Mark Taylor = Bad Commentator

[peternorth]

He is nowhere near as bad as Ian Healy.

Michael Slater the best of the channel 9 crew.

ch 9 is seriously stuffed if thats the case

I listened to that exact conversation the OP described and I'm pretty sure Michael Slater brought it up. I can't recall Mark Taylor bringing up his own career very often. Certainly not to the extent of someone like Ian Chappell.

yes, it sounds very much like slater. also, does slater know there are players who arent from nsw?

Yeah he's terrible.

The guy has a serious love affair with Brad Haddin (as does Michael Slater). You'd think Haddin was better than Gilly with how much they crap on about him.

healy bagged teh shit out of haddin during the previous ODI

Grandstand is fantastic. I would be top stuff if they got these lads to commentate at ch9.

one thing i love about summer is ABC grandstand. nothing like a long drive to the coast for golf with grandstand on the radio.

 

[Adam Selwood]

Pretty obvious a directive has come down to try and be more like footy commentators; a bit more rowdy and loose, a bit more blokey and fun.

But it doesn't work at all, because none of them sound comfortable or genuine.

And **** me, where is Bill Lawry?!

Spot on

It is f*cking horrific

And yes, I would love to know where Bill is too...

Even though they are mickey mouse ODIs, at least Bill used to make them feel somewhat important. This season they have the same feel as a game of backyard cricket with your mates

Disgraceful stuff

 

[kidgorgeous]

Grandstand is fantastic. I would be top stuff if they got these lads to commentate at ch9.

Yes indeed.
As a side note, how many years did it take you to get from gorgeous to presentable?

 

[Bomber Bears]

I like Mark Taylor, says some smart things and not completely biased.

Ian Healy and James Brayshaw can **** right off

 

[Bomber Bears]

O'Keefe and Maxwell in the last 5 overs or so of the English innings yesterday was piss funny on the ABC

 

[Tyberious Funk]

IMHO, the cricket producers could really do with taking a leaf out of the footy commentary book.

A typical footy commentary team has, say, two guys who are there to call the game, and then an "expert" who is there to provide knowledge and insights on tactics. The guys that actually call the game, are first and foremost employed for their ability to call the game. Which is why you get guys like Commetti, Brayshaw, Maguire, Hudson and Quartermain, who are esentially specialist callers... and weren't necessarily football players of any note. You then get guys like Walls, Voss, Brereton and the like, that are employed for their expertise. Nobody expects them to be great callers, but when they talk... you DO expect them to be insightful.

Yeah, it doesn't always work out that way (eg, Walls). But the theory is sound. The ABC commentary mostly works that way. IMHO, the best commentary team on ABC is Harsha Bogle (who is an excellent game caller) and Kerry O'Keefe, who is an excellent "expert".

Channel 9 has a guy like Michael Slater, who is a terrible game caller AND a tactical nuff-nuff. And then someone like Taylor who is actually very knowedgable, but starts to drone on and on because he feels compelled to say something. As for Healy... the guy has captained Australia. He SHOULD know his stuff... but the compulsion with trying to be funny and entertaining has turned him into a cringe-making cariacature.

 

[dumb]

i'm wondering if it's all that matey stuff just been left to slide for too long and it's starting to stink, no-one kicked them into line. with mark nicholas in the commentary box (esp yesterday) you can almost sense the tension, that he getting a bit pissed with it himself.

have been waiting on well-wishes to bill but haven't heard any... thought he might be crook.

 

[Tyberious Funk]

have been waiting on well-wishes to bill but haven't heard any... thought he might be crook.

Bill and Richie are both getting old. Bill turns 74 this year, while Richie (unbelievably) is 80! Chappeli is 67 while Tony Greig is "only" 64. Consequently, I think Channel 9 give some them a reduced workload.

 

[legend166]

I like Mark Taylor in general, except for his obsession this summer with the no-ball thing. Get over it, Tubs.

 

[NAUGHT5]

I like Mark Taylor in general, except for his obsession this summer with the no-ball thing. Get over it, Tubs.

He's dead right though.
If a decision get's referred in an ODI, they check for the no-ball.

BUT they don't check the previous ball. Because after all, it could be a free hit.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

He's rather crap. But almost all of them are. And the "Let's call each other and the Australian players by nicknames" is crap.

More than any other sport or network in this country getting into Nine's cricket commentary team seems to be based on whether you're mates with whoever's already there.

 

[Parquet Court]

He's dead right though.
If a decision get's referred in an ODI, they check for the no-ball.

BUT they don't check the previous ball. Because after all, it could be a free hit.

 

[Admiral Byng]

I do the Ch 9 mute and ABC radio thing. In spite of the delay with the TV being a few seconds slower than the radio. Means I can be doing other things, and when I hear a wicket fall or a big shot played I can look up and see it happen "live" on the TV.

Works for me. I got so fed up with the Ch 9 crew sniping and sledging each other. Leave that sort of stuff for the bar afterwrds, just discuss the game in fornt of you please.

 

[glenferry23]

for me, ian healy is the worst of the bunch. really cant stand him, this summer it has been so damn painful at times listening to him, for the first time ever i've found myself turning the volume right down and just watching the game

 

[THRILLHO]

He's dead right though.
If a decision get's referred in an ODI, they check for the no-ball.

BUT they don't check the previous ball. Because after all, it could be a free hit.

That you, Tony? I think it's kinda funny that Greig says this everytime after someone says something and it's started to rub off on the rest of the commentators.

Could start a 'dead right' drinking game.

Anyway, my opinion on the commentators, especially Healy, are well documented. They have regressed horrifically this season. It's gotten to the point where I dont even mind Nicholas and Greig anymore, since the other lot have overpowered my dislike of them.

Also, where the **** is Bill Lawry? Absolutely needed.

 

[Johnson#26]

There's definitely been worse than Taylor this season. Healy has made one or two pertinent points all season, but he ruins it by harping on about it incessently. The rest of the time he's just a flog. He's gotten a lot worse over the last few years - he wasn't this bad when he started.

Slater's been bad when he's trying to be 'hip', especially when he's on with Heals. I've enjoyed Brayshaw in the one dayers, but maybe that's because I like him as a football commentator.

Needs to be quoted for truth.

Taylor's great, btw. Always listen to him.

 

[Johnson#26]

That you, Tony?

 

[Jab]

If you have a HQ box on pay TV, you can pause the coverage on nine if you watch it through their set top box. If you pause it for 3 seconds, you can sync it up with ABC radio on just the right spot

You will still be watching it 3 seconds later than everyone else on nine, but it will be worth the delay

 

[Kid Presentable]

Yes indeed.
As a side note, how many years did it take you to get from gorgeous to presentable?

longer to go from gruesome to presentable.

 

[buddyruff]

All you need is Ritchie, Bill & Tony.

The other guys can get ****ed.

 

[placebo]

They're all frickin terrible.


Foxsports commentators (Fleming, BJ, Border, Waugh) >>> Ch. 9.

 

[nineteen eighty]

I'm telling you boys, go get yourselves a digital radio and there is no delay factor. Listen to the ABC boys all day long synced to what is happening on the screen and spare yourselves the pain of listening to Ch 9 commentary.

And for what it's worth, I don't mind Taylor...one of the more sensible ones. Not sure what the producers are trying to do with Slater (or if it is Slater himself) but please stop with the "geez I'm hip" crap! WTF is that all about!!

 

[Donners]

Digital radios tend not to be quite in sync through - you need the ones you can adjust by a few seconds to be exact.

Why don't some of the twats on here listen to the ABC then. Every sport all you hear is complaints about the commentators. They're ALL bad? Thinks it's more about the knockers enjoying knocking. Makes them feel important.

I do listen to the ABC whenever possible, actually. Genuine insight and entertaining commentary rather than self-serving hammy characters.

 

[King Elvis]

They're all frickin terrible.


Foxsports commentators (Fleming, BJ, Border, Waugh) >>> Ch. 9.

Definitely agree with this, the Fox team is excellent.

 

[Bomber Bears]

IMHO, the cricket producers could really do with taking a leaf out of the footy commentary book.

A typical footy commentary team has, say, two guys who are there to call the game, and then an "expert" who is there to provide knowledge and insights on tactics. The guys that actually call the game, are first and foremost employed for their ability to call the game. Which is why you get guys like Commetti, Brayshaw, Maguire, Hudson and Quartermain, who are esentially specialist callers... and weren't necessarily football players of any note. You then get guys like Walls, Voss, Brereton and the like, that are employed for their expertise. Nobody expects them to be great callers, but when they talk... you DO expect them to be insightful.

Yeah, it doesn't always work out that way (eg, Walls). But the theory is sound. The ABC commentary mostly works that way. IMHO, the best commentary team on ABC is Harsha Bogle (who is an excellent game caller) and Kerry O'Keefe, who is an excellent "expert".

Channel 9 has a guy like Michael Slater, who is a terrible game caller AND a tactical nuff-nuff. And then someone like Taylor who is actually very knowedgable, but starts to drone on and on because he feels compelled to say something. As for Healy... the guy has captained Australia. He SHOULD know his stuff... but the compulsion with trying to be funny and entertaining has turned him into a cringe-making cariacature.

Need I remind you of the Ken Sutcliffe disaster?