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

jam83 · 20-06-2017 10:57PM

Yeah I agree big time on the awareness of the camera and speeches being staged.
I think life is gone that way, with social media, stuff going viral, players are aware now every minute of the day of saying or doing anything that could be seen as wrong/bad/insulting/whatever.
I'm too cynical to think that any speech in a lions dressing room is genuine, unless it's caught by a smuggled hidden camera.
But when all is said and done I wish they'd stop digging so much into the group speeches and kangaroo court, which is also becoming a victim of itself, players know now it will be in the DVD for sure so they'll act accordingly.
There's enough in the training and preparation, the beering sessions, rooming and other bonding stuff, snd matches to keep people interested in years to come without eulogising the same long-retired fellas 20 and 40 years on.

Tell me how · 20-06-2017 11:01PM

jam83 wrote:

There's enough in the training and preparation, the beering sessions, rooming and other bonding stuff, snd matches to keep people interested in years to come without eulogising the same long-retired fellas 20 and 40 years on.

I'd be ok with speeches being recorded if we knew they weren't going to dramatized and played to death to flog the brand.

Would be cool if videos/film were only released to coincide with the next time the Lions return to that country ie 12 years later, but that's never going to happen.

It's more likely that speeches will be livestreamed on Facebook.

monstermag · 21-06-2017 09:19PM

The whole lions think is kind of odd, i'd consider myself a fan of rugby, but I must admit i've never seen a single lions test in my life, I don't think i'm alone in that. Over the last 10 years it's grown into some kind of commercial corporate cash cow.
Would be interesting to know how many people will actually get the opportunity to watch any of the tests.

gormdubhgorm · 21-06-2017 09:37PM

monstermag wrote: »

The whole lions think is kind of odd, i'd consider myself a fan of rugby, but I must admit i've never seen a single lions test in my life, I don't think i'm alone in that. Over the last 10 years it's grown into some kind of commercial corporate cash cow.
Would be interesting to know how many people will actually get the opportunity to watch any of the tests.

I am delighted some rugby fan has said this.
It is basically a over-hyped novelty set of games.

I know it's not exactly the same.
But the whole lions thing seems to have the same feel to it as the Compromise Australian Rules thing the GAA had/has going.
It was taken semi seriously at one stage.
But it always seemed to me that while the players enjoyed it the fans just saw it as a novelty.

Obviously the lions is promoted much more heavily then the Comprise Rules GAA which is a major difference.

CatFromHue · 22-06-2017 12:38AM

You're right about the commercial side of it. It does make a lot of money but if it didn't have the backing of Sky I don't think it would have survived the transition from amateur to pro. They do hype it up and it can be a bit much to take but they've been a very necessary evil in keeping the Lions alive.

It is a novelty but I find it a nice novelty, a romantic gesture to when there's nothing to win but pride.

elefant · 22-06-2017 06:39AM

It's a gimmick, but I quite like it as a novelty. In the same way that I always look forward to seeing the Compromised Rules, it's interesting to see the best possible players that can be assembled across counties/countries getting the opportunity to play together. I'll watch all the tests.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 22-06-2017 07:19AM

I enjoy the Lions tours they're good entertainment and it is basically an entertainment product rather than any serious sporting contest.

The nonsese about the supposed achivement of the Lions winning is awful bull****.The best of 4 international teams beat 1 international team and yet according to the media (sky mainly) this is viewed as one of sports great accomplishments.

I guess it' a nice honour for the players kind of like winning an All Star award but I really doubt they genuinely care about it as much as playing for their own countries and that it's viewed as their greatest challenge but it pays big for them to not play it down and hype it up due the oppurtunities it seems to open up .

PeterTheNinth · 22-06-2017 07:48AM

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

I enjoy the Lions tours they're good entertainment and it is basically an entertainment product rather than any serious sporting contest.

I dont know why the clubs allow them to go on this tour. They invariably all come back with injuries.

Tell me how · 22-06-2017 08:43AM

PeterTheNinth wrote:

I dont know why the clubs allow them to go on this tour. They invariably all come back with injuries.

Because some clubs rely on central contracts for lots of players. These central contracts are influenced by contributions to National teams which get income form the Lions juggernaut.

ThisRegard · 22-06-2017 12:43PM

PeterTheNinth wrote: »

I dont know why the clubs allow them to go on this tour. They invariably all come back with injuries.

Northern hemisphere season has just ended, and it's a nice earner for the players.

seiphil · 22-06-2017 10:39PM

I don't care that it's a big corporate cash cow.

I like rugby.

And it's rugby at the highest level.

Just enjoy it.

jam83 · 22-06-2017 11:08PM

seiphil wrote: »

I don't care that it's a big corporate cash cow.

I like rugby.

And it's rugby at the highest level.

Just enjoy it.

The rugby is also the highlight for anyone else that follows the lions tour.
The rehashing of the old speeches is what gets on my wick. Keith wood going on about what it means to be a lion, who ****ing cares? Not all of the players feel that way, maybe none of them buy that stuff, maybe they just want to turn up to prove themselves among a 40 man squad of fellow internationals and don't give a toss about that rose tinted stuff about what it takes to make a lion.
They could shut up about all of that nonsense and just talk rugby. That's all I want anyway. I love the lions as a rugby team. It's the misty eyed bull**** that makes me begin to hate the whole tour the longer it goes on.

Jayesdiem · 22-06-2017 11:31PM

Well said. I like Woody but he's starting to sound like a broken record. He speaks like a man who has the Lions very close to his heart and it probably formed him as a person. But it's all codswallop to anyone on the outside. Like old war heroes recounting the good old days, it's all founded on nostalgia.

hullaballoo · 22-06-2017 11:32PM

The main thing that's missing from many an online debate about Rugby is a bit of knowledge of the sport.

The Lions tour is a mainstay of the rugby calendar. It's not a bunch of hybrid teams playing friendlies as people like to make out. It's a mainstay.

It's more about prestige than it is about money. Sure, money plays its role but for rugby fans, the money aspect is secondary to the prestige and the sport of it.

There are no friendlies in rugby.

Tell me how · 22-06-2017 11:36PM

I think a bit of the depth to Lions experience is good but it can be forced at times which takes from it.

Once again, don't get the constant complaining about it. Pretty easy turn it off.

gormdubhgorm · 22-06-2017 11:42PM

hullaballoo wrote: »

The main thing that's missing from many an online debate about Rugby is a bit of knowledge of the sport.

The Lions tour is a mainstay of the rugby calendar. It's not a bunch of hybrid teams playing friendlies as people like to make out. It's a mainstay.

It's more about prestige than it is about money. Sure, money plays its role but for rugby fans, the money aspect is secondary to the prestige and the sport of it.

There are no friendlies in rugby.

I stand corrected so.

Hope you enjoy the games - being an All-Black in thier blood... being a Lion is in ours...

Apparently

yosser hughes · 23-06-2017 06:46AM

People complaining about the Lions coverage is strange
So much of sports coverage is filler. Selling merchandise and endorsements is in the halfpenny place compared to football. The Lions is no different and it's only every four years.
I love watching the Lions tour as so many rugby fans do.
It also plays a huge role in funding rugby. It bailed out Australia rugby the last time.
What really irritates me is Off the Ball presenters themselves.They go for the old anecdotes angle and seem to delight in it.They drive the direction an interview goes, not Keith Wood. Anytime I turn it on; it's all this 'banter' between what seems like 4 or 5 of them. It's tedious and not remotely funny. That and Joe's awful PC sensibilities.

jam83 · 23-06-2017 06:49AM

Tell me how wrote: »

I think a bit of the depth to Lions experience is good but it can be forced at times which takes from it.

Once again, don't get the constant complaining about it. Pretty easy turn it off.

But it's not as easy as turning off the radio or tv if i don't want to hear the talk about the prestige of being a lion or who has worn that jersey before. Keith wood among many other intertwines his talk about lions games and lions tours with that crap, so if I want to hear rugby talk, I have to listen to that other guff too.
I want to hear analysis of lions games but it comes unfortunately with a load of other crap too that ex players can't seem to leave unsaid every bloody four years.
In fairness I won't be complaining about the OTB lions roadshow because I know that'll be full of lions guff and pashun so I'll know to avoid newstalk that evening.

Jayesdiem · 23-06-2017 07:14AM

^^^^
100% correct. You can't turn off parts of a conversation. That's why I have turned the whole thing off. Didn't download Gerry and Woody for the first time in a while yesterday. Can't deal with it.....

Dirty Dingus McGee · 23-06-2017 07:32AM

hullaballoo wrote: »

The main thing that's missing from many an online debate about Rugby is a bit of knowledge of the sport.

The Lions tour is a mainstay of the rugby calendar. It's not a bunch of hybrid teams playing friendlies as people like to make out. It's a mainstay.

It's more about prestige than it is about money. Sure, money plays its role but for rugby fans, the money aspect is secondary to the prestige and the sport of it.

There are no friendlies in rugby.

All the games apart for the 3 matches against New Zealand are friendlies.They are just used to get the players used to playing with each otehr.

elefant · 23-06-2017 08:02AM

yosser hughes wrote: »

People complaining about the Lions coverage is strange
So much of sports coverage is filler. Selling merchandise and endorsements is in the halfpenny place compared to football. The Lions is no different and it's only very four years.

It seems like almost all sports coverage is filler at the moment. Most of the matches in the Premiership, for example, are complete bilge. The discussions about how bad games were, how inept a manager is and Joey Barton diving against FC Farmville are more interesting than most of the actual sporting encounters. I can think of maybe 5? games of football last season that I actually enjoyed as a sporting contest (Man City/Monaco being one that springs to mind).

I think part of the 'problem' with the Lions coverage is the impatience of waiting for the 3 actual matches that mean anything to be played. It's a long discussion about a soap opera that hasn't even started yet.

Tell me how · 23-06-2017 09:11AM

Jayesdiem wrote:

^^^^ 100% correct. You can't turn off parts of a conversation. That's why I have turned the whole thing off. Didn't download Gerry and Woody for the first time in a while yesterday. Can't deal with it.....

So why constantly complain about it?
That's the bit I can't understand.

I know you're entitled to, absolutely, just what do you gain from it?

Jayesdiem · 23-06-2017 06:05PM

Tell me how wrote: »

Jayesdiem wrote:

^^^^ 100% correct. You can't turn off parts of a conversation. That's why I have turned the whole thing off. Didn't download Gerry and Woody for the first time in a while yesterday. Can't deal with it.....

So why constantly complain about it?
That's the bit I can't understand.

I know you're entitled to, absolutely, just what do you gain from it?

Because -and I genuinely mean this- I constantly complain about things that do my head in. I don't tend to stop.

PeterTheNinth · 23-06-2017 07:21PM

You can just tell that that Off The Ball Bag thing is one of Gilroy's ideas. Their attempt at being risqué, having been painfully politically correct and safe for the rest of the week. Funny how all the texts that are read out are in reference to the other guys, and not to Ger himself.... Ger read out a text about how Dave McIntyre asks very long questions? The irony meter in the room must have been going crazy.

jam83 · 23-06-2017 11:06PM

Nobody turned it back on Ger I suppose, or had the balls to? It was teed up perfectly for someone to slate him for that roasting he got from Martin o neill recently. Pity. I'd have loved to hear him put back in his box over that.

pc7 · 24-06-2017 12:46PM

I did wonder if the 'pc' comment was from a boardsie

jam83 · 24-06-2017 01:36PM

Diarmuid lyng is proving why it's a blessing that he's no longer on the radio. Starts making a point but rambles on for a minute and there's no sense or point to anything he says. Ger doesn't acknowledge and just ignores his ramblings and moves on. Surprising that Ger doesn't appreciate a long winded monologue.

PeterTheNinth · 25-06-2017 10:34AM

jam83 wrote: »

Diarmuid lyng is proving why it's a blessing that he's no longer on the radio.

He seems like a terrible nice guy, but the sing song way he talks makes him very hard listening. He's certainly okay in small doses though.

Badabing · 25-06-2017 10:39AM

PeterTheNinth wrote:

He seems like a terrible nice guy, but the sing song way he talks makes him very hard listening. He's certainly okay in small doses though.

It's the Wexford townie accent that grates.

Ursus Horribilis · 25-06-2017 01:53PM

I think Off the Ball has become very stale. It won't matter though because people will tune in regardless of who's presenting.

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

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