You know who are the best commentators? Jason Gooddal (?) and company. The guy that does the commentary for the Masters Series, those guys are fantastic. They are 98% right. Always classy and never cheap shots, or closet racists comments (when a black athlete wins it's athelitcism. A white it's "mental resolve". How idiotic) and usually terribly balanced. Those guys should be used more often.
My Question to the Tennis Channel. I have seen and heard Katrina Adams commentating
on other Tournaments on the Tennis Channel but as soon as the Australian Open, French Open, US Open and Wimbeldon she does not appear. She is the only African-
American Commentator at present. When the White players finish their careers they
are in the broadcast booths but African- American players are not around much. katrina Adams and Chandra Rubin make very good commentators. The major T.V. stations or channels have not had an African-American in the Broadcast booth. This is 2009 and every sport has African-American as commentators but Tennis. What UP with This?
Polly Kirven
I think Leif Shiras is one of the better commentators for Tennis Channel. He is articulate, speaks only when a comment is called for, and usually has a neutral tone in his comments, and has a breadth of knowledge of the sport of tennis. He also has very good timing when he speaks and his comments have substance. Quite a few of the commentators (Martina -- "the whining commentator" and "the blabber mouth" -- who always says "oh, please", when she doesn't like how the crowd reacts, and who obviously shows a distaste for some of the players; or Justin -- "the know it all commentator", who tries to sound so intellectual, but actually ends up sounding dumb, and many times whose comments are over-the-top), could certainly learn from Leif Shiras on "how-to" commentate. Leif also has a distinct voice that is pleasing to the ear.
Homophobic remark by commentator (not sure of his name, but he was co-announcer with Gimblestop during the Nadal-Simon match). Hopefully this will not be tolerated by The Tennis Channel or any other broadcasting company.
Here's what he said (paraphrasing) in response to a male fan holding up a French flag and signaling a heart sign: I hope the love he was showing was for France, not for anything else (implying Simon). This veiled (yet clear to me) homophobic remark was insulting.
Thought I would post this here as well as send a complaint to the powers that be at the tennis channel. If others heard this remark and were offended, please do so as well.
All the commentators need to be held responsible to the viewers that love and enjoy watching these tennis matches. There should also be a site where our constructive feedback to the networks is heard. Martina Navaratolova is a great tennis champion and she has the credentials that some commentators may not have but please somebody; take the microphone away from her. She does not need to be a commentatory, she needs to be a coach. Her constant talking and her constant critique of everything is ridiculous. She talks before a point, during the points and after the points. Stuff she talks about I don't want to hear. Why someone missed a point does not need to be explained in detail to me as if I'm watching a training film. All the other commentators talk in hushed tones, Martina is like the person with this voice that you can't turn the volumn down; you have to mute it! She is like the every ready battery, she just won't quit! Again, Martina is a great champion and I respect her contribution to the tennis world, but a commentator she is not. She has the wrong voice type and she talks toooooooooo much! Suguest coaching to her. She can talk and teach her player and let the rest of us enjoy the game of tennis. I just don't understand how she can talk so much before, during and after each point knowing that from a players perspective silence is the normal process when serving and the players mental improving their game during a tough match is the game.
I am glad to hear I am not the only one very disappointed in the commentating! I was watching the Nadel/Vadasco match and Martina was absolutely awful. Vadasco's coach jumped up and cheered for an incredible shot and Martina says "OH SIT DOWN ALREADY" these types of things are annoying. If we contact the Tennis Channel via email maybe we can help get some of these clowns off the air!
I agree in Martina's own words, " Marion Bartoli wont get far in this tournament, because she's too flabby and needs to get rid of her gut, its dragging her around the court." Really??, they pay Martina Navratalova to demoralize women on the WTA tour (top 10)... She has no filter, constantly embarrassing co-commenter Bill McAtee.... This is a travesty.
I couldn't agree more with the negative reviews of Martina & Gimelstob(sp?). I taped the Nadal/Verdasco match and it was as if they didn't want me to watch it. CONSTANTLY!! telling us that Verdasco was wearing down- it's enevitable that Nadal will win, it's just a matter of time- these comments were still being made after Verdasco came back to 2 all in the 3rd braking Nadal at love in the process. I got so angry that I paused the recording to send this post and in the process saw that Nadal won in 5 on the home page thus ruining my viewing of this great match.
Nadal won the match
Verdasco "won" repsectability as a Top 10 player
We, the fans lost...............again.
Hi folks,
i'm an aussie and i luv americans!!!
"Dokic has no right to win matches"?! Did Martina really say that? Boy that's really mean and inappropriate. Shame on you!
Anyways, it's good to hear that some of Dokic's matches were shown on ESPN.
Australia has forgiven the girl and fallen in love with her once again!!
cheers,
Vince
Friends,
Greetings from australia
Tracey has been here in OZ as a commentator for Seven network and has been for the past three australian opens. Seven usually has her on the night sessions. Also did you know that seven has been recieving an awful lot of criticism regarding the commentators including Tracey and Courier?! Check out the yahoo7 website and go to the tennis threads in order to read what i mean!
Agree. What whould you think of teaming Jimmy Conners and Brad Gilbert in the booth as the experts and let Pat Summerall do the play by play. Pat put up with John Madden for years he may be able to handel those two, at least it would be fun to watch.
Agreed!..another good example is the coverage of the first slam of this year, the austrailian, won in lest than an hour by serena 6-0 ,6-3. ms. carilos contentious commentary deminished what should have been a very historic moment for people that love to watch great tennis players in action. carilos repeated and insistant inferences that serena doesnt work as hard and is not as focused as the top male players was condesending and rude.
ms. carilo then put her foot further into her mouth by suggesting what she ( ms carilo) wants for the william girls as if these two hall of fame players need her advice!. Ms carilo and Ms. shriver are medocre "commentators"... not a parent, not a coah to these 2 historic women. In the recent 2009 Austrailia open, carilis co-commentator, Chris fowler, had to reel her in serval times when she challenged serenas work ethic, level of commitment and focus. I mean for goodness sakes 6-0,6-3, her 10th major slam title, in in less than an hour??, show some respect! Please get rid of Ms Carilo and Ms. Shriver, there are only 4 slams a year and the williams women will most likely continue to be big players in them, please, for the sake of tennis lovers everywhere, get rid of carilo and shriver...or at the very least, do not allow them to call the william womens matches!! (please see my other post, "why mary carilo and pam shriver dont like the william sisters)...thanks. please keep mary jo, chris folwer and the others.
Ms Carilo commentary on the williams girls really makes watching these great young ladies less enjoyable and she should be removed from calling thier matches.
By the way, i LOVE mary jo fernandez, shes a great commetator and good Fed Cup coach so far....please respond back. thanks.