Gareth Wheeler

[Unnamed Trialist]

12 hours ago, Daniel said:

+1 in Montreal

1. No one messes with the Polytechnique massacre
2. No one calls in the "Montreal Massacre"

Poor choice of words? Maybe. 

Twitter overracting? As you were.

As my son was applying for an abroad programme at the Polytechnique, he was surprised by reactions by family in Canada. That is a major stigma on the institution, sad since there were profs there and other employees who responded nobly, I am just saying this for the institution itself. But it is what it is and still a horrible memory. 

Sports journalists are, in general, complete idiots when it comes to this stuff. And players. I wonder how many goals scored yesterday were celebrated with mimed pistols or semi-automatics. Don't expect much more from them. 

[Cadeau]

Man I watched that and didn't even notice it. People need hobbies other than finding missions on the internet! Wheeler is so frickin' corny, I'm sure he didn't even realize or mean the 'double entendre' he made.

[Ivan]

Late to the party, but admit I cringed the second he said it.  Not that I think the reaction is necessary, but I'm not surprised by it.

[ADP10]

I'm one of the guys that are more sympathetic to this guy (I still really like him), but he comes on too strong in this video around the 8 minute mark. First time I cringed at what he has said. Obviously 2022 was the goal for the players, but a lot of fans (me included) just wanted this unproven team in WCQ to be competitive in the final round and that was my realistic goal.

 

[vancanman]

14 minutes ago, ADP10 said:

I'm one of the guys that are more sympathetic to this guy (I still really like him), but he comes on too strong in this video around the 8 minute mark. First time I cringed at what he has said. Obviously 2022 was the goal for the players, but a lot of fans (me included) just wanted this unproven team in WCQ to be competitive in the final round and that was my realistic goal.

 

You beat me to this by 13 minutes.  

I find his his play by play commentary to be too cornball.  He sounds like Vic Rauter's drunk uncle. 

However, you can't fault his enthusiasm, and I usually like his roundtable stuff.  I guess we all have our "moments" and I hope that's all this was.

[Approve My Account Pls]

34 minutes ago, ADP10 said:

I'm one of the guys that are more sympathetic to this guy (I still really like him), but he comes on too strong in this video around the 8 minute mark. First time I cringed at what he has said. Obviously 2022 was the goal for the players, but a lot of fans (me included) just wanted this unproven team in WCQ to be competitive in the final round and that was my realistic goal.

 

That bit at the 8 min mark where he was seemingly going at Alex was wild to me. He seems like that one guy in every friend group who HAS to be the "I told you so" guy every time

[Joe MacCarthy]

I used to think his self aggrandizing zhit was just a gimmick but the more I see him I think he believes his own poop.  I grew up in a world of Danny Gallivan, Don Wittman, Don Chevrier, his shtick has a very short shelf life with me, I know others disagree.

[archer21]

7 hours ago, ADP10 said:

I'm one of the guys that are more sympathetic to this guy (I still really like him), but he comes on too strong in this video around the 8 minute mark. First time I cringed at what he has said. Obviously 2022 was the goal for the players, but a lot of fans (me included) just wanted this unproven team in WCQ to be competitive in the final round and that was my realistic goal.

 

If you watch the full OneSoccer Today (the video on their YouTube just prior to the one you posted), he has a go at Alex a little bit earlier. I think it was brought up in another thread (or maybe this one, I don’t feel like going to find it). Pretty strange and aggressive behaviour, attacking Alex’s points, when I don’t think anything Alex said was out of line or that contentious.

[Ruffian]

They will surely give Wheeler a contract extension with all the clicks he is generating from these 2 videos.

[archer21]

1 hour ago, Ruffian said:

They will surely give Wheeler a contract extension with all the clicks he is generating from these 2 videos.

Outside of this thread, I don’t think anyone has even noticed. 2k views on 1 video and 1k views on the other aren’t really gonna move the needle lol

[costarg]

Looking at it from the other angle, Alexandre comes out looking great, super composed after being attacked.  Didn't even seem to phase him.  Good stuff.

That being said, I still like Gareth and what he brings.  He's not the greatest, but then again, he works for OneSoccer, what could we expect?  

On top of that, Gareth does directly apologize to Alex for his tone somewhere around the 12 minutes mark.

Edited March 16, 2022 by costarg

[Ivan]

1 hour ago, costarg said:

Looking at it from the other angle, Alexandre comes out looking great, super composed after being attacked.  Didn't even seem to phase him.  Good stuff.

That being said, I still like Gareth and what he brings.  He's not the greatest, but then again, he works for OneSoccer, what could we expect?  

On top of that, Gareth does directly apologize to Alex for his tone somewhere around the 12 minutes mark.

Yes, was going to post the same, especially the later apology part.  And in fairness to Wheels, he was right on the goal for 2022.  But I think Wheels and Alex were talking apples and oranges with respect to perspective.

[Califax]

That was nauseating. 

If he wants that to be his brand fine but man oh man. It just felt like a really petty way to shoot down the opinion of arguably the best new soccer journalist in the country.

Could’ve easily said I’m gonna take issue with that, But to cut them off initially and then jumped down his throat after the Tajikistan comment to twist his words. 

Ugh. Remind me to buy Alexandre a beer. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

Wheeler is protected by his TFC income, and by a guy who is even worse heading up content at OneSoccer who's also a TFC lackey, so that's his protective shield and he feels invincible. But especially when it comes to certain people that are not of his ilk.

[Cblake]

Wheels is simply not my cup of tea, just way too excitable for my liking. His screams and shouts on my. 

[Corazon]

I love that he supports our program and is so genuine about his love for Canada.  But there is very little that I like about him as a commentator or analyst.  I'm just not a fan at all.

[SthMelbRed]

Essentially, we are onto the 22nd page of this thread, and it all still just says the guy's shit at his job and is stealing a living. He's embarrassing every time I have the misfortune of getting the One Soccer feed when I stream our matches. You could grab any random dude watching the game in a pub and they'd do no worse than Wheeler. So, to sum up, Wheeler is the worst football commentator I've come across in all of my 47 years.

[Obinna]

Yeah I noticed Wheeler give Alex a hard time. It struck me as odd, weird and unexpected at first.

My first thought was that he's having a go at him like that was completely unnecessary, but then I thought well maybe this is just wheeler being wheeler, for starters.

Secondly, if anything I think challenging Alex like that is a sign of respect. That probably sounds counter intuitive, but hear me out. Wheeler and Pratt both have a go at each other, but they definitely respect one another as pundits. Similarly I think Wheeler respects Alex enough not to treat him with kid's gloves. I don't imagine Wheeler going at Charlie like that, because he's more of a novice (or at least he strikes me that way), with all due respect. 

At any rate, Alex handled it well and took it in stride. I found myself nodding in agreement with him and thinking that Wheeler is arguing with himself. Just a textbook example of someone not listening because they are talking past you, not with you. Happens around here all the time, so it was easy to recognize

[Obinna]

6 minutes ago, SthMelbRed said:

Essentially, we are onto the 22nd page of this thread, and it all still just says the guy's shit at his job and is stealing a living. He's embarrassing every time I have the misfortune of getting the One Soccer feed when I stream our matches. You could grab any random dude watching the game in a pub and they'd do no worse than Wheeler. So, to sum up, Wheeler is the worst football commentator I've come across in all of my 47 years.

You're 47? I thought you were a lot younger than that for some reason....

[SthMelbRed]

1 minute ago, Obinna said:

You're 47? I thought you were a lot younger than that for some reason....

You haven't noticed my periodic odes to the Rauter/Leggatt golden era? 😄 

[Obinna]

Just now, SthMelbRed said:

You haven't noticed my periodic odes to the Rauter/Leggatt golden era? 😄 

I never noticed them actually, but even if I did I would have probably just assumed you were an old soul lol

[LeoH037]

I get why Wheeler called out Alex, and I agree with him, player expectations and supporter expectations are two different things. But man, he could have well made his point without coming off like a complete clown's asshole. 

Edited March 17, 2022 by LeoH037

[kohanz]

So this video is the first time I've seen Wheeler, rather than just hear is voice on CanMNT broadcasts and I'm a bit stunned. I always assumed based on his voice and enthusiasm (and his inability to be balanced) that he was very young, but maybe he's just young at heart 😅

Quote

Gareth does directly apologize to Alex for his tone somewhere around the 12 minutes mark.

I mean he says "Alex, I didn't mean to crap all over... " and then switches gears. Not sure if that qualifies as an apology, but close enough? 

Edited March 17, 2022 by kohanz

[Cheeta]

13 hours ago, Ruffian said:

They will surely give Wheeler a contract extension with all the clicks he is generating from these 2 videos.

Yeesh.  Tough crowd.

Loves to ham it up a bit.  And Larson got pilloried for this as well, isn't shy about trying to stir a discussion, justifiably or no.  On both accounts my response is so what?  Hasn't anybody here been watched some of the sports casting going on out there for the last how many years?  In any sport?  Come on. 

Whatever.  Ying needs yang. 

You'll be entertained, you'll be outraged, but you won't be bored!

Disclaimer;  Came up on Britball in the '80s so trashy tabloid sports journalism has a certain nostagic warmth for me.  And with that in mind just let me say, Wheeler, you ain't got nuthin'. 

 

[Bison44]

Thats exactly what I dont like, all the other networks and the "hot takes" and guys just creating contreversy just for clicks and notoriety.  Wheeler has gotten attention for his overblown calls and style of announcing (which i dont mind)...but he doesnt need to keep it up in his zoom segments.   The other guys could have roasted him for 10 min on his "big prediction" but they didnt.  I just dont want him to get rewarded for being a typical ESPN loudmouth and deteriorate.