A lot of this is about comparisons with the alternatives.
In association football the viewer compares Maloney to George Hamilton, and this comparison is a negative one for Maloney.
The comparisons in GAA are Ger Canning and Marty Morrissey.
Marty Morrissey does not have a big match voice. His voice will always be that of a commentator on Kilkenny v Antrim in the curtain raiser of a Ye Olde All-Ireland hurling semi-final double header, commentating as if heās a concerned parent trying to encourage Antrim. āOlcan McFettridge showing they love their hurling in the Glens of Antrim!ā āOh look at that for skill by Aidan McCarry, they call him Beaver!ā āCiaran Barr, oh look at that for strength! Oh he completely mishits it! What a shame for Antrim!ā
Ger Canning has a better big match voice than Morrissey, but heās Ger Canning.
Maloneyās GAA commentaries are much more frantic than his association football commentaries and I think that frantic style suits him better. Also my primary memories of him doing GAA commentaries tend to be epic All-Ireland semi-finals, usually the football ones involving Dublin, in front of a full Croke Park. He did the Magic Mulligan goal too and the 2018 Cork v Limerick hurling semi-final.
Exactly. Marty is ideal for the camogie All Ireland final commentary for the same reasons you mention. Talking about incredible skills & unstoppable rockets as duffed shots dribble past a hapless keeper. Frantic is a good description of Maloneyās GAA commentary style. You sense he doesnāt necessarily know the ins & outs of the game but it doesnāt matter versus the competition.
Maloney doesnāt really know hurling and the doubt comes out in his voice at times, heāll say something and thereāll be a quiet second as he waits to see does it pass muster.
But heās good for football, heās clearly a biased Dublin fan but thatās no harm as it adds to his excitement. And is far better than Martys āI just happened to be in the home village of named Clare panel member last week and they (who?) tell me heās really up for this gameā shtick
I was just watching the press conference that himself and Southgate were subjected to by the deluded British media. Theyād have been absolutely justified in telling them to go fuck themselves with balls of their own shite.