Newstalk: Off The Ball

Have they not just become another outlet for the "Perma-outraged" crew?

I don't agree with everything they say, I won't pay for it and don't like some of their presenters. But its one of those "I'll turn off what I don't want to listen to" situations.

I've definitely moved off with Joe though and I think OTB will be in the distant memory very soon. I do think Eoin Sheahan and Will are doing a good job on the evening show, just Joe is producing better content.

Genuine question. Do OTB have some sort of deal that they must showcase the WSL for a certain quota? Not being funny but women's football is a complete non entity within my friends group. None of the girls or lads partners care either. It just feels like there's an undeserved emphasis on it for its current status.

I understand the theory of promoting something with exposure to try and stimulate interest but does seem totally disproportionate on OTBs part.

There was a campaign called 20×20 where all media platforms were supposed to increase media coverage of womens sport by 20%. Assuming it's a direct result of that

That's what I was thinking too, noticeable alot of the content related to female sports doesn't go behind the paywall.

They're trying to promote women's sport and should be commended for doing so.

I don think its a case that the talent is not there - more that any talented people will not touch the FAI job with a bargepole. The whole thing is so politicized that it makes the motions in a county board agm look harmless. Add to that the reality of the FAI being part of even bigger sets of political swimming pools in UEFA and FIFA, where Delaney was doing very well and who would have left friends behind in HQ. You are right about the "Woe is me" phenom what afflicts the FAI though - covered very well in the "only a game" book whereby a chancer mediocre businessman like Delaney was able because of his fathers connections to take over so easily whilst actual successful businessmen on a national and international scale were shafted very quickly (and with the assistance of the likes of Bertie Ahern).

Anyhow, this is slightly off topic, so to get back OT the OTB lads seemed a bit relieved after Sunday to be able to get back into Helgar bashing again, and they do promote womens soccer/GAA/Rugby as a groundwork for the future and that is to be commended. You can always just listen to a pod during those bits if you want.

last night OTB did a very interesting thing - they did almost two hours on the topic of rule changes in sports down the years and how they worked out. There was one odd bit though which was an obsession by the host to claim that the elimination of the backpass to the keeper rule in football was because of Jack Charlton's Ireland team and in specific the Egypt game in Italia 90. (Now, this sort of thing isnt unique to OTB Ciaran Murphy on Second Captains can also grasp one thing as a holy grail for days on end only to drop it when the other lads just do the sensible thing and ignore him). The football expert kind of humored this first mention which was a bad idea, and he kept mentioning it again and again.

The whole segment was to me a great example of a modern sports presenter who doesnt know anything about what they are talking about and their research seems to consist of a few you tube clips they watched earlier that day (a wonderful example is Danica Patrick on Sky Sports F1). I guess he missed the 1991 European Cup final which was the absolute nadir of that era of terrible football and which the RTE lads slated so badly that it made the Egypt game look like Barcelona in their pomp.

For balance - Game On was terrible again last night. Poor aul Greg Allen was named as the producer but publicly shaming him like that didnt have the effect it should have. The presenter started off by speaking like he was actually talking on radio into a mic, then passed to ruby who sounded like he was trussed up in a sack in the corner of the studio. "mmmmm mummmm sligo nnnn" said ruby, I think. I noted that I had to turn the volume up to 44 on the car radio to try and understand what he was muttering about off mic. Not that its just him, they had a lad on from England on the phone on Monday who sounded like he was ringing in a bomb threat from a phone box in 1974 with a hankie over the phone mouthpiece. Can they not attach a mic to the lads so we can hear what they're saying?

I'd appreciate if you didn't put words in my mouth.

Women participation in sport is fantastic. That being said surely a sports shows remit is to present content that is of most interest to It's consumers.

I do agree that a small portion of spotlight on niche stuff has value in terms of encouraging interest however let's be real. The WSL is not worthy of the coverage it gets or most women's sports for that matter.

It's obviously a very woke and progressive position to be against this argument I'm simply telling the hard truth from what I experience talking to my friends, colleagues etc.

I suppose its like my example. Just making dumb irrational and illogical decisions based off an attempt to virtue signal your progressiveness to others.

Bayern currently 2-0 up away to Juventus. And Barcelona hosting Hammarby at 8.00pm. Thanks Ritchie.

Oh yeah I've no issue with it, just saying it's easy to spot.

Triggered there fella

Very good point. Well made.