World Cup: 'The level of punditry is patronising and insulting'
Mark.
Posts: 84,895 Forum Member
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This was posted on the Football Commentators Thread, but I think it's deserving of wider discussion:
http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Tom-English-39The-level-of.6364084.jp
It's a very good article and pretty much sums up my thoughts on the coverage so far.
http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Tom-English-39The-level-of.6364084.jp
It's a very good article and pretty much sums up my thoughts on the coverage so far.
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Comments
The British habit of talking slowwwwly to Johnny Foreigner.
I saw Lineker hand over to Shearer during half time at the Italy-Paraguay match and all he said endlessly was "they need to play better in the second half". Well, duh. He manged to fill about 5 minutes of airtime without saying one thing which even remotely added anything to the coverage. Woeful.
ITV aren't any better. Watching the half time show on ITV for Brazil-North Korea last night was awkward. Chiles making unfunny jokes/puns that only Southgate was polite enough to (weakly) laugh at. Davids clearly isn't being paid per word and looked rather like someone kidnapped his family and forced him to do punditry. To his credit Southgate tried to get Davids to open up but failed.
Southgate himself is hardly the most articulate or enthusiastic-sounding person but I was glad he was there, as he seemed the only one willing to fill what could become an increasingly lengthy awkward silence.
At least ITV have less time at HT to fill.
"Glib nonsense, crap jokes and crass stereotyping" - indeed.
At least with the "red button" technology we can watch the game without commentators at all, and at half-time they could just show one camera shot of the pitch, which would be a darned sight more interesting than listening to Shearer et al.
On the red button during the winter olympics, when there was a break in play, they simply showed the stadium. Simple and effective.
On the main channels though, they need to keep the viewers attention. No matter how much crap they may talk, the pundits do that better than a shot of the stadium
Robbie Savage was going to take the top prize for this during yesterday's Portugal Ivory Coast game, he just moaned and moaned through the first half. But then he redeemed himself at half time saying "I think I should give my fee back for analysing this match because I have absolutely nothing to say!"
As the article points out, they are pretty open (even jokey) about their lack of research about 'lesser' teams - if they had researched the teams and individual players they would by definition be able to offer some comment. Even if that's not the case, I can only speak personally, but its the impression they give me as a viewer anyway.
Makes you wonder what they think they are out there for really. Wouldn't anyone talking about an event actually put some effort in to research it?
Which by the way, goes to prove how few people we actually need in South Africa watching the games. TalkSport and Moyles and Dave commentating via video feeds. Lineker and co could easily be in TV Centre...
The World Cup as a whole, the football itself, has been appalling, and I do put part of that down to the Vuvuzelas.
Explain how getting a draw against a team of journeymen like America is very good
... all these issues being expressed are down to the expectancy of yet another English soccer team failure.
Its like BBC North West Tonight, just a tribute show to British Leyland overmanning.
Bring back Clough, Revie , Mercer & Jimmy Hill style stuff , at least these people had an opinion. The comatose massives they have on now are just threadbare , what withe the sound of the beehive in the background & these goons as well, no wonder im finding this tournament a total snooze fest.
We see this attittude in many areas of British society - we are getting what we deserve. Bad education, bad social morals etc etc. breeds complacency.
Being a german speaker, I watch the ARD and ZDF coverage - they do not offer the schoolboy tittering we get here!
I suspect many folks just watch the games and either go into standby or swich channels when the drivel starts.
As you rightly say the characters and their opinions have gone. These guys around now have been media coached to within an inch of their lives and have nothing but soundbites without any substance at all. Take Shearer as an example, the only player I can think of who was more dull at giving interviews is Michael Owen yet Shearer is on MOTD most weeks.
I agree with everything on that article.
Of course the issue isn't a new one - we've been putting up with p***poor punditry on the BBC and ITV for the last two decades. Andy Gray is good on Sky, and the RTE panel in Ireland are excellent, but that really is it. Pundits are generally not worthy of the name, and rely on the apparant authority that comes from being former professional footballers; in reality, they are dull, sycophantic and ignorant.
Add to this the player interviews which are excruitiatingly dull, and you ask yourself why bother having any build-up or half-time chat? People moan about ITV's adverts and short build-up time, but what are they missing? The adverts are probably more interesting.
Its like if there isnt at least 3 goals after every 45 minutes he's watching paint dry.
I suspect Irish viewers are getting *much* better and more informed analysis.
Any ideas what that might be because i'm perplexed.
It just goes to show how opinions differ.
If I hear Andy Gray say "take a bow son, take a bow !" one more time
I will kick the telly in.
Henderoworld: "something right" = "something my elders and betters like"
And people say Murdochism is an improvement on British imperialism, rather than just the same thing repackaged ...
I think it's ludicrous the way the bbc pundits are carrying on, it's like they're on one big jolly and the fact that they actually have to do their job is an inconvenience. It's about time the bbc coverage of football including talent was put out to commercial tender to shake the thing up a bit. If they're not careful the people who demand the bbc1 and itv1 back will have their way in a couple of World Cups time.
On ITV I just despair completely, can they at least provide a crowd noise only option and just show highlights on the red button at half time?