Is it me, or do the BBC overreact to lower ranked players?

[SnookerFan]

Initially I thought Hendry was good, but I read something on here that has completely put me off him as the glass smashed and I realised it's true. Someone said that all his comments are about bottle and pressure and everyone should be making 140+ breaks every frame no matter what's at stake. I know that was his mentality as a player(and one of the reasons he was so successful), but **** me it's really boring to know what he's going to say before he says it.

He seems disinterested if both players aren't at 98% pot success rate and trading centuries.

I'd much rather have Steve Davis who seems to understand that the players are HUMAN BEINGS.

Dennis, Willie and JV are all beyond ****e though. They have honestly been saying the same **** in commentary for 20 years.

In my opinion, Stephen Hendry has gotten worse as a commentator. When playing, he could make a good commentator because he could say knowledgable stuff about other players, as he was used to playing them. Now he's stopped playing, he's stopped watching them and has become less good.

He's still better than the rest on the BBC, but has started getting the hump at players that aren't as good as him. And that's most players.

[ghost121]

The BBC's team of snooker commentator/pundits is way past its sell by date. Virgo, Taylor and Thorne are beyond a joke. Doherty has nothing to state but the obvious and can't wait to get in his stupid little jokes, often at very crucial times on the table and therefore inappropriate because of the earpieces in the audience. I think Davis is fine in the studio but his speech patterns when commentating are weird and he can't think fast enough. Parrot is okay. Hendry is okay when he keeps his ego in check. On Eurosport, Hallett is the worst commentator of anyone, irrespective of channels, amazing he keeps his job. Joe Johnson is poor, but nowhere near as bad as Hallett. McManus is about the same as Parrot. Overall, I think Neil Foulds is easily the best there is, very professional. Unfortunately, neither channel is catering for snooker players, just snooker fans. Big difference there, commentators can say what they like and most viewers simply don't know enough about the game to spot the obvious bs. I do agree that the BBC needs more snooker and less talk.

[jonny66]

I used to like the BBC commentary when I first started watching/playing snooker, there was usually a little tip about what the pros did that I could try and put into my game. I am getting a little sick of it now, I still like hearing Virgo and Taylor though, it's kind of traditional. I still think one ex-player and one snooker fan is the best way, Lee Mack is a good shout, they'd just have to time their jokes to not put the players off.

[SnookerFan]

The BBC's team of snooker commentator/pundits is way past its sell by date. Virgo, Taylor and Thorne are beyond a joke. Doherty has nothing to state but the obvious and can't wait to get in his stupid little jokes, often at very crucial times on the table and therefore inappropriate because of the earpieces in the audience. I think Davis is fine in the studio but his speech patterns when commentating are weird and he can't think fast enough. Parrot is okay. Hendry is okay when he keeps his ego in check. On Eurosport, Hallett is the worst commentator of anyone, irrespective of channels, amazing he keeps his job. Joe Johnson is poor, but nowhere near as bad as Hallett. McManus is about the same as Parrot. Overall, I think Neil Foulds is easily the best there is, very professional. Unfortunately, neither channel is catering for snooker players, just snooker fans. Big difference there, commentators can say what they like and most viewers simply don't know enough about the game to spot the obvious bs. I do agree that the BBC needs more snooker and less talk.

I actually think it's not even that. They tend to cater to the part time snooker viewer, the BBC in particular.

I think there are more people who turn in and watch some snooker, but don't watch it all the time. This is the sort of fan the BBC cater to. Anybody I've ever heard praise the BBC commentators are either new fans or casual fans. People who watch snooker all the time, on all the channels available, can see that the BBC quite often talk waffle.

On the other hand, a person who watches more casually, perhaps will be more impressed by a famous ex-player making funny jokes, rather than one that goes into in-depth analysis about shot selections or cue-ball control.

[GeordieDS]

Initially I thought Hendry was good, but I read something on here that has completely put me off him as the glass smashed and I realised it's true. Someone said that all his comments are about bottle and pressure and everyone should be making 140+ breaks every frame no matter what's at stake. I know that was his mentality as a player(and one of the reasons he was so successful), but **** me it's really boring to know what he's going to say before he says it.

He seems disinterested if both players aren't at 98% pot success rate and trading centuries.

I'd much rather have Steve Davis who seems to understand that the players are HUMAN BEINGS.

Dennis, Willie and JV are all beyond ****e though. They have honestly been saying the same **** in commentary for 20 years.

the commentary isn't geared towards experts on a Snooker forum though, its geared towards the general public and casual fans

[Giggity1984]

the commentary isn't geared towards experts on a Snooker forum though, its geared towards the general public and casual fans

True dat. I guess familiarity is quite important.

[Giggity1984]

Re Hendry....this is why a pro may not be particularly insightful.....some can only see the game the way that they played it. In the same way that more talented football players tend to be less good coaches....because they can't explain how they did what they did, nor understand why others can't do it.

Someone like Steve Davis is good, because he's a nuts and bolts commentator....at one time or another having analysed every aspect of the game...because that's the sort of player he was. He understands, much better than most, how things work for most players.

Dominic Dale, would he be good? I don't know. What specific about his knowledge, analysis, or broadcasting ability marks him as being more worthy than others (note: likes collecting cues is a very short conversation in a commentary, that plays very inconsequentially with the majority of the audience)?

In my opinion, Stephen Hendry has gotten worse as a commentator. When playing, he could make a good commentator because he could say knowledgable stuff about other players, as he was used to playing them. Now he's stopped playing, he's stopped watching them and has become less good.

He's still better than the rest on the BBC, but has started getting the hump at players that aren't as good as him. And that's most players.

In glad I'm not alone in my thinking! Completely agree with you guys!

[itsnoteasy]

I agree with Geordie, I said on another thread the commentary isn't for snookerists, we don't need to be told a shot off the Cush is difficult ,or a line drawn across the table and it explained he's below the blue, so it can be a bit annoying for us but if you are new or just getting interested in the game these things are interesting to you.
Someone said we need a journalist and an ex player, one for stats and one for how the games played, but how would this combination interact? The players not interested in the stats and the journalist can't have a discussion about shot selection. So for me it has to be players in the booth, but they should be told it's part of the job to know what is going on in snooker and keep up to date, not just fit it in between golf games.
As for the wittering about that's so and sos lovely wife, or look ,a minor celeb in the audience, that does get on my nerves, sometimes more can be said by saying nothing, let the tension build, quietness in snooker is sometimes what makes the game, you can feel it in the air, so a bit of shush from the box can be a good thing, I don't think TV knows that today, they don't like dead air.

[Giggity1984]

Also, wtf were Damien Hurst and(even worse) Ronnie Wood doing as guests?! That really annoyed me.

[barrywhite]

That's right, no famous people allowed, only quiet horlicks and slippers types who don't say a word, vetted by autocrats on TSF. No-one is allowed to say Go-wannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Ronnie! No-one is allowed to celebrate a victory at the end by making noise. Golf claps only please, and only for very very difficult shots Jeeves.

LEO!

[itsnoteasy]

Well you tell us BW ,what do you think showing Damien hurst in the audience ,and having a five minute blurb about what a nice fellow he is and how he's great mates with Ronnie, or there's another shot of Selbys wife what a wonderful woman, plays pool don't you know( that to me is more boring than saying nothing)or shouting out someone's name all the time( I know who's playing I don't need a pish head telling me every shot) what exactly about that gets you excited, I fail to see the attraction of it, I may be too old for all that, I accept that ,but genuinely I don't get it.

[Giggity1984]

That's right, no famous people allowed, only quiet horlicks and slippers types who don't say a word, vetted by autocrats on TSF. No-one is allowed to say Go-wannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Ronnie! No-one is allowed to celebrate a victory at the end by making noise. Golf claps only please, and only for very very difficult shots Jeeves.

LEO!

You're in the wrong thread. I'm not worried about the shouting out, more about the things itsnoteasy mentioned above.

[SnookerFan]

Well you tell us BW ,what do you think showing Damien hurst in the audience ,and having a five minute blurb about what a nice fellow he is and how he's great mates with Ronnie, or there's another shot of Selbys wife what a wonderful woman, plays pool don't you know( that to me is more boring than saying nothing)or shouting out someone's name all the time( I know who's playing I don't need a pish head telling me every shot) what exactly about that gets you excited, I fail to see the attraction of it, I may be too old for all that, I accept that ,but genuinely I don't get it.

I had to google him to see who he was.

[GeordieDS]

Also, wtf were Damien Hurst and(even worse) Ronnie Wood doing as guests?! That really annoyed me.

why? the more the better for me because that would raise the profile of the game again and breathe new life in to it which in turn will get more people playing

[SnookerFan]

why? the more the better for me because that would raise the profile of the game again and breathe new life in to it which in turn will get more people playing

What, by having some geriatric guy from the Rolling Stones banging on about how he knows Jimmy White?