Best sports commentator ever?

afx237vi

Prompted by the sad news that Bill McLaren has died, who do you reckon is/was the best commentator ever?

IMO it would be a tie between McLaren and Peter O'Sullevan.

Crankmeister

peter alis that golf commentator hes ace the quirky old bugger

grandad3

old duffers :twisted:

singlespeedexplosif

John Arlott, Richie Benaud, Hugh Porter

jellybellywmb

Bill McClaren is the one that I always remember when i was a kid, my old man and his dad watching the 5 nations and drinking warm flat beer.

afx237vi

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

John Arlott, Richie Benaud, Hugh Porter

Good shout on Benaud. Forgot about him :oops:

Aggieboy

Sad news. Just heard some of his commentary on TV. Always takes me back to wet Saturdays, watching the rugby with my Dad. He was the best imo.

"They'll be dancing in the streets of heaven tonight" when Bill arrives.

cycologist

McLaren may not have been the best (rugby ) commentator but he was certainly one of the most entertaining. He was part of the entertanment himself with some rich descriptive phrasing and his lovely voice and scottish accent.Hhe was also a lovely link between the players on the pitch and the listening public ( many of whom would be players or former players themselves|) One of his oft used phrases was to announce "they'll be celebrating that back in the clubhouse at Hawick ( or substitute the players own club/town/village).

Describing Bill Beaumont as a "giant burrowing mole" or Ray Quinnell as a "rampaging rhino" was as poetic as it was amusing.

deptfordmarmoset

The man was there from the birth of TV outside broadcasting right up to the present era - you could almost think they'd invented OBs just for him, and he certainly didn't think ''Ok, I'm 65, it's time to call it a day and do a spot more gardening.'' Because he was still at it 20 years later.

Meanwhile, best commentator? There's a very rich tradition of cricket commentators who pass on their enthusiasm for and knowledge of the sport. But because they work as teams it doesn't make any sense to single out one person in particular. That said, I always enjoyed hearing Tony Cozier, the Bajan who was never far from a microphone when the West Indies were playing England. The current test match special team is pretty good too - Agnew, who holds the programmes together, Boycott, who despite always sounding like an opinionated bigot is very often right, and, recently Michael Vaughan (though the daft bugger supports Sheffield Wednesday).

EDIT: and +1 for John Arlott - I couldn't remember his name though I can still hear his voice.

GavH

Too many to chose from. McLaren for Rugby, Motty for Football, O'Sullevan and also Graham Goode (actually a bit wittier) for Horse Racing (although P O'S shades it for being the voice of the National for me), then you've got Murray Walker for F1. I also like Sam Torrance as a Golf commentator, certainly much more than that blithering, pompous idiot Allis.

northernneil

Always thought Cricket and Golf have fantastic commentators as by the nature of sport it lasts a long while with long periods of no action, they have to (particularly on radio) 'paint' the picture of the action and the general scene happening in the sport

+1 for peter allis but I would also put Brian Johnston in there too, if only for Agnews 'leg over' moment !

whyamihere

Sean Kelly. He doesn't say a lot, and needs someone alongside him to provide a bit of patter, but what he does say is brilliant.

Murray Walker too, due to sheer enthusiasm.

afx237vi

whyamihere wrote:

Sean Kelly. He doesn't say a lot, and needs someone alongside him to provide a bit of patter, but what he does say is brilliant.

Murray Walker too, due to sheer enthusiasm.

Agree with that, although I think you have to be a hardcore cycling fan to appreciate his insights. I doubt he does much for the casual listener.

singlespeedexplosif

I doubt he does much for the casual listener.
if you can get used to his accent, he's great.
Listening to him for the first time is like reading Trainspotting for the first time and spending the first hour thinking 'wtf'
Anyone listening to Kelly should be given an Enigma machine...

Stewie Griffin

Brian Moore & Barry Davis from football as a kid . Benaud, Cozier & now Holding in the cricket (Holding just sounds so cool 8) ) but Allis & Sir Geoffrey of Geoff Boycott are now the Duffers of their respective sports :evil:

andy162

Don't know about best ever. Jamie Whittam ( motorcycling commentator/sidekick) has insight & wit.

Serial Crashmeister James Haydon throws bike down the road again. Jack Burnicle offers
immediate sympathy to the happless Haydon. Camera shows £100k of Suzuki being destoyed as it flips end over end in the gravel.

"Tha won't get that out with t-cut" deadpans Whittam.

fast as fupp

bill who?

fletch8928

Sid Waddell

Stewie Griffin

fletch8928 wrote:

Sid Waddell

There you go

mingmong

Shout for Sid Waddel at the darts :shock:

iain_j

Phil and Paul.



Well someone had to :P

Homer J

the gezzer that used to do the snooker in the 80's

Splottboy

Not that PRATT who does some Sky/Eurosport, cycling and some car programmes.
Monotone Manc or similar...
God, he duz my ed in!!

teagar

My favourite is Michel Wuyts.

Lagavulin

I liked McLaren, Motty and Richie Benaud. I must also confess to liking Geoff Boycott when it comes to cricket commentary. He might be a sh!t of a human being but I like his punditry.

My favourite commentator/pundit though is Martin Brundle.
Despite being teamed with a string of incompetents (love Murray Walker but he was past it) I find him informative and insightful. He might not have driven competitively in F1 since 1996 but he still seems to know the sport inside out from both the drivers and the spectator’s perspective.
He's also not intimidated from asking the important questions from the the ikes of Mosley, Ecclestone and Todt.

I just wish the BBC would team Brundle and Anthony Davidson together and get rid of Jonathan Leggard. He's highly irritating and I usually find myself flicking to the 5Live Sports Extra audio option on the red button when he opens his mouth.

Jez mon

Pretty much everyone on Test Match special!! Another vote for Kelly too!

Smokin Joe

Homer J wrote:

the gezzer that used to do the snooker in the 80's

If you mean Jack Karnehm I agree, but not Ted lowe!

Clive Everton is another one from the snooker world who is brilliant, one of the few commentators who is not only informative but knows when to shut up and let the game do the talking.

Buckled_Rims

As a child I used to love hearing Eddie Waring, he sounded just like my old Uncle Wilf on speed!

owenlars

Arlott, McLaren, Walker

Wooliferkins

+1 John Arlott.
It's a long slooow delivery

Pross

MacLaren, Benaud and Allis for me but MacLaren was the best of the best. Are there any decent let alone great commentators left? I think those who started out on radio were the best as they had to paint a picture for listeners, now they are just stating what we can all see. Stuart Hall always makes me laugh with his over elaborate match reports though.