Sportsound Watch

[1320Lichtie]

Ex-pros taking over pundit role is horrific. The overwhelming majority don't know the rules of the game they played, lack an in depth knowledge of the game they are apparently expert on, are loathe to genuinely criticise their fellow players and, worst of all, increasingly promote cheating as it's second nature to them.  The sad fact is we are stuck with them and it's just going to get worse with it now being a career move after their playing days and numerous courses available for them to learn how to become the accepted clone churning out basically the same crap as everyone else.

 

So ex professional footballers, who made a living out the game and played it daily for the majority of their lives.... don’t actually know anything about football.

 

[emoji23]

 

f**k sake.

 

ETA: there’s probably a reason that ex professional footballers make up the vast majority of football pundits, not just in Scotland either.

[Sarto Mutiny]

7 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

 

So ex professional footballers, who made a living out the game and played it daily for the majority of their lives.... don’t actually know anything about football.

 

 

f**k sake.

 

ETA: there’s probably a reason that ex professional footballers make up the vast majority of football pundits, not just in Scotland either.

The reason is because those in charge of sports broadcasting are utterly unimaginative, and assume just because you played the game you can talk about it, as if by magic. It's more important that the pundit is a big name or is controversial rather than someone who shows even a modicum of wit or insight. This, by the way, is absolute bollocks. If people who played football knew the game, this thread would not exist.

Listen to Pat Bonner. Played countless games for Celtic, yet from listening to him you'd assume he'd never even heard of football.

[1320Lichtie]

 

To be fair, level at which one played, longevity of career and ability have ZERO to do with knowledge of the game.

 

Pele being the ultimate case in point. Talent beyond comprehension, but his opinions on football simply are not worth listening to. Works with other sports too. Try listening to Lennox Lewis talking about boxing for example.

 

Maybe you just don’t agree with their opinions???

 

Football is a simple game, I’m really not sure what people are looking for.

 

To suggest that guys who’ve made a career out of the game don’t know anything about football is just ridiculous. They must know something, no matter how much you or I disagree with their opinions.

 

Football fans always think they know best. You’ll see it before and after every game on every match thread on this site.

 

It’s a game of opinions and when you feel differently to a supposed professional pundit that’s getting paid to talk about the game then I can see why you’d maybe be annoyed, but you can’t start saying that these people have no knowledge of football. Mental.

 

Again why do you think ex pros, in any sport, all over the world, make up the majority of pundits/commentators?

 

Maybe people on this thread know better and TV companies, radio stations and papers should just start hiring all these random knowledgeable folk that are kicking about on the streets to do the jobs of the ex pros???

[1320Lichtie]

The reason is because those in charge of sports broadcasting are utterly unimaginative, and assume just because you played the game you can talk about it, as if by magic. It's more important that the pundit is a big name or is controversial rather than someone who shows even a modicum of wit or insight. This, by the way, is absolute bollocks. If people who played football knew the game, this thread would not exist.
Listen to Pat Bonner. Played countless games for Celtic, yet from listening to him you'd assume he'd never even heard of football.

Pat Bonner is fine talking about football. The knowledge he lacks isn’t on the game itself, it’s about clubs other than Celtic.

[Rodhull]

2 hours ago, happyaccie said:

I can only judge him on what I have seen, and what I witnessed last Saturday was way below the standard required to achieve international recognition .

Do you think the other players called up have never had a bad game then?

[RiG]

19 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

So ex professional footballers, who made a living out the game and played it daily for the majority of their lives.... don’t actually know anything about football.

 

 

f**k sake.

 

ETA: there’s probably a reason that ex professional footballers make up the vast majority of football pundits, not just in Scotland either.

That's quite the reductio ad absurdum there. There have been plenty of times when some of the pundits on Sky Sports, Sportscene and so on have shown absolutely zero knowledge of the laws of the game, little understanding of the players or teams they are giving opinions on, won't criticise fellow pros if they have dived etc. There isn't anything wrong with what @7-2 has posted. Maybe not every ex pro is like this but the majority that appear on TV and radio definitely fit within his description.

[shootingboots]

24 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

 

So ex professional footballers, who made a living out the game and played it daily for the majority of their lives.... don’t actually know anything about football.

 

 

f**k sake.

 

ETA: there’s probably a reason that ex professional footballers make up the vast majority of football pundits, not just in Scotland either.

You don't need to have played football to have an intelligent informed opinion about the game. 

That's the sort of nonsense you would hear ex pro's say though. Standard fallback line of 'you never played the game' to anyone who may have disagreed with them as if it's not a valid opinion. 

[Savage Henry]

32 minutes ago, RiG said:

That's quite the reductio ad absurdum there. There have been plenty of times when some of the pundits on Sky Sports, Sportscene and so on have shown absolutely zero knowledge of the laws of the game, little understanding of the players or teams they are giving opinions on, won't criticise fellow pros if they have dived etc. There isn't anything wrong with what @7-2 has posted. Maybe not every ex pro is like this but the majority that appear on TV and radio definitely fit within his description.

It's the knowledge economy.  The value of someone's opinion is based on perceived excellence in the field.  Which is fine, when you are talking about academic expertise.  But anyone can talk a good game.  It is only football, after all.  The difference is, not everyone can do it without resorting to a string of mindless cliches.   Somebody like Derek Johnstone has been in the Scottish sporting media for thirty years and never once made an interesting or abstract point.

So maybe it seems fans often want a string of mindless cliches - and certainly the sporting press do.  Look what happens when genuinely articulate players voice contrary opinions - Pat Nevin, Frank Lampard, Graeme Le Saux, etc.   Or Graeme Souness, even, who tells people things they don't like to hear (along with an inordinate amount of bollocks about Rangers, mind you).  It's usually the guys with "f**k you" money who are able to criticise professionals.

Pat Bonner, Derek Ferguson, Michael Stewart, Willie "why should I do research?" and several others have no place acting the part of analysts.  The fact that none of them could name, for example, Ross County's reserve keeper is indicative.  As is the fact that week in, week out, they seem not to be able to understand the double jeopardy rule for penalties.  There are plenty of articulate, interesting football players who could be doing that job.  There are also plenty of trained media broadcasters who could do it just as well.  For all I disagree with him, I'd far rather listen to Chic Young than Pat Bonner.  It doesn't have to be either/or, though.

[Sarto Mutiny]

29 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

 

Pat Bonner is fine talking about football. The knowledge he lacks isn’t on the game itself, it’s about clubs other than Celtic.

 

"Clubs other than Celtic" do make up a fairly large proportion of the game, the last time I checked.

[RiG]

36 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Pat Bonner is fine talking about football. The knowledge he lacks isn’t on the game itself, it’s about clubs other than Celtic.

 

I caught him co-commentating on a game between Ross County and Celtic back in December/January and he had no idea who the County players were. None at all. He just kept using vague descriptions like "the Staggies defender" and "the County forward". He has also shown time and time again on Sportscene that he has little understanding of the laws of the game. He'd be perfect on something like Celtic TV but as a pundit on Sportsound, Sportscene and all the rest he is absolutely laughable.

[Rodhull]

Yeah dont often listen to radio commentary but his commentary on the Bayern game was hopeless. Screaming offside like one of the fans at the game. Already 60,000 fans in the stadium, don't need another one in the booth during the game.

[fatshaft]

44 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

 

Pat Bonner, Derek Ferguson, Michael Stewart, Willie "why should I do research?" and several others have no place acting the part of analysts.  

Haha, Stewart & Miller are two of the best pundits on TV/Radio, add in Steven Thomson and BBC have 3 that outshine anything that the skysports wankathon puts on their settees week in week out. 

[lanky_ffc]

On 07 November 2017 at 18:38, fatshaft said:

His ranting seemed far too strong and forceful to be any sort of grandstanding, he clearly meant it, and more, he clearly has a huuuuuge grudge against Aberdeen for some reason.

Maybe cause they cigared their way to 2nd ahead of his beloved Rangers and routinely dish out a bodying to his current team.

[shull]

4 hours ago, Scary Bear said:

Personally I'd prefer to have a larger depth and breadth of football commentators. If they are going to be ex-pros I want a larger batch employed by the BBC, so they can regularly chop and change it.

 

As a (now very occasional) listener, I feel almost as irate as fat Kris Boyd that he is given airtime. He is nowhere near the quality required. He's a fat, shouty, ignorant, washed-up, ex Sevco nugget, who is currently back slumming it at Killie, while pining for (dead) Rangers.

 

I would like to hear from more past greats. The Interviews the BBC did a while back where ex-pros spoke of the 3 greatest games of their lives were excellent. Get a few more of these guys signed up.

 

Which ex-players would you like to hear from as BBC Commentators?

 

 

Tony Fitzpatrick 

[Savage Henry]

39 minutes ago, fatshaft said:

Haha, Stewart & Miller are two of the best pundits on TV/Radio, add in Steven Thomson and BBC have 3 that outshine anything that the skysports wankathon puts on their settees week in week out. 

Thank you for making my point for me.

[Hammer Jag]

2 hours ago, sjc said:

Do they ever had an ex referee on as a pundit? At least they know the rules of the game..........even if they were incapable of adhering them in practice!

They bring on former referee Charlie Richmond from time to time. He’s painfully thick and difficult to listen to.

He absolutely slaughtered Hugh and Andrew Dallas the last time he was on which is to his credit. 

[1320Lichtie]

You don't need to have played football to have an intelligent informed opinion about the game. 
That's the sort of nonsense you would hear ex pro's say though. Standard fallback line of 'you never played the game' to anyone who may have disagreed with them as if it's not a valid opinion. 

I never said that.

[1320Lichtie]

"Clubs other than Celtic" do make up a fairly large proportion of the game, the last time I checked.

Again. I agree. If you were to be having a go at him for his knowledge of Scottish football clubs then that’s fair game and a valid criticism.

[1320Lichtie]

Sure everyone on here loves the Terrace, I do, I think they’re very knowledgeable guys that are not ex pros. However, from time to time, sometimes a lot of the time, you must think some of their opinions are a load of shite?

No one will ever 100 percent agree with somebody else’s opinions when it comes to football.

When you hear the same guys over and over and over you’re obviously going to strongly disagree or strongly agree with some of the things they are saying.

Why a lot of people seem to think the vast majority of pundits and commentators are shite, but will like the one or select few that have similar views to their own and sees things the same way they do.

[Sarto Mutiny]

15 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Sure everyone on here loves the Terrace, I do, I think they’re very knowledgeable guys that are not ex pros. However, from time to time, sometimes a lot of the time, you must think some of their opinions are a load of shite?

No one will ever 100 percent agree with somebody else’s opinions when it comes to football.

When you hear the same guys over and over and over you’re obviously going to strongly disagree or strongly agree with some of the things they are saying.

Why a lot of people seem to think the vast majority of pundits and commentators are shite, but will like the one or select few that have similar views to their own and sees things the same way they do.

Disagreeing is one thing, but simply not knowing stuff they really should know, or being outright wrong is quite another. Pundits are entitled to their own opinions, they are not entitled to their own facts.