The Herald Sun has a segment called At The Bar, in which Rodney Hogg and Jon Anderson "discuss" the topic du jour. Last week they did the Nine Commentators:
Time for new guard in Channel 9 commentary box?
With Richie Benaud nudging 80 and a raft of recent arrivals knocking on Channel 9's commentary booth door, Rodney Hogg says it's time for a change.
Jon Anderson: The times, they are a-changing.
Rodney Hogg: In many ways in the world of cricket, and it should start with the Channel 9 commentary booth. There was a time in this country when you were forced to retire at age 65. At Channel 9 it must be 80.
The topic re-appeared the next day in the editorial, of all places:
Call it stumps for Channel 9 commentators
CHANNEL 9's ageing team of cricket commentators is under the same sort of pressure as Australia's Test side.
Nine was moved to respond with their customary "Get stuffed":
Nine bats for Grieg
Channel 9 has gone into bat for cricket commentator Tony Grieg after critics called on him to pull up stumps.
Callers savaged Grieg's style on talkback radio yesterday after a brutal 5/10 assessment by former cricketing great Rodney Hogg in the Herald Sun.
"Tony Grieg is a valued member of Nine's cricket commentary team," a Nine spokesman said.
Hogg, who also criticised Richie Benaud and Bill Lawry's commentary, gave Grieg marks for surviving 30 years.
Benaud will stay with Nine after signing a two year contract last year that will take him past his 80th birthday.
"You'd be struck by lightning if you ever tried to bone Richie," Nine's CEO David Gyngell has said.
To be perfectly Francis, these days the commentators are far less aggravating. While Grieg and Lawry used to shit me to tears, the introduction of the piss-taking youngsters has markedly improved the overall chemistry of the team. The po-faced seriousness has gone, and although they doubtless still take themselves seriously, there's a genial feel to the coverage.
(Probably because they spend all their serious energy spruiking Betfair and Scamorabilia.)
Plus ca change, though. You still don't get a whole lot in the way of incisive commentary. One of these days Nine, despite their general fondness for an LCD in keeping with their overall station philosophy, will employ an insightful and witty commentator. Maybe someone who's not a suck (Nicholas), a shill (Grieg), a shouter (Bill), a bad joke teller (Chappelli), an oaf (O'Donnell). And it's still very much a case of telling us what we already know, what we just saw, but it's better than it was, say, five years ago.
Mind you, that doesn't mean it's not time for Richie, in particular, and probably Bill to move on. David Gyngell is playing typical word games: no one is suggesting Richie be boned. But more than the odd viewer is suggesting that, at 80, it's time for him to call it quits. And let's face it: he's nowhere near the commentator he once was.
Can't stand the TV commentators: Tony Grieg should be shot, he's hopeless; Bill Lawry useless; Tubby OK; Slats OK; everyone else wouldn't miss 'em but they don't have to die. The radio used to use Gideon Haigh for special comments he's a thoughtful guy who knows somethin' about cricket. They could get rid of spanky and bring on Mr Haigh.
Posted by: Martin | Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 10:00 PM
The bone, the white flag, the off-mic, the orderly and the cage.
Posted by: m0nty | Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 12:30 AM
Tony' not so bad. If you assume the exact opposite of what he observes, you'll be on the right track every time!
Posted by: Boof | Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 09:20 AM
Greig, that is...
Posted by: Boof | Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 09:21 AM
what idiot has the sound on when the cricket is on.
ABC is MUCH better.
Has anyone noticed that former players seem to know buggerall about the technical side of cricket.
How many times has a 'former test cricketer' on 9 mistook cut for swing for example.
I think Nicholas is the best of the lot.
Posted by: The Don has risen | Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 02:53 PM
Gideon Haigh would be good, but I would keep Spanky.
Get Drew and the Matchell Twins to draw straws to see who goes.
Posted by: Tony Tea | Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 07:33 PM
The problem at the ABC is too many bad ball by ball commentators and too many good special comments guys. It would be interesting to see how a good comments man (for example Henry Lawson) went if forced to do the ball by ball,
Posted by: Martin | Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 11:19 PM
I wouldn't get Gnome B.N. to do the ball-by-ball, you'd never get him to shut up and stop saying "MAGNIFICENT!" and "WONDERFUL!" and "SENSATIONAL!".
But yer right. Drew and the Matchells do BBB and the others fill in special comments around the country so they generally have a three-three balance. Four BBB and two SC might be worth a shot.
Posted by: Tony Tea | Friday, January 23, 2009 at 01:40 PM
I suspect half the time Richie is having a sleep up there in the commentary box. But that's fine by me, at least someone up there knows when to shut up.
I can't stand the radio either, personally.
I often watch in silence. I do miss hearing the on-field effects, though. I wish someone would broadcast just the stump-mike and nothing else.
Posted by: Jonah | Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 07:37 PM