Figure Skating TV Commentators thread

[AxelAnnie]

I am so old school. I loved Dick Button, (his piercingly accurate comments) Scott Hamilton (his excitement) Tara Lipinski (she is quite articulate and has a unique perspective). Charlie White is also good at explaining things.

HATE Tonya K.

Anyone remember OI? Olympic Ice with Moskvina? Best thing ever!!

 

[topaz]

Dick Button I didn't not agree with many times. Dick Button makes catty statements. Anything different from what "he considers" good style was not given good remarks. Also, he was very much USA all the way.

I love Ben Agosto, John Coughlin and Charlie White. I don't like Tara but Johnny is fine. Tara will say stuff like I don't know why I like it.

I heard David Pelletier via youtube cbc broadcast of pair at cup of chine and I loved him commentation. His complete respect and love for Sui/Han is awesome.

IMO, Johnny is very good at men's skating broadcasting. He calls UR immediately and gives good critiques on the skater's body position or what caused the jumps to be off. Johnny gives approximate estimates on the element scoring. Similar to Kurt Browning a few weeks ago.

I haven't seen Johnny make "catty" comments during single skaters programs in a long time.

I hate Sandra Bezic, Tom Hammond, Scott Hamilton and Tonia K. They don't really understand the scoring under IJS.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

I wonder if Tanith will be back for U.S. Nationals? Ice dance is going to be so competitive and exciting, the primetime audience deserves more than comments on costumes and feels from Tara and Johnny.

 

[Cachoo]

I enjoyed Dick Button back in the day. I loved that he was on this one man crusade to see a good layback spin in competition. And he was funny. Now some of his comments wouldn't fly. I don't think he could get away with calling someone "cupcake" instead of her name. I don't know any of the names of announcers at British Eurosport but they have certainly been present at some favorite moments including Kwan's "Romanza" and "Red Violin" world competition performances, their heartfelt comments about the Shibs when they skated the moving and new "Fix You" Coldplay dance at Skate Canada. Those were great moments made even better with their commentary.

 

[misskarne]

Like:
Ted Barton - positive, encouraging, and silent during the performance
British Eurosport guys (excluding Hanretty) - positive and interesting, usually fairly quiet except for element identification
John Coughlin and Charlie White - outstanding, they teach me something every time I listen

Sometimes okay:
CBC - I find they can be very hit and miss but this season have been mostly miss. Their bitter snarkiness has taken my breath away on occasions and everything has to be Canada-centric for them. Prime example had to be Josh's JWC FS the year he won the silver medal, which CBC spent the whole time talking about...Patrick Chan.

Dislike:
Mark Hanretty - will single out something a skater he doesn't like did and only call out a couple of skaters on it (yes I haven't forgotten that he called Max - and Boyang - out for no connecting steps into solo jump at an event where the majority of male skaters didn't have them but you didn't call them out for it did you). Also find that he makes a lot of factual errors.

Weir and Lipinski - no shocker for anyone here, I'm sure. Their catty, petty, bitchy commentary is the absolute opposite of what figure skating needs and Weir's evident bitterness spoils any event with a US man. Add in Weir's utter disrespect for anyone outside the big skating countries and you have a combination I loathe.

Dick Button - I hate negativity for the sake of being negative. It's not cute. It's not funny. It's just bitchy.


No opinion: if I can't understand the language you're speaking, I just assume you're doing all right.

 

[VGThuy]

I will never like Mark Hanretty’s commentary.

 

[MAXSwagg]

Hanretty can be very good...but also VERY biased. Biased to the point where he will completely ignore mistakes about skaters he likes, say things about skaters who are in direct competition with skaters he likes that are factually incorrect, etc. He is great with his dance commentary.

Ambesi and Dolfini are great. They know the system from top to bottom.

Johnny is pretty good and Tara is okay. I wish Dick (and Peggy) were still commenting only to hear their thoughts on current skaters. I don't mind Ryan. Charlie, Ben, and Tanith are fantastic for dance.

Kurt, Carol, and Tracy are usually very good.

B.Esp are good also but many times get basic facts wrong. Robin at Worlds for BBC was not bad but it's clear his excitement lied with the men's event (which is understandable) and his commentary for that event was good.

Tarasova is good but says very odd and whacky things 50% of the time. Lipnitskaia was surprisingly very good when she commented for some of the events this GP season.

 

[Cachoo]

Re: misskarne's remarks about Charlie White: ITA! When I listen to him I think I'd send my kid to him in a second for coaching if he ever had that desire. But he is fine in the broadcast booth too.

 

[DreamSkates]

I didn't read all the posts....but Lapinski and Weir need to STOP talking so much during skating. Do they not realize we are also listening to the music along with the skate? SOOOOO irritating. But I do think they are knowledgeable and insightful for the most part. There is time to preface a skate with comments before the beginning, and time during the replays for comments. I don't need to hear that a jump failed - rather obvious when the skater has splatted on the ice. I'm going to write to NBC about this and encourage others to do so before the Olympics.

 

[allezfred]

Simon Reed on Eurosport is bad because he thinks he knows more about skating than he does.

Nicky Slater used to just come out with the most bizarre statements. Seems to have been given the heave-ho lately. Thankfully.

I quite like Mark Hanretty’s commentary because he is pretty much spot on.

 

[Tada]

Why is it so hard to have a truly knowledgeable commentator, with true passion for both sport and art, without axes to grind, without a broken record, without allegiance to anyone in skating?
Not one is free of conflict and agenda or ignorance. Skating deserves a great broadcaster. Who could it be?
What about Tomas Verner? He speaks great English and understands styles of each continent, shows true compassion for all athletes.
What about carolina kostner when she finishes competing? Her empathy for all athletes and years of experience feeling the blast of cruelty and yet giving light regardless...
I haven't heard Tanith or Charlie enough to know what they could really do given the chance. Could they be knowledgeable and unbiased? I hope so.
I'd love to hear Plushenkos views, Wterus views, Mishin's views, Franks views, etc etc
I might watch something other than commentary-free live streaming if I knew a truly accomplished, unbiased lover of skating were to be calling it.

 

[misskarne]

Charlie and John Coughlin are two of the best US commentators I've heard. I always feel like I've learned something from them.

 

[julieann]

I don't like Johnny at all. He seems to be wrong a lot. He says skaters double foot a landing when they so clearly do not or under rotate when the replay shows they don't. I would rather have a former skater with technical ability rather than what ever Johnny had that made then hire him.

 

[zebraswan]

Why is it so hard to have a truly knowledgeable commentator, with true passion for both sport and art, without axes to grind, without a broken record, without allegiance to anyone in skating?
Not one is free of conflict and agenda or ignorance. Skating deserves a great broadcaster. Who could it be?
What about Tomas Verner? He speaks great English and understands styles of each continent, shows true compassion for all athletes.

Tomas commentates for Czech tv sometimes - he will be there for the Olympics. Can't really see him moving countries just to do commentary in English, especially since he is running a skating school now & has coaching responsibilities.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Why is it so hard to have a truly knowledgeable commentator, with true passion for both sport and art, without axes to grind, without a broken record, without allegiance to anyone in skating?
Not one is free of conflict and agenda or ignorance. Skating deserves a great broadcaster. Who could it be?
What about Tomas Verner? He speaks great English and understands styles of each continent, shows true compassion for all athletes.
What about carolina kostner when she finishes competing? Her empathy for all athletes and years of experience feeling the blast of cruelty and yet giving light regardless...
I haven't heard Tanith or Charlie enough to know what they could really do given the chance. Could they be knowledgeable and unbiased? I hope so.
I'd love to hear Plushenkos views, Wterus views, Mishin's views, Franks views, etc etc
I might watch something other than commentary-free live streaming if I knew a truly accomplished, unbiased lover of skating were to be calling it.

We had one...Dick Button

 

[alchemy void]

Speaking of commentating, I find the contrast in CBC's Grand Prix commentary on Alina Zagitova fascinating:

Cup of China Browning and (especially) David Pelletier are NOT fans, and I find parts of Pelletier's commentary really almost unprofessional and savage.

Then two weeks later at the International de France, much more positive, and right at the beginning of the program Carol Lane seems to almost reply directly to Pelletier's criticisms two weeks back.

 

[WildRose]

I didn’t find the comments unprofessional or savage. Not even close.

 

[DreamSkates]

I don't like Johnny at all. He seems to be wrong a lot. He says skaters double foot a landing when they so clearly do not or under rotate when the replay shows they don't. I would rather have a former skater with technical ability rather than what ever Johnny had that made then hire him.

A splash of drama.

 

[Seerek]

Speaking of commentating, I find the contrast in CBC's Grand Prix commentary on Alina Zagitova fascinating:

Cup of China Browning and (especially) David Pelletier are NOT fans, and I find parts of Pelletier's commentary really almost unprofessional and savage.

Confused with Kurt's 180 degree change on Alina, since he enjoyed the Junior Worlds version of the same long program back in March.

 

[npavel]

Yes, great junior, but has to develop the pcs as a senior. I'm really looking forward to see her evolve

 

[alchemy void]

I didn’t find the comments unprofessional or savage. Not even close.

Savage may have been a little dramatic on my part. But I found Pelletier's criticisms of her trying to get as many points as possible to be unprofessional, yes.

 

[chantilly]

^ It wasn't even remotely unprofessional.
He's commenting as a figure skater who prefers more balanced programs.
Kurt like Zagitova quite a lot last year, if I recall.
She has improved this program since last year.
Perhaps he wasn't as on board with the backloaded programs last year and quite frankly most don't do them well, but for whatever reason he has come around on it for her at least.

 

[chantilly]

I'm not sure why people are saying Kurt isn't a fan in the cup of China commentary. LOL!
He says " nothing is happening " which is a bit of an exaggeration yes, but I think he's referring to jumps.
He then goes on to spew a whole paragraph about her musicality etc and why it works for her.
David's beginning comment is his usual ascerbic wit.
And a lot of people, skaters, commentators and fans are not in favour of backloaded programs.
He's right in terms of composition it should lose marks.
It's playing the system. Great for them to use the system to garner the technical points, but they shouldn't get rewarded the same marks for composition of the program as other skaters who play the system for the PCS.

 

[barbarafan]

Speaking of commentating, I find the contrast in CBC's Grand Prix commentary on Alina Zagitova fascinating:

Cup of China Browning and (especially) David Pelletier are NOT fans, and I find parts of Pelletier's commentary really almost unprofessional and savage.

Then two weeks later at the International de France, much more positive, and right at the beginning of the program Carol Lane seems to almost reply directly to Pelletier's criticisms two weeks back.

When Carol Lane learns to say Zack Donahue properly I will listen to something else she says. She is trying to make brownie pts with Russia because of her Russian comments due to G/P scores on COR. She calls him Donahoe.

 

[alchemy void]

He's right in terms of composition it should lose marks.

It's playing the system. Great for them to use the system to garner the technical points, but they shouldn't get rewarded the same marks for composition of the program as other skaters who play the system for the PCS.

I suggest actually reading the ISU's criteria for components instead of using your own personal criteria.

I'll help. Via the ISU:

• Composition is an intentionally developed and/or original arrangement of all types of movements according to the principles of musical phrase, space, pattern, and structure (e.g. idea, concept, unity, pattern, phrasing, originality, design)

Zagitova's LP completely fulfills this criteria, and actually excels in several of these criteria (musical phrasing is superb, for example). So, no, via the ISU's rules, she should not get hit in components just because all seven jumping elements are in the second half of the program.

Obviously "witty" Pelletier isn't a fan, which is totally fine, but I will question the commentary when he misrepresents the rules to support his point.

 

[Jeanne7]

When Carol Lane learns to say Zack Donahue properly I will listen to something else she says. She is trying to make brownie pts with Russia because of her Russian comments due to G/P scores on COR. She calls him Donahoe.

Don't be too hard on her. The Eurosport Brit guys are shocking at mispronouncing & getting people mixed up.

 

[Japanfan]

I too miss Debbi Wilkies, and like Tracy Wilson a lot, and and am in a minority I'm sure in that I also like Rod Black. He's not very sophisticated, and sometimes Tracy looks like she really really wishes he would just shut up. But his love of the sport is clear. I forgive him for "Elvis is in the building".

Kurt Browning really gets on my nerves because he is so egotistical. I saw him once in SOI and at the very start of the show, he made a personal comment about phoning his wife - it did fit with the show, but was all about him and complete uneccessary.

When the CBC broadcast team was introduced at the last GP event on television, Kurt had to point his finger at himself when his name was announced - THAT'S ME! LOOK AT ME!

Meanwhile, when David Pelletier was introduced he just sat there quietly.

I am so enjoying Pelletier's commentary this year.

I think Kurt's contract is 'in perpetuity'.

 

[barbarafan]

Don't be too hard on her. The Eurosport Brit guys are shocking at mispronouncing & getting people mixed up.

except that Zack is not a random Skater. He used to be Piper Gilles partner and she has announced his name several times since they came to MTL without a problem.

 

[chantilly]

I think it might be that in Britain that name with that spelling is often pronounced Donohoe.

 

[Braulio]

I really like the italian commentary, they have a good team of former skaters (Pedrazzini) and current coaches (Bianconi) that maybe sometimes talk a bit too much but they normally do it to give some information about levels, under rotations and since they go to the competitions (Europeans/Worlds) is very good to have their commentary right from the rink, also they tend to invite competitors (mostly italians) to do some commentary

Ben Agosto is very good like many mentioned but sometimes he talks toooo much during programs, his intention is good because he says things about technicalities and why is difficult lever or not but to call EVERY move becomes irritating at some point, hope he realize that and let the commentary for the replay/K&C

I can't stand anymore Tara & Johnny, Terry Gannon has become infected by them and is becoming soo annoying