Originally Posted by seagull_Mark:
“I thought Champion showed today what a class above most others he is. Bringing in both co-comms seamlessly and effectively. Pauses are one of his strengths, much in the way Barry Davies would use them, and I thought perhaps a three man team would put an end to that but he was still able to use them effectively. The Man Utd goal call is a good example of letting the pictures and celebrations breathe before summing up in a quick soundbite.
The other advantage he has over Mowbray, Fletcher and, to a lesser extent, Hawthorne, is the rise and fall in his voice when it comes to chances. The play builds up and his voice gets more and more animated, the pace of voice gets quicker and when the chance arrives he lets you know with how he's said the words rather than just what he's saying. You could be looking away or at your phone and immediately know from his tone whereabouts the ball was. A trait I guess exists from his radio days. It was an all too rare treat to listen to him today and I'd love to see him do more for BT and ITV. Or preferably, number 1 with us at Sky!”
Originally Posted by Readingfan:
“I think this is a brilliant, brilliant post. I always admire any piece of writing that goes into such specific details about someone's craft, particularly when complimentary, and it's a very strong summary of just why I rate Champion so highly.”
Originally Posted by mlt11:
“Indeed - I agree with you both.”
Originally Posted by BFGArmy:
“Have to say while I'm not always Jon Champion's biggest fan (and don't think Fletcher is nearly as bad as some say on here - though we have and will probably again debate it to death) the difference in commentary yesterday from normal for noticable.
I have to say I actually really enjoyed the commentary and would happily hear that partnership again. One of the times the 3-man team actually really worked for me.
Champion just sounds like he should be a main commentator. He just has a natural gravitas too that isn't easy to find (and you can't teach) and always seems very engaged and interested with the match he's watching.
And he worked well in the 3-man team - surprising as I can't imagine he's had much experience in one.”
Just to echo these sentiments, I have always enjoyed Jon Champion's commentaries, I think he's the outstanding football commentator around today, alongside Martin Tyler. It goes without saying that Champion does the basics very well - player identification, reading of the game, all sound. What makes him stand out are his voice and delivery, which is distinctive and easy on the ear, his command of the English language which means he doesn't repeat stock phrases, his goal calls, which are varied and generally memorable, and his interaction with co-commentators. All in all, Champion is a class act. I've no idea whether last Sunday is just a one-off, just like Andy Gray co-commentating on a couple of FA Cup matches three years ago for BT was a one-off. But I hope not. Champion as lead commentator on Premier League matches would elevate BT's coverage.