Commentating
.jpg)
Watching cricket can be enhanced by watching the game and listening to the commentary on the radio and maybe the same is true of rugby, football or any other sport. I don’t know how difficult it is to switch between the two media but I’m convinced that the man we were listening to yesterday during the England versus Wales match had made the transition from radio to television. Maybe it was temporary – I hope so.
He didn’t really say much about the game but seemed captivated by other things. We lost count of the number of times he described someone’s hair – greying locks, hair slicked back, ginger hair and neat beard, bald!
Then he described one player who obviously, to his mind, anyway, ‘wore a shirt a size smaller that clung to every sinew’ in addition to his ‘very tight shorts’. A substitute came on and his shirt ‘looked like a washing powder advertisement’ – that was pointed out twice.
It was very entertaining, for all the wrong reasons!
Ireland and Italy are playing at present and it looks as though Italy is being trounced. I do hope they manage to get some points on the board. There are still 30 minutes to play so there is a chance. I have a tendency to support the underdog.
Today’s commentators are good and the referee is definitely in charge of the game, which is good for players, coaches, managers and crowd.
BBC cricket commentator Henry Blofeld did exactly as you describe and was wonderful to listen to, even if like me you had no interest in cricket. He was jovial. observant and interesting. He would remark on birds flying past, the weather and anything else that caught his eye or attention. Anyone who had an interest in, especially test cricket in the 80s into at least the 2000s would know of 'Blowers'.
ReplyDeleteYes, Andrew. Blowers, as he used to be called, was one of my favourite in the BBC's Test Match Special team.
DeleteBlowers was very entertaining - I think he's on the speech circuit now.
DeleteI don't watch or listen to sports so I can't comment on what goes on.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the commentators are more entertaining than the sport.
DeleteYes, exactly!
ReplyDeleteIf I watch cricket or footy on tv, I turn the sound off and depend on my own eyes. If it is a team or sport I know nothing about, I turn the tv sound off and depend on radio
Having the best of both worlds - it makes sense.
DeleteRadio is more challenging, because the commentator has to create a visual image of the match for listeners.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, and probably more difficult on radio.
DeleteSix nations are always watched on TV here, my Welsh husband is a true fan of the game and loves when teams play well, I'm often in a different room, but can tell how the games is going by his commentary, never at a bland pace, and often with a few choice words, for either good or bad play, 'come on ref' features a lot.
ReplyDeleteLikewise here - groans and moans abound, especially if the referee is not in control of the game.
DeleteAlthough I am not a cricket fan (P is, however) I always found the cricket commentary on UK TV and radio to be strangely soothing. Since losing a fair percentage of my hearing I rather miss that.
ReplyDeleteCricket commentary is soothing, far more than any other sport. I'm sorry you're missing that.
DeleteHate rugby...hated at school...all those other
ReplyDeletemales/boys grabbing hold of yer body parts,
l found it disgusting, still do to~day...Puff's
football as l call it...!
And some years ago, Sky TV had a feature, where
by you could push a button, and delete the commentary
from a football game, l used it all the time, you still had
the sound on, but nowt else...Great...! Some time later
they discontinued it...! :(
As a Sicilian, l really don't understand why on earth Italy
play rugby...they give all the others a guaranteed win,
think you count Italy's wins on one hand ever...! :O(.
🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕 🍕
Italy is improving - one day they'll reach the top. So many of them play for English or French clubs and gain their experience that way.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand anything in rugby, football, soccer, in short all games with a ball except Tennis and Golf. Golf I watched because our cat Arthur looked for the ball under the TV when it fell in the hole. I am not sportive at all and fortunately Rick either, he only loved the Formula 1
ReplyDeleteOur cats look under and behind the television screen for things - it's very funny to watch!
DeleteItaly is great but Ireland is also strong in rugby.
ReplyDeleteIreland are the current world champions - they're tipped to win the Six Nations Cup. Exciting!
DeleteI'm not really a sports fan, so perhaps that's why I don't like most sports commentators, who usually get on my nerves ... Yesterday's commentator sounds hilarious though :-) xxx
ReplyDeleteWorth watching, just for that! x x x
DeleteMy favourite rugby commentator is Andrew Cotter, who became even more famous during lockdown by transferring his skills to commentating on the antics of his two labradors, the now famous Olive and Mabel. The only problem is that now when I hear him doing his 'day job' I can only think of those wonderfully witty videos featuring his dogs!
ReplyDeleteCheers! Gail.
They were wonderful and I can understand your problem regarding his 'proper' job.
ReplyDeleteWe don't watch that much sport on TV but sometimes we find it better to watch and mute the sound! LOL
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
We do that with the advertisements!
ReplyDelete