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

Diabhal Beag

Fair point about Gilroy. Pretty impressive work ethic. Anytime I've tuned in I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality, especially Ger because he used to annoy me with his attempts to be funny but he is genuinely a perfect host. If I had the time I'd be listening every night.

noiniho

The new OTB is improving and Gilroy is excellent, but the second captains guys will always get my first vote.

If second captains get more airtime then a weekly podcast then happy days!

Two quality sports radio programmes for the listener.
I have to say I am a big fan of both

theholyghost

I agree the new line up is working well I dont really miss the old guys now!

Aidric

theholyghost wrote: »

I agree the new line up is working well I dont really miss the old guys now!

BPKS

Colin Parkinson is the real turn off for me.

He was asked to go and look at Hawkeye during the week and have a chat about it. The first thing he says is "well its not going to sort out the square ball situation like the Kildare-Down game a few years ago".

First - how exactly would Hawkeye solve the "square ball situation". Its a bit like asking somebody to talk about built-in sat nav in a car and saying - "well its not going to sort out when you get a flat tyre".

Second - a new square ball rule has been introduced. The old rule only applies from frees/45's/sideline balls.


He continues to try bring every situation back to himself. He floated a few balls way over the posts himself in the past (which is why the GAA invested so much in bringing in Hawkeye).

Give me David "You can take the man out of Mayo..." Brady any day. Christ even the dryness of Anthony Moyles. But if I have to listen to Parkinson every night then I think I'll be switching off.

Say Your Number

I've barely listened to the show in the last few weeks, apart from a few bits and pieces, but it's more down the fact that I can't be bothered to turn on the radio. I like Gilroy and the show is still very listenable but it's nowhere near the old OTB crew, if Ken and Murph were still there I probably would listen to it more.

AngeGal

Say Your Number wrote: »

I've barely listened to the show in the last few weeks, apart from a few bits and pieces, but it's more down the fact that I can't be bothered to turn on the radio. I like Gilroy and the show is still very listenable but it's nowhere near the old OTB crew, if Ken and Murph were still there I probably would listen to it more.

Agreed. The new Irish Times podcast from the old OTB crew is really showing that the new OTB isn't in the same league, imo anyway. The podcast today was excellent, good Brian o'Driscoll interview, good GAA coverage and the return of US Murph.

Pedalstool

Off the Ball in its current guise is a little like Coke Zero. Its palatable but I drink Coca Cola or nothing at all. (Except Water, which is like The Ray Darcy Show but thats a different argumant.)

pconn062

Whose the new GAA guy? Keep missing his name, think I heard them saying he played for Laois or something, don't follow the GAA. He's pretty terrible and not sure why he's there to be honest, I have to turn it off whenever he comes on.

Say Your Number

Colm 'wooly' Parkinson

ballsymchugh

Say Your Number wrote: »

Colm 'wooly' Parkinson

he has his moments, i find him to be very funny.

that lad from norn iron that's managing the sierra leone team at just 27 reminded me of the bbc presenter reading out the classifieds from the irish league on a saturday afternoon. could've been interesting, but dreadfully boring accent.

Say Your Number

ballsymchugh wrote: »

he has his moments, i find him to be very funny.
.

I don't really mind him myself, he does speak bluntly which does wind some people up.

Loafing Oaf

ballsymchugh wrote: »

he has his moments, i find him to be very funny.

that lad from norn iron that's managing the sierra leone team at just 27 reminded me of the bbc presenter reading out the classifieds from the irish league on a saturday afternoon. could've been interesting, but dreadfully boring accent.

And your post reminded me of this:


and this

passremarkable

pconn062 wrote: »

Whose the new GAA guy? Keep missing his name, think I heard them saying he played for Laois or something, don't follow the GAA. He's pretty terrible and not sure why he's there to be honest, I have to turn it off whenever he comes on.

Love wolly think he is quality ....
Give him a chance

JonathanAnon

passremarkable wrote: »

Love wolly think he is quality ....
Give him a chance

Yeah, love the self deprecation.. Particularly about him "not getting on with managers"... .. Him and Ger and doing well.... Not made on Conor "I'll bate ya" Deegan though.. nor yer man Joe...

ballsymchugh

wolly and jason mcateer are on flying form this evening. bouncing off each other very well earlier.

Imhof Tank

ballsymchugh wrote: »

wolly and jason mcateer are on flying form this evening. bouncing off each other very well earlier.

Disagree, based on the small parts I heard.

McAteer's stories were all told recently at the first "new" OTB roadshow.

Parkinson has no future IMO - couldn't even deliver his scripted gag re hawkeye properly. Yes, I know it was supposed to be a comic piece but he was really hopeless. Some people are naturals, some work hard to achieve competence, he is neither.

ballsymchugh

Imhof Tank wrote: »

Disagree, based on the small parts I heard.

McAteer's stories were all told recently at the first "new" OTB roadshow.

Parkinson has no future IMO - couldn't even deliver his scripted gag re hawkeye properly. Yes, I know it was supposed to be a comic piece but he was really hopeless. Some people are naturals, some work hard to achieve competence, he is neither.

didn't hear the last roadshow.

the scripted gag was no different to the sponsored prize spiels that murph used to do during older mystery voice competitions. his accent is just brutally flat. i thought that lack of interest in what he was saying was funny.

Imhof Tank

ballsymchugh wrote: »

didn't hear the last roadshow.

the scripted gag was no different to the sponsored prize spiels that murph used to do during older mystery voice competitions. his accent is just brutally flat. i thought that lack of interest in what he was saying was funny.

Yeah, they were shamelessly imitating what Murph used to do. Failing badly tho'.

His accent wasnt the problem, Parkinson was tripping up over every third word, and he probably wrote the thing!

Xavi6

Parkinson's interview with Damien Delaney was awful listening, he stumbled over every question. Don't rate him at all and the accent, while by no means a deal breaker, hurts my head.

Lover McAteer though, he should be on more.

ballsymchugh

very funny on the quiz earlier, when one of the guys was asked 'what kildare footballer announced his retirement on air to joe molloy?'

the answer he gave was ken early!

Red Crow

Looks like they won't be back on the air as soon as we expected.

I'd say Newstalk and the OFB 5 are both regretting it now. Although I'd say the lads are more pis*ed off

Swiper the fox

I don't mind Wooly but I'm getting sick of his boldest boy in the class routine, if he had George Best on he'd probably think he was a kindred spirit.
Overall I haven't missed the old crew half as much as I thought I would, Ken will be badly missed for the premier league(it was over as a contest last year when they left) but besides that they are all replaceable, Eoin was a good frontman but Ger and Joe, although considerably more annoying on a personal level(I'd love to punch Gilroy sometimes, bit of the Ray D'Arcy about him) do a grand job in keeping the show moving along, some of the guest presenters have been very good,
I think the original lads must be very annoyed with themselves now, an Irish Times podcast is a pointless exercise IMO.

Btr

Eli Manning wrote: »

Looks like they won't be back on the air as soon as we expected.

I'd say Newstalk and the OFB 5 are both regretting it now. Although I'd say the lads are more pis*ed off

Those of us who've worked in the business pointed out at the time that radio managements don't take kindly to ultimatums and suggested they mightn't be back in air too soon. Ever back on air as a team - I'd be very surprised !

JonathanAnon

The guys leaving was actually an interesting radio experiment to see if it was a) the presenters themselves or b) the format of the show was the reason for the success of Off The Ball...

I think it's apparently clear at this stage that's it's the unique format of the show that is the reason for the success... The genius of the show is that they have managed to capture the feel of watching sport in a pub, without being in a pub..

Sad for the lads that it looks like they've thrown away their good jobs, but I think they were extremely naive... They should have listened to the wise words of John Rambo..

Co Bao: Why did they pick you? Because you like to fight?
Rambo: I'm expendable.
Co Bao: What mean expendable?
Rambo: It's like someone invites you to a party and you don't show up. It doesn't really matter.

dulpit

I don't think we can really make a judgement call on this until the first proper radio ratings are released. Until then we can only make assumptions as to what the true listenership is. I know I stopped listening when the lads left, and haven't gone back, at all.

ballsymchugh

dulpit wrote: »

I don't think we can really make a judgement call on this until the first proper radio ratings are released. Until then we can only make assumptions as to what the true listenership is. I know I stopped listening when the lads left, and haven't gone back, at all.

you're missing out. it's taken a while for the new crowd to gel together, but i think it's on a par, sometimes better. i find the contributors, esp from the US to be better. while US murph was entertaining, he appears now to be a jack of all trades, whereas now, and contributors are fairly clued in to one sport only.

gordongekko

ballsymchugh wrote: »

you're missing out. it's taken a while for the new crowd to gel together, but i think it's on a par, sometimes better. i find the contributors, esp from the US to be better. while US murph was entertaining, he appears now to be a jack of all trades, whereas now, and contributors are fairly clued in to one sport only.

I used to tune in most nights now I find I might tune in for the best bits on Fridays and even then I find that once anyone other than Ger speaks I find myself turning it off.

gnfnrhead

dulpit wrote: »

I don't think we can really make a judgement call on this until the first proper radio ratings are released. Until then we can only make assumptions as to what the true listenership is. I know I stopped listening when the lads left, and haven't gone back, at all.

That is more a representation of yourself in that you were unwilling to even give anyone else a chance. That is just childish and doesnt have any reflection on the quality of a show.

I've only heard it every now and then but I dont see any major differences to the way it used to be. If it was something you enjoyed, why would you not give it a real chance?

dulpit

gnfnrhead wrote: »

That is more a representation of yourself in that you were unwilling to even give anyone else a chance. That is just childish and doesnt have any reflection on the quality of a show.

I've only heard it every now and then but I dont see any major differences to the way it used to be. If it was something you enjoyed, why would you not give it a real chance?

Tried listening to it after they left. Didn't like the new presenters, so gave up. Had no grá towards it...