TV Coverage

Pussyhands

Conor Moore is awful.

dastardly00

A couple of positives with the RTE coverage today... they are all sitting in chairs in the studio, rather than Joanne standing and the others sitting. And the analysts are Donal Óg, Liam and Anthony so technically they are all neutral.

Mr.Crinklewood

RTE making full use of the aerial camera

rolling boh

Think the panel today are fine for me no point in having guys on that are from the counties playing let alone played with some of the lads out there today .

MisterAnarchy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119349095#Comment_119349095

I wish they would improve the quality of their game cameras, its very hard to see the ball in hurling.

WesternZulu

The hurling crowd don't half enjoy telling everyone how great the sport is.

It's something you don't ever really hear when other sports are on TV.

Icsics

Donal Og is always on his soapbox about something & I cringe when I hear Marty commentating, he’s like a Failte Irl rep. We switched to Sky & found the commentary etc much much better. Even the post match player interviews were more natural & didn’t have the staged feeling

Brendan Bendar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119349710#Comment_119349710

Yes, seems to be very ‘anti’ about a lot of things to use that expression.

Chip on the shoulder is a word which could be used.

Redsoxfan

Did Sky show much of the crowd today? I stopped watching after a recent game when they kept panning to the crowd. Their commentary and analysis is better than RTÉ but camera work is terrible.

theoneeyedman

I'd say the pictures of the game are the same on Sky and RTÉ, it would be very unusual to have different camera crews covering the same game.

SecretsOfEarth

Jesus, Des Cahill is woeful...dead air pauses, stuttering away, awkward responses.

Sunny Disposition

Credit where it is due, TSG got neutral analysts today. It’s a basic, but it wasn’t happening very often, today it did so fair play.

On the downside the hurling coverage has been really poor this year, it’s too much about the analysts and the presenters.

In Tom Ryans recent interview he made some valid points about a lack of debate. You could really see it tonight when Cusack had a monologue about the failings of the split season. No one challenged him at all, no one said it means summer hurling for club players and gives them certainty about dates.

Club fixtures was the GAA’s biggest issue for at least 20 years, but literally no one pointed out the improvement made by changing the calendar.

There are some good people on the Sunday Game but too often the hurling coverage is very poor, ruined by agendas and indulgence of the analysts.

There has been a lot of negativity towards the hurling coverage this year, but it could be improved a lot if the producers put a bit of smeacht on some of the analysts.

On the positive side, Dowling is excellent, he’s a very natural communicator and doesn’t ever seem to be trying to make himself look clever. Daly, Tyrrell, Cummins and Jacobs have been good too.

There’s the makings of a good programme, but a huge amount does need to change. RTE definitely could take a look at what Sky do, it’s not perfect either, but it is more natural and the analysts are much more grounded than some of the RTE lads.

shockframe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119349641#Comment_119349641

Well in fairness Sky arent shy of telling people the Premier League is the best in the world at every opportunity.!

You have a point about the Hurling coverage. It's almost embarrasing the self-praise that goes on at times.

Marty Morrissey especially on final day goes way overboard.

Darragh Moloney is far better at setting a scene without being anywhere near as pompous as Marty.

Sunny Disposition

It’s a totally fair plot that the praise of hurling is OTT and I say that as a hurling fanatic.

You have a situation now where conmentators wax lyrically about completely routine scores and pieces of skill. Not everything can be exceptional.

The match today was v good, but it certainly wasn’t the best ever, or the best All Ireland ever or even the best All Ireland of the last ten years.

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119351728#Comment_119351728

Marty is biggest culprit of the OTT stuff, couple of examples being……..‘it’s Irish it’s ours’…..’where ever you are in the world’ followed by a list of worlds largest cities…..😡😡

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119351900#Comment_119351900

He was absolutely cat yesterday, with his prepared pre match spiel on about covid and frontline workers and people who died of covid "we will never forget you and those frontline workers who protected us, thank you!"

And then after the match he was reeling off place names again "wherever you're watching...Chicago, New York"

Everything is wonderful or magical with him.

munchkin_utd

So, my GaaGo stream doesnt want to cast to the telly any more (iOs update or have they done something to the streams??) so I watched the game with the irish commentary as my Spanish Tv provider for some reason had the irish rather than english audio for RTE1.

Anyhow, myself and the missus were more than happy to avoid Marty and his OTT corny commentary. He tries too hard to emulate Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh with random usless bits of local info like the number of cats the next door neighbour of someones parent's best friends have.

The irish commentary focused on the game without the unnecessary waffle. I missed the odd bit of analysis as my irish is a bit rusty but still and all, it was an enjoyable background to the game. By the end I definitely was following more than right at the beginning, but thats the same with any 2nd language, it can take a little while till you get back in the flow.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119351680#Comment_119351680

Even with this though, there is an agenda.

RTÉ gave the intercounty rights, and Donal Og has a nice gig doing previews and covering the games from Fwbto July now.

It's obviously in his interests to have a longer season into August or even September. It means he (and RTÉ's coverage) is relevant for longer than if the championships are split and over by August.

There is certainly a strong counter argument, and it should have been represented if it wasn't (I didn't watch TSG)

Sunny Disposition

i think the split season might be the best move the GAA has made in 20 years.

After straight knock out was rightly eliminated at inter county the GAA never tackled the implications for clubs. There was a bit of lip service, people saying it wasn’t good that club championship was pushed out, that club players were being ignored, but not one thing was done about it.

Now, the issue has been solved, which is fantastic.

Cusack literally said not one word about the benefits last night. And even that would be okay, but no one else did either. You’d think the change was made for no reason whatsoever if you were new to the issue.

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119352283#Comment_119352283

There's probably going to be plenty of club coverage on RTE though so Donal will still have the gig.

Sunny Disposition

Des Cahill quoted in the Star about why split season is a bad idea. Again, literally no mention at all of the benefits for club players.

Really, the media coverage of the GAA is terribly weak.

Treble double

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119352467#Comment_119352467

This split season has to be given a chance. Soundings from players seem to be that they are happy with it. They are the most important people in the conversation. The likes of Cusack and Daly are thinking of their pockets rather than the good of the game. Cusack goes on a rant every year at this time to keep himself relevant.

I thought the analysis of the game by these pundits was poor last night. One glaring issue was ignored and that is the constant fouling of the ball by both teams by throwing it. It was a good game yesterday but only because the referee didn't enforce the rules. Fair play it was enjoyable but hurling is facing a big problem and I would like these pundits to discuss that and offer solutions instead of getting up on their soap box about non issues. Do you change the rules allow the ball to be thrown, allow all kinds in the tackle and only blow a free if a man is dragged to the ground or do we continue with the reffs pretending they are enforcing the rules.

theoneeyedman

Was there much discussion around fouling at all after the game.

Before im shot, I'm not a 'hurling man ' let alone a Kilkenny fan, but I thought there was a lot of cynical fouling yesterday, on both sides, but especially on the Limerick side. Seemed an obvious tactic, if a man is looking like running past you then pull him back and give up the point if necessary.

If it was a football game, it would be called out, and probably over egged in the analysis, especially if a Northern team was involved. Just interested to see if it was remarked upon yesterday, certainly wasn't during the match commentary.

keeponhurling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119352467#Comment_119352467

This is a great post.

Especially the last bit, indeed one would think the change was made up and introduced for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

And FFS, just let the new calendar run its course for a year or two before condemning it. See how it works, maybe tweak it later. We're basically only half way through Year 1.

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119353947#Comment_119353947

We've had years of experiments now at this stage.

It wasn't broken, no need to fix it. If a player misses club so what. If they care about their club so much they can stand down from county like Mannion did.

Sunny Disposition

It absolutely was broken though.

Sunny Disposition

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119353042#Comment_119353042

Club players are most important Id suggest, and they suffered most over the last 20 years. GPA, inter county managers, broadcasters need to realise that.

Totally agree regarding the refereeing, there’s a very high level of inconsistency and this has got worse since the advantage rule came in.

Asdfgh2020

Will we be treated to Marty for the ‘big ball final’ also…….although he tends to only do ‘da hurlin’…..🤪

WesternZulu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355333#Comment_119355333

No Ger gets the football final even though Darragh Maloney is by far the best commentator they have.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355333#Comment_119355333

They should just one one recording and play it at every game because its the same shít day after day regardless of the game. I literally switched over to Sky yesterday as soon as I heard his voice. All Ireland final day he plumbs new depths ever since he got a bit of kudos for his spiel 3 or 4yrs ago. He's not rolled it out every year since along with the soundbites.

CrabRevolution

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119351728#Comment_119351728

The amount of hurling self praise seemed to explode in the middle of the last decade. Before that the odd game might get called a classic or a great example of the sport, but it seemed to become just constant drivel about how hurling is God's gift to mankind and aren't we Irish great. I've 2 stabs as to how it happened;

1. Games started becoming a lot more high scoring. I remember the 2009 All Ireland final being called a scorefest after finishing 2-22 to 0-23. Yesterday they hit a similar score after about 45 minutes. I think at the start people thought we were being treated to some unusually exquisite high scoring hurling, so it inspired a lot of gushing after a few 1-32 to 2-29 scorelines. Later on it transpired these games were now the norm rather than the exception, so the high scoring part was mentioned less. The urge for general hurling-praise didn't seem to decline though.
2. Twitter had a bit to do with it. People realised they could harvest likes and retweets by producing the most over the top gushing after a game. This made it a one-upping contest where whoever could wax the most about hurling gets the most attention. It also fit naturally into the "Aren't we Irish great; immersions/Tayto/Fr. Ted etc." theme on twitter that people seem to love. It seemed to bleed into mainstream punditry/commentary where the presenters now must fear for their jobs if they don't hit a quota of mentioning how great hurling is, and "savage intensity and workrate".

Sunny Disposition

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355673#Comment_119355673

It is completely ott for sure and certainly Is worse now than ever. All this nonsense about matches being the best ever, as if anyone has seen them all ffs.

High scores are certainly not an indication of better games, idiotic to say otherwise. Of course Twitter is full of nonsense anyway, but unquestioning hyping up of hurling is certainly part of it.

It is very frustrating, the coverage of hurling has gone so bad. Incomprehensible analysis of tactics and systems, disingenuous commentary telling us average scores are fantastic, pundits criticising the best reform of competitions structures in decades while literally not acknowledging any pluses at all to it.

Surely it can be done much better and more honestly.

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355673#Comment_119355673

Some good stuff in your first point but the ‘twitter’ reference is pure shite

MisterAnarchy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119353687#Comment_119353687

Ah shure its intensity, its playing on the edge you know, physicality.😉

Kilkenny started the black arts and Limerick have taken it to a new level.

Brendan Bendar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355579#Comment_119355579

Once they get rid of Fitzmaurice, that would be an improvement.

Darragh Moloney is an excellent commentator, and I can’t understand the shade being thrown at Ger Canning.

I find him fine, good speaker, not a ‘done’ and ‘ seen’ kind of dude who infests the the co-commentary ranks these days.

Seems to this poster the more ungrammatical and inarticulate the co-commentator is the more ‘kudos’ they have.

Very strange attitude by folk here.

Sunny Disposition

I like Ger Canning too, has got far too much criticism over the years, I’d consider him fair and level headed.

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119359102#Comment_119359102

He has a good voice for it but his comments about the semi final being "an all Ireland final in all but name" really put me off him. I can't believe a commentator should show such disrespect to a team.

opinionated3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119353687#Comment_119353687

I totally believe the pundits have been told behind the scenes to tone down any "controversial"opinions and basically just big up the game itself. Marty and duignan went into overdrive with the praise of the game and the gaa in general. It was almost nauseating at times.

The fouling is nothing new. Kilkenny were absolute masters of discreet fouling but I still found them a highly entertaining team to watch in full flow. Limerick have upped the ante big time. But I would argue that a lot of their tackling is basically fouling as well, pulling the free arm, wrapping arms around the player in possession etc. My sympathy lies with the referee these days, it must be an incredibly difficult task to judge what's a real foul and what is acceptable these days. I know we watched the match in our local and the people that sat around the bar enthralled by the action, ended up in full disagreement numerous times over frees given/ not given. But what really annoys me is that pundits won't even talk about it. It's like they risk offending the GAA if they question the legality of these tackles because you know, hurling is the greatest sport in the world as Marty was at pains to point out....

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355603#Comment_119355603

Marty's fully bought into his own hype. On up for the match he introduced a few lads as the marty party in house band. Yes he was joking but it's still buying into his own hype.

Everything is magical or unbelievable. Talking shite about spielberg couldn't write it or "it's Irish and it's ours"

His constant references to "Whether you're watching in Chicago, New York, Dubai, Melbourne" aswell are grating.

Brendan Bendar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119359273#Comment_119359273

Not one to be critical, but you made some good points there.

There does seem to be a ‘strange’ relationship between those commentators and pundits with the GAA.

Now get this straight , I admire, support , and give the GAA the commendation they deserve.

However, those of the radio and tv media ‘family’ seem to be very conscious of not ‘offending ‘ that organisation.

You have Lodge name checking every individual involved, I thought he would name check the ‘guy who cuts the oranges at halftime’ at one stage.

what happened to Brian Carthy.?

Gone off the radar.

Something in need of a bit of a probe into all this stuff seems to be needed.

To cut to the chase, would someone genuinely critical of the GAA in a positive way, be kind of moved aside?

Hmmmmm m……….

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355579#Comment_119355579

Maloney really is excellent and getting better

I says

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119353042#Comment_119353042

Great post. The throwing of the ball drives me up the wall to the point of taking away my enjoyment watching matches.It ruins it as a spectacle for me. Limerick have perfected the use of the 3rd man in the tackle only there to block an opposing player get to the ball. One way to stamp out cynical fouling and throwing the ball is introduce what the have in rugby and cite any players and ban them if needed. Every team in the country is fouling and throwing the ball get it out of the game. In every game this year every county should have men sent off for fouling. It’s mighty limerick are winning now it keeps tipp and cork under their boots for a long time in the future yet.

Pussyhands

Ursula Jacob is a four time All-Ireland winning Wexford camogie star. Recently retired from the game, she is now a hurling and camogie pundit on The Sunday Game. She also spoke candidly about being on the receiving end of nasty online abuse a few weeks ago.

She told Prime Time, "They don't like the tone of my voice. They can't stand my Wexford accent. Why is a woman's voice speaking about a game? And it's always just very personal."

"I don't know, is it that it's because I'm a woman or is it because I'm from Wexford? I'm not sure. Two things that I'm not willing to change or looking to change, but I'm very proud of both."

She thinks it's because she's a woman or from Wexford? No one complains about the Dublin lady pundit and people don't complain about Davy Fitz's accent of Donal Ogs....no one complains about Grainne Mcelwain on Sky because she's a woman.

Her voice would shatter glass. I can't stand when she's on, I switch over the Sky if I can. Like nails on a blackboard.

Playing the woman card is weak.

Marty Morrissey and Ger Canning get loads of criticism and they're not off whinging about it.

Coillte_Bhoy

Darragh Maloney commentating for the final. 🙂

Brendan Bendar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119373577#Comment_119373577

Hope he hasn’t the ‘drone’ on co-commentary!

Thats a ……squelch……. from this poster.

Man Vs ManUre

There are not too many times I need to rewind the tv to see if what I think was said was said, but today is one. Ursula Jacob is on the 6 o’clock show telling her story about her recent online trolling and negative comments. She gave a long spiel on it and fair play to her, then the male tv anchor says something like, “if I encountered the troll or if he said same to me, I’d actually stab him”. I had to listen again but I think that is what he said. Female tv anchor gave him a funny look and the Jacob segment continued. Surely this make tv anchor will have a lot of explaining to do here??

dobman88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119373669#Comment_119373669

Kevin McStay on co comms. Joanne in studio with Whelan, Spillane and Cavanagh.

nozzferrahhtoo

My deepest apologies for turfing myself into this thread.... but I looked around and it seemed the best place to go.

I live in Germany as an Irish guy and I know F all about GAA. But recently my kids who are german born are into the GAA... .we even got hurleys imported from a shop in sligo (from oconners in cork)

Anyway I wanna let the kids watch the game tomorrow. Happy to pay as much or as little as it takes. Is GAAGO the place to watch abroad? Or can anyone recommend (DM ideas too) some places?

JoeA3

Yeah GAA Go is probably the easiest option. It’s about €20 for the match and I think you get the highlights that night too (the Sunday game)

RTE player won’t work anyway, it’ll be region blocked outside of Ireland.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119375979#Comment_119375979

nozzferrahhtoo

Yeah the RTE is not an option... we learned that from the late late toy show :)

The kids are really curious about the GAA at the moment.... so I reckon this would be a good game to show them. So I am happy to pay the money.... for anything semi stable........

Just for fun I have already told the kids that I have "bet the car" on Kerry :) So they are invested now!!! They love our little car a lot so they actually believe its invested in the result of the game :)

But happy to sub to anything.... I will go with GaaGO unless there is a better recommendation out there?

Just want them to remember it... and it not being all about "Loading stream" or any of that :)