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

Jayesdiem · 03-08-2017 11:27PM

I had to avoid the rowing one because I envisioned the two (admittedly successful) brothers' engaging in their usual buffoonery and Joe et al lapping it up with contrived and excessive laughter. Then asking patronisingly earnest questions to the local audience. It's a well-worn path by now because they do it with rugby and GAA player interviews on a very regular basis also. They know well how to talk rubbish for 20 mins without extracting anything of substance from the interviewee. This is not because the modern player is mundane (though he is) because see how well Wooly is able to converse with his guests in a disarming way.

Mantis Toboggan · 04-08-2017 09:52AM

Ken Hogan calling Ger, Owen was quite funny.

Raoul · 04-08-2017 10:31AM

Jayesdiem wrote: »

I had to avoid the rowing one because I envisioned the two (admittedly successful) brothers' engaging in their usual buffoonery and Joe et al lapping it up with contrived and excessive laughter. Then asking patronisingly earnest questions to the local audience. It's a well-worn path by now because they do it with rugby and GAA player interviews on a very regular basis also. They know well how to talk rubbish for 20 mins without extracting anything of substance from the interviewee. This is not because the modern player is mundane (though he is) because see how well Wooly is able to converse with his guests in a disarming way.

I have to say the two lads were very interesting. They weren't really up to much "buffoonery". They provided a good insight into their psyche, how they practice, how they interact with other people on the tour and they were fairly astute in how they talked about their rise to fame, how to capitalise on it for the benefit of themselves and the younger people who might be considering giving up the sport.

So....just saying, I think you are completely wrong. Although there was one or two jokey questions and the two lads really didn't play along with it to be fair to them. Seems like they wanted to show a somewhat more serious side to themselves.

pc7 · 05-08-2017 09:43AM

Watched Icarus last night after listening to interview of film maker from Wednesday night. Gers interview was so bad but the documentary is fantastic I'd highly recommend it. The little bit of faith/hope I had that doping could be caught is gone, completely gone.

PeterTheNinth · 05-08-2017 10:41AM

Jayesdiem wrote: »

I had to avoid the rowing one because I envisioned the two (admittedly successful) brothers' engaging in their usual buffoonery and Joe et al lapping it up with contrived and excessive laughter.

I think the whole thing was not as how OTB envisaged. When they interviewed them the last time, they were in the car, having a laugh... lads being lads. But on that night in the club it had a much more formal feel about it. The jokes weren't flowing as freely as the lads were on their best behaviour.

PeterTheNinth · 05-08-2017 02:02PM

This focus on women's rugby is ridiculous at this stage. How many women do you know that actually care about the game. Not many. There's more on OTB that care about women's rugby than women that care about women's rugby. Why is there such a concerted effort from OTB to turn this into yet another social justice issue?

Jayesdiem · 05-08-2017 09:34PM

Oh the Sunday Doping Police are going to have a field day tomorrow! I can't wait to see their heads explode after Gatlin's EPIC win over Bolt and co tonight. Well done Gatlin, doping or not you performed a great feat tonight and have probably made Joe Molloy feel physically ill for a week. Himself and Kimmage will be crying into their beers

OldMrBrennan83 · 05-08-2017 10:12PM

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applehunter · 05-08-2017 10:41PM

Tossers.

Are Am Eye · 05-08-2017 11:02PM

Jayesdiem wrote: »

Himself and Kimmage will be crying into their beers

Crying into their lentil salads.

Jayesdiem · 05-08-2017 11:03PM

Well said. Just reading that twitter thread, I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of people who oppose OTB's stance. I thought they had a vice like grip on the sports radio show community other than a few independently minded individuals who post on here.

ziggy · 06-08-2017 07:17AM

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OldMrBrennan83 · 06-08-2017 07:23AM

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Jayesdiem · 06-08-2017 07:36AM

ziggy wrote: »

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Because they are sanctimonious, pontificating toss pots who don't quite know if they are sports journalists or social workers. They claim to love sport yet not a single day goes by where I don't hear one of them say something like "I can't believe what I'm seeing in front of me anymore". On the contrary it seems that sport actually makes those lads miserable because, apparently, it's purity has been compromised (did purity ever exist). Nearly every guest they get on their show shares the same repetitive agenda of "drugs have ruined sport" so I say to the lads leave all of us to enjoy it. Kimmage et al might well take up stamp collecting or guitar lessons because maybe that will deflect their attention from the pain they clearly experience in watching tainted athletic competition. I don't care if Gatlin doped. It's not like he didn't achieve what he did last night. It was not an illusion. He physically won the race. It did occur. You can believe it regardless of whether drugs were involved or not because he traversed 100m quicker than the other competitors. That's obviously too painful for the OTB lads so maybe they can do us all a favour and vacate their positions for someone who does enjoy watching sport and who does not view every single stinking event through the prism of drug use. It's here, it's not going away. Get over it.

PeterTheNinth · 06-08-2017 08:46AM

Haha, funny remarks above. Should be an interesting show today. The paper review will no doubt be 90 minutes of indignation with Joe repeating his usual mantra "I'm done with athletics".

Harry Angstrom · 06-08-2017 12:51PM

The self-righteous atmosphere in the studio must be almost unbearable. Accusing the BBC of jingoism and ignoring the Mo Farah/Salazar situation. How many Irish journalists questioned Michelle Smith's amazing improvement in Atlanta? Very few, and those that did were told to shut up, and they seem to forget that RTE were her biggest cheerleader.

Lt Dan · 06-08-2017 12:59PM

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

The self-righteous atmosphere in the studio must be almost unbearable. Accusing the BBC of jingoism and ignoring the Mo Farah/Salazar situation. How many Irish journalists questioned Michelle Smith's amazing improvement in Atlanta? Very few, and those that did were told to shut up, and they seem to forget that RTE were her biggest cheerleader.

Well, Gary O'Toole was a pundit during the 1996 games on RTE and he was very vocal, there and then, if I recall correctly

REmarkable that Bill Clinton made a point of publicly defending her. Was he that stuck of votes then?

PeterTheNinth · 06-08-2017 01:03PM

Usain Bolt hugged Justin Gatlin after the race. In the press conference he said "He's done his time. I know that if I don't show up, he's always going to win - and tonight he showed up. He was the better man tonight."

If the guy who finished second to Gatlin does not have a problem about losing to him, then I'm not sure it's Newstalks job to be irate on his behalf.

PeterTheNinth · 06-08-2017 01:07PM

Okay before ye go on lads... Hands up anybody in the studio who is going to watch more than fifteen minutes of the women's world cup?

I'd love if one of the contributors had the b*lls to just say "I wont be watching it because I have no interest in women's rugby". Not just saying that it's all great, just because that is the "right" thing to say. Whatever happened to being able to say what you think without the fear of being vilified on social media.

Conservative · 06-08-2017 01:22PM

On the blob.

Lt Dan · 06-08-2017 06:48PM

PeterTheNinth wrote: »

Okay before ye go on lads... Hands up anybody in the studio who is going to watch more than fifteen minutes of the women's world cup?

I'd love if one of the contributors had the b*lls to just say "I wont be watching it because I have no interest in women's rugby". Not just saying that it's all great, just because that is the "right" thing to say. Whatever happened to being able to say what you think without the fear of being vilified on social media.

Social media happened, that is why there is self censorship. Mysers got murdered on it last week, though for slightly other reasons

ziggy · 06-08-2017 06:57PM

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Jayesdiem · 06-08-2017 07:03PM

ziggy wrote: »

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Whatever your points about the radio show, this bit here i would strongly disagree with.[/quote]

Fine but how could you disagree with it? He travelled 100m quicker than everyone else yes?

PeterTheNinth · 06-08-2017 09:51PM

I don't know where to stand on Gatlin. He's certainly not a very likeable guy, which certainly doesn't help his case.

If he took drugs in the noughties and didnt take anything since, then you could say "well he's clean now, so what's the problem". But, then there is the counter argument that the BBC put forward that he could still be benefiting from having taken drugs years ago. Then you have Usain Bolt has no problem with him winning, and who should have more of a problem with a "drug cheat" than the man he denied of a gold medal? (albeit Coleman would have got the gold this time). And all the time Gatlin claims that he never really deliberately took anything at all..!!

It's very difficult to find a fair narrative for Justin Gatlin's victory.

OldMrBrennan83 · 06-08-2017 09:53PM

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Dirty Dingus McGee · 07-08-2017 05:10AM

PeterTheNinth wrote: »

I don't know where to stand on Gatlin. He's certainly not a very likeable guy, which certainly doesn't help his case.

If he took drugs in the noughties and didnt take anything since, then you could say "well he's clean now, so what's the problem". But, then there is the counter argument that the BBC put forward that he could still be benefiting from having taken drugs years ago. Then you have Usain Bolt has no problem with him winning, and who should have more of a problem with a "drug cheat" than the man he denied of a gold medal? (albeit Coleman would have got the gold this time). And all the time Gatlin claims that he never really deliberately took anything at all..!!

It's very difficult to find a fair narrative for Justin Gatlin's victory.

His fastest times in the 100 and 200 were set when he was 33 years old and supposedly clean.

That's a pretty big red flag to me.

Jayesdiem · 07-08-2017 07:13AM

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

PeterTheNinth wrote: »

I don't know where to stand on Gatlin. He's certainly not a very likeable guy, which certainly doesn't help his case.

If he took drugs in the noughties and didnt take anything since, then you could say "well he's clean now, so what's the problem". But, then there is the counter argument that the BBC put forward that he could still be benefiting from having taken drugs years ago. Then you have Usain Bolt has no problem with him winning, and who should have more of a problem with a "drug cheat" than the man he denied of a gold medal? (albeit Coleman would have got the gold this time). And all the time Gatlin claims that he never really deliberately took anything at all..!!

It's very difficult to find a fair narrative for Justin Gatlin's victory.

His fastest times in the 100 and 200 were set when he was 33 years old and supposedly clean.

That's a pretty big red flag to me.

I have a theory that if you sit out some of your career as Gatlin did, you can actually lengthen it because you aren't competing on as regular a basis. At 33, Father Time has not yet kicked in to the extent that your performance should automatically start to dramatically fall. It just doesn't work that way. We lose power quicker than strength as we grow older as type 2 muscle fibres atrophy and are lost. Regular training can slow this process to a near standstill. Combine that with 4 years resting on the sidelines and you might have the perfect formula
for an elongated career.

shamrockvilla · 07-08-2017 07:22AM

Lt Dan wrote: »

Well, Gary O'Toole was a pundit during the 1996 games on RTE and he was very vocal, there and then, if I recall correctly

REmarkable that Bill Clinton made a point of publicly defending her. Was he that stuck of votes then?

I don't think Gary O 'Toole criticised her during the games?, as an Irish Independent article has him analyzing het superior technique.

https://www.google.ie/amp/www.independent.co.uk/sport/lots-of-legwork-how-michelle-shocked-the-world-1330165.html%3famp

PeterTheNinth · 07-08-2017 10:38AM

shamrockvilla wrote: »

I don't think Gary O 'Toole criticised her during the games?, as an Irish Independent article has him analyzing het superior technique.[/url]

That's interesting. We've had this discussion before about "What exactly was Gary O'Toole saying about Michelle Smith at the time". All I could remember about Gary O'Toole from the coverage is he got the winner right almost 100% of the time, and brought a lot of knowledge to the broadcast. And I couldn't remember him saying anything negative about her.

I would actually love to see the Irish coverage of the races that she was involved in. It seems to be one of the few things that is not uploaded to youtube.

Harry Angstrom · 07-08-2017 11:05AM

PeterTheNinth wrote: »

That's interesting. We've had this discussion before about "What exactly was Gary O'Toole saying about Michelle Smith at the time". All I could remember about Gary O'Toole from the coverage is he got the winner right almost 100% of the time, and brought a lot of knowledge to the broadcast. And I couldn't remember him saying anything negative about her.

I would actually love to see the Irish coverage of the races that she was involved in. It seems to be one of the few things that is not uploaded to youtube.

He didn't say anything negative about her at the time of the Olympics, perhaps being hamstrung by the powers that be at RTE.

This is what he said a couple of years later:

"I was one of the doubters . . . I had great difficulty accepting she was Olympic champion potential . . . I cringed when people staked their reputation on her total innocence . . . I refused to talk on screen about the drugs allegations. I don't know if there was a conscious decision from above, from the RTE Authority, but I knew I couldn't be genuine in my defence of her should questions be asked. Their refusal to put the questions suited me perfectly.

"I regret, however, that my silence was interpreted as support for Michelle de Bruin and often used as a weapon against those who dared question. Not one of the journalists who have written in defence of Michelle has ever sought my opinion."

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

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