Opinion Commentary & Media VI

[desie]

The distinction I'd make between Rex and the more recent incarnations was that he was part of a balanced Vaudevillian act. He also loved the game and wasn't about making fun of the participants or clubs.

He brought lots of energy, Sam played the straight man and you had other guys providing the more cerebral aspects.

Nowadays you have someone like Daisy madly paddling upstream trying to provide some substance, Hamish for all his faults at least trying to good-naturedly add something (whether you like it or not) then a gaggle of ex-players and nobodies bringing political agendas, bias and often outright nastiness to the table and most of the time making it about themselves.

The fact that Bruce in his last few years of covering AFL went from an excellent caller (in the 90s) to a parody of himself in the 2010s showed how s**t the commentary teams were that they were assembling.

100%.

Bruce is rightly lauded as a terrific commentator across a number of sports but he became a parody of himself with the footy towards the end. He seemed to spend most of his time genuflecting to the ex-players on the call, particularly Carey, Matthews and Hodge.

 

[shintemaster]

Calling the game is one thing but commentary these days is more like barracking and worship of players. It is rarely anything more than stating the obvious and screaming out player names and making out that they are so brave, courageous or that they are skillful geniuses.

It's nauseating much of the time.

Yep.

And everyone is a "gun". Not everyone has to be a gun player, we can appreciate amazing skill or the luckiest of all snaps without working off a theory that 90% of AFL players are somehow elite compared to their colleagues. It just seems like nonsense.

 

[King Corey]

100%.

Bruce is rightly lauded as a terrific commentator across a number of sports but he became a parody of himself with the footy towards the end. He seemed to spend most of his time genuflecting to the ex-players on the call, particularly Carey, Matthews and Hodge.

The Commonwealth Games were a nice throwback to hear him sounding like an excellent, well researched professional once again.

 

[RHLK]

MMM has really good microphones at ground level. Captures the atmosphere really well.

If only there was a 'ambient sound only' option in the broadcast. A recent game I watched (must have been one of the finals) some technical problem dropped the commentary volume for a minute or so and it was bliss with just the crowd noise dominating.

 

[ferball]

The distinction I'd make between Rex and the more recent incarnations was that he was part of a balanced Vaudevillian act. He also loved the game and wasn't about making fun of the participants or clubs.

He brought lots of energy, Sam played the straight man and you had other guys providing the more cerebral aspects.

Nowadays you have someone like Daisy madly paddling upstream trying to provide some substance, Hamish for all his faults at least trying to good-naturedly add something (whether you like it or not) then a gaggle of ex-players and nobodies bringing political agendas, bias and often outright nastiness to the table and most of the time making it about themselves.

The fact that Bruce in his last few years of covering AFL went from an excellent caller (in the 90s) to a parody of himself in the 2010s showed how s**t the commentary teams were that they were assembling.

Rex was hilarious. I remember one GF year he was commentating and was getting drunker and drunker. COuld barely speak by half time so they pulled him off air for the Shane MacGowan treatment and he came back raving at 1000 miles a minute. Some of the stuff he was coming out with was hilarious, especially bagging the ump.

 

[shintemaster]

It’s a pity that you can’t sync the radio commentary to the tv coverage.
Or have the option of minimal commentary with an amped-up crowd noise so it feels like you are there.
Sending BT to Afghanistan wearing an ‘I Love Pork’ t-shirt would be another good option.

Haven't we done enough damage to Afghanistan?

 

[ferball]

Yep.

And everyone is a "gun". Not everyone has to be a gun player, we can appreciate amazing skill or the luckiest of all snaps without working off a theory that 90% of AFL players are somehow elite compared to their colleagues. It just seems like nonsense.

90% of AFL players are absolute guns tho. By any standard. Even the shit AFL players do some amazing stuff on field. Its just alot rarer.

 

[shintemaster]

90% of AFL players are absolute guns tho. By any standard. Even the s**t AFL players do some amazing stuff on field. Its just alot rarer.

They're elite in their field, but surely the comparison should be against their peers.

 

[ferball]

They're elite in their field, but surely the comparison should be against their peers.

Yeah but its only a question of regularity. 90% of players have done stuff that can only be done by someone who is by defintiion a "Gun" and usually you hear that when a player has done something good in the last quarter or so.

I get what you're saying cos at one point it was shitting me so I started taking note of it and even checked on a couple of replays i was watching and usually the player has pulled off some good shit recently.

Most posters on the whole site would consider Atley a bottom 50 player in the AFL if they knew who he was at the end of last season. But last year he would do amazing stuff every game. Some of the ways he would take possession of the ball ... with those hands and reflexes he was as good as any other gun mid in the comp. Just didn't do it enough or make enough of those opportunities he created, but I can still remember a couple of goal assists he did that involved winning contested ball and dishing off before anyone knew what was happening.

Kayne Turner has beaten Cunners in contested situations FFS.

I think its fair enough to use that term if you can remember that player doing some really good stuff and you're calling the game.

 

[muttley45]

Channel 7 should excuse commentators from duty where their previous clubs are involved,

eg. Luke Darcy/Brad Johnson

Brad Johnson

Age

48

Ht

182cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.7

5star

K

14.1

5star

HB

5.6

4star

M

5.9

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.5

5star

No current season stats available

D

12.8

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

2.6

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.6

3star

from Bulldogs, James Brayshaw from Nth etc

 

[Samsquanch]

Channel 7 should excuse commentators from duty where their previous clubs are involved,

eg. Luke Darcy/Brad Johnson from Bulldogs, James Brayshaw from Nth etc

How can you tell what team JB barracks for? It's as though he supports 17 teams.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Nowadays you have someone like Daisy madly paddling upstream trying to provide some substance, Hamish for all his faults at least trying to good-naturedly add something (whether you like it or not) then a gaggle of ex-players and nobodies bringing political agendas, bias and often outright nastiness to the table and most of the time making it about themselves.

What's an example of a commentator bringing a political agenda to a call?

 

[King Corey]

What's an example of a commentator bringing a political agenda to a call?

Football political agendas. Not party politic agendas, before you try to set me up.

 

[krakouers]

What's an example of a commentator bringing a political agenda to a call?

An Eddie McGuire?

 

[Shermanator]

Channel 7 should excuse commentators from duty where their previous clubs are involved,

eg. Luke Darcy/Brad Johnson from Bulldogs, James Brayshaw from Nth etc

Luke Darcy - "oh insert any name is an absolute SUPERSTAR!!!"...

Deeerwayne - "insert player name was recruited from the insert players junior footy club footy factory with insert players draft pick number from the insert players draft year"... over & over & over EVERY. BLOODY. GAME..

 

[leighlee13]

How can you tell what team JB barracks for? It's as though he supports 17 teams.

He certainly hasn't been commentating our games like he barracks for us. He actually goes too far the other way IMO.

 

[archereleven]

Oh Buckys ...

Absolutely mind boggling that this cretin still has a voice in the media. Pretty sure he hasn't gotten a single thing right for at least a decade...

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Samsquanch]

He certainly hasn't been commentating our games like he barracks for us. He actually goes too far the other way IMO.

Like I said, you can't tell which of the other 17 he supports when he is calling. We do know it isn't North.

 

[hilly]

Channel 7 should excuse commentators from duty where their previous clubs are involved,

eg. Luke Darcy/Brad Johnson from Bulldogs, James Brayshaw from Nth etc

Respect to Darcy for being a board member and the father of a listed Bulldogs player and still calling their games.

 

[tazaa]

Oh Buckys ...

Somebody has to be hacking his account, surely???

How can a media outlet actually publish that kind of garbage?

People keep clicking on it. So long as his articles generate visits he’ll get a gig. Herald sun editors love him.

 

[Makeshift Park]

It'd be kinda fun being a columnist whose entire shtick is publishing hot takes with the sole purpose of generating ill-informed discussion. Getting paid a motza to liberate yourself from any notion of credibility.

"Is Stringer the missing piece to unlock North Melbourne's top 8 ambitions?"
"Why Sonja Hood needs to seriously appoint James Hird as North's CEO"
"Here's what JHF can learn about being an elite footballer from Jack Silvagni

1

Jack Silvagni

Age

26

Ht

194cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.9

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

5.3

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

1.3

1star

M

1.7

2star

T

0.7

1star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.0

3star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.8

4star

"

 

[Gasometer]

The Commonwealth Games were a nice throwback to hear him sounding like an excellent, well researched professional once again.

When were they on?

 

[giantroo]

 

[Val Keating]

The GOAT

 

[1975]

Grow up!