“Now I know how snooker commentators feel, they’ve just got to talk about balls! How can you talk about balls as a job? The balls will go in certain places.”
Richard Ayoade
I only heard this while watching The Crystal Maze last Sunday. Seems very appropriate.
This is one of those conversations where it never gets boring. During the World Snooker Championships (because that’s currently on, apparently) every commentator gets scrutinised on what they say, what they don’t say, what they said again and in Dennis Taylor’s case, what they said yet again. Who SHOULD be commentating? We could converse about which is best between Eurosport and the BBC. That’s for another day.
He’s got a lovely smile…..
Dennis Taylor has attracted a lot of ridicule as a commentator, particularly for being incredibly repetitive. For example in a match between Judd Trump and Chris Wakelin, Dennis Taylor brought up the fact that Jack Lisowski is left-handed and a friend of Judd Trump. Twice. During a match Jack Lisowski isn’t part of. And by that stage, the second frame of the match hasn’t even started yet! The 1985 World Champion is also prone to bringing up a number of random anecdotes. Ranging from stories involving Perrie Mans, Cliff Thorburn, Big Bill Werbeniuk Alex Higgins and golf for some odd reason.
Personally, I don’t mind Dennis Taylor as a commentator. He’s great for someone who is new to snooker as he explains how each shot works as well saying a number of quips about the history of snooker. I saw him on an exhibition and he’s great fun to watch. However, this doesn’t work with commentating – people are tired of how he talks too much about the same thing and how he tells you what we are watching, particularly when he fawns over Ronnie O’Sullivan and I really don’t like it when someone gushes over one player constantly. You wouldn’t see Stephen Hendry do anything like that.
I managed to look at Dennis's notes just before he entered the commentary box earlier. pic.twitter.com/KCvHqAnudQ
— snookerbacker MBE 🗣️ (@snookerbacker) April 24, 2018
When people talk about a commentator, they look to former commentators or those who had the first crack of the whip. Joe Perry had a try this season and I really enjoyed it – he wasn’t patronising and knew when to talk and when to stay quiet. His new insight into current players, including the low-ranking players is fresh and exciting – that is the sort of information ex-pros are hugely lacking. A commentator knowing their stuff goes hand in hand but it is how you deliver it without shoving it down your throat that matters.
– knows their stuff
– explains it to the layman without stating the obvious (Hendry and McManus excellent at this)
– doesn't talk for the sake of talking, the game commands silence sometimes
– avoids saying the same thing over and over— Rex Banner (@RexNWBanner) April 25, 2018
The other legend snooker fans wished to see back is Willie Thorne. Though he was present at the Welsh Open, he was axed by the BBC from working in the UK and the World Championships. There was an outcry about this since many regarded him as extremely knowledgable, with one fan calling him the “Peter Alliss of snooker,” a commentator a lot of people regarded as the voice of golf because of his statistical and deep analysis. Hopefully, he’ll be back – the more the better!
Oh, that’s just careless….
You can’t get a commentator with a longer list of trophies and accolades than Stephen Hendry. His knowledge surpasses a lot of people and his cold, steeled determination as a player is transferred to the box, which his catchphrase emphasising how much he expects of snooker players and that is the case of safeties and easy pots. Rather like a father-figure who is disappointed about your efforts. His feedback is something that players would listen to because he says it like it is quite a lot of the time.
Peter Ebdon is another ex-pro who seems to be a nice version of Hendry but like his game, Ebdon’s commentary splits opinion. He is very analytical and goes into a lot of detail on shot selection and safeties – something he specialises in a lot. On the other hand, some find him incredibly boring and his ideas for shots overly complicated. It is always nice to see current pros coming into the new role – it is fresh and brings variety, which is incredibly important for us wonderful fans.
Still big fan of the seasoned #bbcsnooker commentators but really liking newer crop such as Alan McManus & Peter Ebdon
— Justin Griggs (@JustinGriggs) April 28, 2018
Where’s the cue ball going? WHERESTHECUEBALLGOING??????
Neal Foulds is getting excited, apparently.
John Virgo is a decent commentator when he wasn’t looking forward to Match of the Day (if you to a reference, well done.) The catchphrase has done wonders for the sport in terms of how it’s made snooker much more dramatic than usual. As a consequence, it can be very annoying indeed. This is where Steve Davis, Ken Doherty or John Parrott come in because their calm demeanour and in Ken’s case Irish wit, compliments Virgo’s vigorous excitement. They are very good to listen to!
I don't think any of them are awful per se, with me it's simply that i like listening to Ebdon Perry S Davis and Virgo the most. Nothing against any of the others, just personal preference
— P.H.I.L. BSc (@PhiltheRenegade) April 25, 2018
That’s an absolute striper!
A new catchphrase seems to be bubbling up, which is not exactly what I want, but Alan McManus is coming to be one of the most popular commentators and is my personal favourite. The smooth Scottish voice always helps but what separates McManus from Hendry is that he talks so positively about each shot. You can feel how passionate he is and how much he loves talking about it. ‘Angles’ knows how the game works and has coached many players and understands, like Ken Doherty how people go through the revamped World Championship Qualifiers and the temperament of the game and how he handled himself during the final decider between Trump and Wakelin shows that.
https://twitter.com/realkrhandoll/status/990162464389165056
This is one of the reasons why the ITV snooker commentator team with Neil Foulds is the best one for me. Informed. Clear. Allows the viewer time to be fully engrossed in the match and doesn’t shout just for the sake of it. Knows when to be quiet and when something needs to be said. Not repetitive and hugely knowledgable.
Unfortunately, I can’t describe every single commentator. I don’t have Eurosport so I can’t describe what I think about Jimmy White and Ronnie O’Sullivan for example (as long as he throws in ‘numpty’ for no good reason). Everyone has their tastes and it is very interesting to hear other people’s views. Who’s your favourite line-up? I’m definitely not the first person to ask this and I don’t believe I would be the last!
Has to be remembered that there many kinds of people who watch snooker. Some real fans, some casual watchers. Different things work for different groups. For me ex/current top players add most value while you watch the game.
— SnookerBlog 🇫🇮🎱 (@CuePowerBlog) April 25, 2018
