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

Harry Angstrom

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Ken is the only one they can't replace, Wooly is annoying but he is a good football analyst, Murph was just annoying. Gilroy is a bit of a wanker but he's as good a host as Eoin.
Some of ye appear to be boycotting the show like it was your mates who got shafted, I listen to the show to get good Irish sports news and discussion, nothing has changed.

I miss Murph's Country Pages.

Ol' Donie

Listened to about an hour and a half of OTB today (half out of curiosity, half because fm radio is really pretty bad, and i had very little choice in the car). It's really pretty good, but just does not have the old magic.

I still have a sour taste in my mouth over the whole thing. I'm afraid i still won't be listening regularly, but this is more due to the station management of the whole mess, rather than the current presenters.

heybaby

With the jnlr out today we will begin to see the effect of the OTB 5's departure although it will be another 6 months before we see the full year on year comparison in the aftermath of their departure. I think its inevitable that the figures will have fallen judging by anecdotal evidence but also because the current OTB product is generally considered satisfactory but still inferior to the original.

ballsymchugh

heybaby wrote: »

With the jnlr out today we will begin to see the effect of the OTB 5's departure although it will be another 6 months before we see the full year on year comparison in the aftermath of their departure. I think its inevitable that the figures will have fallen judging by anecdotal evidence but also because the current OTB product is generally considered satisfactory but still inferior to the original.

it's different, but i don't think it's inferior anymore. it took a long time to get the regular bunch sorted out, and some of the shows where they were trialling others were just awful. but now that it's settled, i think it's very good.

Cartman78

Still has way too much Colm Parkinson for my liking....

But would agree that it's settled after a very shaky start

force eleven

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I miss Murph's Country Pages.

Administrator Of The Week for me....

nkay1985

Cartman78 wrote: »

Still has way too much Colm Parkinson for my liking....

But would agree that it's settled after a very shaky start

I don't think it's as good as it used to be but isn't a million miles off. However, Colm Parkinson's addition must be the worst mistake they've made. He's awful.

armchair fusilier

I don't not what expect today really. I think it will lose listeners, simply because it is not as good as it used to be. Enough people have said on here that they are not listening to anymore to suggest that there will be a drop, but there isn't really an alternative on Irish radio so I don't think that there will be a big collapse in listenership. It would have been different if the old team was in direct competition with it, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen now.

As for the new show, it is essentially the weekend show all week long. I would have that weekend show on as background noise ahead of Des Cahill & Co., but I just have no interest in listening to it every night of the week.

Deedsie

I agree, I'd be amazed if the numbers dropped that significantly. I mean the previous Off The Ball team peaked at 48000 listeners a night. Which is very good for an evening slot. I'd be amazed if they were below 40000 now. There is not much else on in that time slot. And it's really the only show in town, sports coverage wise on live radio.

A poor imitation of what went before it but still a well put together show. Just lacks the some of the charm of what went before it

mrkr

Newstalk went with an advertising blitz for OTB specifically after the lads were booted out too, that should help prop up the numbers somewhat; in fact, it wouldn't surprise if there was an increase, given how heavily it was promoted and the general press the show got around the time the lads left.

I doubt it'll be sustainable though, as the show has lost a lot of character and goodwill due to the whole unpleasantness. I've stopped listening, partly because even before the lads left I could barely stand anything else on Newstalk bar Moncrieff, so it feels better not listening to anything on it now, and partly cos the few times I have heard some of the new guys, the show is just plain dull and awkward.

Deedsie

Elsewhere, she says that the late evening (7pm-9pm broadly) slot has seen significant declines, bucking the trend of most recent years. "Dave Fanning is the only show experiencing increases whilst Off the Ball must be very disappointed with a 28% fall in listenership for what in many ways is now a seminal show in the Irish radio landscape. Ironically, one wonders if the surfeit of live sport hosted in our time zone (Olympics, Special Olympics and the Euros) had a detrimental effect on the listenership of Ireland's leading sports radio show."

http://www.adworld.ie/news/read/?id=bdcc10d4-e212-4729-96b6-5bad615a3b44

Not even sure if its for this book. All I can see so far in relation to OTB. I'd be amazed if its anything like that big a drop

armchair fusilier

I'm fairly sure that is from last February's book.

armchair fusilier

41,000.

http://www.thescore.ie/off-the-ball-listenership-1008746-Jul2013/

I have to say that I find that figure very hard to believe.

blue4ever

Its 41,000 - down 15% one the same 12 minths to 2012_2 survey. The old crew were there for 8 months of that figure - so they would have to take a big chunk of that

gnfnrhead

armchair fusilier wrote: »

Enough people have said on here that they are not listening to anymore to suggest that there will be a drop

Boards is a minority. Look at the election polls and whatnot. Nearly always the exact opposite of what actually happens.

I wouldnt pay much attention to a handful of people refusing to listen for no reason.

ballsymchugh

nkay1985 wrote: »

I don't think it's as good as it used to be but isn't a million miles off. However, Colm Parkinson's addition must be the worst mistake they've made. He's awful.

i've said it before, but i think he's very good. better GAA analysis than murph could ever do. he seems to come out with one or two hilarious gems every night now which have me laughing a lot.

armchair fusilier

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Boards is a minority. Look at the election polls and whatnot. Nearly always the exact opposite of what actually happens.

I wouldnt pay much attention to a handful of people refusing to listen for no reason.

I'm not refusing to listen to it, I have given it a go and it just doesn't interest me. I'm done with OTB. I wasn't expecting a big drop, but I don't believe just 2000 people have stopped listening to it since last march as the JNLR results are suggesting. I think it's more than that. The next few JNLR books might bear that out, or they mightn't - if so, best of luck to them. I'm happy enough with the second captain podcasts.

gnfnrhead

armchair fusilier wrote: »

I'm not refusing to listen to it, I have given it a go and it just doesn't interest me. I'm done with OTB. I wasn't expecting a big drop, but I don't believe just 2000 people have stopped listening to it since last march as the JNLR results are suggesting. I think it's more than that. The next few JNLR books might bear that out, or they mightn't - if so, best of luck to them. I'm happy enough with the second captain podcasts.

Down 7,000 since this time last year, I believe. What is so hard to believe that people actually still like it?

There are people in this thread who refuse to listen. Some acted like it was their partner who left the show.

nkay1985

ballsymchugh wrote: »

i've said it before, but i think he's very good. better GAA analysis than murph could ever do. he seems to come out with one or two hilarious gems every night now which have me laughing a lot.

Ah he knows GAA alright but I can't stand him. I don't think I've ever laughed at something he's said but I get the feeling he thinks he's hilarious. I just don't like the guy's personality at all. And he knows ****e all about a lot of sports!

armchair fusilier

gnfnrhead wrote: »

What is so hard to believe that people actually still like it?

I'm sure there are people who like the new line up, I'm just projecting my views on the show as it now exists onto more people than those 2,000 the survey says have stopped listening. I may well be wrong, we'll have to wait and see.

Swiper the fox

Are there people posting here who think Murph was a decent GAA analyst? Really??? He was like the Mairead Farrell of OTB, I said it before I know but Wooly gives me a pain in my hole most of the time but he can talk very well about football when he puts his mind to it,

blue4ever

armchair fusilier wrote: »

those 2,000 the survey says have stopped listening.

More like 15,600 people in the survey

armchair fusilier

blue4ever wrote: »

More like 15,600 people in the survey

Yeah, I know. The 2,000 I'm talking about is the diffrence between this book and the last one i.e., from 43,000 to 41,000.

Aidric

Swiper the fox wrote: »

I said it before I know but Wooly gives me a pain in my hole most of the time but he can talk very well about football when he puts his mind to it,

Ya to his credit he is a good gaelic football analyst. My opinion of him has softened somewhat the more I've listened to him. He is pretty self deprecating which scores well for me.

Diabhal Beag

People either love or hate the self-deprecatory sidekick. People hated Murph too but he was a good all-rounder whereas Wooly is specifically very good when it comes to football understandably.

InchicoreDude

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Are there people posting here who think Murph was a decent GAA analyst? Really??? He was like the Mairead Farrell of OTB, I said it before I know but Wooly gives me a pain in my hole most of the time but he can talk very well about football when he puts his mind to it,

I like Murph's GAA analysis. He writes some reports over on thescore.ie:

http://www.thescore.ie/author/ciaran-murphy/

BPKS

Aidric wrote: »

Ya to his credit he is a good gaelic football analyst. My opinion of him has softened somewhat the more I've listened to him. He is pretty self deprecating which scores well for me.

Good analysis?

All I ever hear from him is "I remember once when I scored a point/got a belt/was hard done-by by a manager" etc etc. The others gleefully swallow this sh1te, they are like the jersey-pullers you see swarming around inter-county players the night of a match.

Last Saturday evening his analysis on the Laois-Donegal game started and ended with "Player X plays midfield for his club, Player Y played wing forward for the minors".

Swiper the fox

The last comment is laughably ignorant, Parkinson is a prick but he does his homework and talks a good game.

I listen to OTB for good sports news and discussion, still get that, the attempts at banter have gone to the dogs alright, Gizzy Lyng is the worst culprit, not sure what they see in him to be honest. Last night there was a cringeworthy discussion on the meaning of life and "finding yourself" while travelling, why oh why does Gilroy start these things so often, he's a good sports presenter, he needs to keep to his brief because he's not very likeable as a person.

Big Game

Filming a pilot for RTE on Thursday.

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/second-captains-tv-1015889-Jul2013/

HAVING MADE THE jump up from one weekly podcast to four, the men behind Second Captains are about to make a move into television with RTE.

The five former hosts of Newstalk’s Off The Ball – Eoin McDevitt, Ken Early, Ciaran Murphy, Simon Hick and Mark Horgan – will film a pilot episode with the national broadcaster on August 8.

A post on their Tumblr page read:

“After the deluge of threats, curses and pleadings we received from listeners who weren’t picked out by Pierce Brosnan to attend the Second Captains live show last week, we want to give you another chance to come and witness how sweaty we are live and in the flesh.”

The show will again be based in a live atmosphere with listeners invited along to be part of the audience next Thursday for a programme which will feature Richie Sadlier, Shane Horgan, Derval O’Rourke and Oisin McConville.

Since parting ways with Newstalk there has been much speculation over how the five would spend their time after an initial ‘gardening leave’. Increasing the number of podcasts was the first step and this TV show, which could potentially find an audience after live sport on RTE, would appear to be the final piece of their jigsaw.

JonathanAnon

Swiper the fox wrote: »

The last comment is laughably ignorant, Parkinson is a prick but he does his homework and talks a good game. I listen to OTB for good sports news and discussion, still get that, the attempts at banter have gone to the dogs alright,

I enjoyed Parky asking Micky Harte the question about Sean Kavanagh at the weekend, that was funny... But it got really childish when David Brady told Parkinson to tell Sean Kavanagh that "he was ten times the man that Joe Brolly ever will be"..