Can anything be done about Bruce?

[calyam]

The problem is that Bruce can be good. Very good in fact. He has called no shortage of Olympic events where his professionalism and knowledge shines through.

But like so many of the C7 commentators he plays up to the audience though I'm sure he is asked to do so by his managers running the broadcast. They want him to go over the top with the 'specials' and 'delicious', in the same way that they want BT screaming 'Big Boy' at every available opportunity. The end result is a broadcast that feels incredibly unprofessional and unpolished.

Unfortunately this is exactly what C7 want. Nobody on this forum is the target of their broadcasts; we are the 'hardcore' fans that are going to tune in no matter how much BT annoys us. We will tolerate Rompingwins incompetence and Bruce's nonsense because we have no alternative. Though I'm unconvinced that unprofessional commentary is the way to reach a wider audience - my Sydney-born and raised girlfriend with no prior knowledge of AFL is rarely impressed by the drivel of BT and friends.

 

[caitsith01]

So if the vast majority of us punters can see the problem, why can't the TV execs?

I can only assume that these decisions are made on the basis that these guys are either 'legendary commentators' (Bruce and the other senile ones) or 'good blokes' behind the scenes (Darcy must be great at parties, he certainly isn't getting the gig based on his compelling commentary).

If anyone at Seven could step outside of the hallucinatory bubble they apparently inhabit, they should be looking for a lineup of:

Tim Lane
Huddo
Matthews*
Cometti
One or two of the less horrendous ex-players

* non Brisbane or Hawthorn games only

 

[icee]

So if the vast majority of us punters can see the problem, why can't the TV execs?

Because the AFL is run as a boys club. The other issue is so many people want their fingers in the TV rights pie. So many ex players who seriously dont deserve to be in the media at all are being paid top $ to lower the standards of football media.

Listen to the A-League commentators..thats how you do it. Have one ex player who can articulate the passage of play well and thats it.

And really when in 2014 we still have a program like the footy show and people like sam newman still rating big well things are not going to change. There are over 3/4 of a million people who still tune in every thursday night to watch what is the worst type of programming on TV at present, so that in itself tells you the standards that have been set.

 

[Jeff Spicoli]

I can only assume that these decisions are made on the basis that these guys are either 'legendary commentators' (Bruce and the other senile ones) or 'good blokes' behind the scenes (Darcy must be great at parties, he certainly isn't getting the gig based on his compelling commentary).

If anyone at Seven could step outside of the hallucinatory bubble they apparently inhabit, they should be looking for a lineup of:

Tim Lane
Huddo
Matthews*
Cometti
One or two of the less horrendous ex-players

* non Brisbane or Hawthorn games only

huddo? surely not

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Bring back this bloke

Calls the game straight. Comments on the game. Understands the game. Doesn't overshadow the action so that he's the star of the show. Is considered good enough to commentate the Olympic games but can only get a gig calling the VFL on the ABC.

 

[Doc Hattori]

Bring back this bloke

Calls the game straight. Comments on the game. Understands the game. Doesn't overshadow the action so that he's the star of the show. Is considered good enough to commentate the Olympic games but can only get a gig calling the VFL on the ABC.

Isn't it amazing. Donegan can go and call a VFL game or the Stawell Gift or the Melb Cup (or anything) without hardly knowing the participants and get it right and make it interesting. His calls at the Olympics were exceptional.

Yet we have to listen to Bruce who is just a parody of the half decent caller he once was.

Bruce is annoying, facile, dumb, embarassing, grating, out-dated and they are the nice things you can say. I can handle any of the other callers - Dwayne, Huddo, even Hamish but seriously Bruce DOES MY HEAD IN with his grating voice and stupid little sayings.

Channel 7. FFS get rid of him. Unfortunately if I watch my games on Foxtel (so I can see what's happening), my TV has an inbuilt delay. Therefore when Bruce is calling I watch in silence.

With talk of a new TV deal, I cannot believe how the AFL could take Channel 7 seriously between their crap picture and their crap calls/ presentation of footy.

 

[Dynamics]

You guys just beat me to the punch!

Peter Donegan is the finest football caller in the land.

If I had my way he would be the lead commentator at Seven.

He's articulate, impartial, professional, and he knows and loves the game. There's not a week that goes by that I don't lament his absence from AFL coverage.

He would give us exactly what people here are begging for.

 

[TheCryingGame]

I can only assume that these decisions are made on the basis that these guys are either 'legendary commentators' (Bruce and the other senile ones) or 'good blokes' behind the scenes (Darcy must be great at parties, he certainly isn't getting the gig based on his compelling commentary).

If anyone at Seven could step outside of the hallucinatory bubble they apparently inhabit, they should be looking for a lineup of:

Tim Lane
Huddo
Matthews*
Cometti
One or two of the less horrendous ex-players

* non Brisbane or Hawthorn games only

You think? Guy strikes as the most dull person on earth!

Have to say I don't rate that list of commentators except for Dennis. Never thought I'd say this but bring back Stephen Quartermain!

 

[bomberz20_72]

Unfortunately ch7 and the like have become tabloid stations, so we'll get tabloid commentators.... If ABC got the broadcast rights we'd find the best commentators (donegan etc) would call the games and we'd all be happy.... In a perfect world...

 

[the_interloper]

Unfortunately ch7 and the like have become tabloid stations, so we'll get tabloid commentators.... If ABC got the broadcast rights we'd find the best commentators (donegan etc) would call the games and we'd all be happy.... In a perfect world...

That's about as likely as Relton Roberts making a comeback.

 

[Senor Ed]

Dwayne Russell is the worst. Absolute flog.

He doesn't know who the players are and consistently confuses them.

On the weekend, he mistook Pavlich for Sandilands at a centre bounce.

HIS NAME IS ON HIS F&*%&*G JUMPER!!

 

[Persevering Saint]

He's past it, isn't he?

But it's harder to commentate now, isn't it?

 

[bomberz20_72]

That's about as likely as Relton Roberts making a comeback.

One can dream....

 

[joop]

It was pretty funny yesterday when Rioli was on all fours and enright was picking up the ball 3m away and Bruce nearly had an orgasm telling us how dangerous Rioli is without the ball..
The problem is that in most games there is 5,6 or even 7 people on the panel so everyone wants to chime in with some sort of dribble which takes away from a commentator actually calling the game.

 

[Dynamics]

I wouldn't mind:

Callers:
Donegan
Cometti
(Secondary team from Christian, Whately and Hudson. Lane if he is omitted for Carlton games)

Special comments:
Voss
Brereton
(Secondary team of Matthews, maybe someone like Alves or R Shaw... I wish I had some better nominations here)

Get some different ex players in, please! The quality of recently retired players stepping into the commentary game is abysmal. Far too many "good blokes" or knuckleheads getting a gig ahead of those who can actually tell us something we don't know. In English.


Boundary riders:
Rohan Connolly (good for a bit of historical perspective and for the fan's perspective)
Nathan Thompson (recent ex player who shows plenty of potential)


Quick word on Voss. I couldn't stand his media work prior to his coaching gig. Now, listening to him on SEN, he's like a different person. He's gone from stating the obvious to giving a real insight into the way modern coaches assess the game. Get him back on telly, he's come a long way.

 

[Ancient Tiger]

Bring back Harry Beitzel?

 

[Dynamics]

It was pretty funny yesterday when Rioli was on all fours and enright was picking up the ball 3m away and Bruce nearly had an orgasm telling us how dangerous Rioli is without the ball..
The problem is that in most games there is 5,6 or even 7 people on the panel so everyone wants to chime in with some sort of dribble which takes away from a commentator actually calling the game.

I agree. 2 callers, 1 or 2 doing special comments when referred to by the callers, and 2 boundary riders.

 

[Vigawla]

Talks up games too much.
Was late in the 4th quarter yesterday, Geelong were up by 20ish.
Bruce as follows: 'It's not close, but you get the feeling that it's rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreally close.'

Just call the football, stuff the 'legendary teams', 'this place where so many epic battles have been fought', 'the history', 'the curse' and other pointless drivel.
Just call the ****ing football.

 

[joop]

I agree. 2 callers, 1 or 2 doing special comments when referred to by the callers, and 2 boundary riders.

It's way too simple isn't it?

 

[caitsith01]

Special comments:
Voss
Brereton
(Secondary team of Matthews, maybe someone like Alves or R Shaw... I wish I had some better nominations here)

Only if the bolded are never allowed anywhere near a Geelong or Hawthorn match.

 

[Ancient Tiger]

I would prefer to have Lance Uppercut doing special comments. At least there would be some wit and logic to them!

 

[Ambrosia]

As far as the shit nuggets on 7 go he isn't as bad as Hame, Basil or BT.

Basil is so bad it's almost entertaining.

 

[Kram]

Basil is so bad it's almost entertaining.

No that's Glen Jackovich, some of the incredibly stupid shit he would say was hilarious.

 

[Partridge]

It was pretty funny yesterday when Rioli was on all fours and enright was picking up the ball 3m away and Bruce nearly had an orgasm telling us how dangerous Rioli is without the ball.
The problem is that in most games there is 5,6 or even 7 people on the panel so everyone wants to chime in with some sort of dribble which takes away from a commentator actually calling the game.

In that case he was pretty dangerous quite often yesterday then.

 

[HugeJohnson]

Commentary in the AFL is ****ing pathetic and is totally unprofessional when compared to other codes such as soccer and cricket (overseas). It is a massive boys club where they can settle in to a cushy job and banter with their mates no matter how qualified they are simply because they played the game a bit. Until the networks start hiring people that Genuinely care about calling the game rather than having a get together with mates to watch some footy then I can't see it improving any time soon. Another thing I am sick of is the continual reference of 'interstate' teams. There are no interstate teams, it's not the VFL anymore I don't understand why no one can get this in to their head. When shows like Footy Classified and The Footy Show spend 90% of their air time talking about Victorian teams like Carlton and Richmond who have done **** all in decades then brush off teams like West Coast and Port with a little 10 second review/preview while they joke around about something else, you know they watch **** all of our games and wouldn't know a damn thing about our players. It's about time they started employing people who embrace the AFL as a national game and started taking their jobs seriously.