@Bandage , as requested, here’s a thread to discuss everything in the world of GAA broadcasting.
At all times share you’re enthusiasm for the game no matter how partisan & you will go far.
Exhibit A,
FOAD
GGA broadcasting is woeful
You have a football commentator outshining lads who have been following the GGA for years
Good man. You did a smashing job yesterday.
You’re already very much going in the right direction but taking on board a few of these pointers might help even more:
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Get down to the dressing room area before the game to find out if there are any changes from the team published in the programme and, if so, the reasons for them. You’ll get to know the people involved with the various clubs very quickly and you can then tell listeners about a late injury enforced change etc and you won’t be thrown at the start by cunts wearing numbers 21 and 25 or something. No harm to read out the teams at the start as people listening won’t be present and have a programme. You could even recap and do them again in a break of play.
-
You can also use the other local media lads for information and you probably know a few of them by this stage. They’re a sound bunch and will be happy to assist a young up and coming broadcasting tyro.
-
Make contact with the clubs you’re commentating on in advance if you want. Most of them are on twitter now and they would be happy to send you a few snippets on the team which you could use in a break in play or if that player has done something good/bad in the game; e.g. “Sarsfields’ Paul Murphy dispatched that penalty confidently - it’s no surprise though, he’s a talented soccer player and is a former Irish underage international” etc. Or you might have found out that some lad’s only back playing with the club after returning from emigration or something - you can mention how they missed his skill if he scores a cracker. Little snippets that you can use that the listener may find informative. And while nobody wants a commentator who talks too much, these little bits of info can help ensure you always have something interesting to say.
-
I like to draw little tables in advance when I’m commentating / reporting on a game and you can tick these as the game develops and use as an easy reference; e.g. headings such as:
- Each Individual Scorer;
- Goals from Play;
- Goals from Frees and/or Penalties;
- Points from Play;
- Points from Frees and/or Penalties;
- Frees Awarded;
- Frees Conceded;
- Yellow Cards;
- Red Cards;
- Number of Wides;
- Number of 45’s / 65’s.
Again, if you’re ticking as you go along - you may notice and be able to mention how one team is conceding a load of needless frees and is being punished by the opposition free taker. Or if some lad poleaxes another cunt, you can quickly check to see if he’s booked etc. You can also list out the individual scorers at half time and full time and people would find that interesting too. I think you do most of this already as you mentioned yesterday in commentary that your notes blew away! 
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I definitely think you should invite listeners to email / tweet you questions that you can answer at half time. These could be GAA related or about a career issue or romantic poser. I’m confident that you’d make a great Agony Uncle.
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It’s very useful that you give updates and scores from other games. Keep that up.
-
Good idea to get a county player in as co-commentator too.
You could also ask a Wexford GAA figure to join you at half time for a quick chat to fill in the time before the game resumes too; e.g. another current player / ex player to give their view on where we stand and how we can improve, a County Board official, maybe a Supporter’s Club rep to talk about the work they do and to appeal for new joiners, one of the lads behind the Talent Academy Workgroups / Development Squads, an exclusive Liam Dunne interview after his new 2-year term was announced etc. Maybe invite listeners to send in their comments on the game or on players that have impressed or may be worth a look on the county panel. That interaction with listeners via Social Media is important these days. -
Finally, sometimes when you’re there watching a game it’s easy to forget that those listening aren’t present. So try to be as descriptive as possible; e.g instead of saying Forde is trying a shot at goal, you might say that Forde is trying an ambitious left footed shot from nearly 50 yards out near the stand sideline. That extra piece of information gives the listener more of an understanding of what’s going on.
-
Don’t spread yourself too thin, bro. Remember - to get into sports media as a career, you’ll need a decent Leaving Certificate to start so don’t let your schoolwork suffer. Focus strongly on school this year and the drugs, alcohol and women that come with being a top GAA commentator will be yours for the next 50 years.
Sorry if these are obvious / stupid points - just mentioning some things that may be useful.
Can someone forward this to Ger Canning and that biffo gimp please.
[quote=“Fitzy, post: 833266, member: 236”]Can someone forward this to Ger Canning and that biffo gimp please.
[/quote]
Ger Canning’s from Cork
Yes DB, yes he is. And where is Duignan from?
[quote=“Bandage, post: 833251, member: 9”]Good man. You did a smashing job yesterday.
You’re already very much going in the right direction but taking on board a few of these pointers might help even more:
-
Get down to the dressing room area before the game to find out if there are any changes from the team published in the programme and, if so, the reasons for them. You’ll get to know the people involved with the various clubs very quickly and you can then tell listeners about a late injury enforced change etc and you won’t be thrown at the start by cunts wearing numbers 21 and 25 or something. No harm to read out the teams at the start as people listening won’t be present and have a programme. You could even recap and do them again in a break of play.
-
You can also use the other local media lads for information and you probably know a few of them by this stage. They’re a sound bunch and will be happy to assist a young up and coming broadcasting tyro.
-
Make contact with the clubs you’re commentating on in advance if you want. Most of them are on twitter now and they would be happy to send you a few snippets on the team which you could use in a break in play or if that player has done something good/bad in the game; e.g. “Sarsfields’ Paul Murphy dispatched that penalty confidently - it’s no surprise though, he’s a talented soccer player and is a former Irish underage international” etc. Or you might have found out that some lad’s only back playing with the club after returning from emigration or something - you can mention how they missed his skill if he scores a cracker. Little snippets that you can use that the listener may find informative. And while nobody wants a commentator who talks too much, these little bits of info can help ensure you always have something interesting to say.
-
I like to draw little tables in advance when I’m commentating / reporting on a game and you can tick these as the game develops and use as an easy reference; e.g. headings such as:
- Each Individual Scorer;
- Goals from Play;
- Goals from Frees and/or Penalties;
- Points from Play;
- Points from Frees and/or Penalties;
- Frees Awarded;
- Frees Conceded;
- Yellow Cards;
- Red Cards;
- Number of Wides;
- Number of 45’s / 65’s.
Again, if you’re ticking as you go along - you may notice and be able to mention how one team is conceding a load of needless frees and is being punished by the opposition free taker. Or if some lad poleaxes another cunt, you can quickly check to see if he’s booked etc. You can also list out the individual scorers at half time and full time and people would find that interesting too. I think you do most of this already as you mentioned yesterday in commentary that your notes blew away!
-
I definitely think you should invite listeners to email / tweet you questions that you can answer at half time. These could be GAA related or about a career issue or romantic poser. I’m confident that you’d make a great Agony Uncle.
-
It’s very useful that you give updates and scores from other games. Keep that up.
-
Good idea to get a county player in as co-commentator too.
You could also ask a Wexford GAA figure to join you at half time for a quick chat to fill in the time before the game resumes too; e.g. another current player / ex player to give their view on where we stand and how we can improve, a County Board official, maybe a Supporter’s Club rep to talk about the work they do and to appeal for new joiners, one of the lads behind the Talent Academy Workgroups / Development Squads, an exclusive Liam Dunne interview after his new 2-year term was announced etc. Maybe invite listeners to send in their comments on the game or on players that have impressed or may be worth a look on the county panel. That interaction with listeners via Social Media is important these days. -
Finally, sometimes when you’re there watching a game it’s easy to forget that those listening aren’t present. So try to be as descriptive as possible; e.g instead of saying Forde is trying a shot at goal, you might say that Forde is trying an ambitious left footed shot from nearly 50 yards out near the stand sideline. That extra piece of information gives the listener more of an understanding of what’s going on.
-
Don’t spread yourself too thin, bro. Remember - to get into sports media as a career, you’ll need a decent Leaving Certificate to start so don’t let your schoolwork suffer. Focus strongly on school this year and the drugs, alcohol and women that come with being a top GAA commentator will be yours for the next 50 years.
Sorry if these are obvious / stupid points - just mentioning some things that may be useful.[/quote]
That has to be the greatest feed of information I’ve ever gotten! I do already get teams off management before the game starts but when there’s a doubleheader on I rely on press-box mates to get the changes. Some absolutely brilliant advice there and thanks a million, I really appreciate it!
not going into too much detail, but keep match reports simple and descriptive. The big cliché words only look like they are being forced into reports. you shouldn’t need a thesaurus to write a report
do not report on games you have not attended. it is blatantly obvious when match reports are given on games based on twitter feeds.
look at decent match reports and compare them to your own, eg http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/wexford-hang-on-in-blast-from-past-233757.html
dont be overly biased in your commentary. saying that the ref made an utterly disgraceful decision to send off Andrew Shore when he pulled straight down on the head of a Dublin player does not go well. By all means be excited and over the top on your own teams scores etc, but you need to be able to step back from the bias to give proper analysis and reports.
What the fuck is going on here??
we’ve the next Ewan McKenna/Tadhg Peavoy on our hands here. We now have the chance to mould him how we want directly, rather than the usual creeps who look in here but dont contribute.
Some of the most famous broadcasts in history are when something epic has happened away from the field - Howard Cosell’s broadcast when reports emerged that John Lennon was shot is probably the most famous example.
So why not pay one of your mates to go up to the Áras or the Dáil with a gun and go off on a shooting spree. He can then text you when he’s finished and you can announce the events to the world with a sober tone and the clip is bound to feature on Reeling in the Years etc in decades to come. Make sure to slip your man a tenner or something for his troubles afterwards - don’t want him talking to the cops after.
If you’re going to engage in an affair with an underage girl then at least delete the naked pictures of her when you give your old phone to your daughter.
Actually, scratch that - I’m thinking of GAA journalism.
@Mark Renton check out the last few pages of the Wexford GAA thread. It seems there was great craic going on there recently.
[quote=“Gman, post: 833288, member: 112”]not going into too much detail, but keep match reports simple and descriptive. The big cliché words only look like they are being forced into reports. you shouldn’t need a thesaurus to write a report
do not report on games you have not attended. it is blatantly obvious when match reports are given on games based on twitter feeds.
look at decent match reports and compare them to your own, eg http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/wexford-hang-on-in-blast-from-past-233757.html
dont be overly biased in your commentary. saying that the ref made an utterly disgraceful decision to send off Andrew Shore when he pulled straight down on the head of a Dublin player does not go well. By all means be excited and over the top on your own teams scores etc, but you need to be able to step back from the bias to give proper analysis and reports.[/quote]
Thanks Gman, great link! Ah that Wexford v’s Dublin was diabolic. I was incredibly biased for the Shore incident.
[quote=“Rocko, post: 833304, member: 1”]Some of the most famous broadcasts in history are when something epic has happened away from the field - Howard Cosell’s broadcast when reports emerged that John Lennon was shot is probably the most famous example.
So why not pay one of your mates to go up to the Áras or the Dáil with a gun and go off on a shooting spree. He can then text you when he’s finished and you can announce the events to the world with a sober tone and the clip is bound to feature on Reeling in the Years etc in decades to come. Make sure to slip your man a tenner or something for his troubles afterwards - don’t want him talking to the cops after.[/quote]
@Rocko, I can’t help feeling that sombre would be a better description than sober. Yours in pedantry…