Jimmy Magee

Arghus · 21-09-2017 03:04AM

511 wrote: »

Great memory, but brutal commentator. He never knew anything about the sport he commentated and tried to overcompensate for this reminiscing about past experiences at previous event he attended. Any auld gobshíte can utter "different class" twice when a player is dribbling with the ball. People citing that as an example of his legendary commentary have really low standards.

Ah will ya stop, will ya.

That "different class" commentary is perfect for that goal - because what else can you say? It's beautiful, it says it all. It's iconic for a reason.

kneemos · 21-09-2017 06:42AM

511 wrote: »

Great memory, but brutal commentator. He never knew anything about the sport he commentated and tried to overcompensate for this reminiscing about past experiences at previous event he attended. Any auld gobshíte can utter "different class" twice when a player is dribbling with the ball. People citing that as an example of his legendary commentary have really low standards.

Certainly knew his facts and figures. If he knew about technicalities,strategies or techniques I never heard him give it away much.

Beechwoodspark · 21-09-2017 08:49AM

What do people expect. Jimmy was a legend. Different class as he says himself

Hermy · 21-09-2017 09:52AM

A legend who thought the case against Lance Armstrong was nonsense...

youtube! · 21-09-2017 10:08AM

Never rated him at all, He just didn't have a commentators voice for me, always sounded like an old man, George Hamilton miles better, RIP though.

Joe Dixon · 21-09-2017 10:17AM

His love of sport and maybe an idealism born out of that meant that he wanted to believe and enjoy everything he saw; these were his only slight downfalls. He wanted to believe Lance Armstrong and Michelle Smith because he wanted it to be as fantastic as it looked. It turned out he was wrong.

Forgivable in my estimation and certainly won’t be my abiding memory of the man.

Hermy · 21-09-2017 11:10AM

So he championed the cheats at the expense of the honest endeavour of those who tried to compete clean and derided those who tried to expose the cheating. That's not idealism.

branie2 · 21-09-2017 11:13AM

I'm not much of a sports fan, but I have to say that Jimmy was brilliant

fryup · 21-09-2017 11:18AM

does this mean he won't be doing the Olympics in Tokyo ?

* sorry, too soon?

blinding · 21-09-2017 11:23AM

fryup wrote: »

does this mean he won't be doing the Olympics in Tokyo ?

* sorry, too soon?

It is nearly impossible to get off the RTE roster (gravy train) alright once you get on it .:eek:

Atoms for Peace · 21-09-2017 11:35AM

511 wrote: »

Great memory, but brutal commentator. He never knew anything about the sport he commentated and tried to overcompensate for this reminiscing about past experiences at previous event he attended. Any auld gobsh can utter "different class" twice when a player is dribbling with the ball. People citing that as an example of his legendary commentary have really low standards.

Give me Jimmy McGee any day over today's "pundits", a bunch of constipated experts pointing at a touch screen while reeling off stats is actually quite boring.
He had wit, charisma and was a genuinely sound bloke; things which seem to be leaving sport and replaced with dour commercialism.

blinding · 21-09-2017 11:39AM

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

Give me Jimmy McGee any day over today's "pundits", a bunch of constipated experts pointing at a touch screen while reeling off stats is actually quite boring.
He had wit, charisma and was a genuinely sound bloke; things which seem to be leaving sport and replaced with dour commercialism.

Or what about the Ones that Fake an Orgasm when there is a goal....

They are about as real as a Faked Male orgasm .

Joe Dixon · 21-09-2017 01:13PM

Hermy wrote: »

So he championed the cheats at the expense of the honest endeavour of those who tried to compete clean and derided those who tried to expose the cheating. That's not idealism.

That's quite the interpretation of what i said there Hermy.
I didn't mention anything regarding the expense of clean athletes. I also said he was wrong in what he did. I only said he wanted to believe what he was seeing and that is idealism.
Maybe you need to check out the definition of the word.

Hermy · 21-09-2017 03:05PM

Sorry Joe - my comment was a criticism of Magee - not of your post.

A man with his years of experience in sport would have to be awfully naive to believe Armstrong was clean.
But nonetheless he chose to pull the wool over his own eyes for whatever reason.

Chivito550 · 21-09-2017 03:28PM

Hermy wrote: »

Sorry Joe - my comment was a criticism of Magee - not of your post.

A man with his years of experience in sport would have to be awfully naive to believe Armstrong was clean.
But nonetheless he chose to pull the wool over his own eyes for whatever reason.

Jimmy always struck me as a very positive person, who didn't have a bad word to say about anyone, who always tried to see the good in people. He also comes from a very innocent time when the use of PEDs weren't really known to the wider public (just as prevalent though). I think a combination of these factors have led to his thoughts on Michelle Smith. There's no way he was condoning cheating, but rather he convinced himself that she was clean. I think he just focused on sport and made the rather innocent assumption that everybody was above board. I've never agreed with his stance on her, nor of his use of the term "The Great Marita Koch" during one Olympic Opening Ceremony. But you simply can't fault the man for trying to focus on the positives. Delusion or not, we could all stand to be more like that in life. He always seemed happy. Can everybody say that?

mickmackey1 · 21-09-2017 03:37PM

Hermy wrote: »

my comment was a criticism of Magee... A man with his years of experience in sport would have to be awfully naive to believe Armstrong was clean.
But nonetheless he chose to pull the wool over his own eyes for whatever reason.

Professional sport turns out to be rotten to the core and yet it's Magee you criticise? Strange logic. If everyone had the same respect for honesty and fair play as Magee, then we wouldn't have to deal with these low-lifes in the first place.

Hermy · 21-09-2017 04:39PM

But Magee wanted us to respect the cheats...

21-09-2017 05:50PM

"The MAN they CALL the MONSTER".

As Horst Hrubesch stepped up to take the winning peno in the 82 semi finals for West Germany v France.

nacho libre · 21-09-2017 08:23PM

I'll never forget his cheeky comment after Bernard Dunne lost a fight:D

nacho libre · 21-09-2017 08:28PM

Hermy wrote: »

But Magee wanted us to respect the cheats...

What about David Duffield? He was heavily involved in cycling, and refused to believe his heroes were cheating. He would have heard the rumours but refused to believe them, because his ego could not handle the truth. Jimmy was naive, he wanted us to respect them because he believed they were clean.

branie2 · 22-09-2017 11:25PM

He was also famous for Know Your Sport

paleoperson · 23-09-2017 12:10AM

Did he really deserve the title "memory man" though? He was on a sports quiz show there a few years ago and didn't do much, despite how it's his whole life to know sports. Maybe his memory got fuzzy as he got older? I wouldn't bring it up except that also they literally titled his book also a few years ago "The Memory Man" and pushed it as a big selling point about him. I think he just got seriously into sport and so was able to remember sporting facts, then they started to push this. And maybe I'm reaching, but I also suspect there's some other legendary sporting commentator in the UK or America who was known until his death for an incredible memory, and they tried to copy that.

YFlyer · 23-09-2017 12:15AM

paleoperson wrote: »

Did he really deserve the title "memory man" though? He was on a sports quiz show there a few years ago and didn't do much, despite how it's his whole life to know sports. Maybe his memory got fuzzy as he got older? I wouldn't bring it up except that also they literally titled his book also a few years ago "The Memory Man" and pushed it as a big selling point about him. I think he just got seriously into sport and so was able to remember sporting facts, then they started to push this. And maybe I'm reaching, but I also suspect there's some other legendary sporting commentator in the UK or America who was known until his death for an incredible memory, and they tried to copy that.

You're farting there.

paleoperson · 23-09-2017 02:31AM

YFlyer wrote: »

You're farting there.

Really? Another thing your Mr. Miyagi said is something like when you retire you may as well just drop dead completely, a very inconsiderate and just plain ridiculous thing to say to many people who admired him, with his incredibly high-paying job doing something he loved and fortunate enough to be able to continue well into old age.

fryup · 24-09-2017 10:15AM

Hermy wrote: »

A man with his years of experience in sport would have to be awfully naive to believe Armstrong was clean.
But nonetheless he chose to pull the wool over his own eyes for whatever reason.

Chivito550 wrote: »

Jimmy always struck me as a very positive person, who didn't have a bad word to say about anyone, who always tried to see the good in people. He also comes from a very innocent time when the use of PEDs weren't really known to the wider public

i think you've summed up the man perfectly there, and others of his generation...my father was the very same regards life & people, you would rarely hear him say a bad word about anyone and if he did he'd always make an excuse for said person "ah sure i'm sure he didn't mean it" just more innocent....a contrast to the cynical times we live in now

Hermy · 24-09-2017 06:50PM

Is it cynical to call a spade a spade?

Too often in the past people glossed over the transgressions of others, allowing the transgressors to get away with all sorts.

I've always been more admiring of those who aren't afraid to call it as it is rather than those who constantly make excuses for others.

Jimmy Magee

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