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

Dirty Dingus McGee · 27-12-2016 10:38PM

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Can you not have both???? I, for one, lose more interest in or don't get the same entertainment from a sport where it is marred by doubts of drugs and an unlevel playing field etc.

You start to doubt the achievements of certain athletes, innocent or not. I mean look at the reaction to a lot of the swimmers, even Mo Farah and a lot more athletes at the Olympics. Compared to 2012, their was much less hysteria surrounding certain events and performances due to speculation about doping.

It's all so arbitrary what is an is not a PED that the whole enterprise around stopping their use is pointless.Tennis players pull up injured and get painkilling injections on the court but this is not considered a PED yet Maria Sharpova gets banned for taking a tablet that was perfectly legal a month before she was banned.

Why is getting laser eye surgery not considered to be a performance enhancer and banned? I mean it improves performance by getting rid of an abscence of a key natural ability required for sport .

Sport doesn't have a level playing field to begin with as people have a natural advantage over their competitors so the idea of banning PED's because it produces fairness isn't really true.

Arsene Wenger said in an interview last year that in the future people will probably have a choice over a PED based sport or a "clean" one and he's probably right.

I don't think you can really effectively stop them or properly judge what really is or is not a PED.

Lady Chatterton · 27-12-2016 10:42PM

You lost your argument DDMcGee when you started defending Maria Sharapova.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 27-12-2016 10:48PM

Lady Chatterton wrote: »

You lost your argument DDMcGee when you started defending Maria Sharapova

No I didn't.

She cheated only because she stupidly didn't give up the drug on time.

What she was taking was 100% legal before the start of 2016.

Is taking a tablet to enhance performance any worse than getting a pain killing injection to enhance performance?

A pain killing injection is the ultimate performance enhancer and yet they are allowed.Surely if your body betrays you and isn't capable of continuing you should have to quit and not be allowed to take something that tricks your body into performing when it clearly can't.

Muff Richardson · 27-12-2016 11:04PM

The Talking Bread wrote: »

I, for one, lose more interest in or don't get the same entertainment from a sport where it is marred by doubts of drugs and an unlevel playing field etc.

Oddly enough I only mentioned yesterday that if it weren't for all the doping and scandal I'd have zero interest in cycling, it's voyeuristic and makes great reading.

If we are to take at face value some of the whistleblowers claims about the crooked doctors that provide the PEDs and the clients they have on their books you'd be left watching very little sport if you are taking the moral high ground as you say you are, that's not a dig, just seems sport in general is rife with doping, some more than others.

Dots1982 · 28-12-2016 02:01PM

Paul Kimmage is always worth a listen but sometimes his comments/articles can layer another level of bullsh*t on as well as cut through it.

For example his article asking why we offer forgiveness to Paul McGrath but not Cathal McCarron should not be a question that needs to be asked by anyone with half a clue about sport.

From listening to him its clear his knowledge of GAA and soccer is limited to the point that it is ill-informed.

He's a good writer and interesting to listen to but if you were to take his opinions as your own you would be taking ownership of some stupid opinions.

Lady Chatterton · 28-12-2016 09:00PM

PeterTheNinth wrote: »

Hey people.. Very interesting interview with Kimmage by Dunphy on his podcast The Stand from 20th December 2016. Kimmage is just an amazing guy to listen to. And this time the bad language is kept in!!! enjoy!

Episode 8 is an interview about his own career.
Episode 9 is an interview about Lance and David Walsh.

The Stand with Eamon Dunphy by The Stand on iTunes

Thanks for posting the links Peter, I enjoyed listening to these two podcasts very much.

Eamon is a great interviewer, I used to love his RTÉ Radio 1 series - Conversions with Eamon Dunphy which aired a few years ago. I frequently found myself listening to interviews even when I wasn’t particularly interested in the interviewee at the outset. I feel this was due Dunphy’s relaxed approach to interviewing. He lets the interviewee reveal themselves and isn’t afraid to let them go off on an (interesting) tangent unlike some interviewers who stick rigidly to the questions on their cue cards or choose to interrogate their subjects in an aggressive manner.

While Paul was generous in his praise of David Walsh, in so far as he acknowledged the help he received from him when he was trying to establish his career in journalism, he was also quite critical of him. I can understand his feelings on the Sky team but he did mention that he felt David has left him down personally by not supporting him enough at various times.

I hope Eamon offers David an interview at some stage, so he is given his right of reply. I always feel uneasy when two people fall out and I only hear one side of the story.

pc7 · 29-12-2016 07:56AM

I really enjoy listening to Kimmage and love how contrary he is, he doesn't apologise for it. I love that he questions when others don't and won't.

For me I want to watch and enjoy sport but I want to be aware of the doping issues, at least watching them with some reality that they could be cheating or skating close to the line. Super Saturday as it was called during the 2012 Olympics was pure magic to me, enjoyed it so much. But back then I was less aware of the issues involved in track and field than the Olymics this year. While I still enjoyed it this year I was more open to the fact there was likely doping in some cases.

I have to say if it's ever proven that Bolt has doped I'd probably stop watching sprinting altogether.

I see Wiggins has announced his retirement will be interesting to see what Kimmage says. Also so shocked at so many athletes in many sports are so ill (asthma etc). Now if I hear one has it I immediately doubt their cleanliness. I feel all medical exemptions should be public or semi public for monitoring for the top 100 atheletes in each sport. I've heard the argument that what if they've an std and are entitled to privacy. If you're too 100 making money on endorsements etc then the public should know if you are clean.

Loafing Oaf · 29-12-2016 10:15AM

pc7 wrote: »

Also so shocked at so many athletes in many sports are so ill (asthma etc).

Yeah I'm the world's least sporty man and I never get sick apart from the odd cold. Are illnesses requiring medication a regular feature of most people's lives?

ziggy · 29-12-2016 04:10PM

This post has been deleted.

Lt Dan · 03-01-2017 10:21AM

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Why is there such an obsession with Paul Kimmage in the Irish media.

He ruined Eoghan McDevitt's TV show on Setanta which was excellent before he was given a major role on it and it was cancelled fairly soon after he was given a major role on it which I don't think is a coincidence.

Sport is supposed to be a fun part of life and fairly light hearted yet Kimmage sucks the life out of anything I've heard him on.

Sport isn't all that serious yet I think there seems to be an obsession with some journalists making it as serious as they possible can to give themselves more credibility as hard hitting journalists.

I understand Kimmage has done a lot of good but I find him downright boring to listen to for extended periods and as soon as I hear his name linked with anything I change channel.

Yeah, but..........

Classic Paul Kimmage was his lengthy answer to a question posed to him on Off The Ball in the summer where he compared top class wine and grape vines with the lesser big name wine ........... it was brilliant

Cartman78 · 04-01-2017 11:30AM

Back at work and catching up on a few OTB podcasts (ironically don't have time when i'm at home :pac:)

The Alan O'Mara interview with Joe is excellent....really mature, open and honest conversation about mental health and how he faced his demons. And more importantly how this might help others.

In other words, the exact opposite to the circus surrounding Cathal McCarron......really annoys me the exposure that guy is getting...not healthy for him or anyone that might be sucked in by his waffle imho

Harry Angstrom · 04-01-2017 07:46PM

Mick O'Connell has no time for Gilroy's guff.

ballsymchugh · 04-01-2017 07:46PM

the lads can't cope with Mick O'Connell, he said he was happy just playing ball. didn't give a toss about winning or losing as long as he could play. no interest in passion or star players or any of their questions!

boggerman1 · 04-01-2017 08:08PM

That was the funniest interview i have heard in a while.o'connell took no ****e from gilroy

Ol' Donie · 04-01-2017 08:10PM

Most of the newsround talking about Mike poxy Dean, then that.

Sure most things are much more important. Just a game. What are yis on about?

Brilliant, gonna listen to that again.

elefant · 05-01-2017 09:05AM

ballsymchugh wrote: »

the lads can't cope with Mick O'Connell, he said he was happy just playing ball. didn't give a toss about winning or losing as long as he could play. no interest in passion or star players or any of their questions!

I read a historical player profile online the other day from back in the early seventies that Mick O Connell did for some match programme or other.

He listed his greatest disappointment in football as the 1959 All-Ireland final, because he played poorly and had to go off injured. Kerry won the All-Ireland that day, with him as captain!

Lt Dan · 05-01-2017 12:44PM

Listened to Mick O'Connell last night. The interview, at times was awful. They should have known within 2-5 minutes that this man had his own views and mind. It was somewhat disrespectful when they were talking over him and the line of questioning was more assumption eg I suppose the rowing made you fit etc instead of the more simpler question of "do you believe the rowing helped you" I know it would be a stupid question, but that would have let him give you an insight to his life , let him talk ,since the whole romanticism of island man rowing to the main land for the love of the game was the angle that they were looking for. They could not even hide their ability to be miffed and fear when asking Mick a question after they felt that their earlier question fell flat.

Some character though

elefant · 05-01-2017 02:53PM

Lt Dan wrote: »

Listened to Mick O'Connell last night. The interview, at times was awful. They should have known within 2-5 minutes that this man had his own views and mind. It was somewhat disrespectful when they were talking over him and the line of questioning was more assumption eg I suppose the rowing made you fit etc instead of the more simpler question of "do you believe the rowing helped you" I know it would be a stupid question, but that would have let him give you an insight to his life , let him talk ,since the whole romanticism of island man rowing to the main land for the love of the game was the angle that they were looking for. They could not even hide their ability to be miffed and fear when asking Mick a question after they felt that their earlier question fell flat.

Some character though

Not sure I agree they were disrespectful. I don't know what else they could've said there, short of just ending the chat after 2 minutes; he seems to be completely ambivalent to everything in life. Some people, as great the feats they've accomplished, just don't need to be interviewed.

price690 · 05-01-2017 04:13PM

elefant wrote: »

Not sure I agree they were disrespectful. I don't know what else they could've said there, short of just ending the chat after 2 minutes; he seems to be completely ambivalent to everything in life. Some people, as great the feats they've accomplished, just don't need to be interviewed.

I got the impression that if they asked him was the sun hot he'd have argued the point with them "who told ye the sun was hot".

He had a pretty irreverent view on life and it was a refreshing outlook that GAA and sport are not very important in the scheme of things in life.

I'm not really a fan of Gilroy to be honest and it was kind of funny to hear his reaction when he didn't get the fluff piece he was looking for. When it started straying from the narrative they wanted i'm guessing it was an interview they regretted doing.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 05-01-2017 06:04PM

I was a bit unsure at the beginning but now I have to say that Kilbane has been a great addition to the show.

elefant · 05-01-2017 06:24PM

price690 wrote: »

I got the impression that if they asked him was the sun hot he'd have argued the point with them "who told ye the sun was hot".

He had a pretty irreverent view on life and it was a refreshing outlook that GAA and sport are not very important in the scheme of things in life.
.

Fully agree with all of that, but I'd add that it would have been nice if he thought anything was important in the scheme of things.

For a man with such an interesting story he had nothing to say.

Bandage · 05-01-2017 06:25PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I was a bit unsure at the beginning but now I have to say that Kilbane has been a great addition to the show.

I find him inoffensive and bland. He doesn't really offer any of the insight you might expect from a recently retired player - he sticks to generalities and the safe, stock answer.

PeterTheNinth · 05-01-2017 07:10PM

Bandage wrote: »

I find him inoffensive and bland. He doesn't really offer any of the insight you might expect from a recently retired player - he sticks to generalities and the safe, stock answer.

Absolutely. He's a real sound guy, but I find him draining on the show, with his painfully kind and safe remarks about everybody. Wooly still hasn't been replaced.

Ol' Donie · 05-01-2017 07:19PM

Bandage wrote: »

I find him inoffensive and bland. He doesn't really offer any of the insight you might expect from a recently retired player - he sticks to generalities and the safe, stock answer.

Eh? His actual stories of premier league refs in actual games were great yesterday.

Bandage · 05-01-2017 07:36PM

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Eh? His actual stories of premier league refs in actual games were great yesterday.

I actually missed yesterday's show. :pac:

Ol' Donie · 05-01-2017 07:41PM

Bandage wrote: »

I actually missed yesterday's show. :pac:

'Twas in the newsround.

I didn't catch the football show myself yesterday.

Utopia Parkway · 09-01-2017 03:48PM

Just listened to the paper review from Sunday where Joe Molloy brings up Joe Brolly's article on their interview with Mick O'Connell during last week.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/joe-brolly-off-the-ball-interviewing-mick-oconnell-was-a-bit-like-ant-and-dec-crossexamining-seamus-heaney-35349406.html

Fair to say the OTB crew are a wee bit touchy about the reaction to that interview. Molloy said he didn't want to talk about it then spent 10 minutes doing exactly that.

dominatinMC · 09-01-2017 03:56PM

I thought that yesterdays book review, although rushed towards the end, was a really enjoyable segment. Some good recommendations, and Val Andrews was, at times, fascinating to listen to.

pc7 · 09-01-2017 05:46PM

I can't see that interview on podcasts?

Quintis · 09-01-2017 08:50PM

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Just listened to the paper review from Sunday where Joe Molloy brings up Joe Brolly's article on their interview with Mick O'Connell during last week.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/joe-brolly-off-the-ball-interviewing-mick-oconnell-was-a-bit-like-ant-and-dec-crossexamining-seamus-heaney-35349406.html

Fair to say the OTB crew are a wee bit touchy about the reaction to that interview. Molloy said he didn't want to talk about it then spent 10 minutes doing exactly that.

Brolly won't be invited on again for the paper review anytime soon!

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

Comments