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

[Gethelred]

The others are poor, but with the right combination they could resurrect the bad commentators to a vestige of what they were. Nicholas isn't the worst in there, but he doesn't stop them when they don't discuss the play and he spends what time he has calling shots 'sublime', when they're from genuine half volleys.

Case in point: Smith played an absolutely stunningly inventive half sweep, half hammer of a shot to Ali, which he hit hard into the deck to make it bounce over the leg slip/gully, where it went for 4 through fine leg.

That's sublime, because it's completely different, and it took what was a good ball where the only possibility was to block and risk being caught on the leg side, and turned it into a boundary without taking a risk. Did the commentary talk about it? No, they didn't spare it a thought before they moved back to discussing whatever inanity they were on about before. Nicholas was in the chair when that happened, him and Chappell.

As a side note, I'm getting a bit sick of the commentary calling a shot a great one merely because it went for 4. If you've bowled a long hop, either by overpitching or dropping it short, it deserves to get put away; why are the commentary handing out gold stars when that happens? If a shot's a great one, it's because it's difficult, because the placement is just exquisite or because the ball was a good one, not merely because it's gone for 4. Sometimes, a 1's a great shot; sometimes, just not going out is a masterpiece. But no, the hyperbole in the box, the desire to make every single ball seem like the best one and every shot the most pristine thing ever, strips cricket of its colour, and its subtlety.

 

[James Colorado]

I really wish there was an emoji blowing smoke up its own arse to sum up the above.

 

[Fat Nyfe]

Why can't Clarke breathe like a normal person.

 

[SterlingArcher]

******* a $1,000 for some s**t memorabilia from Australia's EMPHATIC series win (that's not even over yet), who the * would buy this and how can they sell it without a hint of irony? The claim was it is the best valued signed memorabilia in years or some s**t, *.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Seriously, I never cease to be amazed at how much people love to complain about the commentators. If it's that bad, turn down the sound, you can still see what's going on without the commentary, and obviously people don't need to be informed of anything. That won't happen though, because so far as I can fathom, that's what people love most about the cricket, whingeing about the commentators, and how can they whinge about them unless they listen to them?

 

[Ischenko]

Seriously, I never cease to be amazed at how much people love to complain about the commentators. If it's that bad, turn down the sound, you can still see what's going on without the commentary, and obviously people don't need to be informed of anything. That won't happen though, because so far as I can fathom, that's what people love most about the cricket, whingeing about the commentators, and how can they whinge about them unless they listen to them?

Do you think the Channel 9 commentary does justice to test cricket? Its incredible history, its subtleties, the tensions and characters and tactics and the many interweaving narratives? I think people complain because they care about the game, and therefore how the game is being represented. Channel 9's cricket commentators exemplify everything that is wrong with Australian sporting culture, and I personally feel that what they serve up is verging on a national disgrace. It's certainly embarrassing anyway, and it is obviously diminishing many people's enjoyment of test cricket.

 

[Kram]

Seriously, I never cease to be amazed at how much people love to complain about the commentators. If it's that bad, turn down the sound, you can still see what's going on without the commentary, and obviously people don't need to be informed of anything. That won't happen though, because so far as I can fathom, that's what people love most about the cricket, whingeing about the commentators, and how can they whinge about them unless they listen to them?

Watch the game in dead silence? Old man some people want to hear the sounds of the game. Surely it's not too hard to have at least half decent commentary.

 

[Mockcockpit]

Seriously, I never cease to be amazed at how much people love to complain about the commentators. If it's that bad, turn down the sound, you can still see what's going on without the commentary, and obviously people don't need to be informed of anything. That won't happen though, because so far as I can fathom, that's what people love most about the cricket, whingeing about the commentators, and how can they whinge about them unless they listen to them?

Channel 9 have been the gold standard for the televised broadcast of cricket since 1977. You watch any broadcast from any match anywhere in the world and it will essentially be a copy of 9's coverage, the camera locations, angles, stump-cam, microphones, hawk-eye, spider-cam, hot spot, the composition of the commentary team, all of it originated at 9. If there's a perception that it has all turned a bit crap then people will talk about it. But you're right, with the sound down 9's coverage is still top notch.

 

[Scotland]

Watching South Africa vs India and Michael Holding is part of the commentary team. He should be here. He's cool, mon. Was never the same after Max Walker lent him is Walkman.

 

[STFU Donnie]

I recently added a signed first of Boycott's autobiography to my library.

Did you get it signed by the GM himself?

 

[Gough]

Did you get it signed by the GM himself?

Unfortunately not, eBay special. I got my Bradman albums personally signed by Sir Don at the Adelaide Oval one day.

 

[STFU Donnie]

Channel 9 have been the gold standard for the televised broadcast of cricket since 1977. You watch any broadcast from any match anywhere in the world and it will essentially be a copy of 9's coverage, the camera locations, angles, stump-cam, microphones, hawk-eye, spider-cam, hot spot, the composition of the commentary team, all of it originated at 9. If there's a perception that it has all turned a bit crap then people will talk about it. But you're right, with the sound down 9's coverage is still top notch.

Nope. Hawk-eye was first used by Channel 4.

 

[Wolfs]

Watching South Africa vs India and Michael Holding is part of the commentary team. He should be here. He's cool, mon. Was never the same after Max Walker lent him is Walkman.

It's funny. I should look the SA commentary but it's like doesn't have the same oomph which is kind of the same oomph that I don't like about C9. Man, I'm crazy.

 

[STFU Donnie]

Unfortunately not, eBay special. I got my Bradman albums personally signed by Sir Don at the Adelaide Oval one day.

I once had lunch in the Bradman Room with the man himself ...





... seated three tables away.

 

[Gough]

I once had lunch in the Bradman Room with the man himself ...





... seated three tables away.

I had lunch there a couple of times, one of mates is a vegetarian and that was a very old school buffet they used to put on down there, he ate a lot of bread and lettuce.

 

[STFU Donnie]

******* a $1,000 for some s**t memorabilia from Australia's EMPHATIC series win (that's not even over yet), who the **** would buy this and how can they sell it without a hint of irony? The claim was it is the best valued signed memorabilia in years or some s**t, ****.

This is one of my major gripes. It's not memorabilia. It's merchandise!

Not having a go at you, BTW.

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

Watching South Africa vs India and Michael Holding is part of the commentary team. He should be here. He's cool, mon. Was never the same after Max Walker lent him is Walkman.

Give this man a prize

 

[Scotland]

This is one of my major gripes. It's not memorabilia. It's merchandise!

Not having a go at you, BTW.

It's mem-ra-bool-a-bee-a to me. Always will be.

 

[010203]

Bill Lawry has always been my favourite channel 9 commentator even when Richie was around. However,if he does the Melbourne and Sydney tests next summer, the prevailing view could be that he's past it or gone one year too long etc and i hope that doesn't happen.

 

[Wolfs]

The commentary has weirdly gotten better since a couple of years ago. I mean there are a lot of issues but all in all, it wasn't bad.

 

[Kram]

It's gone from an F grade to about a D imo.

 

[010203]

The commentary has weirdly gotten better since a couple of years ago. I mean there are a lot of issues but all in all, it wasn't bad.

Brad McNamara leaving is a huge reason for that.

 

[Wolfs]

It's gone from an F grade to about a D imo.

Progress!!!

Also having that flog McNamara gone does make a difference.

 

[010203]

It'd be nice if somebody could give Tubby a thesaurus so he can find some different ways of saying ''from an Australian/or whoever Australia is playing point of view''. From my perspective, it's drinking game material and has been for a very long time now.

 

[SportsCentre]

Bill Lawry has always been my favourite channel 9 commentator even when Richie was around. However,if he does the Melbourne and Sydney tests next summer, the prevailing view could be that he's past it or gone one year too long etc and i hope that doesn't happen.

Bill will be 81 on February 11.
Richie was the same age when he stepped away.
I too love Bill but have noticed some of his commentary this Summer has been slurred.