Your ideal footy program?

[Knightmare]

There is no such thing as an uneducated fan.

Every fan has an opinion that is relevant and valid.

A few examples ...

(1) A six year old girl is asked: "Who is your favourite player?" She answers "Jamie Elliott because he jumps really high". Her opinion is interesting .... Elliott sells more junior size jumpers than every other player. That girl (and the kids her age) are going to be the members of the future. They are important. To understand how important that girl's opinion is ... Look at the Melbourne Football Club. They're crap, and have been for a long long time. What is the root cause of their crappiness? Poor coaches? Bad fitness? Poor gameplan? Shitty recruiting? All of the above may be true, but they're not the root cause. Some have suggested the root cause occurred back in 1964 when a generation of Melbourne supporting kids with the number 31 on their jumpers had their hearts broken when Barassi went to Carlton. These things can have long term consequences.

(2) Would you classify Damien Barrett as educated? Is his opinion valid? He takes himself a bit more seriously than those Arne him, doesn't he? Imagine Damien Barrett being president of a footy club? Absurd, isn't it? That's kinda what Eddie was like when he took over Collingwood. Eddie's success since then has been remarkable. Who'd have predicted it? Pretty much every serious decision that is made at Collingwood today - our senior coach, our recruiting dept, our strategic objectives as a club - can be traced back to that fateful day back in 1999 when a 32 year old Channel 10 sports reporter became President of the Collingwood Football Club, and ultimately has become one of the most powerful men in the game.

Footy is not a game of chess played between two blokes in a coffee shop. It's passion. It's pride. It's a clash of ideals. It's people's dreams and anguishes. Every footy fan's opinion is valid. Perception is reality, every footy fan who can recognise their team's footy jumper and at least one or two players is educated.

The topic was relating to the ideal football related show of our personal choice.

And my ideal show doesn't have anyone asking anyone who their favourite player is. It's a waste of time. It doesn't educate the viewer on anything football related. Leave that stuff for all the casual fan footy shows that are already out there that probably do that kind of there.

If there is no hardcore analysis and education then it's not a program I would endorse or spend my time viewing.

And today, all football related programs fit this category. They're too wishy washy, and even those shows that attempt to be analytical stray too far away from footballing issues to be worthwhile, with too great a focus on non-footballing issues. Or other programs that may cover interesting topics - TAC Cup Future Stars as one example keep it too nice and family friendly and doesn't go into nearly the depth they need to, to capture my interest or that of anyone who has an interest in following the draft in the case of that program.

If a reporter like Damien Barrett is involved. I have no issue with that. Just as long if and when they're on the set they're sticking to footballing issues and completely staying away from anything off-field. Then that's when there is a place for people like that in my footballing program of choice. Because I don't waste my time with any of those issues in any form of media.

So I'd be looking primarily at coaches or ex coaches. Preferably with a loud mouth and a know it all attitude. Or failing that, and ex coaches probably wouldn't go for this type of concept anyway or pull it off successfully unless it's perhaps Mark Thompson or Mick Malthouse, it would otherwise be people from outside football with a loud mouth and a know it all attitude. But then critically a willingness to cover footballing strategy, gameplans, list management, drafting etc. Give their opinions. And cover topics that actually have a direct relationship with the game of football.


But as with everyone. And naturally there does feel like there needs to be a disclaimer. This is the type of footballing program I would myself watch. Each to their own.

 

[1892]

I'd like to hear more of what they think will happen instead of what just happened. I've got a TV I've just seen it, I don't need to be told again unless it's controversial or strategical and not obvious to the viewer.

With regards to what they think will happen Maxwell and Ling are quite good at explaining the tactics, which can't be seen by the viewer and how that may play out. It won't play out that way all the time, but there's a couple of times recently where they've said something and it happens soon after.

More a short term fix, but syncing radio and TV feeds would be nice too, so in a round about way you have more commentary options.

A bit off topic, but I noticed the other day that not all live TV feeds are equal in terms of Melbourne metro vs country Victoria. I was talking to someone in the country and their broadcast was about 30 seconds behind mine.

 

[wednesdaywarrior]

I don't get Fox so am limited in my viewing. When at my folks I'll watch 360 and I think Whately and Robbo have found a good chemistry of opposites.

The footy show is egotistical dross. Footy classified offers some analysis which is better than none. It is composed of largely irritating characters however. Caro is irritating for reasons that don't need explanation, Gary is irritating because of his smarmy, passive aggressive contempt for any opinion that conflicts with his own and his refusal to make eye contact with Caro and thinly veiled efforts to maintain the boys club atmosphere he was weaned on on the footy Show. Hutcheson is irritating for his contrived efforts at creating tension and controversy with pre meditated plot lines and arguments and his need to always be dogmatic and controversial. He is a bloke who has made an incredible personal fortune out of being a muck raker and intrigue spinner. Lloyd is ok. I like his straight forward approach and the way he bothers to prepare some often logical, well researched facts on why certain teams and players are prospering or failing. Overall the chemistry works and I enjoy watching but maybe that's just because I've been deprived of anything better.

Maybe my ideal footy show would be similar to footy classified but without Gary Lyon anchoring. Maybe throw Whately in to the mix. But I think part of the success of these shows is when you get characters that essentially don't like each other. It was sometimes interesting to watch when Carey was on knowing how much he and Caro detested one another.

Also, following on from a recent conversation about our poor quality of commentators in AFL, I thought the League guys again showed their superior quality in the state of origin. So much less nonsense to deal with and they just call the game. There's one that is clearly barracking for NSW but he is able to be much more professional about it than say Pig Dunstall barracking for the team playing Collingwood.