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

12-09-2019 4:20pm

Tell me how wrote: »

David Meyler another long play interview worth listening to.
Another career blighted by injury for significant parts.

Didn't know he was so big in to computer gaming.

Decent interview but by the way Joe talked it up I was expecting something better. Meyler comes across well and has auditioned well for a role in the media.

Dr. Bre · 12-09-2019 4:23pm

Tell me how wrote: »

David Meyler another long play interview worth listening to.
Another career blighted by injury for significant parts.

Didn't know he was so big in to computer gaming.

Supposedly he’s ridiculously good at FIFA

Tell me how · 12-09-2019 5:04pm

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Supposedly he’s ridiculously good at FIFA

Yeah, Played some series of competition recently and ended up in world top 100.

12-09-2019 8:42pm

Really enjoyed that interview with Derek Daly about his racing career.

Here's the clip of the crash which he described in wonderful detail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1vmoXB8mHs

Strange sport. I don't like watching it but the stories and careers of drivers is really engrossing (horseracing is usually the opposite -- fun to watch but jockeys are usually dull as hell)

There's also a great book by Steven Matchett called The Mechanics Tale which I think also shows this paradox. One of my favourite sports books of all time and yet I can't be arsed watching a race.

For Forks Sake · 12-09-2019 9:47pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Really enjoyed that interview with Derek Daly about his racing career.

Here's the clip of the crash which he described in wonderful detail

Strange sport. I don't like watching it but the stories and careers of drivers is really engrossing (horseracing is usually the opposite -- fun to watch but jockeys are usually dull as hell)

There's also a great book by Steven Matchett called The Mechanics Tale which I think also shows this paradox. One of my favourite sports books of all time and yet I can't be arsed watching a race.

A lesser known Irish driver was Tommy Byrne from Louth, ridiculously talented but every bit as undisciplined .
There was a very interesting documentary made about him a few years back.

Just found it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oTKvkODDko

gluppers · 14-09-2019 1:48pm

Does anyone else find Nathan Murphy very shouty?

Tell me how · 15-09-2019 1:46am

gluppers wrote: »

Does anyone else find Nathan Murphy very shouty?

Wait until Mayo win an All Ireland......

Chalk McHugh · 15-09-2019 2:20pm

Yes, Nathan Murphy is very loud.

Dots1982 · 15-09-2019 3:08pm

Declan Lynch talking is usual bollocks on the paper review.

John Greene a bit of a gob****e as well. For in the Indo’s GAA editor he comes out with some very uninformed comments.

mugsymugsy · 15-09-2019 4:54pm

Any reason the commentary of Watford v arsenal isn't on? Just tuned in and Michael Owen is banging on about something and it's snoozeville

Edit - apparently some tech issue impacting

aodomhnaill · 15-09-2019 7:10pm

mugsymugsy wrote: »

Any reason the commentary of Watford v arsenal isn't on? Just tuned in and Michael Owen is banging on about something and it's snoozeville

Edit - apparently some tech issue impacting

Banging on about how worried he was that he would have nothing to do with all his millions when he retired...sorry but what kind of a f*ckin idiot would have such a concern and then publicly voice as much, its announcing 'I have all this time and money but very little intelligence with what to do with the rest of my life'...he seemed to suggest he was lucky after retirement not to have divorced and pissed all his money away.

Tell me how · 15-09-2019 7:23pm

aodomhnaill wrote: »

Banging on about how worried he was that he would have nothing to do with all his millions when he retired...sorry but what kind of a f*ckin idiot would have such a concern and then publicly voice as much, its announcing 'I have all this time and money but very little intelligence with what to do with the rest of my life'...he seemed to suggest he was lucky after retirement not to have divorced and pissed all his money away.

I know it's a different sport but 89% of NFL players are broke 3 years after retiring. Bet none of them planned to end up that way.

Can understand challenges of someone who has known only one thing since the age of 15 having to find themselves again in early 30's after retiring.

aodomhnaill · 15-09-2019 7:46pm

Tell me how wrote: »

I know it's a different sport but 89% of NFL players are broke 3 years after retiring.

that's an extraordinary statistic for the money they make. not doubting you, but where did you come across this? can't find it.

Aidric · 15-09-2019 8:30pm

Dots1982 wrote: »

Declan Lynch talking is usual bollocks on the paper review.

John Greene a bit of a gob****e as well. For in the Indo’s GAA editor he comes out with some very uninformed comments.

It was bordering on the farcical to have 2 sunday indo journalists on the show arguing on behalf of a fellow columnist. To stretch matters further they bench-marked their argument around the disbanding of the RTE soccer panel. Anyone with a brain in their head knows that was the right call by RTE.

Tell me how · 15-09-2019 9:30pm

aodomhnaill wrote: »

that's an extraordinary statistic for the money they make. not doubting you, but where did you come across this? can't find it.

From Forbes.

From another site.

“The average professional athlete in the U.S. will make more in one season than most of us earn in our entire lives….[yet,] despite those staggering salaries, 78% of NFL players, 60% of NBA players and a very large percentage of MLB players (4x that of the average U.S. citizen) file bankruptcy within five years of retirement.

I had heard about the high rates of bankruptcy previously. Heard the 89% mentioned on Netflix 'Last Chance U' about college football players.

Clareman · 16-09-2019 1:55pm

Check out the brilliant ESPN 30 for 30 episode Broke which goes into it in detail about how player squander their money.

16-09-2019 3:49pm

Aidric wrote: »

It was bordering on the farcical to have 2 sunday indo journalists on the show arguing on behalf of a fellow columnist. To stretch matters further they bench-marked their argument around the disbanding of the RTE soccer panel. Anyone with a brain in their head knows that was the right call by RTE.

They book them way in advance so it was unfortunate with the Brolly stuff, but it has to be said that it was a really terrible paper review. Joe should have controlled it better and steered it away from the Brolly talk earlier given who was with him in the studio.

mcgucc22 · 16-09-2019 7:28pm

Clareman wrote:

Check out the brilliant ESPN 30 for 30 episode Broke which goes into it in detail about how player squander their money.

Don't blow it. Keep it simple. Count your money.

mcgucc22 · 16-09-2019 7:28pm

Clareman wrote:

Check out the brilliant ESPN 30 for 30 episode Broke which goes into it in detail about how player squander their money.

Don't blow it. Keep it simple. Count your money.

Tell me how · 16-09-2019 7:47pm

mcgucc22 wrote: »

Don't blow it. Keep it simple. Count your money.

Watching the Last Chance U documentaries is frightening to see how unprepared lots of these guys are going to be if they find themselves in a situation where they are earning big money.
And how they are treated, they are simply fodder in to the machine trying to output wins on the football field and for the most part, any concern for developing them as individuals and giving them skills for when they likely will have to survive away from football is nothing more that tokenism.

NIMAN · 16-09-2019 9:00pm

What about a bit of personal responsibility?

I know lots of these guys might not have much financial savvy, but if they are earning big money what's to stop them paying a financial advisor a small fee every year to advise them what the best thing to do with their money is, or how to manage their tax affairs?

If they would rather squander it, then its hard to have much sympathy for them.

Dr. Bre · 16-09-2019 9:08pm

Not being bad but some of those American footballers from last chance u look like they be in jail if they weren’t footballers. Doubt they think of going to a financial advisor

aodomhnaill · 16-09-2019 9:28pm

Tell me how wrote: »

Watching the Last Chance U documentaries is frightening to see how unprepared lots of these guys are going to be if they find themselves in a situation where they are earning big money.
And how they are treated, they are simply fodder in to the machine trying to output wins on the football field and for the most part, any concern for developing them as individuals and giving them skills for when they likely will have to survive away from football is nothing more that tokenism.

just watched the 30 for 30....unprepared? no. thick as pigsh*t, yes.

Tell me how · 16-09-2019 9:54pm

NIMAN wrote: »

What about a bit of personal responsibility?

I know lots of these guys might not have much financial savvy, but if they are earning big money what's to stop them paying a financial advisor a small fee every year to advise them what the best thing to do with their money is, or how to manage their tax affairs?

If they would rather squander it, then its hard to have much sympathy for them.

In some cases, part of the reason they end up broke is because of bad financial advice or even in worst cases where the adviser stole from them.

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Not being bad but some of those American footballers from last chance u look like they be in jail if they weren’t footballers. Doubt they think of going to a financial advisor

Even some of those from the show had been in prison before they appeared on it, and some, even after being on the show ended up inside. One of the leading players from the 2nd season ended up in a plea deal after someone had been killed in an attempted robbery the year after he was on the show.

aodomhnaill wrote: »

just watched the 30 for 30....unprepared? no. thick as pigsh*t, yes.

I think you're discounting the circumstances a lot of them grew up in and probably from the age of 14 onwards every single thing they were told and did was with a view to get them in to the NFL.

Was it on that show where a guy was a professional before he found out he had to pay tax. He had never heard of the concept of it before. That's not automatically a sign someone is thick, it says more about their background.

aodomhnaill · 16-09-2019 10:11pm

Tell me how wrote: »

Was it on that show where a guy was a professional before he found out he had to pay tax. He had never heard of the concept of it before. That's not automatically a sign someone is thick, it says more about their background.

In a country where every single transaction right down to the countless bottles of Gatorade or whatever other minor transaction he has made ever since he could hand hard currency over, the word TAX and the TAX you pay is detailed on not only receipts but also the displays on tills for decades...that there is greatest idiot of them all.

Tell me how · 16-09-2019 10:26pm

aodomhnaill wrote: »

In a country where every single transaction right down to the countless bottles of Gatorade or whatever other minor transaction he has made ever since he could hand hard currency over, the word TAX and the TAX you pay is detailed on not only receipts but also the displays on tills for decades...that there is greatest idiot of them all.

Maybe (I'm not saying for sure) that that is what he thought tax was, a payment on money as you bought something, not x amount of your money being taken before the rest is given to you.

Even in Ireland it's a common enough occurrence for a teenager to get ticked off when they realise they must pay tax on their earnings.

Either way, through lack of intelligence or poor education and home life circumstances, the reality is that he has gotten to likely his early 20's without figuring something out. Given the numbers involved who struggle in this way, I think the background experience is more relevant than their intelligence.

17-09-2019 1:47am

Everyone accepts that teenagers should be taught life skills through example and experience -- and yet, we form this paradoxical belief that adults who have not been exposed to these skills are themselves blameworthy.

So we all think that underage footballers should be educated, but if they aren't, it doesn't matter. When they reach the age of 18, we'll blame them anyway.

I don't want to open a can of worms here, but it's like the situation with travellers. Everyone despairs that traveller children aren't sufficiently 'socialised' to our norms, and yet when they become adults, we lay the blame squarely at their own feet for not having been attuned to our outlook in the first place!

I'm sure there's some fantastic logic in it that I just can't see.

applehunter · 17-09-2019 6:58am

Or maybe there is a reason certain groups grossly under-perform in relation to the rest of society.

17-09-2019 11:03am

applehunter wrote: »

Or maybe there is a reason certain groups grossly under-perform in relation to the rest of society.

Sprechen sie uber den Unternmensch ja?

Tell me how · 17-09-2019 7:06pm

applehunter wrote: »

Or maybe there is a reason certain groups grossly under-perform in relation to the rest of society.

Could you enlighten us as to what such a 'reason' might be?

redbuck · 17-09-2019 9:33pm

Good interview with Richie and Troy Merritt earlier.

generalgerry · 25-09-2019 8:58am

Supposedly a big announcement with regard to Kevin Kilbane to be announced today. Heard Joe asking him about it last night but he was not giving anything away. Unless it is him resigning from the show, I cant see it as being anything positive for the show.

Kenny, Joe and Nathan are pretty much the only ones that I enjoy these days.

Dots1982 · 25-09-2019 9:03am

generalgerry wrote: »

Supposedly a big announcement with regard to Kevin Kilbane to be announced today. Heard Joe asking him about it last night but he was not giving anything away. Unless it is him resigning from the show, I cant see it as being anything positive for the show.

They are unlikely to excitedly tease a negative announcement.

gluppers · 25-09-2019 9:44am

Finding Brian O'Driscoll really annoying on Off the ball. It's that smug little can't do wrong accent

ballsymchugh · 25-09-2019 9:54am

generalgerry wrote: »

Supposedly a big announcement with regard to Kevin Kilbane to be announced today. Heard Joe asking him about it last night but he was not giving anything away. Unless it is him resigning from the show, I cant see it as being anything positive for the show.

Kenny, Joe and Nathan are pretty much the only ones that I enjoy these days.

He's going to be on Dancing on Ice or whatever tis called

Tell me how · 25-09-2019 12:31pm

gluppers wrote: »

Finding Brian O'Driscoll really annoying on Off the ball. It's that smug little can't do wrong accent

I just never found him to be a strong analyst. Felt he was hesitant to call out bad play or actions by people who he still feels close to.

Ronan O'Gara doesn't have the same problem.

Ol' Donie · 25-09-2019 12:45pm

ballsymchugh wrote: »

He's going to be on Dancing on Ice or whatever tis called

Aye aye aye.

I can feel the unwelcome banter already.

ButtersSuki · 25-09-2019 12:52pm

gluppers wrote: »

Finding Brian O'Driscoll really annoying on Off the ball. It's that smug little can't do wrong accent

Bland O’Driscoll as I call him. Terrible pundit insofar as he never says anything insightful or of substance. I’ve had the dubious pleasure of hearing him doing after dinner speeches more than once and he’s terrible at them, just smacks of trying too hard and comes across as being very unnatural. And I’m a Leinster fan btw, before I’m accused of being an anti-Leinster Munster fan!

generalgerry · 25-09-2019 1:42pm

Dancing on ice. Wonder will he be wearing his Boyle Sports top to try and get a few more kids in to the gambling.

aodomhnaill · 25-09-2019 6:54pm

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Bland O’Driscoll as I call him. Terrible pundit insofar as he never says anything insightful or of substance. I’ve had the dubious pleasure of hearing him doing after dinner speeches more than once and he’s terrible at them, just smacks of trying too hard and comes across as being very unnatural. And I’m a Leinster fan btw, before I’m accused of being an anti-Leinster Munster fan!

Brian O Driscoll's problem is that he is not particularly bright, below average intelligence is being kind. Handed elite educational opportunities and amounted to sh*t back when there weren't the same demands on players. As you say, I have never once heard him say anything of interest of substance, all cliches and anecdotal waffle. He has waltzed through life and is now being tested in life after sport. He seems to be bouncing from gig to gig and they are all muck, yet he is desperately trying to stay in the limelight but that seems to be fading. His missus is not far off his performance either.

Say Your Number · 25-09-2019 6:59pm

Whatever about his punditry, O'Driscoll seems like a decent person, far from the obnoxious sterotype you see about rugby players, if anyone says anything negative about him as a person it reflects more on them.

aodomhnaill · 25-09-2019 7:02pm

Say Your Number wrote: »

Whatever about his punditry, O'Driscoll seems like a decent person, far from the obnoxious sterotype you see about rugby players, if anyone says anything negative about him as a person it reflects more on them.

Even though that is an exceptionally simplistic playground response, I guess that makes me ok as if you read my post again I never questioned if he was a decent person or not, nor did I suggest he was obnoxious.

dominatinMC · 25-09-2019 7:23pm

aodomhnaill wrote: »

Brian O Driscoll's problem is that he is not particularly bright, below average intelligence is being kind. Handed elite educational opportunities and amounted to sh*t back when there weren't the same demands on players. As you say, I have never once heard him say anything of interest of substance, all cliches and anecdotal waffle. He has waltzed through life and is now being tested in life after sport. He seems to be bouncing from gig to gig and they are all muck, yet he is desperately trying to stay in the limelight but that seems to be fading. His missus is not far off his performance either.

Jesus, did Brian run over your dog or something?! :pac:

Tell me how · 25-09-2019 7:33pm

aodomhnaill wrote: »

Brian O Driscoll's problem is that he is not particularly bright, below average intelligence is being kind. Handed elite educational opportunities and amounted to sh*t back when there weren't the same demands on players. As you say, I have never once heard him say anything of interest of substance, all cliches and anecdotal waffle. He has waltzed through life and is now being tested in life after sport. He seems to be bouncing from gig to gig and they are all muck, yet he is desperately trying to stay in the limelight but that seems to be fading. His missus is not far off his performance either.

Think both his parents are doctors and he was going to pursue that route himself should the rugby not have been an option.

Maybe he would have been unsuccessful but suggesting below average intelligence has no basis in reality I reckon.

aodomhnaill · 25-09-2019 7:58pm

Tell me how wrote: »

Think both his parents are doctors and he was going to pursue that route himself should the rugby not have been an option.

Maybe he would have been unsuccessful but suggesting below average intelligence has no basis in reality I reckon.

What have his parents got to do with anything? Genetics don't guarantee anything, he's living proof.

He got 200 odd points in his leaving, this by his own admission during one of those rib tickling stories of his rock years. he'd struggle to get into medicine with that haul although in his circles something might've been arranged for him. Privately educated to the hilt and that's what he can amount to? He ended up in sports management in UCD, the course organised purely to get lads in who can represent the college in whatever sport they specialise in (who have absolutely zero between their ears). Of which, I know one, failed his leaving cert outright, maths, english and irish yet strings were pulled for him and he got in on some golf merit.

This aside, he is extremely inarticulate and his analysis is...p*ss poor. Without his past, it really isn't that hard to identify someone who isn't that bright, Brian stands out a mile in this regard.

25-09-2019 8:45pm

aodomhnaill wrote: »

Brian O Driscoll's problem is that he is not particularly bright, below average intelligence is being kind. Handed elite educational opportunities and amounted to sh*t back when there weren't the same demands on players. As you say, I have never once heard him say anything of interest of substance, all cliches and anecdotal waffle. He has waltzed through life and is now being tested in life after sport. He seems to be bouncing from gig to gig and they are all muck, yet he is desperately trying to stay in the limelight but that seems to be fading. His missus is not far off his performance either.

Who piss*d in your cornflakes? That's a pretty harsh assessment of him.

RugbyLover123 · 25-09-2019 9:31pm

I would echo some of the comments regarding BODs punditry, he isn’t the worst but far from the best.

Find Keith Wood and Alan Quinlan becoming a hard listen. They always seem to be on. I know Woody was a great player 20 years ago, but they roll him out for every roadshow. Feel like I’ve heard his stories a thousand times.

I’d listen to a lot of rugby podcasts - but I’m starting to curb the coverage when Wood and Quinlan are on.

Tell me how · 25-09-2019 9:34pm

RugbyLover123 wrote: »

I would echo some of the comments regarding BODs punditry, he isn’t the worst but far from the best.

Find Keith Wood and Alan Quinlan becoming a hard listen. They always seem to be on. I know Woody was a great player 20 years ago, but they roll him out for every roadshow. Feel like I’ve heard his stories a thousand times.

I’d listen to a lot of rugby podcasts - but I’m starting to curb the coverage when Wood and Quinlan are on.

Definitely. Can't blame him but his message hasn't changed and I don't find him engaging or entertaining enough to warrant continued presence.

DOB's stance on journalists from a certain parish has been to the detriment of rugby commentators on the show.

25-09-2019 11:24pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Who piss*d in your cornflakes? That's a pretty harsh assessment of him.

Actually I don't think that latter post was quite as hard. TMH mentioned BOD's parents being docs and BOD having been lined up for such a career and I'm still scratching my head over that.

I think Brian O'Driscoll sounds like a really nice guy, and as a pundit, yeah he's alright. You wouldn't be asking him for help with the Crosaire if you were stuck in a lift with him though. And he doesn't hold himself up as an intellectual. There are plenty of varieties of intelligence, and O'Driscoll is clearly intelligent in ways that some of us would appear foolish beside him.

I don't think we need to pretend that he's gifted in every aspect of intelligence or try and resort to his parents careers to prove anything. The man has proven himself repeatedly in his own field, and that's good enough. He doesn't have to be a doctor or a political nerd to be highly intelligent. We already know he is intelligent, we know his is knowledgeable in his field. He's not trying to be anything else. Why should he?

BPKS · 26-09-2019 10:39am

I wouldnt listen to much of the rugby on OTB but I'm just wondering have any of the hosts, who always are consistent in their disapproval of any form of thuggery on the field of play, asked Brian O Driscoll about the time he stamped on the Italian player. (Do a "Brian O Driscoll stamp" search).

Maybe they will wait until some Roadshow in about 10 years and Brian will come up with some witty answer about him only trying to remove a wasp from the chest of the said player and all the jocks in the audience will double over in laughter.

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

Comments