For clarification it was me who made the original claim - albeit not definitively - and I was comparing him with his fellow pundits in the sense of the channel he worked on as opposed to pundits in general.


And rarely, if ever, using it when it would be really worthwhile.

Sky did a similar thing for part of one season in their very early PL days.

Live pictures ran for the whole game but the live picture was minimised when a replay ran. I remember Keys at the time suggesting that the idea came from a cleaning lady.

I loved it, and I thought BT would do something similar with their Box.

[quote=casinoman13;83432262]

Just said he had his first assignments of the season, that was all.
No need to read anything into it!

Udinese v Boro- Phil Blacker
Bayern v Real Madrid- Tony Jones and Terry Gibson

The commentator on Zimbabwe v Germany sounds familiar. But not from football?

I think it's Charlie Brougham. If it is, he's done all sorts of stuff, including red button skiing on BBC and a fair few winter sports on Eurosport.

Don't worry, I'm sure Charles Sale will do that anyway.


Thank goodness BT aren't showing the Manchester Derby - we'd probably have the BT Box permenantly on-screen during the game showing Guardiola and Mourinho.

If the Box were to be used to just show action during replays it'd be a great idea. When it's used to just show a manager standing pitchside it just seems utterly pointless.

My main issue with the BT Box is the same as when it was first introduced two seasons ago.

If it's as revolutionary and innovative an addition to football coverage as BT clearly think it is, why is not used by any other football broadcaster in the world?

Olympics Women's Football
USA v NZ - Paul Dempsey and Roger Tames

Didn't know Roger Tames was still commentating - haven't heard him since about 1998!

What a blast from the past

Don't like the style of commentary on the matches so far. Joint commentary rather than co commentary

I actually think it isn't a bad idea - having the ability to show a replay and also the live action at the same time means there's not the risk of missing a chance or worse goal because you're showing a replay. The issue is totally the execution.

BT have come up with some far worse ideas that I still don't understand to this day - I mean how did someone at BT think moving the coverage outside a stadium post-match for example was a good idea?

He was on BT a lot during the European Games last summer.

Steve Cram on the Curling is funny, just like Sue Barker on the Ice Skating as well!

I take it that you take part in commentating yourself, albeit on a small scale. I was just wondering how you get into it as it is something I would be interested in doing. Well, at least trying!

Well again I ask the question - why does no other football broadcaster think it necessary to include such a thing on their match broadcasts if it's such a great enhancement?


It doesn't sound to me like a joint commentary, it sounds like Dempsey is genuinely trying to fill the analyst's role.

It does sound strange, though, because of course we're used to him only doing the "play by play", as the Americans say.

Sounds like to me that for some of the voices from certain nations will do a bit more 'lead' commentary when their nation plays. Seems to be as you say a weird hybrid though were all the commentators are 'lead' commentators rather than traditional lead and ex-footballer. I know the stadiums aren't full but clearly sounds offtube from OBS.

No idea to be honest. Though perhaps the same could be said over having a ref available to provide instant commentary on the laws of the game- which I think is definitely a good idea (and has been a real plus for BT) but which none of the other UK broadcasters seem to have done,

I know ITV brought Webb to the Euros but I didn't see a huge amount of him.

Just Cram gets his shouty excitedness in the 100m and then turns it around to more sedate Curling. Decent at it but wee chuckle never the less.

Basically just volunteered and then started trying to make my way (and still am) earning wise as a freelancer! Did lots of lower league Scottish football stuff and Women's football. Latter I still do reguarly in Scotland and Women's Champions League. Recently did Homeless World Cup and European Hockey. So yeah most of my work is broadcast online / live streaming / and a wee bit on STV.

Not Eurovision but OBS, the Spanish company responsible for the radio and TV coverage of the Olympics.



It's rare that you need a referee's point of view, but equally it's good to have one when you do need it. I suspect that Howard Webb's daily rate is much lower than Petit or Bilic, so paying him to be there for all the games but only using him three or four times isn't going to break the bank.

I forgot who was with him, but definitely was Charlie Brougham on Germany v Zimbabwe

Not a fan of this two leads in the box. Also, for the world's biggest sporting event, could they get the graphics to animate out nicely?

Olympic graphics are essentially the same huge blocky messes. Nothing like what you see on Sky or BBC etc! Even things like the time lineups etc all old fashioned with just a list of names. No formations etc.

Commentary is basically like Five Live - two lead commentators taking turns for a while but with no real summariser just the 2nd lead who is taking a bit break chips in now and again.

NBC Sports, as they've been known to do in the past, are cutting away from the football matches for ad breaks, like this is the 1980s. Embarrassing.

France Women v Colombia Women - Mark Tompkins and Peter Odgers

I like how, now we've moved onto part 19 of the thread, it has the current thread starter as Peter Brackley. We've come a long way!

Took me nearly half an hour( honestly!) to find 19 again last night!

By part 25 of the thread, we'll have John Motson and Clive Tyldesley starting it off, with contributions from Slaven Bilic and Sepp Blatter.........

(Just written a little piece, Mark, by the way, for the Super Seagulls first matchday programme of the new season as we celebrate five years at the Amex!)

Yet we still don't believe gary neville will be back and Simon Thomas doing sat lunchtime

Could Phil be joining gary on sky after appearance last night?