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"Shut up, Al!": Announcing Voices We Love and Hate

selkie

By selkie
in 2016 Olympics

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selkie

selkie

(edited)

I actually like Rowdy Gaines. He's by all accounts a nice guy and puts a lot of energy into trying to grow swimming in the USA. During the prelims of the American Trials this morning, he spent a good ten minutes using inside voice while talking with the online announcing crew about USA Swimming's minority outreach and drowning prevention initiatives. 

But NBC wants him to be energetic and accessible (ie dumb it down) when he's doing a mass market broadcast, and I am so very sick of his "HE CAN SEE DWYER BECAUSE HE'S BREATHING ON THE LEFT SIDE!!" and wish that just once NBC would let him dial it down and have it seem more natural and a little more educational for newcomers to the sport.

Edited by selkie
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photo fox
photo fox

They just interviewed the U.S. women's team who took silver in one of the swimming relays. Announcer: "Lead-off swimmer, what was your plan for the race?" Swimmer: "Get in the water and swim

KFC
KFC

Not that I ever had a high opinion of Al, but that's SUCH a strange and dickish thing to dig in your heels about. My word, Al, are you really challenging her on who she gets to call her parents? Good

Rick Kitchen
Rick Kitchen

One NBC announcer just said, "Katey Ledecky is considered the most dominant female swimmer in the world today.  Michael Phelps held that position for the past four Olympics."  No, I don't think he has

madhacker

madhacker

I always wonder this before the Games start: Why doesn't NBC hire former Olympians as commentators for the events? We have seen some (like last Winter Games when Tara Lipinski and Jonny Weir did the figure skating in the live coverage and they were simply awesome; hardly talked at all during the routines except short ones at mistakes and at the end, unlike a certain other commenter who feels the need to yell during the whole damn thing (yeah I'm looking at you, Hamilton)).

Every Summer Games I keep praying that NBC will finally hire Greg Louganis to help cover the diving competitons. He's a living legend to all the competitors and you know his insights would be great.

Am I the only one who thinks this?

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dcalley

dcalley

On 6/27/2016 at 9:52 PM, selkie said:

I actually like Rowdy Gaines. He's by all accounts a nice guy and puts a lot of energy into trying to grow swimming in the USA. During the prelims of the American Trials this morning, he spent a good ten minutes using inside voice while talking with the online announcing crew about USA Swimming's minority outreach and drowning prevention initiatives. 

But NBC wants him to be energetic and accessible (ie dumb it down) when he's doing a mass market broadcast, and I am so very sick of his "HE CAN SEE DWYER BECAUSE HE'S BREATHING ON THE LEFT SIDE!!" and wish that just once NBC would let him dial it down and have it seem more natural and a little more educational for newcomers to the sport.

Thanks for the good reminder that there can be behind-the-scenes people to blame instead of the announcer. That said, I still love the traditional title thread.

On 6/28/2016 at 7:22 PM, MyAimIsTrue said:

It's not officially the Olympics to me until Bob Costas makes his first snarky comment during the opening ceremonies and then Mary Carillo does another off the wall piece.  Then I'm happy.

Because it cannot be viewed enough, and because it's always Christopher Burr...

 

She's so good.

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legaleagle53

legaleagle53

(edited)
On 6/28/2016 at 8:08 AM, Arynm said:

Is it wrong to hope that Bob Costas gets pink eye again this Olympics? I laughed and laughed last time just watching him get progressively worse with his sad eyes. I am on the bus to hell, I realize that.

Bob Costas will be too busy fapping to his renewed fantasies involving Michael Phelps to worry about his eyes.

Edited by legaleagle53
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AuntieDiane6

AuntieDiane6

Quote

always wonder this before the Games start: Why doesn't NBC hire former Olympians as commentators for the events?

I always figure that some NBC executive is sleeping with the "who-the-heck-is-this" announcers.  There was absolutely no reason for Sandra Bezic, a CANADIAN skating choreographer, to be NBC's main skating announcer for decades when we had women gold medalists all tripping over each other.  At least NBC now has Nastia Liukin doing gymnastics.  

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SnideAsides

SnideAsides

Pretty much. Australia basically splits the sports into four groups - mainstream commentators for athletics and swimming, a mix of mainstream commentators and niche experts for things like gymnastics and equestrian that they cover extensively, a mix of commentators and ex-athletes for schedule filler sports like hockey and rowing (although the usual hockey commentator Gordon Bray will presumably be busy with rugby sevens this year, so who knows what'll happen there), and then whatever the BBC or the online feeds are offering for the "we're only showing this for five minutes because there's literally nothing else on" sports like weightlifting and judo.

Also I'm sad Bruce McAvaney is covering the opening ceremony, because I just know he will manage to mention Oscar Pistorius within five minutes of starting (and certainly again when South Africa appears in the Parade of Nations), probably in a tone that subconsciously blames his girlfriend for being murdered.

greendog78

greendog78

As someone who doesn't like Johnny & Tara's ice skating commentary, since they talk all over the routines and do really poorly at non-single skating coverage, I hope NBC isn't just looking to stick younger people in the box. I wish more of their announcers were like Todd and Todd who do the snowboarding at the Winter Olympics.

Sadly, the BBC announcers are staring to get NBCish. At lest in gymnastics.

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SophiaD

SophiaD

Count me another fan of Sanya Richards-Ross as a commentator.  She and the others really complement each other well.

I don't think Johnny and Tara do very well at ice dance, but I vastly prefer them to Scott Hamilton, Sandra Bezic, or even Brian Boitano.  I also find their Derby coverage entertaining, if somewhat over the top.

Really enjoy Nastia as a gymnastics commentator, too.

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Quilt Fairy

Quilt Fairy

Can we add "Shut up, Andrea!" to the title? Seriously, just finished watching the women's gymnastics team selection and she's asking Gabby Douglas' mother such illuminating questions as "How important is it for Gabby to make it back to the Olympics?" and "How did you feel when she fell off the balance beam?" I know there's someone behind the scenes telling her to ask these questions, but my God they are inane!

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Quilt Fairy

Quilt Fairy

On ‎7‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 5:40 PM, blueray said:

I would add one of the announcers from the gymnastics try-outs. He had such an annoying voice and was clearly stalling when they were taking a while to reveal who made it. 

That would be Al Trautwig,  who I assume is the "Al' of the title. Or did someone mean Al Michaels?

Elsydeon

Elsydeon

11 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

That would be Al Trautwig,  who I assume is the "Al' of the title. Or did someone mean Al Michaels?

Nope, it's definitely Al Trautwig. What I wouldn't give to throw him to the swimming and get Dan Hicks for gymnastics.

I am forever grateful that Brandi Chastain is not going to be doing commentary for soccer this year. She is the reason I can't re-watch the London matches with the US commentary.

selkie

selkie

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Can we pre-emptively dunk Andrea Joyce in a Rio sewage lagoon? It seems like her main function is to try to make athletes cry unless they just happened to have won gold with a new global standard in their sport or discipline.

Al of the thread title is the Trout, who has been loathed by the USA gymnastics fans for many an Olympiad.

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SnideAsides

SnideAsides

Whichever Australian commentator it was who explained the cauldron lighter as though he would have been Brazil's first ever medallist if not for being attacked during the marathon in Athens can march straight into the polluted bay. Not only would it have been their seventy-seventh medal overall, it would have been their sixth gold in Athens alone. Come on, people. This kind of shit can be factchecked. Preferably before you put it on television.

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Daisy

Daisy

On 7/7/2016 at 6:01 PM, AuntieDiane6 said:

I always figure that some NBC executive is sleeping with the "who-the-heck-is-this" announcers.  There was absolutely no reason for Sandra Bezic, a CANADIAN skating choreographer, to be NBC's main skating announcer for decades when we had women gold medalists all tripping over each other.  At least NBC now has Nastia Liukin doing gymnastics.  

to be fair to Bezic. she's Canadian, but she choreographs a lot of international people's routines.... and i just realised that's not exactly what you meant. Eflie Schelgel or however you spell her name was Canadian too. I think though they are both married to Americans and live down there, so that's probably why.


I also have to wonder if it's because a lot of athletes don't go into media afterwards. I know sometimes CBC calls people up, and they're like sure, why not, but some just like to be former athletes and watch like everyone else. 

Tim Daggett can shut up just as much as Al. I don't understand how he's had this job for twenty. years. and he still can't identify for the people at home what the moves are the gymnasts are doing, so when he gasps and goes "yes that was so difficult!" we can understand why it is. 

selkie

selkie

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You need to be a cable-satellite subscriber to unlock the men's gymnastics live feeds on NBC's app. They had a camera on each apparatus for the qualifying round today.

 

We still use the phrase 'dangerous face water' in regular conversation with credit to the otherwise forgotten journalist who came up with it in Sochi.

legaleagle53

legaleagle53

18 minutes ago, selkie said:

You need to be a cable-satellite subscriber to unlock the men's gymnastics live feeds on NBC's app. They had a camera on each apparatus for the qualifying round today.

Indeed, so if you have the internet but not cable (as I don't because I can't afford to have both), you're screwed and it totally sucks to be you.

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Lilac2000

Lilac2000

So sad that Steve Armitage won't be commentating the swimming on CBC. Apparently it's doctors orders due to heart problems. So all good thoughts to him but he will be so missed. He and Byron were such an amazing team. Byron getting incoherent in the medal swims and Steve getting louder and louder..."he/she is driiiivvvving to the wallllll." Good times.

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