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

Tell me how wrote: »

I expect so but don't know if they're going to take on broadcasting a game at 15:00 on the Saturday.

Pity to see it go from Today FM after so long.

I'd have thought if they were going to have weekly Saturday games that they'd be announcing it already but maybe they will yet.

That is one thing I would listen to is live broadcasts of games.
They do a good job with the GAA live games.

Faugheen wrote:

Wooly is a pompous arsehole and he's not missed at all. He was only keen on being a contrary moanbag rather than have any meaningful discussions about anything.

Faugheen wrote:

The pitchside reports from the GAA games were the only thing he was good for.

Give his podcast a try, The GAA Hour. I find it very informative, balanced, and detailed. Probably the best GAA coverage out there. It might change your view of him.

Faugheen wrote: »

You assume I haven’t?

It’s grand, but he’s still the same person. One person’s ‘balanced’ is another person’s ‘biased’. He still likes to wind people up on twitter and use it as content for his podcast.

He’s a contrarian, and his traits are no different to the ones people give out about Ger Gilroy.

There are major differences between Wooly and Ger Gilroy

1) Humility - to use English soccer parlance - Wooly 'holds his hands up' when he is wrong and has no qualms admitting it
Ger Gilroy rarely/if ever does that, there is always the undercurrent of smug self righteousness.
Wooly can take the p out of himself as well, Gilroy would never do this he prefers to run others down in his 'banter'.




2) Analysis - Wooly has played sport at a high level and sees it from the players point of view - therefore he can do analysis well.
Gilroy only has the bookish pseudo-intellectual approach.

This leads on nicely to the third major difference.

3) Delivery - Wooly asks a question straight and to the point.
Gilroy (in contrast) has a tendency on a waffley/wordy field trip with numerous teenage girlish 'likes' thrown in. Then stumbles and gets lost in it, leaving the interviewee flummoxed. (see his interview with MON about two years ago below)


https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=103737180


In Gilroy parlance ask yourself - 'how many times was he like' talking in that high excitable annoying pitch he does?

"Eh, uh, like eh, uh" is his other delivery style when not being condescending.
(It is hard to believe the fella has an English degree)


https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=51777665


The next difference is purely subjective on my part.

4) Likability - personality wise Wooly just seems like a much sounded fella than Gilroy. To me, most people could go for an enjoyable pint with Wooly, I am not sure the same can be said for Ger Gilroy.
There is a real smug, nasty, arrogant, undercurrent about Ger Gilroy.

In an interview over well over a decade ago it was telling for me, as Gilroy describes himself as "slightly nerdy, but cool"

https://www.independent.ie/life/family/learning/focus-on-faces-rte-and-newstalk-presenter-ger-gilroy-25964247.html

That is how Gilroy still likes to see himself, I think.

Tell me how wrote: »

^^^
You don't like Ger (just a hunch) but you are not comparing apples with apples here. What you've done is like comparing Jeff Stelling with Paul Merson. They do different roles.
Woolly was a general contributor with a strong focus on GAA and with an interest in football (which seemed largely to focus on his experience and view as an Everton fan).

Yeah, Ger doesn't like being disagreed with (not many do) but can you remember Wooly the time he was advocating a particular championship structure. He got fairly irate that it wasn't receiving more attention.

One thing that always gives me a laugh about Wooly. He has 50K followers on Twitter (I'm one of them) and he follows 0 people. If Ger did that, many would say he's only interested in his own opinion.

I think to paraphrase what you normally say you are stretching things a bit.

1) They are both Radio Presenters (and both were contributors at one time or another)
Both lads have produced their respective shows.

2) Gilroy is supposed to be the more educated of the two men - degree in English - but yet comes across a very poor community radio presenter most of the time
But I would argue that from a presenting skills point of view - Parkinson has long since passed anything Gilroy has produced.
Parkinson has improved. Gilroy has not.
It really shows that Gilroy has never actually studied journalism, and he has clearly not improved on the job. If anything he has gotten worse.
Plus Parkinson is doing what he is good at and experienced at and has real knowledge of, where his strengths are.
In contrast there is always a feeling of 'winging it' from Ger Gilroy.

3) Gilroy NEVER likes to be disagreed with EVER his ego cannot take it.
He takes himself very seriously (remember email bag - he had no problem slagging off everyone else on the show except himself)
Parkinson would say when he was wrong about something or would be self deprecating about himself.
When has Gilroy being self-deprecating ever?

4) As for the twitter thing that seems like a very weak argument, and using the very 'whataboutery hypothetical' situation (that you rightly) chastise people on this very thread for.
I would expect more from you to be honest.

There is one thing in that post I agree with you on and you are 100% correct on I do not like Ger Gilroy - for all the reasons I stated in this post and the last one.

It is my main reason for no longer listening to OTB, I cannot stick the fella, nor do I care about what he has to say.

Tell me how wrote: »

The shows are very different. I still maintain you are not making a direct comparison.
Your assessment of which is a better presenter is still rooted in your dislike of Ger I feel, it is not really objective. Ger covers a magazine show with numerous sports, angles presenters and visual pieces. Wooly's is much more streamlined with studio guests and maybe one person on the phone for a 1:1 interview.

I think the Twitter thing is a stronger argument than "3) Gilroy NEVER likes to be disagreed with EVER his ego cannot take it." given that it has a basis in evidence.

If you've spent 10 years disliking someone, you're hardly going to change now which is fine one way or the other.
One last thing. Ger hasn't been on Monday to Friday or Saturday/Sunday in years I'd say at this point so if you're not tuning in just to avoid him, maybe don't let him control your life so much.

Again you got your usual passive aggressive dig in at the end.
Gilroy controls my life - I suppose that has a basis in evidence?

I found better outlets than OTB like the GAA hour for example as I felt OTB got gradually worse.
Do you ever remember Gilroy saying he was wrong or took the blame for a **** up?
I don't.

Plus, I see Gilroy as the 'Mike Ashley of OTB' the real problem behind the show.
He dictates content, narrative etc.

Yeah I might be biased because I do think that Gilroy is a bit of an árse.
(He started off OK but as he got more confident he go more @rsey and smug - then he was given the reins big mistake imo)


I could counter and say you are biased considering you NEVER say anything negative about OTB.
Yet have no qualms giving negative criticism to other shows like the GAA hour.
There is definitely evidence for that!

But me on the other hand if I did not like something I would say it when Parkinson says 'TG four' for example.
Personally I cannot take your opinions seriously if your line is always everything is rosy in the OTB garden, or make excuses if it is not.

Tell me how wrote: »

It's not passive anything. You claimed you don't listen to OTB because of your dislike of Ger. Ger is on for about 20% of the entire content of the show on an average week.

I don't always say everything is rosy in OTB. I've repeatedly said I don't enjoy most of the road shows, I said several times lately I think the whole 24Hr sports radio is a marketing mess, I've queried the strategy behind the golfing trip, I've listed several sports which I think are under-represented on the show and suggested ways I would like to see them get more cover. In fact, I've said Ger is far from my favourite presenter on the show. Of course you missed all that.

But, like clockwork, if I respond in any way countering something which I feel is not objectively the case, I'm the one accused of being biased. By people who simultaneously never listen to the show, but still can say how bad it is.

So what you are saying is you half agree with me! Kinda, sorta, a bit.
Ger was my main reason for not listening to the show, the shows modus operandi changed on top of that.
The presenters do not seem to be the right mix
The level of self-importance has gone through the roof.
All that type of stuff.
I would only really listen now for a live GAA match, tried the paper review a little while back (car radio) - awful self serving guff it was.
Nathan Murphy is the only hope that OTB has going forward imo.
The rest are expendable.
Maybe keep Joe for Golf only.

I said before I would listen to it more if I knew what presenters were on so I could avoid the 20% and the rest I do not like.

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

So what you are saying is you half agree with me! Kinda, sorta, a bit.

Lets not go nuts.

There's a lot more to like about the show than to dislike. That's what I'm saying.

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Ah if that if what the fella wants to do, that what he wants to do.
He can praise OTB as much as I give out about Ger Gilroy the thread needs balance!

In fairness TellMeHow did say he did not like the OTB roadshows and that Gilroy would not be his favourite presenter.
Maybe the fella is just a big fan of other aspects of the show?

The not his favourite presenter bit made me laugh as well, as it reminded me of commentators at games saying 'not the tallest of players' 'not the quickest' 'not having his best game'
Instead of saying slow, short, and shíte!

I'm just baffled by those that choose to hang out in a thread about a show they never listen to....

Tell me how wrote: »

The shows are very different. I still maintain you are not making a direct comparison.
Your assessment of which is a better presenter is still rooted in your dislike of Ger I feel, it is not really objective. Ger covers a magazine show with numerous sports, angles presenters and visual pieces. Wooly's is much more streamlined with studio guests and maybe one person on the phone for a 1:1 interview.

I think the Twitter thing is a stronger argument than "3) Gilroy NEVER likes to be disagreed with EVER his ego cannot take it." given that it has a basis in evidence.

If you've spent 10 years disliking someone, you're hardly going to change now which is fine one way or the other.
One last thing. Ger hasn't been on Monday to Friday or Saturday/Sunday in years I'd say at this point so if you're not tuning in just to avoid him, maybe don't let him control your life so much.

Oh it's "Ger" now. Very informal.

elefant wrote: »

Isn't that his name?

It's less informal than 'Wooly' surely :pac:

Plus it is long time since Ger had a wooly head of hair.
Definitely not three bags full anymore.

I am starting to think is Ger Gilroy just playing a 'persona' or exaggerating himself much like the WWF wrestlers Hulk Hogan, or Conor McGregor in the MMA?
Or like his contemporary's in the journalistic field old/young Eamon Dunphy/Ewan McKenna ?

It is all about looking for a reaction by being outlandish and being smug/arrogant while saying it - is that the simple trick?
Or is that just what he is like?

Tell me how wrote: »

Ah, have you started to listen?
Or are you basing this on when you heard him ten years ago?

No. I was just thinking there will all the furor McKenna is trying to create on social Media by attacking others sporting successes - 'the bitter little man persona'. To keep themselves in the spotlight get clicks, keep relevant.

McKenna started attacking the Dubs in GAA finances. OK fair enough.

Then he started to go really off the rails -

He then moved on to attacking Rugby after the Irish win against the All Blacks
Then he moved on to attacking Jim Gavin in a personal attack.
His most recent one was attacking Shane Lowry in a personal attack.
Make it outlandish to get attention - wind up the fans of the various sports.

Now I know Gilroy is not as bad as McKenna when it comes to that type of thing but he has been known to do it. See his comments on the darts for instance.
When he was first on Newstalk OTB he seemed to gradually tried to go on 'the wind up' more and more - little side comments digs at others expense.
Does he really believe what he is saying or is he just playing the game? Selling the show with a few 'off the ball' digs to let people know that he is there. 'Welcome to my pitch you are listening to OTB now' type of thing, you get nothing easy here!

Ahwell wrote: »

At least Ken would have been funny (imo). I think a less then favourable view of brexiteers isn't just the the preserve of the majority of Irish journalists, it is a view shared by the vast majority of people in the country. 93 per cent believe that Ireland should remain a member of the EU. Brexit is going to be damaging to the Irish economy, the only thing in doubt is by how much. So a negative opinion of brexiteers is perfectly understandable in an Irish context.

What do you think the job of a journalist is?

yosser hughes wrote: »

What do you think the job of a journalist is?

What do you want me to do? Give you the the oxford dictionary definition of journalism? What's your point?

yosser hughes wrote: »

Well I suppose my point is; I don't think you understand what journalism is.

Really? Why don't you enlighten me?