the whole segment though. Painful stuff. I said "ah f**k off" as I turned off the radio. Maybe the "written piece" was good? I don't know I didn't read it.

Messi19

Giles is unsure if Phil Foden "has it" or "wants it". Give it up John. Time to let go

batistuta9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121862822#Comment_121862822

Would he kill his granny, Nathan

bike2wkr

I thought Giles was quite good on Thursday nights. I don't catch him as often as used to.

His point about foden is he's wondering does he have it to go on to be great great player or will he settle for very good.

The Guru 123

Haven’t been listening yet this week. How has the reaction been to the rugby world coming crashing down around them?

EltonJohn69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121819084#Comment_121819084

I miss K C

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882758#Comment_121882758

I listened last night for a bit, they were relatively sanguine about the whole thing. Seemed to take the view that you can't be expected to win every match, England were on fire and caught us on the hop, nothing too major to worry about (yet).

fire_man

Has Kenny Cunnigham been on the show recently?

Chun the Unavoidable

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121869305#Comment_121869305

Giles is well handled by .....Nathan every Thursday. The other week it was Chelsea -v- Leeds in the FA Cup so naturally enough we got 20 mins of the FA cup final reply match of 1970. Johnny does sound like someone in The Hague when he reminisces about those games "I did things I am not proud of....Nathan" "You had to defend yourself!" "I was guilty of going over the ball" "they tried it once on me, but then I would get them and they'd never do it again.....nathan"