Stupid Commentator / Pundit Comments 2008 Calendar Year

Anyone watch TV3’s coverage yesterday? How was it?

I can’t believe how bad The Sunday Game is at times. We’d an unbelievable game in Carlow yesterday and yet they didn’t even bother showing some of the scores. I mentioned the outrageously brilliant point Forde scored where he feigned to shoot with his right but took a solo, watched as the defender dived at full length past him to block the phantom shot, steadied himself and drilled the ball over with the outside of his right foot from about forty yards on the right hand side as the defender tried to dislodge himself from the wire at the side of the pitch.

It was one of the best points I’ve ever seen and it didn’t even make their highlights package. Instead we get stale and lengthy discussion from pundits, some of whom are oblivious to the rules and others who don’t receive the courtesy of being allowed to answer the presenter’s questions before he butts in and shouts across them again. Personally, I’d much prefer to see all the main incidents from the game rather than that whiny clown Kevin McStay blathering on.

Also, I didn’t see any of the hurling yesterday and they barely showed any of it even though it was ridiculously high scoring. Instead we had Finnerty and Mulcahy analysing it with Pat Spillane before their work was repeated by Michael Duignan and Joanne Cantwell in this unnecessary new innovation. So we had fook all action from the game but repetitive and bland analysis instead. 'Twas rubbish.

Liam Spratt on South East Radio commentating on the Wexford game yesterday - “This is the greatest comeback in the history of sport”. This was after he said that team in the first half were useless with no heart. 25 mins into the second half - “forget everything I said in the first half lads”.

Priceless stuff!

[quote=“Mac”]Liam Spratt on South East Radio commentating on the Wexford game yesterday - “This is the greatest comeback in the history of sport”. This was after he said that team in the first half were useless with no heart. 25 mins into the second half - “forget everything I said in the first half lads”.

Priceless stuff![/quote]

My auld lad was telling me about his turnaround in the commentary box alright. Spratt’s a funny, funny, bastard!

[quote=“Bandage”]Anyone watch TV3’s coverage yesterday? How was it?
[/quote]

Saw the first half of Clare and Waterford. Matt Cooper presented with Daithi Regan, Liam Griffin and Jamesie O’Connor. The GAA commentator from Setanta was on duty (don’t know his name) with Nicky English.

They had weird camera angles and cuts after scores directly to randomners into the stand. Apart from that I don’t think there were many gaffs - Cooper didn’t look comfortable I thought and when introducing the analysts said ‘these are the people doing the analysing on YOUR behalf’…

What is that about?

O’Herlihy: Barnetta is the Swiss player with the biggest reputation. Do you know anything about him Eamon?

Dunphy (laughing): Well, his father was a clock maker and his mother worked in a bank.

Not quite stupid but Billo just asked Chippy how he’d react if the English tabloids showed pictures of Wenger holding 2 heads a la the Polish tabloids. Cue a load of laughter and a red faced Brady!

Sid Waddell earlier on when Raymond Van Barneveld casually completed a check-out in his victory against Phil Taylor:

‘Barney…as languid as Brian Ferry playing a benefit night.’

The lad’s a nutter.

Has anyone noticed Marty Morrissey’s repeated and annoying use (well, for me anyway) of the phrase ‘breaking ball’ during commentary and often in the completely wrong context? He was literally shouting it out every ten seconds during the game yesterday, including one occasion while Tom Kenny was solo-running up the park, and it’s like it’s his stock phrase when he doesn’t know what else to say. When a puck-out’s about to land it’s ‘breaking ball’, when someone makes a tackle it’s ‘breaking ball’, when a sideline cut is taken it results in ‘breaking ball’ but yesterday it also appeared that it’s now ‘breaking ball’ when someone’s actually in possession of the ball and running with it. Clown. There was also an occasion in the first half when Cathal Naughton arrowed a point straight over the bar without a defender getting within yards of him and Marty uttered, ‘Naughton…blocked down but still it’s a point.’ As I said, nobody got close to him, never mind blocked him down. As for that mucksavage biffo beside him, the less said the better.

he had a phrase last year he kept saying - “the far over side”, ie “he got posession at the far over side” when saying a player got posession at the opposite side of the ground to his commentary position. a strage way of describing things.

Watched some of the Down Tyrone game online yesterday. As bad as Ger Canning is when he has a co-commentator he is far far worse on his own. I had to turn down the volume just to make it bearable. Same as the Offaly Westmeath game on Saturday evening. Cringe worthy stuff.

I’m out of here - just got a text to say Jimmy Magee’s commentating on the French game. The great man’s always good for spouting some awful scheidt and I need to make the most of it before he retires. I can’t recall who the Croatian coach was in the last World Cup but I always remember Jimmy saying, ‘He’s actually married to former beauty pageant winner and well you might know it by the cut of his jib.’

ah Jimmy McGee is a legend. Met him a couple of times, last time was a few months back down in Tesco in ardkeen signing his DVD at about half 10 at night, what the hell he was bothering signing a DVD at that time in a tesco where most people were just going about getting their shopping I dont know, but sound man.

His commentary is class, if you get over how bad it is. He would still be saying something like ‘and he sticks it in the onion bag’ as the player is wheeling away and finishing his celebration.

one from him already. “Ribery is the smallest player they have in there (the Romanian penalty area), apart from Makelele but he’s not in there anyway.”

I’m still at work, but apparently he pointed out that the Niculae playing for Romania “isn’t the same one as the Olympic weightlifter”. Cheers for clearing that up Jimmy.

Giles and Whelan saying the threat of violence and Crowd trouble in the Poland Germany game adds to the occasion. Classic

Mark Kinsella and Jimmy discussing Samir Nasri’s youthful appearance:

Kinsella: ‘He looks about 15.’

Magee: ‘You’d definitely want him in by 10pm every night.’

Legend stuff

Jimmy at the end of the game (something very close to it if not exactly it),

“theres a saying in Gaelic football, take your points and the goals will come. Well both sides took the points here, and no goals came.”

George Hamilton was in cracking form this evening.

Yelled out “Van Nistelrooy” as Van Persie volleyed home.

Then talking about Italy and France being in trouble said “two of the heavyweights are in danger of being eliminated when they meet at the weekend. The weekend in this case being a Tuesday.”

Saw that allright,
Poor old George has had a good few clangers over the years. Ger Canning commentating on the gaa is another lad who deserves to be bate with a shovel he gets so many names wrong.