Gareth Wheeler

[AvroArrow]

Do you know who has been with us since day one of this crazy qualification process?  Not TSN, not Sportsnet, and not CBC.  But do you know who has?  Gareth Wheeler.

He has been our one constant and our talisman.  Do I dare say that without Wheeler that we would not be where we are today?  No.  But the trip would not have been as enjoyable.

Who loves ya, baby?  Gareth Wheeler does.

[kacbru]

22 minutes ago, AvroArrow said:

Do you know who has been with us since day one of this crazy qualification process?  Not TSN, not Sportsnet, and not CBC.  But do you know who has?  Gareth Wheeler.

He has been our one constant and our talisman.  Do I dare say that without Wheeler that we would not be where we are today?  No.  But the trip would not have been as enjoyable.

Who loves ya, baby?  Gareth Wheeler does.

Should we bury him at centre field of BMO for good luck?

[JohnnyFranchise]

On 3/20/2022 at 6:44 PM, 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!

^this is my biggest problem with wheels. His play by play has gotten better, but his goals calls have a "making it about him" feel to them.

Just put him on the sideline as official team reporter where he belongs and get us an actual professional in the booth already, please and thank you.

[sstackho]

32 minutes ago, JohnnyFranchise said:

^this is my biggest problem with wheels. His play by play has gotten better, but his goals calls have a "making it about him" feel to them.

I think he has gotten better at that.  There have been less lame alliterations as of late (see what I did there?  and yes mom, it should be "fewer") and he has allowed the crowd noise to be the star on a couple of recent goals.  

[JohnnyFranchise]

1 minute ago, sstackho said:

I think he has gotten better at that.  There have been less lame alliterations as of late (see what I did there?  and yes mom, it should be "fewer") and he has allowed the crowd noise to be the star on a couple of recent goals.  

Frustrating is that he'll do this on one goal, then completely take over on the next.

The 2 goals against the states are a perfect example of this.

[Joe MacCarthy]

6 hours ago, AvroArrow said:

He has been our one constant and our talisman. 

I would hardly use the word talisman, especially in my case.  I usually watch the games over foreign streams but tonight was the first full Wheeler broadcast I've heard since very early qualifying, and WE LOST.  I usually get the benefit of hearing him on the long form YouTube clips.  Having said all that I don't recall being too annoyed by him tonight possibly because you can't get too cocky when you're behind.

The fox pass of the evening was when Dunf let it slip that they were calling the game in Toronto.  Of course everybody knows that and Dunf almost started to hide it and then figured what the hell.  I think the home broadcasters make a lame attempt to hide it but everybody knows and they know most people know which makes it even lamer.

Edited March 25, 2022 by Joe MacCarthy

[BearcatSA]

13 minutes ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

The fox pass of the evening was when Dunf let it slip that they were calling the game in Toronto.  Of course everybody knows that and Dunf almost started to hide it and then figured what the hell.  I think the home broadcasters make a lame attempt to hide it but everybody knows and they know most people know which makes it even lamer.

I also thought that Dunny was trying to channel his inner Danny Gallivan with his comment that Canada was going to be the "protagonist in possession."  I thought he was going into full CBC Radio "Canada Reads" mode with other literary element analogies.

[Joe MacCarthy]

1 minute ago, BearcatSA said:

I also thought that Dunny was trying to channel his inner Danny Gallivan with his comment that Canada was going to be the "protagonist in possession."  I thought he was going into full CBC Radio "Canada Reads" mode with other literary element analogies.

When I have criticized Wheeler for his lame catchphrases believe me I recognize Gallivan did something similar.

As a kid, I was a big Leafs fan and Bill Hewitt was my guy.  I loved his calls but as I grew older and formalized my education and career into broadcasting (a literal lifelong passion, honestly since infancy) I came to realize he wasn't a great broadcaster.  Gallivan whom I hated because I hated the Habs, I have come to the realization that he is the GOAT.

Now back to the comparison of why Gallivan could use the catchphrases and Wheeler can't is because Gallivan didn't do it to get himself over.  You almost never saw or heard the man outside of those two hours on Saturday night.  Just the other night I read his bio and didn't realize he was widowed with two kids.  Aside from his charitable golf tournament I don't think he went out of his way to make appearances or appear elsewhere on the network.

I  blame Al Michaels, since his "Miracle" call everyone seems to think they need something to set them apart, I can smell it out like a bloodhound and it's lame.

[BearcatSA]

Gallivan didn't hop on the advertising/shilling bandwagon, either,  perhaps by choice or that wasn't the era.  I could have seen him pitching something like "This week, make an ENORMOUS save....at Sobeys!" or something.  Unless he did local Montreal or home region Cape Breton ads, I didn't see him in any national commercials.

[kungfucious]

too lazy to look up, but whats the reason why nigel reid or peter schaad or BOTH arent our guys?  nigel hes been here since TFC were born, so he's got a decent amount of canadian football soccer iq and iirc, peter has been on the scene even longer.

tbh, i actually respect wheeler when he is doing pundit/analysis on a panel with oliver, jk, james... LED by andy.  it just when he is the one steering the ship, as our talisman, i wanna put a noose over my neck and jump off this crazy train (ship).

Edited March 26, 2022 by kungfucious

[rkomar]

1 hour ago, kungfucious said:

too lazy to look up, but whats the reason why nigel reid or peter schaad or BOTH arent our guys?  nigel hes been here since TFC were born, so he's got a decent amount of canadian football soccer iq and iirc, peter has been on the scene even longer.

tbh, i actually respect wheeler when he is doing pundit/analysis on a panel with oliver, jk, james... LED by andy.  it just when he is the one steering the ship, as our talisman, i wanna put a noose over my neck and jump off this crazy train (ship).

Maybe it's a simple as the more professional guys wouldn't take the job at the given salary?  I don't know how much OneSoccer pays, but I get the feeling it's less than the big boys pay.

[Floortom]

Anyone notice that OneSoccer seems to have replaced Ian Hume with Patrice Bernier? Patrice seems like a good guy but this is a downgrade IMO as I haven’t found him to be that insightful at all.

[SpursFlu]

I like Onesoccer, I like Gareth Wheeler. We all say imagine 5 years ago qualifying for the World Cup first in our group. Well think about 5 years ago having a network completely dedicated to Canadian soccer. Obviously there is always room to improve but I think its great having Onesoccer beamed in to Sportsnet because it's more in depth coverthat puts the sport first. It's great for the casual to see and it's great seeing canpl content during the game on the scroll at the bottom of the screen 

[SoccMan]

On 3/25/2022 at 10:37 PM, rkomar said:

Maybe it's a simple as the more professional guys wouldn't take the job at the given salary?  I don't know how much OneSoccer pays, but I get the feeling it's less than the big boys pay.

Nigel Reid is great to cure insomnia that’s about it , I’ll take Wheeler and Dunfield they are not perfect but both grew up playing the game here in Canada . Wheeler played at the University level and Dunfield played in England and in the MLS and the Canadian national team . They both have gone threw the Canadian playing soccer experience and you can see their special attachment to the game in Canada . In this amazing journey of this Canadian national team these are the type of guys I want calling these games , guys that have experienced the same things  that the vast majority of our national  team players experienced growing up playing the game in Canada . Oh Canada oh baby it looks like the promise land is here  this feels surreal, tomorrow if we do it will be very emotional especially for all us old farts who have been at this a long time .

[jonovision]

Have to give the man credit for a few things today. Called Larin the greatest Canadian goal scorer of all time after his goal. Later corrected himself and noted that Christine Sinclair was the absolute GOAT and true owner of that title.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Patrice also picked up at the end, post-game. I think these guys sometimes have to warm into these roles they are less used to. 

Petrillo is always very good, IMO. She speaks well, with a rich vocab (for a sports journalist), is even keel, pleasant as hell, and knows how to engage guests and those she is working with. 

Today I was more bothered by Dunfield, since a guy doing colour should be able to really analyse a match a bit better than he does. I figure his producers let him off the hook, as they don't know enough to demand more, simple as that.

[gwsmith63]

32 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Patrice also picked up at the end, post-game. I think these guys sometimes have to warm into these roles they are less used to. 

Petrillo is always very good, IMO. She speaks well, with a rich vocab (for a sports journalist), is even keel, pleasant as hell, and knows how to engage guests and those she is working with. 

Today I was more bothered by Dunfield, since a guy doing colour should be able to really analyse a match a bit better than he does. I figure his producers let him off the hook, as they don't know enough to demand more, simple as that.

At times the PxP guy (Wheeler) offers more analysis than the CC (Dunfield). 
 

That isn’t how it is supposed to work. Nor what the viewing audience expects. 

[TGAA_Star]

I wonder if Wheeler and Dunfield as well as KJ and everyone else at OneSoccer if they will be covering the Group Draw on Friday on OneSoccer? But I wonder whoever we get in our group for Qatar, if they show those group games also on OneSoccer too?

[Strait Red]

Just now, TGAA_Star said:

I wonder if Wheeler and Dunfield as well as KJ and everyone else at OneSoccer if they will be covering the Group Draw on Friday on OneSoccer? But I wonder whoever we get in our group for Qatar, if they show those group games also on OneSoccer too?

TSN is carrying the draw and the World Cup. I don’t think OS will be involved.

[VinceA]

20 minutes ago, Strait Red said:

TSN is carrying the draw and the World Cup. I don’t think OS will be involved.

Praise the lord!

[jonovision]

In all other WCs we've just had the FIFA host feed for games aired in Canada. Will that remain the case with Canada playing? Or will CTV/TSN be organizing a Canadian broadcast?

Edited March 28, 2022 by jonovision

[gigi riva]

3 hours ago, jonovision said:

In all other WCs we've just had the FIFA host feed for games aired in Canada. Will that remain the case with Canada playing? Or will CTV/TSN be organizing a Canadian broadcast?

Who knows in all honesty , I guess it all depends on the production costs, but lets see . I can see them only having Canadian broadcasters for Canadian games, 

[TGAA_Star]

9 minutes ago, gigi riva said:

Who knows in all honesty , I guess it all depends on the production costs, but lets see . I can see them only having Canadian broadcasters for Canadian games, 

Imagine Wheeler and Dunfield on commentary during Canada games at Qatar could you imagine 

[narduch]

21 minutes ago, jonovision said:

In all other WCs we've just had the FIFA host feed for games aired in Canada. Will that remain the case with Canada playing? Or will CTV/TSN be organizing a Canadian broadcast?

We are definitely getting Wileman and Caldwell 

[jonovision]

4 minutes ago, narduch said:

We are definitely getting Wileman and Caldwell 

Ugh.