Gareth Wheeler

[rob.notenboom]

5 minutes ago, Club Linesman said:

One soccer today I believe.  AGR handled it with class. 

Any idea what episode. I’d like to hear it. 
 

No worries if you don’t know. I’m just curious. 

[red card]

4 minutes ago, rob.notenboom said:

Any idea what episode. I’d like to hear it. 
 

No worries if you don’t know. I’m just curious. 

It's in this episode. It starts around 5 mins when Wheeler disagrees with AGR's rosy assessment of the Caps performance vs the Dynamos. Platt later on basically agrees with Wheeler. And Kloke in a later episode in the week took down the Caps in an even more devastating manner. Then the Canada discussion occurs around 32 minute mark. Platt did push back on Wheeler.

Unlike most here, Wheeler is needed for One Soccer Today for entertainment value purposes and diversity of thought. Otherwise, it is a fairly dry and one note show. This pablum keeps the Voyageurs crowd happy but almost everyone else will not be seduced in subscribing to OS.

Wheeler's style also isn't an outlier as it is representative of the style of sports shows that has emerged in the last 5 years or so in both mainstream and social media. US cable news networks have been doing it for a generation. I also believe views should be challenged rather than simply having go around of each panelists stating their views. Unlike the corporate jerk fest often seen on North American tv, British interview shows have been a squirmfest due to their tough, direct & dogged interviewing style.

[Bison44]

2 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

I just wish Caldwell would learn to use adjectives other than brilliant and magnificent.   

Give him a break, he's only been at this for 5-6 years.  

[EJsens1]

58 minutes ago, red card said:

It's in this episode. It starts around 5 mins when Wheeler disagrees with AGR's rosy assessment of the Caps performance vs the Dynamos. Platt later on basically agrees with Wheeler. And Kloke in a later episode in the week took down the Caps in an even more devastating manner. Then the Canada discussion occurs around 32 minute mark. Platt did push back on Wheeler.

Unlike most here, Wheeler is needed for One Soccer Today for entertainment value purposes and diversity of thought. Otherwise, it is a fairly dry and one note show. This pablum keeps the Voyageurs crowd happy but almost everyone else will not be seduced in subscribing to OS.

Wheeler's style also isn't an outlier as it is representative of the style of sports shows that has emerged in the last 5 years or so in both mainstream and social media. US cable news networks have been doing it for a generation. I also believe views should be challenged rather than simply having go around of each panelists stating their views. Unlike the corporate jerk fest often seen on North American tv, British interview shows have been a squirmfest due to their tough, direct & dogged interviewing style.

The problem here is so few really know who Wheeler is.  How many people watch One Soccer? Their actual numbers relative to the mainstream must be abysmal. Any casuals who tune in during qualifying have no clue who he is or what his on air personality is outside of the call during the game. The name Gareth Wheeler does not resonate like a Chris Cuthbert or hell, Vic Rauter. My point is that he can be abrasive or whatever and nobody really cares. Of course for fans who follow the CPL, MLS and Mens National Team closely all get his act (whether you like it or not is not what I’m arguing), but most don’t know him 

[Ally McCoist]

6 minutes ago, EJsens1 said:

The problem here is so few really know who Wheeler is.  How many people watch One Soccer? Their actual numbers relative to the mainstream must be abysmal. Any casuals who tune in during qualifying have no clue who he is or what his on air personality is outside of the call during the game. The name Gareth Wheeler does not resonate like a Chris Cuthbert or hell, Vic Rauter. My point is that he can be abrasive or whatever and nobody really cares. Of course for fans who follow the CPL, MLS and Mens National Team closely all get his act (whether you like it or not is not what I’m arguing), but most don’t know him 

The other problem with Wheeler is that, to the casual fan, he's actually quite cringe. Many of my casual friends who hear him for first time basically all talk shit about the quality of the commentary during Canada games.

[Footscray]

Blows my mind that people think sports and news is better with people treating their colleagues like crap and yelling to draw viewers.  I'm watching for the content not to watch some blowhard shout down other people.  Hot takes and disagreement doesn't need to come across as condescending and aggressive which is what he did to Alex here.

[Approve My Account Pls]

On 3/15/2022 at 11:01 PM, 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.

 

@rob.notenboom I think the clip others linked had it as well, but here's a shorter version were alluding to. Alex started his answer around the 7 min mark and Wheeler starts to interject around 7:30ish

[El Diego]

My casual friends (some who are general soccer fans but Canada casuals, others who are full soccer casuals) only have negative things to say about Wheeler (and Dunfield)

[Atlantic]

Maybe others think different but this time around my problem wasn’t even with Wheeler’s usual style of being dramatic and a homer. It was about him trying to go all “who do you think you are” on us using a very condescending tone. 

[EJsens1]

8 minutes ago, Ally McCoist said:

The other problem with Wheeler is that, to the casual fan, he's actually quite cringe. Many of my casual friends who hear him for first time basically all talk shit about the quality of the commentary during Canada games.

I get it. I think he’s a donkey. Fortunately I’ve been to every home game, obviously we got the TSN feed for the US game, will be in Costa Rica and BMO next Sunday so I’ve been lucky to limit his call, but how many people really know him? I bet few do relative to the numbers Sportsnet has put up. I suspect most who tune in to the games are like, “this clown again..”. They aren’t going on Reddit or here to lament his nonsense 

[Bison44]

1 hour ago, EJsens1 said:

The problem here is so few really know who Wheeler is.  How many people watch One Soccer? 

It doesnt matter, when I tune into ESPN and see Gomez or that other clown blow long and hard about CONCACAF or MLS, I avoid them like the plague, I dont tune into more of their schtick.  Anyone new watching Wheeler lately on the panel shows will only remember him as being a jerk.  Its not a deal breaker, its a "tone down your ego, you are not Howard Cosell" talk from someone in a suit.  

[EJsens1]

18 minutes ago, Bison44 said:

It doesnt matter, when I tune into ESPN and see Gomez or that other clown blow long and hard about CONCACAF or MLS, I avoid them like the plague, I dont tune into more of their schtick.  Anyone new watching Wheeler lately on the panel shows will only remember him as being a jerk.  Its not a deal breaker, its a "tone down your ego, you are not Howard Cosell" talk from someone in a suit.  

Fair enough, your point stands. My thing is, using your ESPN comparison for example,  is that one is on the biggest sport network in the world and the other is predominately on a station few people utilize. Being a jackass on ESPN compared to OneSoccer isn’t the same in my eyes, even if both are condescending jerks. One could argue that being a jerk on One Soccer is actually worse but if a couple thousand are seeing it versus numbers in the hundreds of thousands on ESPN, well, you get what I’m saying. 

[rob.notenboom]

Thanks for the responses. I’ll have a look when I have a chance. 😁👍

[BearcatSA]

Twenty-four pages (and counting) in this thread:  I am an old guy not particularly up on the trendy lexicon, but I would say that that would be a pretty good definition of "rent free." 

Massive props to you and your brand, Wheels!

[LeoH037]

3 hours ago, Bison44 said:

It doesnt matter, when I tune into ESPN and see Gomez or that other clown blow long and hard about CONCACAF or MLS, I avoid them like the plague, I dont tune into more of their schtick.  Anyone new watching Wheeler lately on the panel shows will only remember him as being a jerk.  Its not a deal breaker, its a "tone down your ego, you are not Howard Cosell" talk from someone in a suit.  

At least Gomez was a former player, and he's takes are actually quite sensible (plus surprisingly he's been one of the few individuals south of the border that's been speaking up in favor of the CMNT (and its players) against Mexican and USA pundits throughout this qualifying process)

[LeoH037]

Wheeler was actually growing on me. Sure he was cringe, but he was our cringe. I loved his goofy homer energy (Oh Canada oh baby was gold)... but now he is just turning into a pretentious a*shole. The man has been drinking his own kool aid. Total clown.

[LeoH037]

4 hours ago, El Diego said:

My casual friends (some who are general soccer fans but Canada casuals, others who are full soccer casuals) only have negative things to say about Wheeler (and Dunfield)

Personally, I have a lot of patience for Dunfield because at least he was a former player and personally relates to the experiences a lot of these players are going through right now. He's been there, and was right in the thick of the darker days of the program, so naturally it must hit harder for a guy like him to see where we are now... most importantly though, Dunfield isn't a pretentious jerk. 

[Joe MacCarthy]

2 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

I am an old guy not particularly up on the trendy lexicon, but I would say that that would be a pretty good definition of "rent free."

2018 called, they want their stereotype back

[Cadeau]

Calling a game no doubt is hard...The only advice Id give to Wheeler is to raise his vocabulary a bit and to stop trying to be the Don Cherry of soccer. Like the ref, a commentator shouldn't get noticed too much.

[shortofbrillant]

4 hours ago, Cadeau said:

Calling a game no doubt is hard...The only advice Id give to Wheeler is to raise his vocabulary a bit and to stop trying to be the Don Cherry of soccer. Like the ref, a commentator shouldn't get noticed too much.

It is annoying that every sport thinks they need a person to be the next Don Cherry. The thing people seem to forget is that Cherry was doing it for years as a "tell it like it is persona", but he wasn't trying to be a jerk. He was a straight shooter who never evolved as the world evolved around him.

As a soccer casual/ sports fan in general, i turn off any program where an analyst is being a jerk 

[BearcatSA]

6 hours ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

2018 called, they want their stereotype back

If it was good enough for DeChambeau to say to Koepka ten months ago, it's current enough for me 😉

 

 

 

 

[prairiecanuck]

Wheeler would benefit spending some time with Matt Devlin and talking about what it takes to be a great play by play guy.  Homerish commentary and energy is fine, but stay in your lane.  Your job is set up your play by play guy, not score goals and take over the show especially when you miss the net far too often!

[trc2014]

Wheels knew!

[dyslexic nam]

16 hours ago, prairiecanuck said:

Wheeler would benefit spending some time with Matt Devlin and talking about what it takes to be a great play by play guy.  Homerish commentary and energy is fine, but stay in your lane.  Your job is set up your play by play guy, not score goals and take over the show especially when you miss the net far too often!

Matt Devlin is a play-by-play monster.  He always has a good time but not at the expense of the broadcast or his partner(s).  And whether he is paired with Jack or one of the others who get rotated in, his commentary and interplay is always on point.   A guy like Wheels could definitely learn a thing or two from him.   

[Joe MacCarthy]

To use another of my pro wrestling analogies, the good ones take their natural personalities and jack them up to a 12, Wheels needs to tone his down to an 8.

And also lose the lame made up catchphrases and he'll be fine.