The Foxtel sports panel show, ‘The Back Page,’ is a joke. What was once an average sports-discussion show has desended to an unwatchable one-hour soap-box for arch-conservative Telegraph host, Mike ‘Gibbo’ Gibson, and a revolving door of blokey blokes who seem to know nothing about anything more than their one favourite sport.
Perhaps the head-honchos at Fox are aware of this decline, too, given that the show has recently been moved from Fox Sports to the Fox Sports News channel.
Since former Wallaby and (often) genuine funny-man Peter Fitzsimmons left (or was axed), the ‘Back Page’ has had no-one who appears know anything about the game of rugby.
The total sum of knowledge of the revolving panel seems to amount to a mere four sports: league, AFL, cricket and golf.
One feels sorry for the new young-ish English sports writer on the panel who has to deal with nonsensical and ignorant remarks by the other panelists and the utterly predictable Pom-bashing unleashed by the Telegraph stalwarts Gibbo and Paul Kent (see below).
The English guy does try to make some points in favour of rugby and soccer, to his credit.
Unfortunately the producers seem to have dropped the various women they used to have on the panel, perhaps not wanting to appear ‘politically correct’; one of Gibbo’s favourite insults.
Speaking of the host, evidently the man still thinks it’s 1979 and the Paul Hogan show is still on TV. And I’m not just referring to his 70s hairstyle and moustache!
His views are also outdated but, unfortunately, now there is no-one to call him out, as Fitzsimmons once did when Gibbo proclaimed that all Australians must be proud of the flag and that we had ‘moved on’ and that indigenous people like Cathy Freeman have no reason to fly the Aboriginal flag.
Fitzsimmons, quite correctly, tore him down, perhaps precipitating his ultimate downfall on the show.
For now, Gibbo continues on unchecked, using the show as a platform to air his reactionary opinions, from national flags to the use of recreational drugs by athletes.
Most recently, he bizarely labelled Anthony Mundine ‘a racist’ as well as proclaiming his lack of talent, whilst expressing deep sympathy for Joey Johns, saying that he had been ‘hung out to dry’ and declaring Tahu’s reaction as unnecessary.
The silver-haired, chubby AFL bloke, whose name escapes me, is at least amiable.
However, as is to be expected from a Victorian, he knows little about anything except ‘our great game’ and thus always tries to chime in with an irrelevant AFL anecdote when the panel is discussing a different sport.
The fact that, upon learning that the 2010 English rugby team currently had no fast wingers, he invoked the name of Rory Underwood as a ‘recent’ (circa 2003) fast winger, shows that he needs to go.
The worst panelist, however, is that other Telegraph man, Paul Kent.
He somehow manages to mumble in a particularly difficult-to-decipher broad ocker accent and speak over the top of everyone at the same time, with an aggressive little sneer that makes him look like he’s about to emulate one of his boxing heroes and knock someone’s lights out (particularly the poor new weedy Englishman)!
His defence of the ugly and aggressive way the Dutch football team played in the World Cup final was pathetic. A reminder, Paul: football is not League, and you’re not on the show to promote the game that your newspaper bankrolls.
Then again, maybe you are.
Anyway, what can you expect from someone who admits to a love of ‘ultimate’ fighting.
Kent’s claim that the Football World Cup wouldn’t generate a financial windfall for Australia was absolute Andrew Demetriou-esque propaganda.
He finally showed his true colours when Gibbo triumphantly declared the World Cup over for another four years, Kent replied in an apparently hilarious off-camera aside, “Thank god”, which promptly sent the host into fits of laughter.
Now, I’m not a football fan, but to dismiss the World Cup just like that is idiotic, especially considering he was sent by the Tele to cover the World Cup in South Africa, where he obviously learned nothing about the truly world game.
I’m aware that commentators of the other three football codes in Australia regularly bag football, but it can, and should, be done with a bit of humour and grace (e.g. Fitzsimmons).
All in all, this show is terrible and needs to be axed post-haste.
Kevin
Guest
Did I actually hear the cast of the crappy Foxtel Back Page program accuse the organisers of the Masters, one of the classiest, most traditional sporting events in the world, of being dinosaurs??? Why don't you have some tomatoe sauce on your crayfish Thermidor whilst scratching your armpit? They won't even get this comment.
mick gray
Guest
its like the whole of Foxtel polluted with newspaper horrors and morbid Sydney personalities, and I have to mention the Crudd and nauseating talking with its hands, PUTRID !!! maybe foxsports should go left field, you have to of achieved something on our hallowed turfs to be on our sports programs
Peter Harris
Guest
You should watch it in 2014. This would have to be the worst sports show on television. It has become another rugby league show. Bring back the old brigade. Tony Squires was excellent on previous shows but has dented his reputation on this one. At least the rugby league people he has on the show can put a sentence together.
John b
Guest
Best sorts show I have watched after a hard at work, all you want to hear is the facts of current sports events, with the added value of a laugh thrown in, haven't watched one episode of the new back page, it's crap.
Lorry
Guest
Great news that Mr 1950s Gibbo has gone! Tony squires should be ok, he actually appears to not mine rugby, judging by his radio show with horan and Burke on triple m
Mals
Guest
Guys, the back page started last night. It's moved to a 7:30pm time slot. Tony Squires is the host & Matt Shirvington will be a regular on the panel. Last night they had an AFL journo, didn't catch his name & a guy from the "B-League".
Atawhai Drive
Guest
That was my understanding too but I can't get The Back Page this week, being far from home. So, what is happening?
MM Fike
Guest
What has happened to the Back Page in 2013? There is supposed to be a new host and Matt Shirvington on the panel.
bob manskie
Guest
i enjoy the back page and was intrigued to learn that the americans have forgiven lance armstrong. i wonder if he was an australian would we have been as lenient and maybe even made him an immortal
punter
Guest
Dreadful show FULLSTOP.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Agree that it is deeply AFL biased, but don't lump Gerard Whateley in with that. He is easily the best sports Journo in the country. Francis Leech is also a football man.
Lorry
Guest
Jase, Marto is rarely on the show and, anyway, like all QLDers he is (at least) sympathetic to League; just observe the amount of time he talks about league as opposed to rugby on the show... I like the fact that the show is unprofessional, and I like Birmingham. All I'm saying is that when Birmingham is seemingly the most knowledgeable panel member on rugby, and is certainly the only one who resemebles a rugby fan in any way, you know the show has major credibility issues... I think the fact that if it were a 'melbourne show' (whatever that means, Pay TV is national) it wouldn't have ANY RL is irrelevant... The dominance of AFL in Melbourne is a reality... Nationwide, however, rugby union is popular too and thus should be given more airtime on what purports to be an australian 'sports' show
Lorry
Guest
Knuckles, 'change the channel'. Yeah, useful comment. My complaint is legit - The Back Page is simply unrepresentative of the support that rugby has amongst the general public, with it's bevvy of anti-Union tabloid journos and the odd member of the Melbourne AFL know-nothing commentariat. That's all I'm saying...
Jase
Guest
"Since former Wallaby and (often) genuine funny-man Peter Fitzsimmons left (or was axed), the ‘Back Page’ has had no-one who appears know anything about the game of rugby" Are you serious? Does the name 'Marto' ring any bells? The show is not supposed to be professional to the core, otherwise Birmingham wouldn't be there. The show is based in Sydney, why would you expect anything but RL to be major headlines? I doubt RL would even get a look in if were a Melbourne show. I don't think the show should be taken too seriously. Without Birmingham, though, it is just not the same.
Ben
Guest
The show is lacking Peter Fitzsimons. While Billy Birmingham is funny, he does tend to get a bit old, same can be said for "Crash" Craddock. Would be good to see a football personality like Simon Hill on the show, to provide a balanced opinion on a great game, rather than a panel of rugby league lovers making uneducated calls. Even funnier tonight to see Gibbo, Billy, Crash and Mel Gainsford try to discuss the Contador incident from Stage 15 on the tour. They have no clue what their on about.
Knuckles
Roar Rookie
If ya dont like it stop your f******* whingeing and change the channel drop kicks!!!!!! How many shows on TV are there that you dont like. eg : This movie sucks change the channel i don t like golf change the channel i hate hey hey its saturday change the channel Why why why write an article and comment on a show you don t like ya bunch of morons. WHO CARES CHANGE THE BLOODY CHANNEL!!!!!!!!!!!
betty b
Guest
Could not agree more Lorry. The Back Page stinks. I've only watched it a couple of times - including when Fitzy was on - and I realised pretty quickly that the panel were 'one sports' men pretending to be sports journalists. The one episode I watched during the World Cup was a sham, even I knew more about football than these 'specialists. Gibbo has always been a moron and Kent talks like he writes - garbage. Give me the Rugby Club, NRL on Fox and the likeable team on their football show (whatever it's called). I guess the back page could be worse - they could have Goose Gould on.
Lorry
Guest
what are you on about? Gibbo loves league, kent loves league and Anderson loves Aussie Rules. No rugby. But it's not just about the lack of rugby...
Mick
Guest
Have watch this show for 4 or 5 years & it is good to see I have not missed anything!!!!!!!!!
Akazie
Roar Rookie
Who would they be KOTGG's? lol mate, let it go.