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

yosser hughes wrote: »

Listening to Joe Molloy talking about the boxing tonight perfectly illustrates his relationship with sports. He's smarmy and clueless and eventually resorts to what he thinks are witticisms.
Joe is a media graduate who happened to end up in sport because he wouldn't be able for much else. Golf is his game and god it shows.
His blandness is his asset.
I really wish all of them would stop trying to be funny.

Show tonight is absolutely fine. Gary Breen talking about EPL yesterday and Euro 2020 draw and Andy Lee on now about Fury. Very good so far.

"Joe wouldn't be able for much else" :D:D:D What does that actually mean?

yosser hughes wrote: »

what do you think it means?

Pretty sure it means you don't know what you are talking about.

yosser hughes wrote: »

Good man. There's really nothing complicated about my statement, it's not opaque in any way.

Maybe, but it might make some sense if the person you were speaking about wasn't awarded sports broadcaster of the year 3 times and is host of Virgin Media Rugby.

He has proven to be very capable of the role which he fills and your original post makes no sense in that context.

redbuck wrote: »

Come on it’s time to drop the facade.

You’re clearly connected to the show in some way. You won’t let anyone give constructive criticism of the show without a staunch defence, it’s a bit ridiculous really.

Constructive criticism? On the Radio Forum? You are joking? He is right. Joe's career is doing just fine, as is Off the Ball in the only measure that matters - JNLR Listenership Figures. A conscious of opinion of a handful of regulars on here doesn't amount to much really. No radio show/presenter is going to please everybody.

Nope.

Dots1982 wrote: »

Richie Sadlier said the same thing in RT

Dan McDonnell quickly figured out on twitter that with 5 teams in the group, just because Switzerland aren’t available doesn’t mean there aren’t 4 other teams in the group that can play each other.

Ya, it was blatantly obvious what the dates would be if we were drawn in a group with one of the teams from the NL, pot if they had done the slightest bit for research beforehand. Someone told me that Sadlier was also totally confused as to the play offs situation, didnt see that myself

Dots1982 wrote: »

I am mystified my sadlier’s career in media. He has nothing interesting to say and answers most questions he’s posed with a question.

He is the 'thinking man's pundit' - the philosopher always makes of points on a deeper level in that quiet (almost whispery voice of his).

Plus he is not an auld fella so he can fit in better with the younger demographic.
Crucially, he was a former pro (albeit with a career cut short) so his points can carry a former pros 'gravitas'.
In a way he reminds me of Mark Lawrenson, as he always seems like he is on the edge of despair with the game of football, and maybe life in general?

yosser hughes wrote: »

Listening to Joe Molloy talking about the boxing tonight perfectly illustrates his relationship with sports. He's smarmy and clueless and eventually resorts to what he thinks are witticisms.
Joe is a media graduate who happened to end up in sport because he wouldn't be able for much else. Golf is his game and god it shows.
His blandness is his asset.
I really wish all of them would stop trying to be funny.

Kinda know what you are saying. I always get the feeling listening to Joe that he is actually not really that into sports (apart from golf which he clearly loves). An odd situation for a sports broadcaster to be in. He's a good bluffer though (probably does his research) and a good interviewer for the most part but I always feel below the exterior when he's doing soccer, GAA, rugby, boxing, etc, that his mind his elsewhere unless he's talking about golf. Then he's really engaged and into it.

Pieces over the last few days on painkillers in sport were very interesting.
Soccer, Rugby, GAA (football) all covered with experienced professionals giving their views.
Brian O'Driscoll, Keith Andrews, Steven Reid, Michael Meehan, Enda McGinley, Kevin Kilbane, John Giles, all spoke about how they had been used to mask pain sufficiently to get someone on to the field.

I wonder will there be legal cases in future over some players feeling they were put in harms way as a consequence.
Hard to see how a club could defend against it if they had administered the medication and coerced players to take it.

pc7 wrote: »

Oh the rugby broadcast from dolphin was very dated, like livelines funny Friday. The old boys, laughing at each other’s jokes, I did cringe at times.

All roadshow broadcasts tend to drift in to this territory.
There's only so much you can say and it this stage a lot of it has already been said.

Halpins line about Lomu was funny but given social media now in particular, everyone has probably heard it already and yet I bet if he is at a speaking event in future it will be used again.

The show's 'previews' of Premier League games now consist of reading out each team's form and then the odds.

Sold their soul.

NufcNavan wrote: »

The show's 'previews' of Premier League games now consist of reading out each team's form and then the odds.

Sold their soul.

I thought they were good Saturday when Gary Breen was on, but I just zoned out when Leon Blanche started talking.

OTBAM on Monday morning was brutal. one of the biggest upsets in GAA for a long time on Sunday, and they spend about 5 minutes slagging off Kilmacud Crokes from the point of view of other clubs in Dublin, talking absolute shyte.

no one cares about your poxy local rivalry, especially when those local rivalries have imported players from all over the country. local rivalry me hole.

Hon Mullinalaghta!