Commentators barracking

[Smokeyr67]

Hate it. It's their job to be unbiased.

No, I think you have commentators and umpires confused - Umpires should be unbiased, commentators are paid to pump up the game no matter what.

 

[gungho]

The guy who started this thread is a Tiger's supporter and at least half of all people responding are Tiger's supporters. Here's a suggestion.......stop being bloody cry babies. I agree that it was biased but it had absolutely nothing to do with anyone having an anti richmond agenda, and absolutely everything to do with making the game appear like it was exciting to suck in neutral viewers. Guess what? It happens in almost every game.
I happen to know for a fact that Basil Zemplis is not a Dockers supporter, and Dennis for the most part is fairly neutral. You guys just don't get it.......it's all about the ratings. They want the game to be exciting. If you really think you're getting a rough deal, try living in W.A. and supporting a team that wins the first 9 games in a row and is barely mentioned at all by Victorian based media.

 

[Ron The Bear]

it had absolutely nothing to do with anyone having an anti richmond agenda

Cometti has a long track record of snide comments. There was a game in Adelaide where we where comfortably beating Port with a young side, Ling was praising Richmond's midfield and saying it had a bright future. Cometti claimed Richmond "needed to go down before they can come up again". After finishes of 15th, 15th, 12th, 12th! It was just horseshit. Could list many other examples.

On Friday he struggled to say a positive word about Richmond (apart from claiming Grimes was a high draft pick) and sounded like he was going to neck himself after every Richmond goal.

Cometti fails to piss me off any more because I know it upsets his equilibrium when Richmond does well.

Then there's things like his defence of old mate Judd for the chicken wing.

Cometti used to be a great. Now he's just gone.

If you really think you're getting a rough deal, try living in W.A. and supporting a team that wins the first 9 games in a row and is barely mentioned at all by Victorian based media.

Big difference between football discussion and calling a national telecast. What happened to calling the game as it unfolds? Kicking one side home covers up for a lack of skill/knowledge IMO.

 

[Crows4Eva]

I don't mind them pulling for the underdog to a degree or egging on a come back if its on the cards but it shouldn't be blatant bias towards one team or the other I.e Eddie during the Crows/Blues game.

He was calling for blues frees every 2 seconds and cheering like a maniac whenever a blues player went anywhere near the ball, it was embarrassing.

 

[Proper Gander]

I was laughing at Eddie's commentary Saturday just thinking about Crows supporters tearing their hair out listening to it. I was barracking for Carlton too so I found it entertaining, and tbh some of the umpires calls down Adelaide's end were diabolical. But commentators have to be better than barracking, definitely.

Add it to the list of games Eddie should never commentate
- Collingwood games
- Sydney games
- Vic club vs. Non-Vic club games

Too complex. I think we would all cope if we rounded upwards and just said Eddie, don't commentate

 

[BEEG]

Really.... a premiership coach hates the club that brought his first coaching triumph? Why would that be?

Well he did get the sack but just listen next time you watch a Pies game hates us

 

[Partridge]

"Despite the fact this bludgeoning you're inflicting upon me will surely result in my demise...I really like the way you go about it. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you're the best in the business."
-Luke Darcy's final words

What's the odds that the next Carlton game he calls, he'll still come out with "you just feel this is the type of moment where Chris Judd will impose himself, he's a such a legend..."

 

[QS]

To be honest on Sunday when I learned we would have Darcy and co for our game v North I was ready for absolute rubbish. The game opened with being all about North. After the ad though, they did the same for the Eagles. Darcy also talked about the Eagles as well as North. The commentary turned out to be quite good in the end and added to the game (notwithstanding the palatability of the result!)

I think Basil is the worst offender, followed or equalled by Ed (who from memory used to be quite impartial).

 

[mcgarnacle]

No, I think you have commentators and umpires confused - Umpires should be unbiased, commentators are paid to pump up the game no matter what.

listening to modern-day commentators lead me to turn the tele or radio off. they are absolutely disgraceful.

listening to Swans matches up here in the sydney metro on MMM if I'm out on the road is an awful experience. so much BS and attempt to generate excitement through their call. just **** off. i do end up turning it off.

what i'm really getting sick of too are 'special' comments blokes just cutting in during play-by-play commentary. some give great insight into what's happening, but because there are 2 or 3 of them adding analysis to any one game, they seem to compete with each other and feel the need to get their comment in first.

end of the day, the idea is to generate fake excitement and limit dead air. sports bosses at broadcasters have obviously pushed this crap, particularly at commercial networks which is all just fluff. why do you need 4 or 5 guys commentating on one game? overkill. you can add qtr time and half-time interviews, BS changeroom footage, etc to it too.

it needs to be stripped back. watching football matches from europe is so refreshing after watching a saturday night AFL match on 7. one play-by-play, one special comments, no intrusive cameras, no blokey-matey BS, no cameras to give us the great insight of a player doing a groin stretch in the changerooms........just crossing to the teams walking out onto the pitch, match-day team graphic and straight into the game with decent commentary.

 

[MarkT2]

Welcome to the world that has been known by W.A fans for a long time.

That's pretty funny. SA and WA commentary has been off the charts forever. SA is worse.

 

[electricfeel]

It's probably already been mentioned in this thread but the Geelong v Freo game earlier this year was putrid with the whole commentary box blatantly barracking for Geelong except probs Dunstall. We had Bomber Thompson in the box sighing and he actually said "I was hoping that was a Geelong free" when it was in their forward 50. Eddie McGuire was also barracking hard for the Cats and couldn't even name our players properly. "Mayne kicks to...Mayne. Oh wait that's Mayne. It must've been Spurr". It was Mundy. Commentators are so unprofessional these days. The only one I like is Huddo

 

[QS]

That's pretty funny. SA and WA commentary has been off the charts forever. SA is worse.

Depends who we get. Usually we cop Dwayne and Johnno, they aren't too bad normally. Basil is just pure shit and goes over the top for Freo.

 

[Cosmic Energy]

The guy who started this thread is a Tiger's supporter and at least half of all people responding are Tiger's supporters. Here's a suggestion.......stop being bloody cry babies. I agree that it was biased but it had absolutely nothing to do with anyone having an anti richmond agenda, and absolutely everything to do with making the game appear like it was exciting to suck in neutral viewers. Guess what? It happens in almost every game.
I happen to know for a fact that Basil Zemplis is not a Dockers supporter, and Dennis for the most part is fairly neutral. You guys just don't get it.......it's all about the ratings. They want the game to be exciting. If you really think you're getting a rough deal, try living in W.A. and supporting a team that wins the first 9 games in a row and is barely mentioned at all by Victorian based media.

Maybe what people haven't been able to articulate was that the narrative that might have captured the imagination of a significant chunk of viewers was that Richmond were on track for a massive against-the-odds win. Freo storming home to beat Richmond would have been somewhat expected, as would a comfortable Freo victory, whereas the greatest potential for excitement seemed to be in a Richmond win. It did seem that most of the energy in the box was focused on calling things in line with a Dockers comeback, rather than whether Richmond could hang on for a great victory.

If they can't just call the game as it unfolds, and they insist on picking a "theme", then given Richmond were the underdog, and people generally seem to have a soft spot for them, then professionally perhaps that is the angle you would have gone with. So in the last few minutes perhaps a little more of "Can Richmond hang on!?", rather than just "There's still time for the Dockers!" and "How good is Nat Fyfe!" So in a sense as far as making the call entertaining they backed the wrong horse.

While Basil is competent in the around-the-grounds game wraps he does, personally I don't think he is a particularly talented caller, so that's probably more the cause of the unpopular call than any WA bias of his. Perhaps it's some sort of conspiracy by Channel 7 to put him on Fri night so they could use the public sentiment to remove him from calling all together.

 

[mehow2g]

Sorry but PC has nothing to do with it.
I just don't like my intelligence being constantly insulted.
The footy is the entertainment (and the theatre). Not the commentators.
I don't need to be convinced a game is exciting.
I don't need to be told there might be a momentum swing.

A good commentator is like a good umpire.
Understated and hardly noticed.

Insulted intelligence well put, it's how I feel and how everyone should feel.

They honestly must be on the piss.

 

[PieNSauce]

Really.... a premiership coach hates the club that brought his first coaching triumph? Why would that be?

Not sure about Leigh. I just hope he has the energy!

 

[MarcusP2]

"It's a good kick... but just off line... and out of bounds on the full."

I'm sure I heard a 'Looks good off the boot!' to a kick that barely scraped in for a behind last week.

 

[sprockets]

The guy who started this thread is a Tiger's supporter and at least half of all people responding are Tiger's supporters. Here's a suggestion.......stop being bloody cry babies. I agree that it was biased but it had absolutely nothing to do with anyone having an anti richmond agenda, and absolutely everything to do with making the game appear like it was exciting to suck in neutral viewers. Guess what? It happens in almost every game.
I happen to know for a fact that Basil Zemplis is not a Dockers supporter, and Dennis for the most part is fairly neutral. You guys just don't get it.......it's all about the ratings. They want the game to be exciting. If you really think you're getting a rough deal, try living in W.A. and supporting a team that wins the first 9 games in a row and is barely mentioned at all by Victorian based media.

Being one of the Tiger supporters that replied, I had a dig at Bruce and nobody else, which had nothing to do with our game v you. It's got nothing to do with which team we support. BTW check again who the OP supports but this time open your other eye. Here's a clue:

McRobie
Club Legend
Sydney
Other teams:
Joined:
Jul 14
Posts:
1,622

Sounds like someone's still angry at their team being humiliated.

PS. I didn't have a problem with the call, what matters to me is that we win.

 

[chiwigi]

Maybe what people haven't been able to articulate was that the narrative that might have captured the imagination of a significant chunk of viewers was that Richmond were on track for a massive against-the-odds win. Freo storming home to beat Richmond would have been somewhat expected, as would a comfortable Freo victory, whereas the greatest potential for excitement seemed to be in a Richmond win. It did seem that most of the energy in the box was focused on calling things in line with a Dockers comeback, rather than whether Richmond could hang on for a great victory.

If they can't just call the game as it unfolds, and they insist on picking a "theme", then given Richmond were the underdog, and people generally seem to have a soft spot for them, then professionally perhaps that is the angle you would have gone with. So in the last few minutes perhaps a little more of "Can Richmond hang on!?", rather than just "There's still time for the Dockers!" and "How good is Nat Fyfe!" So in a sense as far as making the call entertaining they backed the wrong horse.

While Basil is competent in the around-the-grounds game wraps he does, personally I don't think he is a particularly talented caller, so that's probably more the cause of the unpopular call than any WA bias of his. Perhaps it's some sort of conspiracy by Channel 7 to put him on Fri night so they could use the public sentiment to remove him from calling all together.

Heriein lies the problem. The game IS the entertainment and provides its own narrative. We don't need fools doing it for us, get professional people in to call a game with one colour commentator and let the sport entertain.

 

[Mattrox]

It was like the Crows weren't even playing.

We weren't. ...properly anyway... Well except for Jenkins and Laird... Danger's last quarter was ok.


But point taken. Comentators really should acknowledge good play on both sides while the game is happening.

 

[Mattrox]

No offence, but I live in Adelaide. If there's two sides whose supporters shouldn't complain about biased commentary, it's Adelaide and Port.

Adelaide radio is designed to have the biased call. If you want biased you can listen to it.

On a national broadcast on TV I want a fair call and proper analysis. Not Eddie crying that Walker should have been called for in the back.... Then an embarrassed Johnno Brown pulling him up on it.....

Fair enough "That looked like in the back, it would be interesting to see a replay", but not whining because the Crows got a goal.

 

[gungho]

Maybe what people haven't been able to articulate was that the narrative that might have captured the imagination of a significant chunk of viewers was that Richmond were on track for a massive against-the-odds win. Freo storming home to beat Richmond would have been somewhat expected, as would a comfortable Freo victory, whereas the greatest potential for excitement seemed to be in a Richmond win. It did seem that most of the energy in the box was focused on calling things in line with a Dockers comeback, rather than whether Richmond could hang on for a great victory.

If they can't just call the game as it unfolds, and they insist on picking a "theme", then given Richmond were the underdog, and people generally seem to have a soft spot for them, then professionally perhaps that is the angle you would have gone with. So in the last few minutes perhaps a little more of "Can Richmond hang on!?", rather than just "There's still time for the Dockers!" and "How good is Nat Fyfe!" So in a sense as far as making the call entertaining they backed the wrong horse.

While Basil is competent in the around-the-grounds game wraps he does, personally I don't think he is a particularly talented caller, so that's probably more the cause of the unpopular call than any WA bias of his. Perhaps it's some sort of conspiracy by Channel 7 to put him on Fri night so they could use the public sentiment to remove him from calling all together.

Good post.

 

[gungho]

Being one of the Tiger supporters that replied, I had a dig at Bruce and nobody else, which had nothing to do with our game v you. It's got nothing to do with which team we support. BTW check again who the OP supports but this time open your other eye. Here's a clue:

McRobie
Club Legend
Sydney
Other teams:
Joined:
Jul 14
Posts:
1,622

Sounds like someone's still angry at their team being humiliated.

PS. I didn't have a problem with the call, what matters to me is that we win.

Nah mate I'm not really angry at the loss on the weekend. Richmond is my second favourite team and I want them to do well this year.......just think some of their supporters are a bit sensitive.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Adelaide radio is designed to have the biased call. If you want biased you can listen to it.

On a national broadcast on TV I want a fair call and proper analysis. Not Eddie crying that Walker should have been called for in the back.... Then an embarrassed Johnno Brown pulling him up on it.....

Fair enough "That looked like in the back, it would be interesting to see a replay", but not whining because the Crows got a goal.

Graham Cornes used to say that. "We only go out to South Australian listeners" he used to say. I had to inform him that not only were not all South Australians Crows supporters, but his station WAS in fact national. You can pick the station up anywhere in Australia, and you can get a link through the AFL website. 5AA is no less national than any other radio station, or TV networks.

 

[Mattrox]

Graham Cornes used to say that. "We only go out to South Australian listeners" he used to say. I had to inform him that not only were not all South Australians Crows supporters, but his station WAS in fact national. You can pick the station up anywhere in Australia, and you can get a link through the AFL website. 5AA is no less national than any other radio station, or TV networks.

5AA advertises that it is a local call. It sells itself that way. Before Internet, it was only in SA and if you were a neutral or opposition you tuned in to ABC or watched TV.

There is no point complaining about biased commentary when 5AA are up front about it. If you want unbiased, tune in to something else.

However, since Bickley and McLeod joined the broadcasts it adds some sensible comment amonst the parochial call.

 

[sprockets]

Nah mate I'm not really angry at the loss on the weekend. Richmond is my second favourite team and I want them to do well this year.......just think some of their supporters are a bit sensitive.

Sensitive is the new black as it was in the 80's but this time it's retro as well. Can't get much better than that.