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Child Item

Second Captains

ballsymchugh

Thought I'd update the OP with links and stuff for anyone who stumbles across this.

The former Off the Ball hosts have partnered with The Irish Times to do a series of weekly podcasts. They go online each Tuesday and cover a variety of sports, with a number of contributors including Sid Lowe, Richie Sadlier, Gerry Thornley and Shane Horgan.

They can be found:
On The Irish Times' site: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/second-captains
On Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/secondcaptains-it-com
On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/second-captains-irish-times/id647893016?mt=2

Or if you prefer not to use iTunes for your podcasts, use this link in whatever app you use (Thanks to youcancallmeal): http://feeds.feedburner.com/secondcaptainsitcom

And here are their Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Cheers,
wnolan1992

so they're almost finished their gardening leave...

where will they end up?

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Cienciano

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

Their GAA stuff can be pitiful at times, I wouldn't expect much better with the League of Ireland.

It is basically a soccer and rugby podcast, with other bits sprinkled in when it suits them. I'm a huge fan, but mostly because their soccer stuff can be better then most other offerings in the UK. If there was no Ken and the soccer content went backwards I wouldn't be a Patron.

Second Captains losing Ken would be like Blondie losing Debbie Harry.

Cienciano

I have 2 spare tickets for the live show on Friday 6th. Balcony seating, non reserved, €25 each if anyone wants them. PM me.

hankless

Cienciano wrote: »

Second Captains losing Ken would be like Blondie losing Debbie Harry.

nail on the head. If Ken left, I would be gone the same day.

wontickets

I think I'm a little bit long in the tooth for this and am finding difficulty persuading anyone to come along.

4 tickets for the Friday for whoever wants them.

I got them for free so don't want anything in return.

Cienciano

wontickets wrote: »

I think I'm a little bit long in the tooth for this.

4 tickets for the Friday for whoever wants them.

I got them for free so don't want anything in return.

Christ, making my offer look bad

dr.kenneth noisewater

wontickets wrote: »

I think I'm a little bit long in the tooth for this and am finding difficulty persuading anyone to come along.

4 tickets for the Friday for whoever wants them.

I got them for free so don't want anything in return.

I'll take 2 if they're going please

postsnthing

wontickets wrote: »

I think I'm a little bit long in the tooth for this and am finding difficulty persuading anyone to come along.

4 tickets for the Friday for whoever wants them.

I got them for free so don't want anything in return.

I'll take two if they are going thanks

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

tomwaits48 wrote: »

I'd rather more LOI than women's football coverage in any case!

I can’t be the only one who instantly tunes out women’s football. I feel like it’s crammed into podcasts just to say they cover it.

Still Ill

Hunky Monster wrote: »

I can’t be the only one who instantly tunes out women’s football. I feel like it’s crammed into podcasts just to say they cover it.

Definitely not the only one. The manner in which it's suddenly discussed so often seems so manufactured. By all means, do a ten minute segment about it every two years like they would with the women's hockey, but no need to treat it like a proper sport.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

Still Ill wrote: »

Definitely not the only one. The manner in which it's suddenly discussed so often seems so manufactured. By all means, do a ten minute segment about it every two years like they would with the women's hockey, but no need to treat it like a proper sport.

100% lip service. Seen as some sort of progressive thing to discuss it. I like some women’s sport but women’s soccer is absolutely dire. Can’t be listening to it pretending it’s a credible sport.

Beersmith

Hunky Monster wrote: »

100% lip service. Seen as some sort of progressive thing to discuss it. I like some women’s sport but women’s soccer is absolutely dire. Can’t be listening to it pretending it’s a credible sport.

Agreed. They used to have a weekly LOI slot ij their newstalk days. Doesn't have to involve ken and doesn't have to be whole pods. Why not stick on 10/15min on a Thursday or Friday POD at the end.

bren2001

Hunky Monster wrote: »

100% lip service. Seen as some sort of progressive thing to discuss it. I like some women’s sport but women’s soccer is absolutely dire. Can’t be listening to it pretending it’s a credible sport.

Regardless whether you enjoy watching it or not, it is a credible sport. In that, it is a sport.

I personally don't have too much of an issue with it on SC. It's usually short enough.

Say Your Number

Have ye forgotten how funny Ken reading Hope Solo quotes having a go at the US team and the Phil Neville stuff was?

If there was a big outcry at the lack of LOI stuff I imagine they have had at least token coverage of it by now, I like Snooker but I know the lads have zero interest in it so I go elsewhere for it.

I found the political pod boring yesterday, must send them off a strongly worded letter.

Brock Turnpike

Terrible pod today

Cienciano

If anyone wants my 2 tickets they need to know the name of Kens cat he had when he was younger that died in horrific circumstances to prove you're worthy

[Deleted User]

Hunky Monster wrote: »

I can’t be the only one who instantly tunes out women’s football. I feel like it’s crammed into podcasts just to say they cover it.

Agree. I get glazed eyes listening to it. Also get annoyed by the BBC sport bait and switch headlines like 'England thrash Brazil 5-0' and when you click on the link you see it is about the laydeeez (said in bill burr's voice)

Salvation Tambourine

Still Ill wrote: »

Definitely not the only one. The manner in which it's suddenly discussed so often seems so manufactured. By all means, do a ten minute segment about it every two years like they would with the women's hockey, but no need to treat it like a proper sport.

There's a Football365 journalist, Sebb Stafford-Bloor and he wrote a big article during the World Cup basically having a go at men that aren't enjoying or watching the Women's World Cup (at one point he had a go at "dad's that only see their kids once a week"). I'd love to know how many more article's he has written about women's football, long reads, deep articles about the actual game and not how many free tickets they can give away.

I'd imagine there are very few. It's probably the case for most journalists who had a go at people for not liking something that is entirely up to them to like.

Raoul

I know this isn't the OTB thread but if you compare the podcast yesterday with the interview OTB did with Vinny Perth (Dundalk manager), they are world's apart. Yesterday was absolutely dreadful. The interview with Vinny Perth gave you insight into the guy's whole life, fantastic interview. I listen to LOI weekly and I think that in general the interviews with people from the LOI are way more interesting than lots of the chat about Premier League because you actually get insight and not cliches.

Second captains has had a few bad weeks in a row now.

. I won't unsubscribe as I feel like I might miss out on something but I wish you could just buy individual episodes.

As for the stats on podcast listens, I think they only see how many downloads they have. Myself, I have it set up to automatically download, so they have no idea that I hate the rugby pods and rarely enjoy the GAA pods.

corwill

Over and over again, the same complaint on this thread: why is the pod not tailored to the individual tastes and preferences of individual listeners? It's pretty close to a rhetorical question.

Folks on here seem to be continuously disappointed and frustrated that a pod with thousands of subscribers isn't crafted to their own desires. While appreciating the sincerity of those feelings of disappointment and frustration, I really don't believe that there's a reasonable basis for them.

@Raoul - can I suggest that comparing the output of a specialist pod, on their specialist topic, with that of a very broadly general pod, on that same topic, is not an especially fair comparison to make?

Look, maybe I'm the one who's being unreasonable here, but I find myself constantly bewildered by a lot of the posting on this thread.

lawred2

corwill wrote: »

Over and over again, the same complaint on this thread: why is the pod not tailored to the individual tastes and preferences of individual listeners? It's pretty close to a rhetorical question.

Folks on here seem to be continuously disappointed and frustrated that a pod with thousands of subscribers isn't crafted to their own desires. While appreciating the sincerity of those feelings of disappointment and frustration, I really don't believe that there's a reasonable basis for them.

@Raoul - can I suggest that comparing the output of a specialist pod, on their specialist topic, with that of a very broadly general pod, on that same topic, is not an especially fair comparison to make?

Look, maybe I'm the one who's being unreasonable here, but I find myself constantly bewildered by a lot of the posting on this thread.

even more bewildering is expecting the lads to seek to bring someone on to the show solely to offer 'balance' when they are offering up their own opinions on anything...

I just can't understand that expectation...

corwill

lawred2 wrote: »

even more bewildering is expecting the lads to seek to bring someone on to the show solely to offer 'balance' when they are offering up their own opinions on anything...

I just can't understand that expectation...

Which seems to boil down to "I want a Second Captains pod, but 'libertarian'(alt-right?)". Short of forced brain transplants or Manchurian Candidate-style personality reprogramming, it's never going to happen. They don't owe anyone the sort of 'balance' some are looking for here, they're not a public service broadcaster.

deisedude

Raoul wrote: »

I know this isn't the OTB thread but if you compare the podcast yesterday with the interview OTB did with Vinny Perth (Dundalk manager), they are world's apart. Yesterday was absolutely dreadful. The interview with Vinny Perth gave you insight into the guy's whole life, fantastic interview. I listen to LOI weekly and I think that in general the interviews with people from the LOI are way more interesting than lots of the chat about Premier League because you actually get insight and not cliches.

Second captains has had a few bad weeks in a row now. . I won't unsubscribe as I feel like I might miss out on something but I wish you could just buy individual episodes.

As for the stats on podcast listens, I think they only see how many downloads they have. Myself, I have it set up to automatically download, so they have no idea that I hate the rugby pods and rarely enjoy the GAA pods.

If you just want a soccer podcast there are litterally thousands of them. Go elsewhere.

Its a general sports podcast and most of their subscribers have an interest in more than one sport. Its not that difficult to understand

Raoul

corwill wrote: »

Over and over again, the same complaint on this thread: why is the pod not tailored to the individual tastes and preferences of individual listeners? It's pretty close to a rhetorical question.

Folks on here seem to be continuously disappointed and frustrated that a pod with thousands of subscribers isn't crafted to their own desires. While appreciating the sincerity of those feelings of disappointment and frustration, I really don't believe that there's a reasonable basis for them.

@Raoul - can I suggest that comparing the output of a specialist pod, on their specialist topic, with that of a very broadly general pod, on that same topic, is not an especially fair comparison to make?

Look, maybe I'm the one who's being unreasonable here, but I find myself constantly bewildered by a lot of the posting on this thread.

I don't think that's a fair retort to my post. I was just talking about the lack of quality on the pod recently and comparing it to a really good interview on OTB. I don't understand your comparison between "a specialist pod, on their specialist topic"? The interview last night took place on OTB and Joe Molloy conducted it.

It's not necessarily that I would like to see them cover soccer only. It is more about the actual quality of the interviews. I feel like sometimes they are just going through the motions. I would gladly listen to the rugby and GAA pods when they are good, but I find them mostly boring (an opinion that seems to be shared by a lot here).

Having said that, I really enjoyed the political pod this week and it bored the arse off lots of people.

Dots1982

I don’t have a problem with their content focus that much.

I have a problem with Ken’s overemphasized view of what manager’s say in press conferences and interviews as if they are influential towards results.

That he watches football through a sky sports/twitter prism of narrative seeking rather than actually evaluating players and teams.Ken never being in stadiums is a problem.

That they never go into the weeds on issues bigger than whatever’s in the papers that day. Issues like government investment in sport that Stephen Kenny recently brought up or the amount of potentially deadly fan violence in Italy for example.

That they employ Richie Sadler who is a nice man with no real strong opinions on football.

That they don’t outright argue with each other despite Ken having a few outlandish opinions. They are too friendly and embarrassed and jokey when arguing.

That despite Murph being their GAA man that Ken is far more interesting on Gaelic Football at least. Their GAA coverage is bad. In an era where GAA is going quasi professional and is in huge flux from decade to decade; you’d never guess by listening to the pod.

That their political pods are bad.

It seems from watching this forum that most people’s favorite part of SC is Ken’s pithy one-liners. Some of them are very funny but I value insight and lively debate not echo chambery subservience to each other’s opinions.

I will resubcribe for the Euros next year although the problem there is that Ken might stay in Ireland because games are there; possibly Irish ones...but I’ll subscribe anyway.

But their numbers are strong so good luck to them.

[Deleted User]

lawred2 wrote: »

even more bewildering is expecting the lads to seek to bring someone on to the show solely to offer 'balance' when they are offering up their own opinions on anything...

I just can't understand that expectation...

I am one of those subscribers that you describe. I usually moan here about balance. But maybe balance is the wrong word. It's more that I would love the assumptions and opinions to at least be challenged, a little bit of back and forth, debate, thrash ideas around etc.

Ken has this way of passively dropping in ridiculous assumptions that then gives him a platform to go on a 10 minute rant. I just wish sometimes someone would pick him up on a few of the things he says.

I think the podcast could be a lot more vibrant and edgy if they tweaked that angle slightly. Not saying they need 50% libertarian right wing views, just that they get outside the comfort zone a wee bit.

lawred2

Deleted User wrote: »

I am one of those subscribers that you describe. I usually moan here about balance. But maybe balance is the wrong word. It's more that I would love the assumptions and opinions to at least be challenged, a little bit of back and forth, debate, thrash ideas around etc.

Ken has this way of passively dropping in ridiculous assumptions that then gives him a platform to go on a 10 minute rant. I just wish sometimes someone would pick him up on a few of the things he says.

I think the podcast could be a lot more vibrant and edgy if they tweaked that angle slightly. Not saying they need 50% libertarian right wing views, just that they get outside the comfort zone a wee bit.

write him a letter then

corwill

Raoul wrote: »

I don't think that's a fair retort to my post. I was just talking about the lack of quality on the pod recently and comparing it to a really good interview on OTB. I don't understand your comparison between "a specialist pod, on their specialist topic"? The interview last night took place on OTB and Joe Molloy conducted it.

You're right, I conflated your separate references to OTB and to LoI Weekly, sorry about that.

thenightman

Dots1982 wrote: »

I don’t have a problem with their content focus that much.

I have a problem with Ken’s overemphasized view of what manager’s say in press conferences and interviews as if they are influential towards results.

That he watches football through a sky sports/twitter prism of narrative seeking rather than actually evaluating players and teams.Ken never being in stadiums is a problem.

That they never go into the weeds on issues bigger than whatever’s in the papers that day. Issues like government investment in sport that Stephen Kenny recently brought up or the amount of potentially deadly fan violence in Italy for example.

That they employ Richie Sadler who is a nice man with no real strong opinions on football.

That they don’t outright argue with each other despite Ken having a few outlandish opinions. They are too friendly and embarrassed and jokey when arguing.

That despite Murph being their GAA man that Ken is far more interesting on Gaelic Football at least. Their GAA coverage is bad. In an era where GAA is going quasi professional and is in huge flux from decade to decade; you’d never guess by listening to the pod.

That their political pods are bad.

It seems from watching this forum that most people’s favorite part of SC is Ken’s pithy one-liners. Some of them are very funny but I value insight and lively debate not echo chambery subservience to each other’s opinions.

I will resubcribe for the Euros next year although the problem there is that Ken might stay in Ireland because games are there; possibly Irish ones...but I’ll subscribe anyway.

But their numbers are strong so good luck to them.

You can get all that player analysis and 7/10 ratings on lots of other football pods. Also, OTB have the gormless Kevin Kilbane in a stadium every weekend and it doesn't make his contributions any more relevant or entertaining. I'd rather listen to Ken on a tangent any day of the week.

I don't listen to the gah, rugby pods so they don't bother me and I've not much interest in LOI. I've liked the majority of the political pods and players chair episodes. For a general sports pod for 5 odd quid a month with no ads flogging Sky television or Paddy Power I think the whole package is pretty good.

Miguel Delaney is my only complaint.

Delaney out!!

Ivefoundgod

Raoul wrote: »

I don't think that's a fair retort to my post. I was just talking about the lack of quality on the pod recently and comparing it to a really good interview on OTB. I don't understand your comparison between "a specialist pod, on their specialist topic"? The interview last night took place on OTB and Joe Molloy conducted it.

It's not necessarily that I would like to see them cover soccer only. It is more about the actual quality of the interviews. I feel like sometimes they are just going through the motions. I would gladly listen to the rugby and GAA pods when they are good, but I find them mostly boring (an opinion that seems to be shared by a lot here).

Having said that, I really enjoyed the political pod this week and it bored the arse off lots of people.

I listen to LOI weekly the odd time and Greatest League in the World, both can be great sometimes but they get access to players, managers etc. that Second Captains are never going to get due to the nature of the football they cover. I like LOI but I know Second Captains are never going to cover it to any great extent apart from one off spots here and there. The reality is that most subscribers are there for a general sports pod and Kens football coverage. Ken is not that bothered about LOI and i don't really blame him. The league has gone down in quality since Dundalks heydey a few years back.

The majority of people don't give a **** about LOI and wouldn't even know who Vinny Perth is if SC had him on there so I don't really see the point in comparing an OTB interview with him. Personally i have very little interest in those types of interviews, who would Ken get on to interview realistically? They're not going to get any PL, Serie A or La Liga manager/player on so who's left that would interest the majority of listeners?

As for GAA, anytime they get a GAA player on the interviews are shockingly boring, could say its SCs fault but listening to GAA hour or OTB GAA coverage and most GAA players have no personality at all. Closest thing you'll get to a bit of scandal is Wooly throwing in some rumour he heard to try get an answer from a player.

Personally i'd rather listen to the lads discuss whatever the topic is with a few guests than any interview.

Still Ill

I'm sure we all have some sports we'd prefer to hear covered more. I'd love to hear more from the NFL and MMA, but I can't see it happening. They have their core topics of football, rugby and GAA with bits of others thrown in here and there. Any other stuff is more niche and while some people want to hear about them, a lot of others have no interest, so probably doesn't make sense for them to cover them weekly.