Olympic Commentators

[Tigger]

And David looked HOT.

The Male CTV Commentators that wear suits on air, are wearing Armani. They make everyone look good, but when you're already pretty good looking, they enhance that factor to the Power of 10000!!!

Sandra Bezic's a snob and if you guys think she's bad here? At least you didn't have to put up w/her and her elite, snobbish comments during Battle of the Blades. Talk about biased towards your favourites...Yikes!!

Good thing I'm not a drinker, otherwise w/all of Rod's "Elvis slobbering"/mentions, I'd be pretty plastered right now.

Was very pleased w/Liz tonight and she did really well too. David's been wonderful too. Looking forward to seeing how Victor and Jen do later on during the Games.

[nghtvsn]

I get the US team of Hammond, Bezic and Hamilton. My thoughts are that this team is a good one. I don't mind listening to them and they seem to be pretty restrained this time. I hear more of the music than the commentators prepping every jump or whatever.

Hamilton can get pretty annoying to me but I think he's done fine so far. I wish nice to hear that sigh he let out while Abbott was in one of his spins. I like the honest expression. I'm not of fan of him getting choked up so easily though. I thought he was getting that way during some performance. Maybe it was after Shen and Zhao.

Bezic I've grown to like over the years. I like how blunt she's been so far. I think she said that "He's done or It's gone" or something like that when Hammond brought up that Abbott might be out of contention already. Good stuff.

Hammond is filler but he needs to stop bringing up results that skaters had many years ago. TMI.

Dick Button is nice to hear but I'm tired of his fireside chats. I'm glad he's not on the commentating team.

[SkatingNana]

another vote for Rod's gotta go. Every time he opens his mouth he says something completely inappropriate or brings up tired old dirt.

[Mybag]

I like Sandra, probably mostly due to her beautiful choreograph. I somehow enjoy her accent as well, though i am not a native English speaker~

[Sus]

I enjoyed the BBC ones, Robin Cousins does a pretty decent commentary.

[kitkat28]

I enjoyed the BBC ones, Robin Cousins does a pretty decent commentary.

Yeah Robin Cousins is pretty good; not so sure about Sue Barker! I know she's not a skater, but when a skaters doubles out she says that they'll get a mandatory deduction for not doing a triple and it's like, please learn the judging system.

[taikwan]

Hate the team of S/S - Scott is a cheerleader not a commentator and a biased one at that. He's like a drooling puppy. Sandra is supremely annoying and has nothing to offer. I find them offensive in their tandem condescending dismissal of Johnny. I miss Dick but agree - on those interviews with Costa he came across as needing a rocking chair. But he has so much history and instant recall. Even though Peggy was a pushover, I still miss her comments about lyricism, artistry. I miss how Terry Gannon actually knew something about the topic he was hosting.

[jennyszy]

Living in switzerland, i get french TV. They are a team of 3:
Annick Dumont (ex-gaillaguet you know the 2002 scandal french president's ex-wife, she changed her surname right after that!!!),
nelson monfort (a french sportscommentator who does just about every sport from track and field to skating and still can't count jump revolutions...
and wait for it

Philippe Candeloro who just has a blast and loves to joke...

the team is entertaining for non alert tv watchers but can be quite annoying as talk non stop and candeloro loves to mention how much he loves pretty women...
in 2006 after japan won the women's gold he said "she is going to deserve her bowl of rice tonight"... he was then mais to apologize...

[figuristka]

Living in Finland i have seen practically no skating. Showed S/Z and finally tonight the Finnish male skater and Plushenko. No idea what they say as don't understand much Finnish. i always liked Tracy Wilson as a commentator , Barb Underhill has been quite good too. I don't like any commentator's to be too biased, Asked family about ctv and heard Pellieter sounds alittle anti Plushenko.

[LongTimeLurker]

I like Tracy Wilson, Susie Wynne and Paul Wylie. They don't talk over the programs as much (although Scott & Sandra have improved some on that). Sandra is condescending, and Scott screeches and makes bathroom noises. Good thing I wasn't playing the "Olympic Drinking Game" during the men's short program, or I would have been hung over today....

[essence_of_soy]

Australia's coverage is beyond terrible. It truly makes us look like an ignorant backwater. I am embarrased and won't be watching from now on. Thank goodness I can download the event from Eurosport or Russian TV.

The host is a homophobic fool, and the skating commentator isn't familiar with the IJS. Most times she is reading from the rule book.
AussieSkates has posted an open letter to Channel Nine on their website about it:

www.aussieskates.com/aussie_web/aussie_frame_news

Scott screeches and makes bathroom noises

Hahaha. So true.

[victoria90]

At least they know what they are saying (or well, they should know lol)... in Argentina, the commentators know absolutely nothing, nothing at all! They were completely clueless through out all the pairs' competition! I had to sent an email explaining them why a pair that looked better (no falls but maybe popped jumps and that stuff) can score lower than a pair with visible mistakes...

[museksk8r]

At this point, I'm just glad I don't have to listen to Jamie Sale.

[colleen o'neill]

Jamie actually was fine during the pairs.David has been really quite good, I think..and really not hard on Plushenko..He praised his jump technique, his position in the air. He did say that though he personally didn't buy Plushenko's expression of his program, he had no doubts that Plushy himself was right into it and giving it everything he had. ( in other words, a matter of personal taste).

Apart from that, there was reference at the beginning of the program to the head games and one-up-man-ship that goes on at these competitions.David mentioned how Plushy just takes control of the ice when he comes out to practice..sort of like the bully on the school ground.. everyone knows he's there, and he's intimidating by his very presence. They showed tape from practice ; when Plushy finished his, he put on his team jacket and came out and sat in the stands right behind Lori Nichol, so that Patrick would be sure to know he was there, watching, all throughout his practice. But the tone was not one of outrage, or complaint..just acknowledging that Plushy is master of the head games.....that's just fact. No-one should take offence.

Liz Manley was also pretty good.They weren't really homer-ish, praised many and made no sentimental excuses.

Rod made me drink quite a few times ( including 3 or 4 Elvis mentions ) but nowhere near as often as I'd feared.
****

Museksk8tr... The Humpee is usually the one in heat.. i do wish you be more precise.

[rain]

Rod Black(Canadian coverage) is annoying the crap out of me. I hope they have someone else for the other events.

I loathe Rod Black as a commentator. When I heard the CTV had gotten the Olympic coverage over CBC (boo) the very first thing that came out of my mouth was "Crap! Now I have to listen to Rod Black blather on about figure skating again — a sport he knows nothing about!" I've repeatedly been heard to say "shut up" to my television screen during the broadcasts because I just can't stand him and his instigating any more.

I agree with many here that Jamie and David have been solid commentators, with David being particularly good. I really hope to hear some Tracy Wilson at some point, because she is, hands-down, the best television figure skating commentator out there right now, IMO, of course.