Day 38 - Commentators

Topic Point: At the time of writing, we do not know who the play-by-play andcolor commentators will be. However, it will be a treat to listen totraditional English Football League (EFL) commentators if any of them callgames. Their commentary tends to be playful and entertaining, with a mix ofquirky phrases laced with humor. The nature of the commentary fits with theentertainment value of the game. While sports are big business, a job for theplayers and coaches, and watched passionately by fans, it ultimately is a game.The English football commentators prepare and are knowledgeable, but do nottake themselves or its relative importance in the world too seriously. It makesfor an enjoyable viewing experience!

The studio pundits tend to be a little moreserious and critical, but they too have a touch of humor and self-awarenessabout the meaning of sport.

Ted Lasso: Thecommentators for AFC Richmond’s matches are realistic. Arlo White, the leadcommentator, is a real-life broadcaster. Chris Powell is a coach and formerplayer in the EPL and for England’s National Team. Adding to the realism is thespirit of their broadcasting. The tone is conversational, whether discussingthe match with each other or speaking to the audience. It tends to be light,not overly serious, with catch-phrases and some off-the-cuff banter.

The studio pundits are also realistic.There is an analytical component to the commentators, however the tone is stilllight especially compared to our American broadcasters. Roy Kent becomes apundit for a portion of the season (in season 2 of the show) but is called tocoaching. He criticizes the gig in S2 E1, S2E5, and in Season 3, saying thatthe job is more about criticizing with little substance and being on theoutside of the game looking in.

Soccer-related note: Some fun commentary from the EPL:

·     “He’s made a mess of it.” –when a player unsuccessfully tried to clear the ball

·     “Brilliant bit of skill.” –describing a player’s footwork with the ball

·     “He is a tower of strength andnot short of skill.” – describing a strong defensive player that also had goodfootwork, something that is less common among defenders

·     “A fortuitious clearance.” –describing a misdirected clearance by a defender that still managed to escapedanger

·     “That ball was a littlespeculative from David Harper. He didn’t really hit it with any belief.” –Describing a poor attempt on goal from a player

·     “Just look at what’s going onin that 6-yard box – absolute mayhem. There’s 12 players in the 6-yard box.Thirteen if you count the goalkeeper. Now the referee is in as well.” –Describing a scramble in the smaller of the two boxes around the goal where over50% of the players on the pitch are in that small area plus the referee!

·     See Appendix 5 for more funphrases!

American Sports comparison: Comparing the commentary of today to the 1980s and 1990s, it hasbecome very serious. It is more about arguing and debating points that areimpossible to prove or are otherwise insignificant, in an effort to garnerviewership.

The commentary in the 1980s was more alongthe lines of what we see in the EPL. For example, CBS was one of two majornetworks to broadcast NFL games. The NFL today had a core group of commentatorsthat discussed the game but with relative ease. There was inquiry rather thanarguing; conversation rather than yelling and screaming.

Pat Summerall and John Madden were popularbroadcasters because of their combination of knowledge coupled with fun –creating enjoyment in watching a game with the viewers. Early on when FoxSports purchased rights to broadcasting NFL games, the combination of hostswhich included Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, and anchor JamesBrown followed the same recipe of knowledge with fun. No one took themselves,or the game, too seriously. Merril Hoge, the former running back turnedcommentator, has criticized the “Debate and Argue” basis of American sportsprograms that like to present “Hot Takes” rather than provide analysis.

‍

Interactive: 

Below are links to videos of EPL commentary. The first is an interview with one of the more popular English commentators, and should be noted that most of the video is him calling variousgoals along with an interview with the commentator himself. More interesting commentary tends to be during the regular flow of the match (we will get to hear this in a moment). Most if not all English commentators are very skilled at narrating the game, like baseball announcers on the radio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxDeXXtgh7w

Next is a legendary call by Andrés Cantor when the United States’ Landon Donovan scored a critical stoppage time goal to send the United States into the second round of the 2010 World Cup (without the goal the US would have tied the game and been eliminated from the next round – the goal secured the win and the second-round qualification). As a person who loves soccer and is passionate about United States soccer, this game was heart-stopping action for 90 minutes and Cantor perfectly captures what those of us watching the game experienced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALJu7YPMNBI

There are two English commentaries for the same goal. There is more video time of the regular run-of-play before the goal so you can appreciate the narrative skill of these commentators. The other thing I personally appreciate is that they don’t talk the entire time. After Donovan scores, there is hysteria and aside from the volume in the stadium, the commentators know people watching on television are cheering and celebrating too. So they don’t need to talk for a good 30 seconds. The second link below is 6 minutes and you get a feel for the tension, and intensity, of the match as the result will dictate which one of these two teams advances to the second round.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1986834862122146

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd-jAOtj5Xw

Finally, you will find a link to NFL legends John Madden and Pat Summerall. Madden was very knowledgeable; however, he was loved for being down-to-earth and just having fun with the game.

https://www.nfl.com/videos/john-madden-s-best-calls-nfl-throwback

‍