NPR

Are there any ITV commentators you don't want to punch ?

BOD is grand, as is the magnificent Johnny, but they rest are utter shite !

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:27 pm Are there any ITV commentators you don't want to punch ?

BOD is grand, as is the magnificent Johnny, but they rest are utter shite !

If there's one saving grace, they're not Ugo

Wait until the Welsh turn up tonight.

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:52 pm Wait until the Welsh turn up tonight.

The tattooed sex offender again ?

ITV is painfuI. I survived about 45 seconds on the ITV feed before switching to a different one.

I swear one of them called a black saffa Kanye at one point?

Insane_Homer wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 5:45 pm I swear one of them called a black saffa Kanye at one point?

Trevor. He called him Nnnya a few minutes later.

Deliberately posting this without having read the other comments. They're fucking shite.

But they're not nearly as bad as most of the in studio people they have. They don't understand the modern game, current referees instructions ns or current law interpretations. They should be ashamed of themselves for going there and taking money to lie to people who don't normally watch rugby.

Biffer wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 5:47 pm Deliberately posting this without having read the other comments. They're fucking shite.

But they're not nearly as bad as most of the in studio people they have. They don't understand the modern game, current referees instructions ns or current law interpretations. They should be ashamed of themselves for going there and taking money to lie to people who don't normally watch rugby.

Clive Woodward is the absolute worst! Keeps calling head-shots “accidental collisions”

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 5:49 pm

Biffer wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 5:47 pm Deliberately posting this without having read the other comments. They're fucking shite.

But they're not nearly as bad as most of the in studio people they have. They don't understand the modern game, current referees instructions ns or current law interpretations. They should be ashamed of themselves for going there and taking money to lie to people who don't normally watch rugby.

Clive Woodward is the absolute worst! Keeps calling head-shots “accidental collisions”

We've known he's an arsehole for thirty years. At least

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 5:49 pm

Biffer wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 5:47 pm Deliberately posting this without having read the other comments. They're fucking shite.

But they're not nearly as bad as most of the in studio people they have. They don't understand the modern game, current referees instructions ns or current law interpretations. They should be ashamed of themselves for going there and taking money to lie to people who don't normally watch rugby.

Clive Woodward is the absolute worst! Keeps calling head-shots “accidental collisions”

The visceral hatred I have for Lord Bald is typically reserved for the worst Tories.

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:54 pm

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:52 pm Wait until the Welsh turn up tonight.

The tattooed sex offender again ?

Yep.

FUCK.RIGHT.OFF ITV !!!

Couldn't you find a rapist, or a wife beater for the coverage ?

Gareth Thomas settles case with ex-partner who accused former Welsh rugby star of 'deceptively' giving him HIV

Ian Baum had noticed the former sportsman was taking pills from bottles which had the labels ripped off but was told they were multi-vitamins, court papers say. Mr Baum claims he found out they were HIV medication after looking them up on Google.

They should be asking these welshies who in the Fiji team they need to look out for. Serevi is probably the last one they know.

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 6:18 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:54 pm

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:52 pm Wait until the Welsh turn up tonight.

The tattooed sex offender again ?

Yep.

FUCK.RIGHT.OFF ITV !!!

Couldn't you find a rapist, or a wife beater for the coverage ?

Gareth Thomas settles case with ex-partner who accused former Welsh rugby star of 'deceptively' giving him HIV

Ian Baum had noticed the former sportsman was taking pills from bottles which had the labels ripped off but was told they were multi-vitamins, court papers say. Mr Baum claims he found out they were HIV medication after looking them up on Google.

Yip utterly disgraceful, just like when Boy George gets a gig on TV.

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 6:18 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:54 pm

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:52 pm Wait until the Welsh turn up tonight.

The tattooed sex offender again ?

Yep.

FUCK.RIGHT.OFF ITV !!!

Couldn't you find a rapist, or a wife beater for the coverage ?

Gareth Thomas settles case with ex-partner who accused former Welsh rugby star of 'deceptively' giving him HIV

Ian Baum had noticed the former sportsman was taking pills from bottles which had the labels ripped off but was told they were multi-vitamins, court papers say. Mr Baum claims he found out they were HIV medication after looking them up on Google.

It's utterly disgraceful. When you think how little it takes to get cancelled these days and that despicable piece of shit gets a free pass.

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:54 pm

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:52 pm Wait until the Welsh turn up tonight.

The tattooed sex offender again ?

Please god no.

The hardest part of this WC may well be finding something else to watch for 15 mins at halftime

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:27 pm Are there any ITV commentators you don't want to punch ?

BOD is grand, as is the magnificent Johnny, but they rest are utter shite !

Johnny??? He just talks weird nonsense

Breadman is good in the studio, Ickle I like as co-commentator.
I dislike everything else Wales-related.

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 9:10 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:27 pm Are there any ITV commentators you don't want to punch ?

BOD is grand, as is the magnificent Johnny, but they rest are utter shite !

Johnny??? He just talks weird nonsense

he talks like someone in a really unsuccessful cult who doesn't quite understand what the big message is but is certain it is very important

I quite like him

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 9:16 pm Breadman is good in the studio, Ickle I like as co-commentator.
I dislike everything else Wales-related.

Today was the most animated I've ever heard Ickle. Mostly he sounds more sombre and subdued than a recently bereaved undertaker.

It's the English wankers who talk in three word sentences (men and women) I can't fucking stand.

You just sound like cunts.

I follow him on Twitter - all he does is retweet particularly vacuous new age self actualisation shite, so I treat it as a game, how many words do I read before realising it’s a Wilkinson retweet.

Line6 HXFX wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 9:36 pm It's the English wankers who talk in three word sentences (men and women) I can't fucking stand.

You just sound like cunts.

We all know it's because the three words are usually "get a job"

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 9:10 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:27 pm Are there any ITV commentators you don't want to punch ?

BOD is grand, as is the magnificent Johnny, but they rest are utter shite !

Johnny??? He just talks weird nonsense

Ah yes, but he has credit in the bank !

The others only get rolled out by ITV every 4 years, & it's pretty fucking obvious that most of them don't watch a game in between; or they're just shite commentators, fullstop.

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 9:56 pm

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 9:10 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:27 pm Are there any ITV commentators you don't want to punch ?

BOD is grand, as is the magnificent Johnny, but they rest are utter shite !

Johnny??? He just talks weird nonsense

Ah yes, but he has credit in the bank !

The others only get rolled out by ITV every 4 years, & it's pretty fucking obvious that most of them don't watch a game in between; or they're just shite commentators, fullstop.

Gareth Thomas and Sam Breadman are regular commentators as is Dr Jaw.

Sam has a great rugby brain but is not a pundit he is too white bread.

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:27 pm Are there any ITV commentators you don't want to punch ?

BOD is grand, as is the magnificent Johnny, but they rest are utter shite !

Is this John Barclay or Jonny Wilkinson?

Wilkinson is still far too likely to veer off into a discussion about trauma relating to his toe nails being cut aged 2 and how that impacted his feelings when setting up for a scrum attack 20m off the left and just into the 22

Pretty sure Kayser is around and he's good.

Ans yes, it's disgusting and then some Thomas can have a well paid high profile role in the media, he should be the very definition of PNG

I did think they could have managed not to have three Welshmen in the studio for the Fiji game. Surely there are enough Fijians who have played in the UK that are moderately familiar names, or even just a non Welshman for a bit of balance.

Yup, it's standard ITV practice. England games - mostly English but with a token alternative option for balance sometimes. Wales/Ireland/Scotland games - if possible, pack it with everyone from the same nation. It's weirdly infantilising.

ITV are really fucking bad at this. I mentioned at the weekend that they're the channel for those that find the BBC too challenging. My heart sank when I realised they had sole rights in the UK.

Barclay's brilliant btw, his takedown of England during the 6N was spot on and he doesn't mince his words. More of that and less of the cliché ridden nonsense that everyone else dutifully trots out because of some weird collective idea of how it's supposed to work.

Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:37 am

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:27 pm Are there any ITV commentators you don't want to punch ?

BOD is grand, as is the magnificent Johnny, but they rest are utter shite !

Is this John Barclay or Jonny Wilkinson?

Wilkinson is still far too likely to veer off into a discussion about trauma relating to his toe nails being cut aged 2 and how that impacted his feelings when setting up for a scrum attack 20m off the left and just into the 22

Pretty sure Kayser is around and he's good.

Ans yes, it's disgusting and then some Thomas can have a well paid high profile role in the media, he should be the very definition of PNG

I’ve never understood why commentary teams/panels have to be all from that nation. Most of these pundits are actually pretty good when not talking about their own team.

Thankfully Sir Clive is able to rise above such petty nationalism and provide cutting edge, strictly neutral and deeply incisive commentary on all and sundry

Many of them are better, far, far better, when they're not doing commentary/analysis of their own nation

Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:41 am Many of them are better, far, far better, when they're not doing commentary/analysis

FTFY

He's not wrong - there's too much matey-ness going on. Ex-pros are very unhappy criticising their mates. John Barclay is a rare exception and is therefore to be treasured, especially as he's not a Roy Keane-style cunt about it.

Healey and Kay used to be good in the early BT days. Kay now pulls his punches on the regular and Healey thinks he's a fucking TMO overlord.

My real annoyance is guys getting paid and they can't be arsed to learn what the instructions to refs are, law interpretations, or to actually do any research or watching of the teams they're meant to be analysing. Blatantly obvious that no one had watched any of Chile's qualifying games for example.

These guys are stealing money by laziness and arrogance.

Biffer wrote: Mon Sep 11, 2023 10:30 am My real annoyance is guys getting paid and they can't be arsed to learn what the instructions to refs are, law interpretations, or to actually do any research or watching of the teams they're meant to be analysing. Blatantly obvious that no one had watched any of Chile's qualifying games for example.

These guys are stealing money by laziness and arrogance.

Agreed. Even getting basic stuff right, like learning the names of the players (it's not that hard to read the number on the shirt and look it up on your cue-card, surely). Scott Hastings stands out for me as being particularly poor at this.

Paddington Bear wrote: Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:29 am I’ve never understood why commentary teams/panels have to be all from that nation. Most of these pundits are actually pretty good when not talking about their own team.

Thankfully Sir Clive is able to rise above such petty nationalism and provide cutting edge, strictly neutral and deeply incisive commentary on all and sundry

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 6:18 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:54 pm

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Sep 10, 2023 4:52 pm Wait until the Welsh turn up tonight.

The tattooed sex offender again ?

Yep.

FUCK.RIGHT.OFF ITV !!!

Couldn't you find a rapist, or a wife beater for the coverage ?

Gareth Thomas settles case with ex-partner who accused former Welsh rugby star of 'deceptively' giving him HIV

Ian Baum had noticed the former sportsman was taking pills from bottles which had the labels ripped off but was told they were multi-vitamins, court papers say. Mr Baum claims he found out they were HIV medication after looking them up on Google.

Glad it's not just me, there wasn't even any down time when this came out. Just like it never happened.

I like Sam, Maggie, Jonny and Brian.

I don't want Gareth or Lawrence.

While we are talking about it, a pet hate is the commentary team 'explaining' an incident, and in doing so are talking over the ref giving the usually very different actual reason. What is wrong with 'let's listen to what the ref has to say'. Mind you, perhaps the refs should sometimes say less.

There does seem to be more talking these days in general. I seem to recall some earlier commentators saying that the trick was knowing when to talk, and when to let the action / game breathe.