TV Race commentators can give you a headache!

[socram]

I have just been watching NZ's TV3 coverage of the speedway at Western Springs. What a pain. There is no need to shout guys, as the racing is exciting enough as it is. Constant yelling at us might be OK for some, but definitely not for me.

Murray Walker may have been a fair bit more excitable than the very measured and urbane Raymond Baxter, but I can't remember him giving me a headache.

Over excitable sports commentators are a real curse.

[TV3]

Originally Posted by socram

I have just been watching NZ's TV3 coverage of the speedway at Western Springs. What a pain. There is no need to shout guys, as the racing is exciting enough as it is. Constant yelling at us might be OK for some, but definitely not for me.

Murray Walker may have been a fair bit more excitable than the very measured and urbane Raymond Baxter, but I can't remember him giving me a headache.

Over excitable sports commentators are a real curse.

Hi Socram, thanks for your feedback and yes I agree. I will mention this to the Production Company that is responsible for delivering the Programme to TV3.
Nigel Carpenter
Producer
CRC Motorsport TV3

[socram]

Thanks Nigel. I really didn't expect such a positive response so quickly! I have done my fair share of commentating both for TV and live at the tracks and I just hope that when I get it wrong, someone will tell me.

I know it isn't easy to be informative and interesting when most people (particularly when it is noisy anyway) can't hear too well - and in many cases, know more than I do anyway!

Getting old may also account for being less tolerant of various noises...

[Goat Boy]

At least we don't have to put up with Daryl Eastlake over here

He's the one commentating when Tony Longhurst has a go at Paul Morris in the BMW - all you can make out from what he is yelling is something like, "Ah blah blah blah Longhurst ah blah blah blah bit of biffo!!!!"

[HProject]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

At least we don't have to put up with Daryl Eastlake over here

He's the one commentating when Tony Longhurst has a go at Paul Morris in the BMW - all you can make out from what he is yelling is something like, "Ah blah blah blah Longhurst ah blah blah blah bit of biffo!!!!"

Last I heard, Darryl's in a bad way with alzheimer's. Not a fan of his commentry, but it's sad to see such a character go down that way. He also commentated on the '96 ATCC Kiwi Sprint rounds.

[NZSTfan]

Probably off topic a bit, but the commentator i like the most has to be Niel Crompton.

he has it down-packed IMO.

I went to the Singapore GP this year and Crompo was commentating at the track and he was great to listen too. Very informative and kept the interest levels up. I wasn't happy however when i got back in to NZ and watched the race as screened on Sky only to find it was the usual crowd doing the word-work. We all thought for a brief moment that Crompo had got a promotion and was now doing F1....but no, that was not the case.

I imagine that people like Crompo do track commentary at local-ish F1 events, and Singapore is certainly one where there are heaps of aussies and kiwis.

In NZ i think we have it ok for the events i follow, but that is subjective of course

[Goat Boy]

I always loved Murray Walker, some great quotes! I bet there are still fan pages out there...

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by HProject

Last I heard, Darryl's in a bad way with alzheimer's. Not a fan of his commentry, but it's sad to see such a character go down that way. He also commentated on the '96 ATCC Kiwi Sprint rounds.

Poor old Daryl, that's not a nice thing to have by any stretch. He actually had a heart attack while commentating years ago, too. He commentated pretty much any sport that the Aussies thought wasn't interesting enough in its own right...

[HProject]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

I always loved Murray Walker, some great quotes! I bet there are still fan pages out there...

Haha during the final race of BTCC 1992 - "'I'm going for first', says John Cleland"

Interesting to hear that Cromly was commentating at Singapore - I never knew he had gigs behind the mic beyond what he does at Channel 7. Quite funny that, on the flipside, Walker commentates the Adelaide 500.

I'm a Crompton fan as well - though I'm a fan of most V8SC commentators over the years really (even Matty White. Doug Moulray and Andy Raymond are probably the only ones I can recall that I actively dislike). As far as Kiwi commentators go, I think McCarthy does a great job

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

At least we don't have to put up with Daryl Eastlake over here

He's the one commentating when Tony Longhurst has a go at Paul Morris in the BMW - all you can make out from what he is yelling is something like, "Ah blah blah blah Longhurst ah blah blah blah bit of biffo!!!!"

You mean this

http://youtu.be/RhdtDfEOxjg


I do like this one but I have a vested interest in the clip

http://youtu.be/OBlCztqyfEA

(I'm the marshal putting out the fire).

Yes he was annoying at the time but now he no longer does any commentary I kind of miss his passion for the job.

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

Probably off topic a bit, but the commentator i like the most has to be Niel Crompton.

Originally Posted by HProject

I'm a Crompton fan as well

Really? Neil is terrible nowadays.

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

he has it down-packed IMO.

I went to the Singapore GP this year and Crompo was commentating at the track and he was great to listen too. Very informative and kept the interest levels up. I wasn't happy however when i got back in to NZ and watched the race as screened on Sky only to find it was the usual crowd doing the word-work. We all thought for a brief moment that Crompo had got a promotion and was now doing F1....but no, that was not the case.

No wonder you like him, you've morphed into him. Nobody other than Neil uses a sentence like that. Most people would say similar to "Neil was very informative and I was interested in the commentary", not "kept the interest levels up".

[HProject]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

No wonder you like him, you've morphed into him. Nobody other than Neil uses a sentence like that. Most people would say similar to "Neil was very informative and I was interested in the commentary", not "kept the interest levels up".

Yes. How DARE those young-folk use colloquial language! Who do they think they are, hacking up our dictionaries and the way we speak and such!

[alfacors]

Neil @ Singapore F1 > Neil @ V8s

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by HProject

Yes. How DARE those young-folk use colloquial language! Who do they think they are, hacking up our dictionaries and the way we speak and such!

I'm just saying, it's all vey well trying to keep your professional levels up. But his casual levels are a bit low.

Originally Posted by alfacors

Neil @ Singapore F1 > Neil @ V8s

Ah, I see.

[socram]

Originally Posted by HProject

As far as Kiwi commentators go, I think McCarthy does a great job

I worked alongside Jamie doing the TV commentary for our own race series a few years ago and was hugely impressed at just how much knowledge he absorbs, quickly.

Good to see/hear Shane Drake back on the box too.

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by socram

Good to see/hear Shane Drake back on the box too.

Shane is great, top bloke too. He's the sort that I'd like to see running MSNZ, knows how to run a business but knows all the trials and tribulations of running a race car too.

Is he driving anything anywhere?

[NZSTfan]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

Really? Neil is terrible nowadays.

No wonder you like him, you've morphed into him. Nobody other than Neil uses a sentence like that. Most people would say similar to "Neil was very informative and I was interested in the commentary", not "kept the interest levels up".

Its called an 'opinion' formerf1champ....we are entitled to them

Personally i'd be stoked if i 'morphed' into Crompo.....i'd be at every supercar meeting, a few F1's as well, and would have a sense of humour which he certainly does. Oh, and be rich too.....where do i sign champ?

i remember at the Singapore GP this year he had his classic line of getting 'an ice-cream headache' trying to figure out strategies. Little things like that make a difference for some people, but not all.

I too agree about Shane Drake, he certainly loves his sport. I think he could probably improve a little by knowing who is in what car and at what time. Admittedly he was better at Puke than the Taupo event. I do admire his enthusiasm though.

On top of that our good ol' chum Shaun Summerfield does and excellent job of holding the fort as it where......but i guess most tv journalists normally are

[socram]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

Is he driving anything anywhere?

Not on the track as far as I am aware, but maybe when the kids have grown up a bit?

As for Shane running MSNZ... I am not sure that people who call a spade a spade ever do really well in a committee/political environment, even though they may be hugely successful where they have full control.

Funny that, as when that observation was first put to me just over 30 years ago (at a job interview, for a considerable promotion), I realised there and then that maybe I fell in to that category too. Not political enough.

[brown dog]

Originally Posted by HProject

Haha during the final race of BTCC 1992 - "'I'm going for first', says John Cleland"

yes I remember that, Cleland showing Soper the finger if I recall correctly? epic race

[Club racer]

Originally Posted by socram

Not on the track as far as I am aware, but maybe when the kids have grown up a bit?

As for Shane running MSNZ... I am not sure that people who call a spade a spade ever do really well in a committee/political environment, even though they may be hugely successful where they have full control.

Funny that, as when that observation was first put to me just over 30 years ago (at a job interview, for a considerable promotion), I realised there and then that maybe I fell in to that category too. Not political enough.

This is very true of many red-blooded racing people and people in other sports. It's the nature of the beast.

[HProject]

Originally Posted by brown dog

yes I remember that, Cleland showing Soper the finger if I recall correctly? epic race

Yep. The only quote more memorable from the race was Clelands after Soper's blatant dive-bomb. "The man's an animal!"

[Marcos WTF]

I'm quite content with the current commentary team, have no issues with Matt White.

I'd much rather listen to them than Mike Raymond & Eastlake ( I used to turn the sound down for him) and Barry Oliver.

And I still recall Ian Chappel mispronouncing the name of every F1 driver who didn't have an Anglo-saxon name during his intros to the F1 back in the 80's. Hell, I don't even like his cricket commentary. (that's what the ABC is for)

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

Its called an 'opinion' formerf1champ....we are entitled to them

That's ok. I'm just stunned whenever I hear someone say they like Neil nowadays. He is terrible. It's like he's a bad actor playing the role of racing commentator. But as a result of alfacors post, I may have to consider that Neil may be playing to his audience. It's not saying much for that particular audience, though.

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by Marcos WTF

I'm quite content with the current commentary team, have no issues with Matt White.

I'd much rather listen to them than Mike Raymond & Eastlake ( I used to turn the sound down for him) and Barry Oliver.

And I still recall Ian Chappel mispronouncing the name of every F1 driver who didn't have an Anglo-saxon name during his intros to the F1 back in the 80's. Hell, I don't even like his cricket commentary. (that's what the ABC is for)

What was wrong with Mike, especially compared to White? No one likes Chappell's commentary.

[HProject]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

That's ok. I'm just stunned whenever I hear someone say they like Neil nowadays. He is terrible. It's like he's a bad actor playing the role of racing commentator. But as a result of alfacors post, I may have to consider that Neil may be playing to his audience. It's not saying much for that particular audience, though.

You must be stunned quite often then. At least on the internet forums and social media discussions, Neil seems very popular. His being in bed with Lowndes is the only usual critique.

My thinking is that the entire Channel 7 team pander towards the casual viewer - like most sports presenting teams. It's all about getting new bums on seats, knowing fully well that the 'diehard' fan will turn up and watch the racing no matter what wally is shoved behind the mic (not that I think any of the current squad are wally's). This explains why we have to put up with Larko explaining to us on the white-board and in the tech-centre what understeer and oversteer are 12 times a year, it's why White and Skaife are constantly shouting (since shouting is a simple way of signifying that what's showing on the screens in front of you is entertaining - THE BEST *blank* YOU WILL EVER SEE), and it's why Crompton is consistently employing 'Cromptonisms' in his commentry, to simplify things for the new audience - but at the same time make them feel clued-up by giving them their own set of motorsport jargon. Reverse window this, V8 Supercarland that.

The notion of a 'perfect' commentator coming out of the woodwork in a TV environment is idealistic when you consider that a technical sport like Motorsport will always put new and potential audience-members on a pedastool.

That's my thinking anyway