1 hour ago, DV8 said:

Yep,  agreed with this statement  'bucky'.

That's what you get with former Stars commenting on the game...  they think they are the heart of the game. 

And their Ego's keep climbing over their mate next to them.   Until its a tosss fest.

 

IMO the game suffers,  from their EGO's ruining it.

True.  I don't watch  horse racing so perhaps someone can tell me if the commentators there ex-champion horses?  Employ good commentators rather than ex-stars.  The odds of finding an ex-star who is also a good commentator are low.

Adam Papalia on Fox is the best. No identity and calls the game for what it is with no bias. 

I was hoping Bruce was going to retire when CYROL did. 

What I hate most is his use of ‘clever’ 95% of the time a knock on that was ‘cleaverrrr’ ends up in a turn over. 

Love the idea of only hearing the sounds at the ground. Hope someone from Fox is reading the thread. 

23 hours ago, chookrat said:

I might be in the minority but I find Bruce Mcaveney extremely annoying to listen to when watching the game. He seems to have no grasp of what is happening,  fawns over well known players whether they are playing well or not and then distracts from what is actually taking place.

Keen to hear others views re Bruce. 

He is a horrible commentator that has got worse and worse. 

His fawning over players, his faux excitement about passages of play and his irrelevant historical 'facts' are passe and tired. We don't need to hear the play described in mind numbingly boring detail. Give us less and more insightful comments.

His only saving grace is that he his 1000 x better than Derwayne

3 minutes ago, sue said:

True.  I don't watch  horse racing so perhaps someone can tell me if the commentators there ex-champion horses?  Employ good commentators rather than ex-stars.  The odds of finding an ex-star who is also a good commentator are low.

I always think of  'Mike Williamson'  these days,  as my doyen of commentary...  simply because he adored the game,  and he didn't pick it to pieces.   He was just glowing of it's highlights as they occurred.

His love and natural excitement was infectious...  and the special comments from the likes of Butch Bale or Teddy Whitten, or whoever at the time, was only in support,  and not layered too heavily...   the vision accompanied with the  'Williamson' commentary was purely enjoyable...  and we didn't have to think much,  but just sit there and be excited and stimulated,  being witness to the greats playing the game.

Also the tribalism was another fantastic layer.

 

It was a very raw and enjoyable time to be in. 

 

Today more is seen as 'more'..  when truth be told,  less is better.  Much better.  

 

Like Vegemite,  spread it too thick,  and its like eating axle grease.

8 hours ago, ProperDee said:

McAvaney only said it once and it may have been in the last quarter, but he referred to one of the Wagner boys as “Vargner”! 

I nearly choked on my Lazy Bear! 

He fair dinkum has a Doctorate in Monkey Spanking.

They hand them out freely in Adelaide....

22 minutes ago, sue said:

The odds of finding an ex-star who is also a good commentator are low. 

IMO good commentators are Virginal,  to the playing of the game.

Bruce has some of this,  but he is a try-hard in the comapny of Former-Stars.

 

The virginal commentator brings with them,  'No EGO'... of,  I'm in the know, above all you plebs.  It's a service they are supplying to the viewer,  of the enjoyment they feel from first hand witnessing the game unfold live.

 

The virginal commentator sits at the same knowledge level as most Viewers... and shares the game live for them into their home.   Too much explanation,  turns quickly to drivel and to lecturing.

 

Who in their right mind wants some former 'Elite-Star'  lecturing them on the finer points of the game...  as they sit-down and shut-up...  until told otherwise.

.

Edited April 13, 20196 yr by DV8

2 minutes ago, DV8 said:

I always think of  'Mike Williamson'  these days,  as my doyen of commentary...  simply because he adored the game,  and he didn't pick it to pieces.   He was just glowing of it's highlights as they occurred.

His love and natural excitement was infectious...  and the special comments from the likes of Butch Bale or Teddy Whitten, or whoever at the time, was only in support,  and not layered too heavily...   the vision accompanied with the  'Williamson' commentary was purely enjoyable...  and we didn't have to think much,  but just sit there and be excited and stimulated,  being witness to the greats playing the game.

Also the tribalism was another fantastic layer.

 

It was a very raw and enjoyable time to be in. 

 

Today more is seen as 'more'..  when truth be told,  less is better.  Much better.  

 

Like Vegemite,  spread it too thick,  and its like eating axle grease.

in those days football on TV was a rarity so you just thanked your lucky stars for the opportunity. Remember the Winners on the ABC with the boys.

These days the product is very different and the commentary needs to move away from gee whiz etc. Even the analysis is covered better in other shows. Take a page from Soccer commentary or even F1 where understatement is the key.

1 minute ago, Diamond_Jim said:

in those days football on TV was a rarity so you just thanked your lucky stars for the opportunity. Remember the Winners on the ABC with the boys.

These days the product is very different and the commentary needs to move away from gee whiz etc. Even the analysis is covered better in other shows. Take a page from Soccer commentary or even F1 where understatement is the key.

I love the F-1

I watched the first quarter with the sound on, which is about a quarter more than usual, and then turned the sound off until the last couple of minutes. Much better way to watch the footy than to listen to the inane prattle that passes for commentary.

4 minutes ago, DV8 said:

I love the F-1

hopefully Daniel R can finish tomorrow !!

2 minutes ago, Red and Bluebeard said:

I watched the first quarter with the sound on, which is about a quarter more than usual, and then turned the sound off until the last couple of minutes. Much better way to watch the footy than to listen to the inane prattle that passes for commentary.

Yes i had the sound muted

was great actually 

7 minutes ago, Red and Bluebeard said:

I watched the first quarter with the sound on, which is about a quarter more than usual, and then turned the sound off until the last couple of minutes. Much better way to watch the footy than to listen to the inane prattle that passes for commentary.

You notice more happening,  with sound off.   Less distractions.

https://m.betootaadvocate.com/uncategorized/mcavaney-rushes-out-of-commentary-box-for-cold-shower-after-winx-almost-brings-him-to-climax/

5 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Yes i had the sound muted

was great actually 

Been doing it for ages

On 4/12/2019 at 5:05 PM, bragswoewodin said:

Glad that this has come up. Bruce is kinda a sacred cow when it comes to commentary, and probably justifiably so. Go listen to some of his early work. He is right up there with anyone else to do it (I’d put him up against Clinton Grybas and Anthony Hudson in that regard.)

Unfortunately, whether deliberately or unintentionally, he has become a cheerleading shadow of his former self, and he clearly has favorites. Buddy is definitely one, of course Cyril and Poppy.. in fact, in retrospect, go listen again to the highlights of our game vs Hawthorn in the finals. His ongoing “gee that helps” commentary with every Hawthorn goal sounded like barracking.

Oh and he commentates via questions to his co-commentators “gee, that was good play, eh?”

I think he is almost close to making BT tolerable, and that says something...

Shouty Hudson . . . you're joking right?

1 minute ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

Shouty Hudson . . . you're joking right?

Agreed. HUDSON IS PAINFUL to the ears ? 

Little man syndrome 

8 hours ago, Go the Biff said:

He's obviously not what he once was. Before 7 lost the footy rights to 9 & 10 he was bloody good. When he returned I suspect he had to dial up the "Bruceness" because Anthony Hudson had pretty much spent five years impersonating him and continues that to this day. And it seems the Bruceness has been dialled up further each season. But he loves the game, loves it played well & loves those who play it best. That's not a bad thing even if he goes over the top a bit. His "barracking" was as bad as I've noticed it on Thursday but I don't usually notice any bias. He's cheer-led us in the past too - "The Dees are gonna be something" (we so weren't Bruce, unless you meant something shitehouse).

As someone posted earlier, who do you replace him with as a chief commentator ? There's not a lot of obvious replacements. Clinton Grybas left a massive hole in the commentary ranks with his untimely passing. The VFL boys do a good job although their voices are a bit bland. Adam Papalia is my personal favourite - no bulldust, calls the game and calls it well. Aside from that it's slim pickings.

At the bottom of the barrel, Dwayne Russell has given me the [censored] from the moment he hit the airwaves. But even he is preferable to the hell that is Basil. He was the reason my daughters first(& only time) heard me drop the C-bomb. He annoys me like no other and has near cost me a TV screen on a few occasions. I nearly hurled the remote at the screen during the tennis ! The bloody tennis ! How can a commentator get you that pizzed off in tennis ? He has a special gift

Kelly Underwood is by far the best going around. Put her and Daisy in the box together and it'd be a good night . . .  "we know that" as Bwoos wood say. 

6 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Agreed. HUDSON IS PAINFUL to the ears ? 

Little man syndrome 

Can you imagine Hudson and SoMo in the box together? 

Just now, Queanbeyan Demon said:

Can you imagine Hudson and SoMo in the box together? 

Please. 

I see little Hudson often, he lives near me. 

Grumpy little bugger, always looks half a sleep ? 

On 4/12/2019 at 7:23 PM, Swooper1987 said:

There aren't many good ones around now.  Hudson and Whately, Tim Lane and then guys like Speed, who I think is very underrated.  Going back a long way now, but I used to love listening to the ABC 30 odd years ago to Peter Booth, Smokey Dawson and Doug Bigelow.  Crosses to Clelo (Ian Cleland) and Swan McKay - that was a great commentary team back when radio was worth listening too - before the MMM boys club!

Doug "all alone and unattended" Heywood.

2 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Please. 

I see little Hudson often, he lives near me. 

Grumpy little bugger, always looks half a sleep ? 

Sorry SWYLB. That was very sadistic of me. My apologies. 

7 minutes ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

Doug "all alone and unattended" Heywood.

A fine Demon was Doug

I know the thread is about McCavaney but i wouldn't mind Lyon back ASAP. He has good knowledge and grasp and says what he thinks.