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

Imhof Tank · 10-04-2013 01:37PM

Skid X wrote: »

There is an Off The Ball Roadshow tomorrow night in the Mercantile in Dublin.

They were always good fun in the past, but I couldn't be arsed going this time.

Then again, it might be good if the audience got a chant going out live on air - 'Free the OTB5!' 'Bring back McDevitt' etc etc

"There's only one Ken Early, one Ken Early, we're walking along, singing a song, walking in an Early wonderland"

followed by There's only one Simon Hick etc and so on ...............

Imhof Tank · 10-04-2013 01:41PM

ballsymchugh wrote: »

there was a saturday sports show from there in the summer a few weeks before the euros. it was one of the funniest couple of hours of radio i'd heard in a long time. mcateer was on flying form with the stories. should be good again if they have the same sound crowd. other roadshows had brutal sound but that one was good.

That would have been before the Saturday team revealed themselves as judases though.

It will be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like. They could fail massively with the crowd if they try some of the old comic stuff.

Ol' Donie · 10-04-2013 01:45PM

"One Eoin McDevitt,
There's only one Eoin McDevitt,
One Eoin McDeeeevvvviiitt,
There's only one Eoin McDevitt..."

Etc etc and so on...

Strongbow10 · 10-04-2013 01:47PM

Imhof Tank wrote: »

"There's only one Ken Early, one Ken Early, we're walking along, singing a song, walking in an Early wonderland"

followed by There's only one Simon Hick etc and so on ...............

nothing more cringey than hearing some of those roadshows on the radio, McAteer telling the same stories for the 100th time as the irish bar stooler (pissed as a fart) laps up the "banter" :cool:

DEFTLEFTHAND · 10-04-2013 02:17PM

Imhof Tank wrote: »

That would have been before the Saturday team revealed themselves as judases though.

It will be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like. They could fail massively with the crowd if they try some of the old comic stuff.

Judases? You didn't anticipate Gilroy and co to walk out in solidarity with the OTB guys did you? It would be very unfair to expect that of them.

Imhof Tank · 10-04-2013 03:08PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Judases? You didn't anticipate Gilroy and co to walk out in solidarity with the OTB guys did you? It would be very unfair to expect that of them.

OK maybe Judas was a bit strong but the bottom line is that the people who built the show we knew and loved have effectively been taken out and shot. Meanwhile company men like McIntyre and Joe in particular are now attempting to just slot in and expect the listeners to carry on as if nothing has happened and the previous team were at best dispensable.

There is an element of betrayal here which I expect to be punished big time by the listeners and reflected in next JNLR figures.

Ol' Donie · 10-04-2013 03:22PM

Imhof Tank wrote: »

OK maybe Judas was a bit strong but the bottom line is that the people who built the show we knew and loved have effectively been taken out and shot. Meanwhile company men like McIntyre and Joe in particular are now attempting to just slot in and expect the listeners to carry on as if nothing has happened and the previous team were at best dispensable.

There is an element of betrayal here which I expect to be punished big time by the listeners and reflected in next JNLR figures.

Ah, Judas is a bit strong in fairness! Pretty sure Ger has a young family, cant expect him to give up his job like that. I think he's pretty good at his job too. Bloody shame it ended up like this. Did someone say he's not doing any more?

There is a strange feeling of betrayal about the whole thing. I havent listened to newstalk since the day this happened, whereas before i had it on all day (except for Tom Dunne, bless him).

The real winner here is Amazon, from whom i bought a bunch of cds because i can't handle any of the other radio stations.

uRbaN · 10-04-2013 03:35PM

Imhof Tank wrote: »

OK maybe Judas was a bit strong but the bottom line is that the people who built the show we knew and loved have effectively been taken out and shot. Meanwhile company men like McIntyre and Joe in particular are now attempting to just slot in and expect the listeners to carry on as if nothing has happened and the previous team were at best dispensable.

There is an element of betrayal here which I expect to be punished big time by the listeners and reflected in next JNLR figures.

You can't blame them for taking an opportunity that was created and presented to them.
More airtime on what would be considered a premium sports show in Ireland?

They didn't instigate anything...the 5 lads made a move and ended up where they are. It remains to be seen how it all will play out.

I like how Ger rolls and think he is an excellent interviewer...but the show has suffered no doubt. I listen to the rugby slots now and thats it. Before I would have listened to an awful lot more but now given the choice, I'm running listening to Audiobooks. AUDIOBOOKS WTF.

Loafing Oaf · 10-04-2013 03:39PM

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Ah, Judas is a bit strong in fairness! Pretty sure Ger has a young family, cant expect him to give up his job like that.

Plus if all the sports staff had quit in solidarity it would have provoked a crisis for the station that could easily have prompted DOB to shut it down altogether...

Imhof Tank · 10-04-2013 04:08PM

uRbaN wrote: »

You can't blame them for taking an opportunity that was created and presented to them.
More airtime on what would be considered a premium sports show in Ireland?

They didn't instigate anything...the 5 lads made a move and ended up where they are. It remains to be seen how it all will play out.

.

Used to be a premier sports show.

The new team are in the process of destroying that rep. They should have devised a new format of their own instead of shamelessly imitating the old team, right down to the roadshows concept.

I wouldnt be surprised if the Mercantile event is a disaster with them drowned out by heckling and booing.

gnfnrhead · 10-04-2013 05:43PM

Imhof Tank wrote: »

OK maybe Judas was a bit strong but the bottom line is that the people who built the show we knew and loved have effectively been taken out and shot.

If by taken out and shot you mean they loaded the gun, put it in their mouths and pulled the trigger themselves, then you are correct. From what we have heard, Newstalk didnt bow to their stupid demands so they decided they wanted to be unemployed.

The only people who deserve any blame are the five lads who thought they were more important than they really are.

armchair fusilier · 10-04-2013 06:21PM

gnfnrhead wrote: »

If by taken out and shot you mean they loaded the gun, put it in their mouths and pulled the trigger themselves, then you are correct. From what we have heard, Newstalk didnt bow to their stupid demands so they decided they wanted to be unemployed.

The only people who deserve any blame are the five lads who thought they were more important than they really are.

If the past 6 weeks has show anything it is ...they were actually quite important. You are also assuming they hadn't something else lined up, that hasn't been established yet.

starviewadams · 10-04-2013 07:14PM

Wonder what the attendance for the roadshow tomorrow will be like?was at one a few months ago with Didi Hamann and Kevin Kilbane and the place was jam packed.

Ol' Donie · 10-04-2013 07:17PM

armchair fusilier wrote: »

If the past 6 weeks has show anything it is ...they were actually quite important.

Have to agree with this. As i said above, this whole affair has lost listeners from the station, not just the show.

soc160 · 10-04-2013 07:19PM

Imhof Tank wrote: »

OK maybe Judas was a bit strong but the bottom line is that the people who built the show we knew and loved have effectively been taken out and shot. Meanwhile company men like McIntyre and Joe in particular are now attempting to just slot in and expect the listeners to carry on as if nothing has happened and the previous team were at best dispensable.

There is an element of betrayal here which I expect to be punished big time by the listeners and reflected in next JNLR figures.

How you can call any of them Judas is ludicrious. Joe and Ger have been given the gig because they are the most senior sports staff their and have been working on the Weekend sports show for a long time together, so naturally they would be next in line, they where hardly going to give up their jobs because the other 5 wanted something, why not have a go at Cian for staying as well, he was on air with them but wasn't part of the show so he didn't leave.

As for them slotting in and assuming the listners will carry on listening as if nothing has happened, well that is just a bizarre view, they addressed them leaving in the first show, what more do you want them to do? No one is bigger than the station itself.

It will probably be the following JNLR's when we get a good idea of how the listnership has changed

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Plus if all the sports staff had quit in solidarity it would have provoked a crisis for the station that could easily have prompted DOB to shut it down altogether...

I don't think the station would be shut down, thye would just use Today FM and 98 sports people to cover, possibly syndicated sports news and then cover the show.

Imhof Tank wrote: »

Used to be a premier sports show.

The new team are in the process of destroying that rep. They should have devised a new format of their own instead of shamelessly imitating the old team, right down to the roadshows concept.

I wouldnt be surprised if the Mercantile event is a disaster with them drowned out by heckling and booing.

I would be massively suprised if that is the case, the people are going because they want to, not to cause a scene. Most people there will be sensible about it.

I cant agree that the lads are destroying the reputation of the show, surely the other lads did that by leaving, Ger and Joe clearly have put their own stamp on it, the Football show is different, they have a regular guest in during the show. Some of the segments have stayed the same i.e. Wednesday night rugby or racing tips but judging from people's reactions on here they still listen out for certain slots, so by scrapping them they would be doing even more damage.

gnfnrhead wrote: »

If by taken out and shot you mean they loaded the gun, put it in their mouths and pulled the trigger themselves, then you are correct. From what we have heard, Newstalk didnt bow to their stupid demands so they decided they wanted to be unemployed.

The only people who deserve any blame are the five lads who thought they were more important than they really are.

They probably deserve credit for the way they left, they made it quite controversial and have recieved a fair amount of media attention, probably raising their stock a good bit and making the more lucrative.

Ciaran · 10-04-2013 08:01PM

soc160 wrote: »

I would be massively suprised if that is the case, the people are going because they want to, not to cause a scene. Most people there will be sensible about it.

Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?

Xavi6 · 11-04-2013 12:33AM

Christ, Parkinson is unlistenable :mad:

Ruel Fox the former Villa winger apparently. His knowledge is awful though I suppose he's a GAA man. Still shouldn't be on talking about football.

styron · 11-04-2013 09:22AM

soc160 wrote: »

I cant agree that the lads are destroying the reputation of the show, surely the other lads did that by leaving, Ger and Joe clearly have put their own stamp on it ...

If that stamp includes shamelessly stealing reviews for a show you had nothing to do with:

BertMark · 11-04-2013 10:34AM

styron wrote: »

If that stamp includes shamelessly stealing reviews for a show you had nothing to do with:

Do you think Ger and Joe run the website? I would imagine between trying to put out roughly 25 hours of radio per week (keep in mind each hour on air usually takes an additional couple of hours off air to prepare) they might not even have bothered looking at the website.

All of this talk of Judas etc. is such crap. The 5 lads walked out suddenly (and you could say with no regard for the very difficult spot they were putting their sports dept. colleagues and friends in btw) and somebody had to step in.

Nobody else was going to walk out in solidarity as the 5 lads chose to go. You'll hardly see men with young families pack in contracted journalism jobs (which in Ireland are like gold dust) over somebody else not getting an hour of George Hook's slot.

The 5 lads were not cheated by DOB or NT. They gave an ultimatum and it wasn't accepted. They can't expect others to fall with their mistake.

The new show is not as good as the last one, undoubtedly, but it is getting better. The last one was the product of years and years of working together and in the same format.

I think they'll get there, or at least get OTB back to the undisputed best sports radio show in Ireland (which shouldn't be too hard), but let's not be kidding ourselves that it will be an overnight process.

armchair fusilier · 11-04-2013 11:20AM

BertMark wrote: »

All of this talk of Judas etc. is such crap. The 5 lads walked out suddenly (and you could say with no regard for the very difficult spot they were putting their sports dept. colleagues and friends in btw) and somebody had to step in.

Except they didn't just walk out, did they? According to the newspaper reports at the time, INM newspapers at that, they offered to work out an eight week notice period but were instead told to leave there and then. That eight weeks would have given the station plenty of time to prepare for the change over. So if anyone is to blame for "the very difficult spot" the sports department was put in it's the person, or persons, who decided to just get them out of the building.

IRE60 · 11-04-2013 11:59AM

armchair fusilier wrote: »

Except they didn't just walk out, did they? According to the newspaper reports at the time, INM newspapers at that, they offered to work out an eight week notice period but were instead told to leave there and then. That eight weeks would have given the station plenty of time to prepare for the change over. So if anyone is to blame for "the very difficult spot" the sports department was put in it's the person, or persons, who decided to just get them out of the building.

No - I think that this will be the mantra for a lot of stations from here on in. More specifically, Communicorp in the past have been 'generous' in allowing some broadcasters to work out their notice.

This all went horribly wrong on the last day that Dumphy did his slot on Today FM. He publicly railed at the station, the stations producers and, closer to home, the stations owner.

That owner is never going to allow departing employees a public platform to vent their respective spleens again.

Therefore, with all the history behind it, the stations decision not to allow them back on air was correct.

Don't give a disgruntled employee a mic!

styron · 11-04-2013 12:01PM

BertMark wrote: »

Do you think Ger and Joe run the website? I would imagine between trying to put out roughly 25 hours of radio per week (keep in mind each hour on air usually takes an additional couple of hours off air to prepare) they might not even have bothered looking at the website.

Seriously, because they didn't make their main webpage themselves they're entirely divorced from responsibility for its content?

It kinda stands to reason that Gilroy either in his capacity as the station's Sports Editor or OTB presenter has final approval or at the very least had some consultation/feedback as to content for the go to point for playback and podcasts, no?

Continuity of the format, advertising 9 PPI awards etc is one thing - dishonestly appropriating reviews that don't belong to you is just wrong and discredits the entire station ... a news station :rolleyes:

mike65 · 11-04-2013 12:05PM

Xavi6 wrote: »

Christ, Parkinson is unlistenable :mad:

Ruel Fox the former Villa winger apparently. His knowledge is awful though I suppose he's a GAA man. Still shouldn't be on talking about football.

Even I know he played for Arsenal Spurs*!

*checks google

styron · 11-04-2013 12:31PM

IRE60 wrote: »

No - I think that this will be the mantra for a lot of stations from here on in. More specifically, Communicorp in the past have been 'generous' in allowing some broadcasters to work out their notice.

This all went horribly wrong on the last day that Dumphy did his slot on Today FM. He publicly railed at the station, the stations producers and, closer to home, the stations owner.

That owner is never going to allow departing employees a public platform to vent their respective spleens again.

Therefore, with all the history behind it, the stations decision not to allow them back on air was correct.

Don't give a disgruntled employee a mic!

Dunphy resigned the morning slot on Newstalk claiming dissatisfaction at charging texter contributions ... only to be "allowed" return for the weekend shows before taking off again after the salary cut and claims of poor conditions, out of pocket expenses for papers & coffee, DOB hating journalism, not wanting them about the place etc...

Newstalk at the time put out feelers that individually some if not all of the OTB five would be allowed return - just not enmasse.

"Walkout" covers a multitude - we don't know how things really went down other than there were protracted negotiations that failed and according Phoenix they were told to collect their P45's at reception.

IRE60 · 11-04-2013 12:44PM

appreciated, but...

If you have a presenter that liable to go off on one - dont give them the opportunity to do so.

I'm not saying any of the presenters would have - but in any case, reduce your risks

Ol' Donie · 11-04-2013 01:02PM

IRE60 wrote: »

That owner is never going to allow departing employees a public platform to vent their respective spleens again.

If that's the case, why do the have notice periods in their contracts?

armchair fusilier · 11-04-2013 01:20PM

styron wrote: »

Continuity of the format, advertising 9 PPI awards etc is one thing - dishonestly appropriating reviews that don't belong to you is just wrong and discredits the entire station ... a news station :rolleyes:

I kind of feel the same about Ger & Co. using the OTB facebook and The Second Captains twitter accounts. The only reason they are doing so is because of the large number of followers both accounts has, but they had nothing to do with creating them or building up that following. Both should have been closed and new ones opened.

IRE60 · 11-04-2013 01:39PM

Ol' Donie wrote: »

If that's the case, why do the have notice periods in their contracts?

Every contract of employment has to have a notice period.

Red Crow · 11-04-2013 01:43PM

These lads must have something spectacular up their sleeves otherwise it's going to backfire spectacularly in their face.

uRbaN · 11-04-2013 01:50PM

armchair fusilier wrote: »

I kind of feel the same about Ger & Co. using the OTB facebook and The Second Captains twitter accounts. The only reason they are doing so is because of the large number of followers both accounts has, but they had nothing to do with creating them or building up that following. Both should have been closed and new ones opened.

Yours is more of a moral argument. It makes no sense business wise from Newstalks perspective where its all about building and maintaining market share.

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

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