Certified Legendary Thread The absolute brilliance that is the C9 commentary team. CC: Brad McNamara

[iluvparis]

Every member of that Sky team are fantastic IMO. Hussain knows his stuff when it comes to the other teams and gives some really good insights, their Third Man segment is always pretty good too.

Anyone that has lived in England for any length of time and watched Sky coverage should weep at the putrid garbage you have to put up with on Channel 9. A class apart. I think it helps that most of their players come from era's when the team wasn't that good so any hint of hubris has been belted out of them.

 

[Doss]

Hussain is okay from what I’ve heard, but he also strikes me as sharing the one-eyed parochialism that we bemoan in the Nine team.

 

[Kram]

Hussain is a flog.

 

[010203]

Athers is probably the best around right now but i think it would be sad having him mixed in with the nine lot, he would either have to change and become more like them or he stays like he is and it would just be really uncomfortable having him with those clowns.

I take your point but i think it'd come down to who Atherton is paired with on commentary. I think if he was paired with Mark Taylor, Mark Nicholas or Shane Warne, Atherton would work out fine on 9. Warne may seem like a bizarre choice but he works better with certain commentators than with others. Warne would work better with somebody like Atherton than somebody like Brayshaw and or Michael Slater.

 

[BRWB]

I take your point but i think it'd come down to who Atherton is paired with on commentary. I think if he was paired with Mark Taylor, Mark Nicholas or Shane Warne, Atherton would work out fine on 9. Warne may seem like a bizarre choice but he works better with certain commentators than with others. Warne would work better with somebody like Atherton than somebody like Brayshaw and or Michael Slater.

Agree need someone strong and non blokey to keep Warnie off his favourite topic (himself).

Achieve that and you have a gun commentator. Switched on and not being a 'bloke' Warnie is a fantastic commentator who offers tremendous insight into the game along with some personality and a voice that is ok.

Thee is little hope for Slats who is just a s**t dribbler. Healy not far behind him.

 

[Restricted Free Agent]

Watching on bt sport at the moment. The English female commentator in there is actually pretty good (idk the name yet)

English females are better suited to calling, they don't have the screeching and boganisms that Aussies do.

The one on triple M aint to bad.

 

[010203]

If, realistically when Australia regain the Ashes at the WACA, who on the channel 9 team could do the moment justice? Slat's will just scream, Tubs i don't think has the voice for it - the big moment he had was Root's dismissal in the 2nd innings in Adelaide and his excitement sounded forced. Mark Nicholas will probably aim for the soundbite that'll be remembered forever. Bill would probably be able to do the moment justice but we have to wait until the Boxing Day test to hear the great man and i expect Australia to have regained the Ashes by then.

 

[The Passenger]

Hussain is okay from what I’ve heard, but he also strikes me as sharing the one-eyed parochialism that we bemoan in the Nine team.

I've been watching the BT coverage and they are about as one eyed as our blokes. But in a self deprecating kind of way because they are getting beaten.

The worst part of Graham Swann becoming a successful test bowler is it now appears likely he is going to permeate his way into cricket commentary teams around the world. I don't think his optimism through this series has been self deprecating.

 

[Doss]

I've been watching the BT coverage and they are about as one eyed as our blokes. But in a self deprecating kind of way because they are getting beaten.

The worst part of Graham Swann becoming a successful test bowler is it now appears likely he is going to permeate his way into cricket commentary teams around the world. I don't think his optimism through this series has been self deprecating.

Swann's so-called analysis on cricinfo has been questionable at best.

I swear Melinda Farrell has struggled to keep a straight face with him even more than she normally does.

 

[PrideOf]

I think Taylor gets dragged down by the environment. Could be very good if just left to talk cricket. Blokey banter doesn't suit him anyway and when he tries it it feels forced.

Slater I cannot stand. Everything is put on and no insight.

Healy is lazy. Thinks he's God's gift so no research, vague on rules even, calls things/decisions wrong repeatedly.

Plastic Nicholas don't like.

Do like Chappell though I know I'm in a minority there and has some foibles that grate.

Pietersen was great initially I thought but too focused on joking around now. Just getting annoying. When he stops to talk cricket is excellent and a straight shooter. Too rare though.

Just getting rid of Healy and Slater and replacing them with a professional caller or two from outside the blokey circle would have a major positive impact

I'm with you DABM, and the common denominator is this: once they talk about cricket - and only cricket - they're pretty good.

But once they try to be entertainers, Slater becomes a 10-year-old kid, Chappelli becomes Grandpa Simpson, Warne becomes an unfunny bogan, Pietersen becomes a trolling private schoolkid, Healy turns into the equivalent of white noise and Taylor sounds like an uncle trying to be cool with his teenage nephews.

Just. Call. The. *******. Cricket. Already.

 

[wagstaff]

and Taylor sounds like an uncle trying to be cool with his teenage nephews.

Yep. Spare us the zillionith gag related to Taylor not knowing anything about Twitter.

I think Taylor is one of Ch 9’s better commentators; he has a good sense of how a game is heading and what are the essential tactics and mode of play to employ. But his seemingly inability to not know anything about any cricket not broadcast by Ch 9 is dispiriting.

 

[PrideOf]

Yep. Spare us the zillionith gag related to Taylor not knowing anything about Twitter.

I think Taylor is one of Ch 9’s better commentators; he has a good sense of how a game is heading and what are the essential tactics and mode of play to employ. But his seemingly inability to not know anything about any cricket not broadcast by Ch 9 is dispiriting.

I know I keep saying this about both AFL and Cricket commentary, but it staggers me how these guys get employed because they were great tacticians or thinkers about the game when they played ... and yet the minute they're handed a microphone they're asked to be comedians.

I guess the bar is so low because people have no choice but to watch the monopoly coverage of their favourite summer sport, and ratings numbers don't count those of us who've muted the TV while we've got the radio on.

 

[StillAtLarge]

Slater is a fawning sycophant, particularly in the presence of Warne. It's disgusting.
Nicholas is their only redeemable asset but his anchoring & knowledge is mitigated by the clowns he's forced to commentate with

 

[JG22]

Watching on bt sport at the moment. The English female commentator in there is actually pretty good (idk the name yet)

English females are better suited to calling, they don't have the screeching and boganisms that Aussies do.

Seems an unpopular opinion but I reckon Alison Mitchell is terrible.

 

[BRWB]

what else does channel nine need to see to recruit Isa Guha?

Credible, understated, beautiful voice and attractive



Make it happen nine..

 

[Stopher]

I agree on removing Healy and Slater, as I think they are the worst of the bunch (and Clarke has an annoying voice for it).

That said, in the odd occasion in either the pre-match or lunch break, they ask one of these guys to do a little tutorial-type segment about their specific craft (ie Healy and glove-work up at the stumps etc), I can listen to that s**t all day. No jokes for the sake of it, mainly discussing the topic at hand, for which they were all more than competent during their respective careers.

 

[JG22]

lol @ Nicholas 'Alistair Root'

slight mistake but he is hosting the show very well.

When Taylor starts trying to analyse things is when they will go wrong

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Less than an hour into the coverage and already sick to death of KP’s accent

 

[JG22]

Absolute classic biased dribble from Mark Taylor.

 

[sherb]

Absolute classic biased dribble from Mark Taylor.

Sydney AFL Football Record 1982.
Go to page 18 (SDFA at a Glance) and check out one of the Parramatta players sitting on 25 goals.
https://nswfootballhistory.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/1982-07-25-Sydney-Football-Record.pdf

 

[PrideOf]

And just quietly, what in the blue * are they doing calling Ian Healy "Healso?"

Heals is already his nickname. It's unAustralian to turn someone's name into a nickname and make it longer, unless you simply add a "y".

That is all.

 

[Gethelred]

"But England are rubbish!" Heals says; "Australia have bowled well," he insists.

1/78 of 20 overs, with most of that in boundaries. Pitch has helped, but Starc and Cummins overpitching constantly has gifted Stoneman about 30 runs.

 

[peternorth]

Ponting and Isa Guha are fantastic

 

[bombersfan4000]

I think Taylor gets dragged down by the environment. Could be very good if just left to talk cricket. Blokey banter doesn't suit him anyway and when he tries it it feels forced.

Slater I cannot stand. Everything is put on and no insight.

Healy is lazy. Thinks he's God's gift so no research, vague on rules even, calls things/decisions wrong repeatedly.

Plastic Nicholas don't like.

Do like Chappell though I know I'm in a minority there and has some foibles that grate.

Pietersen was great initially I thought but too focused on joking around now. Just getting annoying. When he stops to talk cricket is excellent and a straight shooter. Too rare though.

Just getting rid of Healy and Slater and replacing them with a professional caller or two from outside the blokey circle would have a major positive impact

The funny thing is when commentating over in England on the BBC with a majority English commentary team tubby and Slater are quite bearable and knowledgeable! But it seems like it’s part of the contract with c9 leave the brain at home & carry on like a knob with microphone in hand

 

[The Passenger]

Swann's so-called analysis on cricinfo has been questionable at best.

Woke up not long after the Stoneman dismissal. Oooo boy was Swann salty about that one.