Generalist vs Specialists in Sports coverage

[mhill]

What prompted my thoughts on this thread title was seeing Bruce McAvaney on the Channel 7 coverage of the cricket and vomiting into my lunch plate at the pub.
Thankfully, the TV was muted so I was spared the ignominy of having to listen to his hyperbole but it got me thinking - is it fair to vomit on my lunch plate at the sight of Bruce participating in the lunch conversation of a test?
Conversely, I REALLY enjoy listening to Andrew Symonds who provides insight and context to a game
“He needs to hunch his shoulders over the ball before picking up the ball” which explains what is happening and why.

Which leads me to the question:-
What place does a sporting generalist have in commentary of a sport vs that of a specialist?

Is it the sport, the person’s ability to articulate or a combination of the 2?

Was I wrong to vomit my steak at the pub upon seeing Bruce on the cricket coverage or as the publican said while bringing a cloth

“It does taking some getting used to”

 

[TheJanuaryMan]

A very good broadcaster can converse on a range of sports with knowledge and be able to discuss most at a reasonable level. Would think many specialists also take an interest in other mainstream sports to give them another string to their bow in the off-season (eg Dwayne Russell doing AFL in winter and NBL in summer).

Sometimes the specialist can be TOO ingrained in the sport and give knowledge/opinions which require a more technical knowledge than the average sports follower (not in the case of the Symonds statement above, that is an interesting observation he makes which would be handy to a casual cricket follower).

A broadcaster like Bruce, with a strong knowledge of a range of sports (AFL, Olympic sports, racing etc) isn't out of place in a situation like that, IMHO. He's been in the game long enough to hold the credibility to discuss something like cricket without losing too many points. If he was a complete newcomer, then yes, I'd agree with you to a degree.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Bruce as channel 7’s main sports banana can have a place in any sport.
He will always be well researched so that wouldn’t be an issue you’d think.

However, if Bruce goes his (becoming usual) sycophantic indulgence style then it would a real turn off.

Not sure Bruce realises he’s becoming old embarrassing uncle syndrome. Tone down son, tone down.

So to answer the question, a generalist well versed presenter can do many sports; the dumb no knowledge talking heads should stay away. (Bruce is unfortunately becoming a different category of over the top indulgence. Shame.)

 

[Dixie Normous]

Andy Maher needs to be loaned out to Nine so he can head up the Australian Open Tennis commentary.

 

[TheJanuaryMan]

Andy Maher needs to be loaned out to Nine so he can head up the Australian Open Tennis commentary.

His station polo collection would start to rival Dale Kickett's guernsey collection

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Try Rebecca Maddern on Ch 9 coverage of the tennis...vomit inducing

 

[StillAtLarge]

I really rate huddo but his talents don't translate well to cricket imo

 

[Elvis]

Pete Donegan is someone who is always good no matter the occasion. It's a crime that he is not used more often when douchebags like Hame or Basil front up to anything they can get their heads on

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Pete Donegan is someone who is always good no matter the occasion. It's a crime that he is not used more often when douchebags like Hame or Basil front up to anything they can get their heads on

For all Hame’s faults even he is still better than the douche champion Basil. One of the rare humans that can live in the company of Spud Frawley and Andrew Gaze. Not a brain cell between them. Dreadful at everything.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Specialist every time. Takes years of knowledge to get a feel for the sport, helps if your actually interested in it to.

Generalist should just mediate, segue, announce.

 

[The Made Guy]

Tony Jones redefines the term "generalist". He is most general of all generalists.

Take away his autocue and scripted questions, he becomes a weird loose cannon with half a brain cell and an inflated opinion of his own importance.

Having said that, let me say this. He would have been a gun on television in the 1960s. Just born fifty years too late, ol' mate chompers.

 

[Dixie Normous]

Tony Jones' pulled back Daryl Braithwaite face is enraging

 

[mhill]

The Tony Jones, Basil and Andy references belong in a different thread - one entitled “Amazing Stories”
I do respect Bruce and as a horse racing fan - his respect for the sport to not call the Cup despite Channel 7’s suits asking him to save them money is a great indicator of the man’s integrity.
I just think that you can take yourself out of a comfort zone and wind up in public without your pants on. And that appeared to be Bruce’s lot when talking on the C7 coverage

 

[Saintly Viewed]

The Tony Jones, Basil and Andy references belong in a different thread - one entitled “Amazing Stories”
I do respect Bruce and as a horse racing fan - his respect for the sport to not call the Cup despite Channel 7’s suits asking him to save them money is a great indicator of the man’s integrity.
I just think that you can take yourself out of a comfort zone and wind up in public without your pants on. And that appeared to be Bruce’s lot when talking on the C7 coverage

Bruce also knew for him to get to that level, he’d have to practice and prepare for a long time, it’s not just one race it’s the whole 37 races over the carnival.

As Matt Hill is doing the calling anyway for Racing Victoria, I love marine channel 7 pays something for the usage but might still be in the TV deal they use the designated caller.

For what it’s worth Bruce I found not a particularly good racecaller. Accurate yes, but had a very thin voice, not th classic sound of Australian race calls. Always sounded very thin.
Gerard Whately is even worse, he is such a screamer.

Matt Hill by far a genius at race calling. We’ve been blessed Greg Miles and now Matt Hill.
Perfect.

 

[mhill]

Bruce also knew for him to get to that level, he’d have to practice and prepare for a long time, it’s not just one race it’s the whole 37 races over the carnival.

As Matt Hill is doing the calling anyway for Racing Victoria, I love marine channel 7 pays something for the usage but might still be in the TV deal they use the designated caller.

For what it’s worth Bruce I found not a particularly good racecaller. Accurate yes, but had a very thin voice, not th classic sound of Australian race calls. Always sounded very thin.
Gerard Whately is even worse, he is such a screamer.

Matt Hill by far a genius at race calling. We’ve been blessed Greg Miles and now Matt Hill.
Perfect.

Totally agree. Very happy with Matt Hill - remarkable effort to fill the shoes of the great Greg Miles.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Totally agree. Very happy with Matt Hill - remarkable effort to fill the shoes of the great Greg Miles.

Greg is my all time favourite caller. Genius.

Matt Hill is remarkable how good he already is.

For what it’s worth my second best was the late Bill Collins.
Matt might challenge him yet. It’s all in front of him.

 

[yaco55]

Matt Hill is a gun - Never heard a caller who can so quickly and accurately run through a field of 18 to 20 horses.

 

[TheJanuaryMan]

Matt Hill does it without histronics and snappy, rehearsed lines - just calls the race as it unfolds with calm accuracy. Also gets a tick for the way he managed things when moving from Sydney. Didn't expect to waltz straight into calling Victoria gallops - called footy and provincial trots meetings to bide his time before going to the gallops.

 

[mhill]

Matt Hill does it without histronics and snappy, rehearsed lines - just calls the race as it unfolds with calm accuracy. Also gets a tick for the way he managed things when moving from Sydney. Didn't expect to waltz straight into calling Victoria gallops - called footy and provincial trots meetings to bide his time before going to the gallops.

That’s the beauty of a specialist - they understand the skill required to call their sport is too high to do it across multiples of sports.

I listened to Huddo calling Big Bash on the radio tonight. Now for me, in the hands of the right caller, cricket can actually be better to listen than watch.
Huddo did a pretty good job calling the first few overs but then lapses into TV commentary where you describe the action before the outcome. Young Harvey took a great catch running backwards but his first call wasn’t to tell us what happened - which was it was a wicket - instead he described what he was doing until you had to work out through a process of elimination that it had to be a catch.
Extremely frustrating as we can’t see what has happened and assuming a wicket isn’t something the commentator should expect of the listener - that just ain’t cricket!