Interesting Dick Button comment-Nationals

[berthes ghost]

Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen do have flaws in some areas of their skating and could use a little of that "constructive criticism" from time to time, but Dick and Peggy rarely comment on their flaws.

Perhaps, but it's all it the eye of the beholder I guess.

If I had a dollar for every time some Kwaniac posted something to the effect of "I hate Peggy. Did you hear her say that MK is 'reliable'? Of all the surperlitives available to descripe her, how could she come up with an insult like 'reliable'? It's so obvious that she wants Sasha/Sarah to win. She's just jealous that MK has more titles than she does.", I'd be very rich.

 

[berthes ghost]

Joe:

Most top coaches (Caroll, Calaghan, Wagner, TT, Morosov,etc...) never won a title in their lives. I recently read that Gus Lussi was a sking instructor! I doubt that Howard Cosell was a champion boxer or football player, so your point that one doesn't necessarily have to have walked in the same shoes to understand is valid, but I don't think that that is the way sport commentating is going these days. All sports seem to be following the 'pair a former champ with a telecast pro' formula, and people like Michael Johnson, John MacEnroe and Nadia Kominich are popping up accross the boards. I think that there is always going to be a Scotty for every Vern for a while to come, one getting chocolate in the others peanut butter and vice versa. Terry may have become an expert over the years, but he will never be able to answer his own anedotal questions: "Brian, what's going thru the skaters head while he waits to compete?", "Dick, will he change his program knowing that ______ landed the quad?", "Peggy, what's the transition from singles to pairs like?", etc...

Edited to add:

Don't forget, it works both ways. After 40 years on TV, I'm sure that Dick could handle stuff like "We'll be back with her scores after a word from our sponsor.".

 

[Dee4707]

IMHO, I enjoy the Button & Fleming team with Gannon on the side. It's what I grew up with. I will tell you this especially after the 02 Olympics, I will take Dick Button any day over Scott Hamilton. His pre-judging and inane comments almost ruined the whole thing for me.

Dee

 

[Spirit]

In a large number of sporting events, networks provide the following system: a person in the booth who is the commentator (I think that's the correct term, I'll use it for now) and 1 or more persons in the booth who are analysts. (Monday Night Football is the classic example of this.) When this system is in operartion, they each have specific roles to play.

(Forgive the use of the he, I know they can be women. I'm just being lazy.)

The commentator:
This is someone who knows television. He greets the viewer and is pretty much the anchor and host of the show. He imparts statistics, past results, overall trends and upcoming events. He's knowledgable about the sport, but you'll never (if done properly) hear an analysis. (Journalism vs. opinion.) One of his main jobs is to prompt the analysts, ask questions of them on behalf of the viewers, and lead the analysts by the hand through the broadcast if they are inexperienced.

The analyst:
Almost certainly a past player in the sport and therefore full of knowledge, able to impart to the viewer that knowledge to explain what is going on and to point out interesting aspects which the viewers wouldn't have known to look for on their own. He's full of opinions and assessments, but you'll never (if done properly) hear facts and figures about past wins. (Opinion vs. journalism.)

This is a very common -- perhaps the most common -- form of sportscasting. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, for NBC, Tom Hammond was the commentator, Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic were the analysts. Watch that team, or watch the ABC team, carefully, and you'll see that the commentator never does the analysts' job and vice versa. The commentator is always the first and the last person to speak to the viewer, saying "Hello and welcome!" and "Good-bye for now!"

Terry Gannon is a commentator, and I think he does a pretty good job. He frequently asks good questions and is good at prompting his analysts to elaborate or clarify something if he feels they're beginning to leave the viewer behind. He announces interesting stats and informs the viewer how well a skater has been performing lately, and about a skater's overall career. The analysts then play off that.

Everyone else who appears in front of a camera at ABC & Co. (except for the backstage interviewer) is an analyst.

I'm surprised at people who think Terry Gannon would make a good replacement for Dick Button. A good commentator does not necessarily make a good analyst and vice versa. He knows television and I have no doubt he's picked up a lot of knowledge, but for all we know, he still can't tell a lutz from a toe loop just by looking.

Personally, I think the ABC team works rather well.

However, Dick Button is beginning to stammer far too much and make too many mistakes on the air, and it is especially evident during live broadcasts. I know he's old and he sustained a head injury last year; this isn't a harsh criticism, just a fact. But he's such an icon and has such knowledge, I think ABC is in a bind; their execs must cringe when listening to him sometimes. I wouldn't be surprised if Dick Button retired from broadcasting -- voluntarily or not -- within the next two years. It's kind of like wincing when listening to sports icon Jim McKay stammer incoherently at the 2002 Winter Olympics, all the more painful for those of us who know how eloquent he's always been.

If Dick goes soon, will Peter Carruthers inherit his spot, or will ABC court a bigger name, such as luring Scott Hamilton away from NBC?

 

[Dee4707]

or will ABC court a bigger name, such as luring Scott Hamilton away from NBC?

Spirit, bite your tongue!!


Dee

 

[hockeyfan228]

I wish the networks would invite commentators from the rest of the world, especially the British Eurosport guys, "guest" during US Nationals. It would be great to hear commentating from a different perspective.

 

[Ptichka]

I generally don't like Dick's comments. One big exception is the Nationals. I was surprised to have really enjoyned his comments there. He tends to be kinder at Nats, and has fewer annoying comments.

One thing I hate is I guess he and Peggy are pressured to talk most of the time. Sometimes they'll stop, and I'll think, "Ahh, this is nice, I can just enjoy the program". But then they have to speak up again!

 

[heyang]

Unfortunately, the commentating is for the unknowledgable viewer.

I think I've learned a lot from Dick Button since his criticisms are meant to be constructive. Personally, I find his voice to be the most mellifluous of the male skating analysts.

My Mom is hard of hearing. So, she just watches the skating, but has no understanding of the technical aspects after all these years of watching. She doesn't even realize that a lutz is harder than a toe loop....so, therefore doesn't understand why the winner wins during some competitions.

 

[NansXOXOX]

Spirit, bite your tongue!!


Dee

I second this thought! Please, no Scotty!
Nan

 

[show 42]

I have been thinking about possible replacements should Mr. Buttons decide to retire. I love Scott, but his voice is rather high pitched, not at all melodious or soothing.....someone with a deeper pitch, but not too bass...............42

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Show - How about Michael Weiss?

Joe

 

[Spirit]

Spirit, bite your tongue!!

Outh. Now my tongue hurth.

 

[Pookie]

I love Dick. I have been aggravated with him through the years but when he was recovering from his accident, I really missed him as part of the team. I think he is probably about as fair as anyone in his commentary. Everyone has their favorites.

He's kind of like the Howard Cosell of figure skating. Can't live with him, can't live without him.

 

[Spirit]

You know, here's something else I've noticed.

Talking about the broadcast booth only, not sideline reporters:

Doesn't it seem that in most sports -- certainly in ABC's figure skating coverage -- male sportscasters cover both men's and women's events, but female sportscasters are only called upon to cover women's events?

When the men skate, we have Dick or Peter to offer analysis, but no women. Peggy or Susie "joins" them later when the women skate! So Dick can give us his opinions of Michelle Kwan, but we'll never hear Peggy critique Michael Weiss.

I notice this in tennis and basketball, also. The women join the men in the booth -- occasionally replacing them entirely (think Mary-Joe Fernandez and Pam Shriver for ESPN tennis coverage) -- to provide a feminine voice when covering a women's sporting event, but I don't ever recall hearing a female commentator in the broadcast booth of a men's sporting event.

Isn't that blatantly sexist? If two women covered a men's NCAA basketball game, or a men's tennis match, or if Peggy sat in the booth on the men's free skate, it would seem jarring simply because it would be unusual. But it wouldn't be wrong.

So why doesn't it happen? I'm sure TV execs would point to demographics, and say that male viewers respond better to male broadcasters, which is probably quite true, even if it is narrowminded. In other words, the bias may lie with the audience rather than with the presenters, who are just giving the audience what it wants, which, of course, becomes a self-fulfilling philosophy, never inviting change. (Didn't Hannah Storm catch some flak because her gender meant she could never be a "real" sportscaster?)

 

[guinevere]

I've noticed this too, Spirit, and it does kind of bug me, but here's another way to look at it, which makes it a little more palatable:

Dick Button is pretty much commentator (or analyst) emeritus. He's just there for the whole thing to provide continuity from discipline to discipline. He was a singles skater, so there's no need to add another analyst for the Men's competition, but Peggy is brought in for the Ladies, Susie is brought in for Dance, and Peter is sometimes brought in for Pairs, but ABC seems to reflect the US apathy toward pairs so there's not always an extra person in the booth, IIRC.

Of course, this theory falls apart completely when Dick isn't there and Peter steps in for him!!!! But it's just a thought.

I would like to hear Peggy commenting on some of the men, though "I just wish Plushenko would hold that Biellman a little longer, it looks so sloppy when he just rushes through it"

guinevere

 

[Gipson]

guinevere, I think Peter fills in for Dick so he doesn't have to cover all those Grand Prix events, or maybe ABC wants to eventually replace Dick with Peter (shudder)

 

[berthes ghost]

I don't think that it's sexism on the part of the TV stations in general.

91 and 95 worlds, Sandra Bezac comentated for all 4 disciplines, men's included. Back in 97, Peter and Dorothy comentated for all disciplines on the GP curcuit. There are probably more.

I just think that it's the deal with the current ABC team.

 

[guinevere]

guinevere, I think Peter fills in for Dick so he doesn't have to cover all those Grand Prix events, or maybe ABC wants to eventually replace Dick with Peter (shudder)

I think you're right. On both counts!

guinevere

 

[Eeyora]

It has taken many years for me to appreciate Dick Button's commentary. I used to think he was to harsh. However as I have gotten older I have learned to appreciate him and he is now my favorite commentator.

I always admired Peggy. However is it just me or has she gotten more harsh and bitter over the years,

Scott used to be my favorite. However I don't like the way he hypes and predicts the results of competition. First it was at the 94 Olympics at the end of Nancy's skate, before Oksana had even skated. Then it was the numerous times he predicted Michelle as the winner in 98. I even recall him stating that Michelle could possibly win the gold even if she made two mistakes. In Salt Lake City I finally lost respect for him when he said Yagudin was surrenduring to Plushenko and Goebel and then proceeded to say Michelle was making a smart move when she performed a triple/double instead of a triple/triple. This is why I had little sympathy for him when he predetermined Sale/Pelletier as the winners of the pairs competition. I also believe he needs to become more critical and point out errors such as flutzing, double footing and cheated jumps.

I was never fond of Sandra Bezic. I found her bias towards her own skaters.

Roz needs to tone it down a notch a think things out thoroughly before she speaks.

Tracy is definitely the nicest and most pleasant commentator.

Bravo to Susie Wynne for her indepth commentary on Ice Dancing. It has taught me to appreciate the disciplene.

Brian Boitano is my favorite, he always manages to be nice yet manages to give good constructive criticism.


Out of all the non skating commentators Terry Gannon is definately my fav. He appreciates the sport.

I also like Jim McKay the 95/96 season was wondeful with his pieces/reflections and comments. Noboidy does better fluff pieces than he does as well.

I miss Verne Lunquest and which NBC would lure him to replace Tom Hammond.

However the worst was during one compitition when CBS asked Katia Gordeeva to commentate a competition. I felt so bad because her English wasn't good at the time and she was nervous and unprepared.

 

[ladybug]

Another vote for Brian Boitano. He is also my favorite Eeyora.

Ladybug