View Full Version : Memo to Damien Fleming: for the love of humanity, please STFU
Blotter
13 Feb 2010, 20:39
I honestly never thought I would say this.
But I think there is a cricket commentator on the scene who genuinely rivals Ian Healy for verbal diarrhoea and inanity.
His name: Damien 'Phlegmo' Fleming.
I have made a mental note before to press the mute button as soon as he comes on, but today was doing a bit of work around the house while the broadcast was going - so forgot to do it.
And seriously, the constant (and I mean constant) stream of rubbish that flows from this guy's mouth never ceases to amaze.
It seems to me that he feels as though it is compulsory for him to talk at every available opportunity. No matter what it is he actually says or how little it means he lets his fellow commentator contribute.
Which probably also goes a long way to explaining why it's hard to remember him ever saying anything even remotely interesting to interrupt his incessant flow of anecdotes about Victoria; his own years in the game; or his apparent need to comment about some completely unremarkable piece of footage that Fox's cameras happen to be showing at any given moment. Or, quite often, a combination of any or all of the above.
Please, please, please Fox Sports, find a way of making him speak about 50% or less of the time he does now. Or, better still, find somebody else altogether. Anybody else. Now. :thumbsd:
caboose
13 Feb 2010, 22:49
Totally agree.
I hate his voice, and I find his comments lame and boring. He generally adds absolutely nothing of any value to the coverage as far as I can see.
His attempts to bait Mark Waugh (or "June" as he keeps calling him, as if the two of them are still in Grade 5 or something) are probably the worst part of it. Just downright embarrassing. Most of the time, even Waugh responds with what comes across as total contempt.
There are quite a few Aussie ex players turned comms who are quite awful, this guy joins the band wagon - what exactly is the qualification required for these guys to get behind the mike...
This malaise seems to affect a whole host of ex players from almost all cricketing nations the worst commentators from the crop of ex players come from India, Pak and SL.
Kim Hagdorn
14 Feb 2010, 11:15
I reckon he's allright. Healy on the other hand...
becoming a tad too self-absorbed like KO'K.
Dude Lebowski
14 Feb 2010, 13:43
I like him. He and Waugh always rib each other. He also shows no bias like the 9 team. Healy's just bias towards Australia and Slater's always putting his mates and states players up in lights. When was the last game he didn't mention Bracken or Warner?
Brendon Julian has to be the biggest douche out there though. Just a real wanker who knows a lot about nothing. Should go back to that travel show on 9 where I can't see him.
Kim Hagdorn
14 Feb 2010, 13:52
Brendon Julian has to be the biggest douche out there though. Just a real wanker who knows a lot about nothing. Should go back to that travel show on 9 where I can't see him.
He played for Australia, Tests and ODIs, yourself?
YouDontKnowJack
14 Feb 2010, 18:00
I enjoy Flemmo's commentary, but hope they don't bring him back for this season of Thank God You're Here. Really brought the show down.
Brendon Julian has to be the biggest douche out there though. Just a real wanker who knows a lot about nothing. Should go back to that travel show on 9 where I can't see him.
Agreed:thumbsu:
He played for Australia, Tests and ODIs, yourself?
Shut the **** up, Donny. You're out of your element.
damochandler
14 Feb 2010, 18:10
I like him. He and Waugh always rib each other. He also shows no bias like the 9 team. Healy's just bias towards Australia and Slater's always putting his mates and states players up in lights. When was the last game he didn't mention Bracken or Warner?
Brendon Julian has to be the biggest douche out there though. Just a real wanker who knows a lot about nothing. Should go back to that travel show on 9 where I can't see him.
i don't think he got the job as head commentator because he could be a good commentator
larrikin
14 Feb 2010, 18:44
Personally, I like Flem. I can see how others wouldn't though
peternorth
14 Feb 2010, 19:59
becoming a tad too self-absorbed like KO'K.
same with some afl commentators. their acts were a novelty, then after a while it came become too much.
fwiw i like flem.
slater pumping up his mates is cringeworthy. commentators have to leave their bias at home. KOK and the abc commentators also need to take their nsw hats off.
Lazarus
14 Feb 2010, 21:40
I hope they don't bring him back for this season of Thank God You're Here. Really brought the show down.
I don't get it.
Ian Healy may be irritating to some, with his overtalking, but his knowledge and his reading of the play is exceptional. I think he and ian chappell as analysts are a class above the others. Fleming is ok, but his victorian bias does reer it's head. Though not as badly as Michael " i have an agenda" Slater
JerryWexler
18 Feb 2010, 06:11
Ian Healy may be irritating to some, with his overtalking, but his knowledge and his reading of the play is exceptional. I think he and ian chappell as analysts are a class above the others. Fleming is ok, but his victorian bias does reer it's head. Though not as badly as Michael " i have an agenda" Slater
If you're going to hang shit on Fleming then I'm glad you added the last bit. Does a current NSW player exist that Slater has said shouldn't be in the Australian team? Can't think of any.
Carl Spackler
18 Feb 2010, 07:34
Fleming is great, as are M. Waugh and Blewett on the fox commentary. Know the game inside out and some humour and interstate rivarly thrown in as well. No surprise that some posters on here wouldn't gel with some genuine cricket insight.
I like Flem - excellent self deprecating sense of humour and knows his stuff as well. He may display some bias but he's not in the same league as I.Healy. That bloke has no shame.
YouDontKnowJack
18 Feb 2010, 17:32
I don't get it.
Flemmo had a weekly segment on the Channel 7 season of TGYH where he would do endorsements for non-cricket related things. Was a low point of the show. The video below is one such segment.
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Mr Ripper
18 Feb 2010, 21:24
Dear Flem,
It's ver⋅sus
–preposition 1. against (used esp. to indicate an action brought by one party against another in a court of law, or to denote competing teams or players in a sports contest): Smith versus Jones; Army versus Navy.
2. as compared to or as one of two choices; in contrast with: traveling by plane versus traveling by train. Abbreviation: v., vs.
NOT
verse
–noun 1. (not in technical use) a stanza.
2. a succession of metrical feet written, printed, or orally composed as one line; one of the lines of a poem.
3. a particular type of metrical line: a hexameter verse.
4. a poem, or piece of poetry.
5. metrical composition; poetry, esp. as involving metrical form.
6. metrical writing distinguished from poetry because of its inferior quality: a writer of verse, not poetry.
7. a particular type of metrical composition: elegiac verse.
8. the collective poetry of an author, period, nation, etc.: Miltonian verse; American verse.
9. one of the short conventional divisions of a chapter of the Bible.
10. Music. a. that part of a song following the introduction and preceding the chorus.
b. a part of a song designed to be sung by a solo voice.
11. Rare. a line of prose, esp. a sentence, or part of a sentence, written as one line.
12. Rare. a subdivision in any literary work.
–adjective 13. of, pertaining to, or written in verse: a verse play.
Thank you.
Flemmo had a weekly segment on the Channel 7 season of TGYH where he would do endorsements for non-cricket related things. Was a low point of the show. The video below is one such segment.
Thought it was the highlight, to be honest, and I wasn't alone there.
I like Fleming and all the Fox Sports boys because they aren't afraid to be critical of players. It also helps they actually know who all the players playing are, unlike many international commentary boxes who wouldn't know an opposition player from the curator.
Damon_3388
20 Feb 2010, 03:15
Fleming is great, as are M. Waugh and Blewett on the fox commentary. Know the game inside out and some humour and interstate rivarly thrown in as well. No surprise that some posters on here wouldn't gel with some genuine cricket insight.
I also like the Fox Sports commentary team. They keep it casual, but still show knowledge and insight when required.
I like Fleming and all the Fox Sports boys because they aren't afraid to be critical of players. It also helps they actually know who all the players playing are, unlike many international commentary boxes who wouldn't know an opposition player from the curator.
As someone who hasn't watched a lot of domestic cricket in the past few years (got right into it again this season though), I find their commentary quite informative as far as player tendencies and the like :thumbsu:
YouDontKnowJack
20 Feb 2010, 06:20
Thought it was the highlight, to be honest, and I wasn't alone there.
I like Fleming and all the Fox Sports boys because they aren't afraid to be critical of players. It also helps they actually know who all the players playing are, unlike many international commentary boxes who wouldn't know an opposition player from the curator.
I haven't heard Damien on Fox, but used to enjoy his commentary on ABC.
The problem I had with the TGYH segment wasn't him, just the segment itself. The best part about TGYH is the unscripted spontaniety. Scripted segments look out of place on the show, and the same jokes were getting rehashed. Damien did his best with what he had.
eth-dog
20 Feb 2010, 09:08
Fleming is great, as are M. Waugh and Blewett on the fox commentary. Know the game inside out and some humour and interstate rivarly thrown in as well. No surprise that some posters on here wouldn't gel with some genuine cricket insight.
Agree on Flem and Blewy, but Mark Waugh is disgusting. Worse than Greig and Chappelli, who are the worst of the 9 commentators, hate all 3 of them
Kim Hagdorn
20 Feb 2010, 13:34
but Mark Waugh is disgusting.
He'd be ok if he didn't bloody love himself so much.
peternorth
21 Feb 2010, 08:26
He'd be ok if he didn't bloody love himself so much.
or everything nsw
Kim Hagdorn
21 Feb 2010, 10:41
Blewett is also like that with SA.
Marklar_33
21 Feb 2010, 14:42
Agree on Flem and Blewy, but Mark Waugh is disgusting. Worse than Greig and Chappelli, who are the worst of the 9 commentators, hate all 3 of them
Mark Waugh sounds like he is bitter that he is too old to be playing anymore, and hates anybody who is still playing...and he should go into umpiring also, because he is never wrong and always critical of any umpire who makes a slight mistake.
I remember seeing a ball, hitting slightly outside the line, but going on to hit the stumps, and 'June' was adamant that that has to be given out. Its amazing that he rarely appealed at all while he was a player :confused:
eth-dog
21 Feb 2010, 15:44
He'd be ok if he didn't bloody love himself so much.
or everything nsw
or hate everything Victorian, and Queensland, except for when they're playing Victoria
Blewett is also like that with SA.
But Blewey doesn't hate everything from Victoria and whoever they're other big rival is, like Waugh does
Cooldude
21 Feb 2010, 15:48
Speaking of Mark, gotta love it when he was practically crying when the Bulls couldn't chase it down yesterday. Almost as bad as Heals
eth-dog
21 Feb 2010, 16:03
Speaking of Mark, gotta love it when he was practically crying when the Bulls couldn't chase it down yesterday. Almost as bad as Heals
loved it :D. Judging from his commentary, which I usually mute, was that he hates Victoria more than anything on this earth, I actually thought he would be alright in a Vics-Qld game, but mistaken I was
lincsPJ
21 Feb 2010, 19:30
i love how all the fox boys rib each other. at least they have a grasp of modern day cricket and the future of australian cricket.. unlike the senile hasbeens on ch9 that are still living in 1978. "dr" healy takes the title as most annoying git on television. slats' enthusiasm is tolerable in small doses, warney is warney and his insights are invaluable, tubs is professional - but not the best speaker obviously.
AB, Blewy, BJ, ME Waugh, Flemmo > Greig, Lawry, Chappell, Healy, Nicholas, Slater, Taylor, Warney
AB and BJ and anchors with Blewy, Taylor, Warney, Waugh, Slater IMO would be the best team.
peternorth
21 Feb 2010, 21:48
slater put the scg up there with lords the other day in terms of tradition..
Cooldude
21 Feb 2010, 22:57
slater put the scg up there with lords the other day in terms of tradition..
In his own heart, he probably puts himself up there with Bradman. Michael Slater's favourite topics are Michael Slater and NSW
krusden
22 Feb 2010, 08:22
Which probably also goes a long way to explaining why it's hard to remember him ever saying anything even remotely interesting to interrupt his incessant flow of anecdotes about Victoria; his own years in the game; or his apparent need to comment about some completely unremarkable piece of footage that Fox's cameras happen to be showing at any given moment. Or, quite often, a combination of any or all of the above.
well he played for victoria so who d'ya expect his anecdotes to be about? tasmania? sa?
I like flem but he needs to grow his mo back.
Swans120
22 Feb 2010, 09:19
Cricket tv commentary is horrible imo. I can't stand Channel 9 anymore and will listen to ABC whenever possible. Slater is a biased, far-too-excitable twerp who must bat off to Ponting every night, Healy is a classic Qld bogan who dribbles on about nothing, Tony Greig and Bill Lawry are great for the nostalgia but they use the same lines over and over and over and over, it just gets to me. All great cricketers of course, but horrible as commentators. And the most subjective commentators in the world.
Fleming is better and is fairly funny but he really does love himself, considering he played like 80 ODI's and 20 tests, good but certainly not a career to match how he talks. That whole bowlology crap he goes on about is just annoying and smacks of arrogance.
Blues_Man
23 Feb 2010, 13:57
I actually like Flemings commentary, along with Mark Waugh and Brendan Julien they add a bit of humor to he call.
The Falcon Strike
23 Feb 2010, 15:18
I like Flem as well - nothing wrong with an anecdote of bowlology.
The only commentary I really dislike is from Ian "When i played" Chappell and the vomit from Geoff Lawson
Not sure if he still commentates shield - but Greg Mathews makes a lot of sense (which is staggering). He annoys me a little with the Mr Bevan and Mr Hussey comments - however he makes perfectly valid insight, particularly in the long form of the game.
It's hard writing the above because he comes across as a complete tool - but his commentary is first rate.
The gold medal of course goes to Hasha(?) Bogle - absolute delight to listen to him
davey_magik
23 Feb 2010, 16:17
Does anyone remember Mo during the Ashes coverage?
Apparently every upcoming session would 'decide the Ashes'. He was also horribly biased.
I liked Bogle until he went along with Gavaskar and Shastri on this anti-Australia rant when they beat us in the ODI series a few years back.
I actually like Flemings commentary, along with Mark Waugh and Brendan Julien they add a bit of humor to he call.
Except we laugh at this bloke, seriously he has litte to know idea about cricket. But i much prefer the Fox commentary team they are a lot more critical of players than the channel 9 team.
I always enjoy the banter between the boys, especially Flem Blewett and Waugh who all get the Vic vs Sa and Vic vs NSW rivalry going!
Except we laugh at this bloke, seriously he has litte to know idea about cricket. But i much prefer the Fox commentary team they are a lot more critical of players than the channel 9 team.
I always enjoy the banter between the boys, especially Flem Blewett and Waugh who all get the Vic vs Sa and Vic vs NSW rivalry going!
It was funny the other day when Flem and Blewett were taking the piss out of Wayne Phillips,who was standing up the back of the commentary box
JimDocker
26 Feb 2010, 09:08
I don't have Fox so I haven't heard him on there but I love Fleming's commentary on the ABC radio coverage. Very knowledgable and brings great insight.
eth-dog
26 Feb 2010, 15:05
Preferred team:
AB, Mark Nicholas, Flem, Bill, Tubb, Gilly, Richie, Warnie and Blewy for me IMO. AB, Flem and Warnie, then Gilly, Richie and Blewy, and third stint from Nicho, Tubb and Bill
Legend13
27 Feb 2010, 11:46
Keep the "bowlologist". I like him, funny, but quite knowlegeable also. The banter with Jnr can get a little boring though.
Beats crap out of listening to Greig & Healy.
As far as BJ not knowing anything about cricket. I find that comment bemusing. The guy was a Sheffield Shiled captain, who played Test and ODI cricket. I think he has some knowledge.
pies_this_year
28 Feb 2010, 19:16
Fleming is great, as are M. Waugh and Blewett on the fox commentary. Know the game inside out and some humour and interstate rivarly thrown in as well. No surprise that some posters on here wouldn't gel with some genuine cricket insight.
Yep. I love the fox comm team..A loong way ahead of nine's. Add BJ to that list too, I enjoy when all these guys are on.
pies_this_year
28 Feb 2010, 19:19
Except we laugh at this bloke, seriously he has litte to know idea about cricket. But i much prefer the Fox commentary team they are a lot more critical of players than the channel 9 team.
I always enjoy the banter between the boys, especially Flem Blewett and Waugh who all get the Vic vs Sa and Vic vs NSW rivalry going!
Bahahahahahah. BJ was a state captain. That in itself says he knows more about cricket than you, not to mention he played for Australia..
One of the worst comments on bigfooty.
Blotter
28 Feb 2010, 21:30
well he played for victoria so who d'ya expect his anecdotes to be about? tasmania? sa?
Umm, what?
For a start, I was talking about Victoria in general terms not simply the state cricket team.
And, secondly, even if I had been ... do you honestly not even realise Fleming did play for SA?
Terrible post, mate.
Black Thunder
1 Mar 2010, 06:27
Not sure if he still commentates shield - but Greg Mathews makes a lot of sense (which is staggering).
played in the same club at him for some time and he's one of the most insightful guys when it comes to cricket. know's his stuff inside out.... shame's he's a complete tool.
remember his comments a few years ago that ed cowan could play for australia. everyone laughed but if he keeps playing the way he has this season he find himself as the first replacement for Watson and Hughes' in the coming seasons.
Bahahahahahah. BJ was a state captain. That in itself says he knows more about cricket than you, not to mention he played for Australia..
One of the worst comments on bigfooty.
I didn't say i knew more about cricket than him, and obviosuly he knows how to play the game but commentating on it is different to being good at cricket. He fumbles and bumbles his way through commentray some of his comments are cringe worthy, i am suprised mark waugh hasnt burst out laughing at him some times!
apollo_creed
1 Mar 2010, 18:52
Bahahahahahah. BJ was a state captain. That in itself says he knows more about cricket than you, not to mention he played for Australia..
One of the worst comments on bigfooty.
except he's right.
he can't express his thoughts properly, he does fumble his way through sentences and he obviously lacks the mental capacity to convert this knowledge into insightful commentary.
he really struggles. he's not a good commentator. that point isn't even debatable.
Kim Hagdorn
1 Mar 2010, 19:17
he can't express his thoughts properly, he does fumble his way through sentences and he obviously lacks the mental capacity to convert this knowledge into insightful commentary.
Just like 95% of your posts on Big Footy? Without the knowledge?
apollo_creed
2 Mar 2010, 16:50
Just like 95% of your posts on Big Footy? Without the knowledge?
Attack the man if you want but the guy struggles to convert this knowledge into coherent sentences. He fumbles his words ridiculously.
I see where you're from but it's still pathetic to defend someone for being good at something when they're not just because the guy comes from your state.