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Who is the best current Snooker commentator?

Poll ended at 22 Apr 2022

John Virgo
5
5%
Dennis Taylor
3
3%
Stephen Hendry
9
10%
Steve Davis
3
3%
Ken Doherty
1
1%
John Parrott
3
3%
Alan McManus
12
13%
David Hendon
7
7%
Neal Foulds
31
33%
Joe Johnson
7
7%
Phil Studd
0
No votes
Dominic Dale
9
10%
Phil Yates
4
4%
 
Total votes : 94

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby SnookerFan

It's not the fact that Dennis Taylor calls her lovely that's the issue. It's more the frequency with which it happens. Sometimes it feels like he's banging on about how lovely she is multiple times a match.

Maybe it's not his fault. The BBC do seem to like to cut to Vikki a lot if she's sat in the crowd, which she is more often than not. Maybe he feels the need to comment on it when they do it. (Or maybe the BBC ask them to talk about a player's family to humanise them a bit.)

But whatever the reason, it does come across as weird. Especially as Vikki is often sat there in an earpiece looking uncomfortable. I don't need to be reminded who Selby's wife is every time he plays. Irrespective of the intent, it just makes the commentators sound like their obsessed with her.

I know Vikki often sits in the crowd, even when there's a Players' Families Lounge like there is at The Crucible. But they don't mention other player's WAGS almost as much as they do Vikki.

Paul Hunter's wife got to be quite well known, but that was more due to Paul Hunter himself sort of bringing her in and talking about plan b. As was Judd's bored looking girlfriend for a while. But they've either split up, or the BBC have just got bored of talking about her.

It doesn't seem the case with Vikki. It's like they're obsessed.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby AlfGit

SnookerFan wrote:Maybe it's not his fault. The BBC do seem to like to cut to Vikki a lot if she's sat in the crowd, which she is more often than not. Maybe he feels the need to comment on it when they do it. (Or maybe the BBC ask them to talk about a player's family to humanise them a bit.)

Perhaps you are giving him too much benefit of the doubt. What you say might be true, but then how do you justify all the similar comments that were made about Michaela Tabb, especially when she first started with the TV matches? Now there are lots of female referees, but we don't seem to hear about how 'lovely' any of the others are.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Jester82

My fav commentator was Clive Everton years ago, now I'd take Neal Foulds.

Taylor and Virgo are unbearable...

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Juddernaut88

Johnny Bravo wrote:
Juddernaut88 wrote:Neal Foulds is winning this by a landslide.

Of course he is, he is the best.


Nope John Virgo is the best.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby SnookerEd25

Juddernaut88 wrote:
Johnny Bravo wrote:
Juddernaut88 wrote:Neal Foulds is winning this by a landslide.

Of course he is, he is the best.


Nope John Virgo is the best.


pmsl

rofl rofl rofl

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Prop

Maybe not the best, but Virgo definitely isn’t the worst. He gets too much stick. The likes of Studd don’t even talk about the game in front of them. Virgo does actually know the game really well. He’ll talk through shots properly (when he’s not doing silly catchphrases) and knows how to inject some suspense and drama into things.

That said, I’ve got Foulds and Hendry in a league of their own.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Juddernaut88

SnookerEd25 wrote:
Juddernaut88 wrote:
Johnny Bravo wrote:
Juddernaut88 wrote:Neal Foulds is winning this by a landslide.

Of course he is, he is the best.


Nope John Virgo is the best.


pmsl

rofl rofl rofl


May I ask what is so funny? >-(

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Jester82

Prop wrote:Maybe not the best, but Virgo definitely isn’t the worst. He gets too much stick. The likes of Studd don’t even talk about the game in front of them. Virgo does actually know the game really well. He’ll talk through shots properly (when he’s not doing silly catchphrases) and knows how to inject some suspense and drama into things.

That said, I’ve got Foulds and Hendry in a league of their own.


Would agree with that. But Virgo was much better 15-20 years ago when he was sharper. Now he needs to see the rest home.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Iranu

Juddernaut88 wrote:
Iranu wrote:I should probably vote on this at some point.


Phil Studd the only one that has 0 so think you should vote for him <ok>

Shh

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby badtemperedcyril

Jester82 wrote:
Prop wrote:Maybe not the best, but Virgo definitely isn’t the worst. He gets too much stick. The likes of Studd don’t even talk about the game in front of them. Virgo does actually know the game really well. He’ll talk through shots properly (when he’s not doing silly catchphrases) and knows how to inject some suspense and drama into things.

That said, I’ve got Foulds and Hendry in a league of their own.


Would agree with that. But Virgo was much better 15-20 years ago when he was sharper. Now he needs to see the rest home.

I disagree. I think Virgo was about to follow Everton and Thorne by being pensioned off by the BBC but he's upped his game. He's more technical now and has cut out the annoying "where the cue ball going" and constant criticism.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby AlfGit

badtemperedcyril wrote:I disagree. I think Virgo was about to follow Everton and Thorne by being pensioned off by the BBC but he's upped his game. He's more technical now and has cut out the annoying "where the cue ball going" and constant criticism.

When the BBC got rid of Clive Everton, a very sad day, their reasoning was that they only wanted pro or former pro players commentating. When they cancelled Willie Thorne for the majors, it just showed what kind of audience they were aiming at.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Prop

AlfGit wrote:
badtemperedcyril wrote:I disagree. I think Virgo was about to follow Everton and Thorne by being pensioned off by the BBC but he's upped his game. He's more technical now and has cut out the annoying "where the cue ball going" and constant criticism.

When the BBC got rid of Clive Everton, a very sad day, their reasoning was that they only wanted pro or former pro players commentating. When they cancelled Willie Thorne for the majors, it just showed what kind of audience they were aiming at.


And they got Steve Davis. Who’s crap.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Andre147

vodkadiet1 wrote:No votes for Jack Karneham?!!

No one has ever equalled the line 'Well....Good luck mate!'


"Best current commentator"

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby vodkadiet1

Andre147 wrote:
vodkadiet1 wrote:No votes for Jack Karneham?!!

No one has ever equalled the line 'Well....Good luck mate!'


"Best current commentator"


I hear Jack is commentating in Heaven on 'The Snooker Gods' channel.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Iranu

AlfGit wrote:
badtemperedcyril wrote:I disagree. I think Virgo was about to follow Everton and Thorne by being pensioned off by the BBC but he's upped his game. He's more technical now and has cut out the annoying "where the cue ball going" and constant criticism.

When the BBC got rid of Clive Everton, a very sad day, their reasoning was that they only wanted pro or former pro players commentating. When they cancelled Willie Thorne for the majors, it just showed what kind of audience they were aiming at.

I suspect Thorne’s gambling issues may have had something to do with the decision. That’s just speculation on my part though.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby vodkadiet1

Iranu wrote:
AlfGit wrote:
badtemperedcyril wrote:I disagree. I think Virgo was about to follow Everton and Thorne by being pensioned off by the BBC but he's upped his game. He's more technical now and has cut out the annoying "where the cue ball going" and constant criticism.

When the BBC got rid of Clive Everton, a very sad day, their reasoning was that they only wanted pro or former pro players commentating. When they cancelled Willie Thorne for the majors, it just showed what kind of audience they were aiming at.

I suspect Thorne’s gambling issues may have had something to do with the decision. That’s just speculation on my part though.


I remember him saying on air in the very early stages of a match between Jimmy White and James Wattana "It was very hard to know who to back for this match. On current form you can't back Jimmy and you wouldn't back Wattana with counterfeit!"

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby badtemperedcyril

Iranu wrote:
AlfGit wrote:
badtemperedcyril wrote:I disagree. I think Virgo was about to follow Everton and Thorne by being pensioned off by the BBC but he's upped his game. He's more technical now and has cut out the annoying "where the cue ball going" and constant criticism.

When the BBC got rid of Clive Everton, a very sad day, their reasoning was that they only wanted pro or former pro players commentating. When they cancelled Willie Thorne for the majors, it just showed what kind of audience they were aiming at.

I suspect Thorne’s gambling issues may have had something to do with the decision. That’s just speculation on my part though.

I'm sure you're right. Also he swore live on air, which the BBC don't tend to like much.


"for puck sake, Pete" rofl

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby SnookerEd25

Juddernaut88 wrote:
SnookerEd25 wrote:
Juddernaut88 wrote:
Johnny Bravo wrote:
Juddernaut88 wrote:Neal Foulds is winning this by a landslide.

Of course he is, he is the best.


Nope John Virgo is the best.


pmsl

rofl rofl rofl


May I ask what is so funny? >-(


No.

You had to be there.

:chuckle:

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby James Bentley

I think I must be a soft touch or something, but I don't really find anything objectionable about any of the commentators. Dennis Taylor is a bit vacuous, Virgo can be annoying and some of the others are just bland, but I can tolerate pretty much any of them. I even quite like Phil Yates!

I voted Foulds-McManus-Hendon though. Some are plainly better than others.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby SnookerEd25

Not putting him up for inclusion in this thread, but I recently watched footage of a match in Hong Kong from 1989 between Steve Davis and Alex Higgins. The 'tournament' (Hong Kong Gold Cup - effectively a glorified exhibition to promote snooker in the far east, promoted by Matchroom) was covered by Eurosport and on the mic was one ... Barry Hearn.

:shock:

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby Iranu

SnookerEd25 wrote:Not putting him up for inclusion in this thread, but I recently watched footage of a match in Hong Kong from 1989 between Steve Davis and Alex Higgins. The 'tournament' (Hong Kong Gold Cup - effectively a glorified exhibition to promote snooker in the far east, promoted by Matchroom) was covered by Eurosport and on the mic was one ... Barry Hearn.

:shock:

How was he?

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby SnookerEd25

Iranu wrote:
SnookerEd25 wrote:Not putting him up for inclusion in this thread, but I recently watched footage of a match in Hong Kong from 1989 between Steve Davis and Alex Higgins. The 'tournament' (Hong Kong Gold Cup - effectively a glorified exhibition to promote snooker in the far east, promoted by Matchroom) was covered by Eurosport and on the mic was one ... Barry Hearn.

:shock:

How was he?


Do you know, I got the feeling he loves the sound of his own voice :chuckle:

But I’ve heard far worse.

Re: Who is the best current commentator?

Postby badtemperedcyril

Iranu wrote:
SnookerEd25 wrote:Not putting him up for inclusion in this thread, but I recently watched footage of a match in Hong Kong from 1989 between Steve Davis and Alex Higgins. The 'tournament' (Hong Kong Gold Cup - effectively a glorified exhibition to promote snooker in the far east, promoted by Matchroom) was covered by Eurosport and on the mic was one ... Barry Hearn.

:shock:

How was he?

I've seen that match. He came across as condescending towards Alex throughout... proper smug.

As if to say "OK, little man, you can have your little flashes of brilliance but my boy's still gonna duff you up when he feels like it".


   

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