Rugby Lad Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 So - with all the hoo-haa about Olympic coverage I thought I'd ask who you think the best ever / who your favourite sports commentators are. Please give sport and nationality as well - esp. for the more obscure ones. I'll give mine to start us off. 1. Richie Benaud (cricket - Australian) 2. Bill McLaren (rugby union - Scottish) 3. Michael Johnson (athletics - USA, now a Brit) I think all three are supremely knowledgeable about their sport, they never rant or rave, they are beautifully neutral with an obvious love of the sport itself rather than any particular team and most of all they give you a beautiful feeling of the whole atmosphere of being there, rather than ruining the atmosphere. Also Michael Johnson was one of my boyhood heroes - had pictures of him up in my bedroom etc. and it's nice when your heroes turn out to be really good guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Stuart Hall and Bill Mclaren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slean Wolfhead Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Hugh Johns - football. Grew up with that voice in the Midlands, it wasn't proper football unless Johns was commentating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 So - with all the hoo-haa about Olympic coverage I thought I'd ask who you think the best ever / who your favourite sports commentators are. Please give sport and nationality as well - esp. for the more obscure ones. I'll give mine to start us off. 1. Richie Benaud (cricket - Australian) 2. Bill McLaren (rugby union - Scottish) 3. Michael Johnson (athletics - USA, now a Brit) I think all three are supremely knowledgeable about their sport, they never rant or rave, they are beautifully neutral with an obvious love of the sport itself rather than any particular team and most of all they give you a beautiful feeling of the whole atmosphere of being there, rather than ruining the atmosphere. Also Michael Johnson was one of my boyhood heroes - had pictures of him up in my bedroom etc. and it's nice when your heroes turn out to be really good guys. All those are good Also John McEnroe on tennis - brilliant and balanced, with the gravitas that comes from being one of the world's top players for many years I like most of the TMS team on the cricket tbh. Vaughan takes the mick well, gives the captain and top player's PoV, and brings folk back down to earth; Tufnell plays the dodgy geezer with aplomb; Jim Maxwell gives the Aussie viewpoint in a really well balanced way; and Boycott is opinionated and always feels a hair's breadth away from a Ron Atkinson moment Liggett and Sherwen are a decent double act on cycling, even if Phil gets everyone's name wrong. Bless him. Struggling to think of a football commentator who's worth a light.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugby Lad Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Agree about McEnroe and TMS. Cricket definately has by far the best stable of commentators of any sport. But I can't stand Boycott - he really grates on me. Michael Holding, Jonathon Agnew or even Shane Warne but not Boycott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Originally I am from Yorkshire. It's compulsory for us to view Boycott as a highly skilled but deeply flawed individual who should be viewed with amusement and therefore humoured somewhat. We expect non-Tykes to just hate him though, as let's face it, he is a massive tool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Henry Blofeld in the cricket, barking mad and always fun. Also Aggers and Benaud. There have been some terrible ones, particularly on Sky, esp Bob 'charisma bypass' Willis and Paul 'slit your wrists' Allott Motty in the football, not necessarily that he's any good, just that his voice is so synonymous with a winters night watching MOTD, a comforting memory of blighty. Am I right in thinking that MICHAEL SLATER was commenting on the diving last night?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugby Lad Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Am I right in thinking that MICHAEL SLATER was commenting on the diving last night?? Yes you are correct, he has commentated on all the diving. He's the new hope of Channel Nine - started on the NRL Footy Show this season. He actually started well and was a breath of fresh air but has got worse (i.e more like Fatty Vaughtin) every week. The NRL Footy Show is actually watchable unlike its AFL counterpart but that is almost all down to one man - Beau Ryan. Genuinely hilarious comedian as well as a top class player. Also on all his wind ups it's obvious he genuinely loves the people of western Sydney (and is loved back in return) whereas that oxygen thief Sam Newman really must detest the people from the poorer suburbs of Melbourne and revels in the hatred they have for him. In fact all the players, esp. Benji Marshall are really good value on that show. I know Salma from PIO is an especially big fan of both Beau & Benji! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Agree with that on 9's NRL coverage I would normally be watching it now, but Olympic sprint canoeing (mad!) is winning instead. Conveniently, it seems, since my team (Souths) is losing for the first time in about 8 weeks. Picked a good game to miss :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugby Lad Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Only got 9 so watching the Souths game. They are very disjointed, playing as individuals. I'm a Panthers fan so watching my side lose is no biggy to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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