| Sky Sports 18:22 - Aug 26 with 5427 views | SuddenLad |
Have sacked Matt Le Tissier, Phil Thompson and Charlie Nicholas. Apparently (according to the Sun) are 'white men of a certain age' and will be replaced. No confirmation yet, but rumours that Paul Ince, John Barnes and Clinton Morrison will replace them (says Twitter)
Stelling says it's his worst ever day as a Sky Sports employee.
Some will be joyous, others angry. |  |
| “It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooled†|
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| Sky Sports on 11:25 - Aug 27 with 2013 views | isitme |
| Sky Sports on 11:06 - Aug 27 by AtThePeake |
I think Richards is dreadful to be honest. I know all the top six clubs have their cheerleaders in the media but he will wax lyrical about the most average of City performances as if they have invented a completely different sport. And the over-exaggerated laughs at his own 'jokes' top the whole thing off.
It was definitely time for the likes of Thompson and Nicholas to go. Hopefully they are replaced by decent analysts rather than the soundbite merchants. |
As TVOS said people's views of commentators are very subjective. In my opinion Richards and Keane work well as a pair as their personalities are different. I actually think the Sky cricket group of commentators is really good with lots of variety. Bumble and Warne are more jovial. Holding is a traditionalist who is always good fun when he gets on a hobby horse and Nasser brings his self deprecation. Often it is the mix of pundits that is important.
I agree that time moves on. You saw it with Bob Willis and Gower and now with Thompson and Nicholas.As you say the key thing is what they bring in terms of their analysis. My personal favourite commentator across all sports is Tony Romo who makes a complex game accessable to the masses. |  | | |
| Sky Sports on 11:53 - Aug 27 with 1963 views | D_Alien |
Surprised no-one's mentioned Geoff Boycott
Dropped from TMS (and BBC highlights, which used to be on Channel 4)
Some comments i'd agree with 100% and think "only he'd have the nerve to say that" and others i'd think, "stfu you hypocritical old fart"
Trouble is, the 'others' were becoming ever more frequent
Michael Vaughn must be aware that he's probably got a limited shelf life based on current policy, so he'd best make the most of it. His goading of Jimmy Anderson earlier in the summer for "looking old" after a bit of slipshod fielding had the desired effect!
Another factor - i wonder whether the average age of being put out to grass for the males will be higher than the females? They've all provided new and refreshing input, both in cricket and football punditry, but let's see if ageism is applied at an earlier stage |  |
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| Sky Sports on 13:10 - Aug 27 with 1839 views | rod_leach |
| Sky Sports on 11:53 - Aug 27 by D_Alien |
Surprised no-one's mentioned Geoff Boycott
Dropped from TMS (and BBC highlights, which used to be on Channel 4)
Some comments i'd agree with 100% and think "only he'd have the nerve to say that" and others i'd think, "stfu you hypocritical old fart"
Trouble is, the 'others' were becoming ever more frequent
Michael Vaughn must be aware that he's probably got a limited shelf life based on current policy, so he'd best make the most of it. His goading of Jimmy Anderson earlier in the summer for "looking old" after a bit of slipshod fielding had the desired effect!
Another factor - i wonder whether the average age of being put out to grass for the males will be higher than the females? They've all provided new and refreshing input, both in cricket and football punditry, but let's see if ageism is applied at an earlier stage |
I did enjoy listening to Boycott as well. He's certainly different to all others.
I think the fact he's 80 and has had health issues didn't help his selection in this covid environment . |  | | |
| Sky Sports on 13:20 - Aug 27 with 1818 views | D_Alien |
| Sky Sports on 13:10 - Aug 27 by rod_leach |
I did enjoy listening to Boycott as well. He's certainly different to all others.
I think the fact he's 80 and has had health issues didn't help his selection in this covid environment . |
That's a good point, about his age and therefore increased vulnerability. Wouldn't have sent the right signal out to those of a similar profile, but i suspect the BBC were perhaps relieved too | |
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| Sky Sports on 13:22 - Aug 27 with 1813 views | TipperaryDale |
If you're sacking people at Sky, they are all going to be middle-aged white men, because they're the only people on there. You literally wouldn't be able to change the lineup if you didn't sack some middle-aged white men.
All this talk of race is bullshit - Ian Wright has it right, saying essentially what have Micah Richards and Alex Scott have to do with it? Why have their names been dragged into the conversation?
The reason their names have been dragged into it is to pre-emptively cast doubt on them. If and when a black or female person is chosen to do this job, guess what, in the eyes of these racists/sexists they'll have got it because of 'tokenism', or got it ahead of a white male because they ticked boxes. They can't win - they either accept they're never going to have that job, or be told that they didn't deserve it anyway.
FWIW, Soccer Saturday had got a bit stale, and needed freshening up; the same as it did a few years ago when they brought in people like Merson, Le Tissier and Thompson. Was there an outcry before when they let go whoever came before them (can't remember exactly, but remember Alan McInally, Rodney Marsh, George Best, another Scottish bloke)? |  | | |
| Sky Sports on 13:31 - Aug 27 with 1781 views | D_Alien |
| Sky Sports on 13:22 - Aug 27 by TipperaryDale |
If you're sacking people at Sky, they are all going to be middle-aged white men, because they're the only people on there. You literally wouldn't be able to change the lineup if you didn't sack some middle-aged white men.
All this talk of race is bullshit - Ian Wright has it right, saying essentially what have Micah Richards and Alex Scott have to do with it? Why have their names been dragged into the conversation?
The reason their names have been dragged into it is to pre-emptively cast doubt on them. If and when a black or female person is chosen to do this job, guess what, in the eyes of these racists/sexists they'll have got it because of 'tokenism', or got it ahead of a white male because they ticked boxes. They can't win - they either accept they're never going to have that job, or be told that they didn't deserve it anyway.
FWIW, Soccer Saturday had got a bit stale, and needed freshening up; the same as it did a few years ago when they brought in people like Merson, Le Tissier and Thompson. Was there an outcry before when they let go whoever came before them (can't remember exactly, but remember Alan McInally, Rodney Marsh, George Best, another Scottish bloke)? |
But race and sex does come into it - precisely because those of a non-white male profile were under-represented
And it's neither racist or sexist to say so, simply an observation. We can now concentrate on the quality of punditry, rather than having a discussion based on profiling | |
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| Sky Sports on 13:36 - Aug 27 with 1753 views | krafty80 |
| Sky Sports on 13:22 - Aug 27 by TipperaryDale |
If you're sacking people at Sky, they are all going to be middle-aged white men, because they're the only people on there. You literally wouldn't be able to change the lineup if you didn't sack some middle-aged white men.
All this talk of race is bullshit - Ian Wright has it right, saying essentially what have Micah Richards and Alex Scott have to do with it? Why have their names been dragged into the conversation?
The reason their names have been dragged into it is to pre-emptively cast doubt on them. If and when a black or female person is chosen to do this job, guess what, in the eyes of these racists/sexists they'll have got it because of 'tokenism', or got it ahead of a white male because they ticked boxes. They can't win - they either accept they're never going to have that job, or be told that they didn't deserve it anyway.
FWIW, Soccer Saturday had got a bit stale, and needed freshening up; the same as it did a few years ago when they brought in people like Merson, Le Tissier and Thompson. Was there an outcry before when they let go whoever came before them (can't remember exactly, but remember Alan McInally, Rodney Marsh, George Best, another Scottish bloke)? |
100% agree with your comments about Alex Scott and Micah Richards. The bar for female pundits in sport TV in particular seems incredibly high -- you can be sure every time Alex Scott or Eni Aluko go on TV, they will have had to do 2x the research of male colleagues while also knowing they'll get at least 2x the stick from viewers.
Obviously the reaction to Le Tiss etc being axed has been sadly predictable, I suspect it isn't just 'pale male stale' demographics which has played a role, but also age of the audience. The people calling the shots on Soccer Sat are presumably the companies that pay for the advertising during the breaks. I think Sky will have some pretty advanced analytics showing the age and background of the show's audience, and I suspect their 'typical viewer' would be an 18 to 35yo man. If so, how many of them will remember Le Tiss playing in his heyday let alone Phil Thompson?
I think the main criterion for refreshing the panel will be to find pundits who are relatively recently retired, possibly having had some training in media work/presenting too. Jermaine Jenas on the BBC would be one such example. |  | | |
| Sky Sports on 15:34 - Aug 27 with 1592 views | finberty |
| Sky Sports on 11:53 - Aug 27 by D_Alien |
Surprised no-one's mentioned Geoff Boycott
Dropped from TMS (and BBC highlights, which used to be on Channel 4)
Some comments i'd agree with 100% and think "only he'd have the nerve to say that" and others i'd think, "stfu you hypocritical old fart"
Trouble is, the 'others' were becoming ever more frequent
Michael Vaughn must be aware that he's probably got a limited shelf life based on current policy, so he'd best make the most of it. His goading of Jimmy Anderson earlier in the summer for "looking old" after a bit of slipshod fielding had the desired effect!
Another factor - i wonder whether the average age of being put out to grass for the males will be higher than the females? They've all provided new and refreshing input, both in cricket and football punditry, but let's see if ageism is applied at an earlier stage |
Agreed- Vaughan's got the reverse thrusters set to overload to pretend he never questioned Jimmy.
At least KP is no longer on the scene. One of the most irritating commentator pronunciations was Vaughan's inability to say 'Pieterson' without ignoring the 't' in the middle. Glottal stopping at its worst. |  | | |
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| Sky Sports on 15:36 - Aug 27 with 1585 views | dingdangblue |
| Sky Sports on 19:18 - Aug 26 by funkkk |
And Merson somehow survived 😩 |
What were the odds on that? |  |
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| Sky Sports on 16:48 - Aug 27 with 1514 views | Yorkshire_Dale |
Scott Minto gone now......who is next? |  | | |
| Sky Sports on 17:56 - Aug 27 with 1421 views | Nigeriamark |
| Sky Sports on 13:10 - Aug 27 by rod_leach |
I did enjoy listening to Boycott as well. He's certainly different to all others.
I think the fact he's 80 and has had health issues didn't help his selection in this covid environment . |
I think I read somewhere that he had decided to retire, partly because of health issues. I don't think he was dropped |  | | |
| Sky Sports on 19:45 - Aug 27 with 1249 views | SuddenLad |
I have some sympathy with his differentiation between a commentator and an expert analyst. No-one can understand the experience of being out in the middle in a Test match, unless you have done it at the highest level, as Boycott certainly has, albeit 40 years ago. To score over 100 centuries in first class cricket takes some doing, in any era.
Agreed, some will think his views outdated, but nobody can deny that he is as qualified as anyone to discuss and analyse the finer points as an expert. Others make excellent commentators, without the wealth of experience that Boycott has, or indeed many other former test cricketers. Commentating effectively is an art in itself. Not everyone can do it and those that do it, haven't necessarily played Test cricket. | |
| “It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooled†|
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| Sky Sports on 20:01 - Aug 27 with 1212 views | TVOS1907 |
Correct |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Sky Sports on 20:34 - Aug 27 with 1161 views | DaleiLama |
| Sky Sports on 11:25 - Aug 27 by isitme |
As TVOS said people's views of commentators are very subjective. In my opinion Richards and Keane work well as a pair as their personalities are different. I actually think the Sky cricket group of commentators is really good with lots of variety. Bumble and Warne are more jovial. Holding is a traditionalist who is always good fun when he gets on a hobby horse and Nasser brings his self deprecation. Often it is the mix of pundits that is important.
I agree that time moves on. You saw it with Bob Willis and Gower and now with Thompson and Nicholas.As you say the key thing is what they bring in terms of their analysis. My personal favourite commentator across all sports is Tony Romo who makes a complex game accessable to the masses. |
Agree on Romo - as entertaining in front of the mic as he was on the field. Redefined commentary. As good as Aikman is tedious! |  |
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| Sky Sports on 20:42 - Aug 27 with 1143 views | isitme |
| Sky Sports on 20:34 - Aug 27 by DaleiLama |
Agree on Romo - as entertaining in front of the mic as he was on the field. Redefined commentary. As good as Aikman is tedious! |
Absolutely. It is funny when Romo predicts what is going to happen and he has such great enthusiasm.
When another channel tried to dip in the Dallas well for Witten that didn't go so well. The Monday Night Football crew was also dreadful. I'm hopeful the new crew with Louis Riddick will be better. I also really like Collinsworth and Michaels.
I also think a commentator's voice is often really important. I could listen to Michael Holding for hours. | | | |
| Sky Sports on 20:46 - Aug 27 with 1138 views | DaleiLama |
| Sky Sports on 20:42 - Aug 27 by isitme |
Absolutely. It is funny when Romo predicts what is going to happen and he has such great enthusiasm.
When another channel tried to dip in the Dallas well for Witten that didn't go so well. The Monday Night Football crew was also dreadful. I'm hopeful the new crew with Louis Riddick will be better. I also really like Collinsworth and Michaels.
I also think a commentator's voice is often really important. I could listen to Michael Holding for hours. |
Agree with all of that and also like Michaels and Collinsworth (although the former has developed a mild whistle due to ill-fitting dentures?)
Ted Lowe at snooker. Dan Maskell at tennis. Plenty @ cricket, but bumble is one of my faves just cos of his accent. | |
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| Sky Sports on 21:11 - Aug 27 with 1089 views | D_Alien |
No-one will ever get even close to Richie Benaud as a cricket commentator
Headed the live BBC test match broadcasts for god knows how many years, and doubt if he ever said anything that didn't need saying; understated but also pin sharp
His experience as an ex-Aussie captain was of course invaluable, but you wouldn't know it when he was commentating on an Ashes series | |
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| Sky Sports on 21:27 - Aug 27 with 1048 views | PGB |
As an avid listener to test match special on the Beeb, I hope Sky recruit Dan Norcross with an exclusive contract. He has some knowledge of the game but is overly anxious to prove it. Subtle he is not, he speaks in a monotone and above all he is BORING! | | | |
| Sky Sports on 21:33 - Aug 27 with 1033 views | isitme |
| Sky Sports on 21:27 - Aug 27 by PGB |
As an avid listener to test match special on the Beeb, I hope Sky recruit Dan Norcross with an exclusive contract. He has some knowledge of the game but is overly anxious to prove it. Subtle he is not, he speaks in a monotone and above all he is BORING! |
I find Charles Dagnall similarly boring. He does a lot of Sky white ball county games. He was formally of the BBC. | | | |
| Sky Sports on 21:39 - Aug 27 with 1012 views | TVOS1907 |
| Sky Sports on 21:33 - Aug 27 by isitme |
I find Charles Dagnall similarly boring. He does a lot of Sky white ball county games. He was formally of the BBC. |
Well they are all pretty formal at the BBC. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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