Do you find the commentary over dramatic?

[PerthBoy86]

One thing you notice when watching old games, is the commentary seems a bit more sedate usually, depending on the caller, but on average they didnt get that excited unless something really exciting happened. Now it seems every possession is the last 5 minutes of a grand final, if a side is likely to score etc. Like theyre trying hard to get people excited. I mean I like the drama, and I think some of the old calls were a hit pedestrian (some certainly weren't) but it's starting to get over the top. BT is entertaining but you feel he's having too much fun at times lol. I feel he and Bruce really began that super dramatic excited modern style of commentating. Callers like Cometti and Quartermaine were a good balance, Huddo too.

What are your thoughts on this? I mean besides all the general commentary complaints.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Yes, it is incredibly irritating.

I think it's a combination of a few things. It's them trying to convince us that what is generally a quite long and boring sport for most of the game - is edge of your seat stuff.

It's the commentators themselves trying to make a name for themselves by making an 'iconic call' every single play.

It's the producers having a couple of predetermined narratives and the commentators being forced to crap on about them constantly - regardless of whether it's actually real or not. The narrative is usually about how unbelievable some mediocre player is or something, so every time they go near the ball the commentators go irrationally beresk about them. It rarely lines up with what you're seeing with your own eyes.


I honestly feel dumber after watching a game of footy on TV.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Been that way for yonks worse nowadays than ever

 

[Cleavy]

The gushing over the star players even for doing something basic is worse than it has ever been.

 

[catstorm]

The gushing over the star players even for doing something basic is worse than it has ever been.

I’m not so sure about that, nor do it think it’s a uniquely AFL thing.

I still remember watching games of NRL with Andrew John’s playing and he would make a standard pass to the 5/8 who would then pass to the center then like the centre would step a player break a tackle flick pass to a winger and the commentators would rave about John’s 2 meter pass that did nothing.

Commentators love their favorites always have always will.

 

[AFC3000]

I remember we went through a period where all commentary and breaks was trying to be comedy. I don’t need that.

But the one thing that really annoys me for whatever reason is when a commentator starts their big call of an exciting goal, but the ball is clearly going to miss, instead of reacting to that, they call the goal anyway and then take it back after.

Probably prepared lines they want to use, love the sound of their own voice or just want to make sure their voice is part of the highlights package if somehow it doesn’t miss.

 

[Altum Volantes]

There is a line - you listen to some of the commentary in the lower leagues and it's incredibly boring, especially with the slower pace of the game, but yeah they are obviously told to keep it exciting and dramatic to keep the viewer engaged, which i guess is ultimately part of their job.

 

[Clark G]

One thing you notice when watching old games, is the commentary seems a bit more sedate usually, depending on the caller, but on average they didnt get that excited unless something really exciting happened. Now it seems every possession is the last 5 minutes of a grand final, if a side is likely to score etc. Like theyre trying hard to get people excited. I mean I like the drama, and I think some of the old calls were a hit pedestrian (some certainly weren't) but it's starting to get over the top. BT is entertaining but you feel he's having too much fun at times lol. I feel he and Bruce really began that super dramatic excited modern style of commentating. Callers like Cometti and Quartermaine were a good balance, Huddo too.

What are your thoughts on this? I mean besides all the general commentary complaints.

That is debatable.

 

[kickazz]

Trying to pump themselves up as well as trying to get our attention.

With double screening a thing now it's not enough to simply have us the footy on the TV.

But it is over the top. And there's too many of them all trying to say their bit.


My pet peeve is when they don't bother learning the rules.

 

[kickazz]

Different era and a different sport - but these two Richie Benaud quotes should be put up in a prominent place in all commentary boxes:


put your brain into gear and if you can add to what's on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up.

Remember, above all, that you are a guest in someone’s living room, often for six hours a day, so try not to irritate them.

 

[PhatBoy]

Different era and a different sport - but these two Richie Benaud quotes should be put up in a prominent place in all commentary boxes:


put your brain into gear and if you can add to what's on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up.

Remember, above all, that you are a guest in someone’s living room, often for six hours a day, so try not to irritate them.

The greatest commentary mantra of all is that of Roy and HG:

“Make the trivial incredibly serious and the serious incredibly trivial.”

It seems a lot of commentators do this in a non-satirical sense sometimes.

 

[Robroy22]

Bring back Dennis

 

[Freddy Swift]

Don’t know if ‘dramatic’ is the right word PerthBoy, more like bloody annoying.

They have it in their heads who they think should win the game and they call the match accordingly. Everything one team does will be gushed over and whatever the other team does is just ho-hum.

I discovered some time ago that the mute button is a wonderful thing.

 

[Pistol Night]

Do I? ****n Dwayne nearly has a aneurysm describing the coin toss

 

[Pistol Night]

Different era and a different sport - but these two Richie Benaud quotes should be put up in a prominent place in all commentary boxes:


put your brain into gear and if you can add to what's on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up.

Remember, above all, that you are a guest in someone’s living room, often for six hours a day, so try not to irritate them.

I’ve never thought of it like this but I just had a cold shiver down my spine thinking about BT or Derwayne sitting on the couch with me all afternoon

 

[theprospector]

Admins - get this moved across to the Fourth Estate board.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

EPL and NFL commentary a million times better

 

[Captain_Plane]

It's probably happening to every sport, and it's not just commentary but live as well. I watched part of an ODI between Australia and India from 2003 on youtube and it was funny comparing it to today. The commentary is mainly a couple of old guys watching the game and chiming in every now and again, and the introductions for a new batsman coming out were stock photos of them wearing ugly ties and awkward smiles. Now each new batter explodes out with fireworks and angry excited looks. And at the game it's no different! Music/lights/announcer hype. Welcome to America

 

[dexter_]

Dwayne is by far the worst offender when it comes to this. Every competitive game is a classic in his eyes.

 

[Aristotle Pickett the3rd]

Yes I do. It's confected rubbish a lot, especially from Anthony Hudson.

 

[Del80659]

this is one of the biggest problems the league has in general. every play is called like the greatest piece of sporting excellence in human history is about to unravel before us. and when it doesn't, they pretend the very next thing happening could be the greatest piece of sporting excellence in human history. and so on and so on. it's never-ending. the hyper exaggerated, hysterical calling of the game is what turns people off. they don't like to be lied to under the guise of entertainment.

one time sadio mane scored this amazing goal for liverpool and the commentator said "impudence personified!". do you think any AFL commentator even knows what either of those words mean?

 

[Meteoric Rise]

You listen to Jack Dyer commentating there, you could equally choose Lou Richards or Michael Williamson or others from that time. But just taking Dyer as an example. He is making continuous commentary that describes the football in a way that tells you he is watching everything in the game very closely. At every break in play for a ball up or whatever, he always has a little comment about the game. Absolutely nothing rehearsed, nothing focussing on himself, no rubbish puns, nicknames or matey comments about fellow commentators. If you see footage of the camera on these guys when they commentated they are right into the game, and nothing else. As a young boy they made the game seem interesting to me. Not by focussing on themselves, but by focussing on what the listener is really interested in, the game, the footballers.

The relegation of this style of commentary is sad. Mostly replaced by absolute self-promoting waffle from Russell, BT, Brayshaw, Gary Lyon etc. Or pointless screaming over nothing that others had mentioned.

 

[marcus1232]

Just give me matt hill on every game

 

[Quinten Kennedy]

I'm just happy if they can string a sentence together these days.

Rather a great talker than a great ex-footballer.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I'm just happy if they can string a sentence together these days.

Rather a great talker than a great ex-footballer.

Ex-footballers like Dyer and Lou Richards used to be able to call games really well. One I do like these days is Montagna, when he calls games he does a really good job.