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G.R.F. View Drop Down
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Joined: 10 Aug 08
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Posts: 4028 		Post Options Post Options   Quote G.R.F. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Olympic Commentators
    Posted: 08 Aug 12 at 6:53pm
I filed a complaint in the end, it's just not on, why should we be treated to this sort of inane crap when it could be so much better, even when they have experts to hadn like Simon Bornhoft, either their egos or some producer t**t, won't use them, Bornhoft has a great voice as well, i was quite surprised, then not quite up to BBC requirement of whiney nasal scouse estuary...
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Teamvmg View Drop Down
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Posts: 99 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Teamvmg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 12 at 6:35pm
They had the chance to tell the 470 girls where they stood in the medal race after their last fleet race, but they couldn't work it out. After all the talk of flipin' discards and scoring - you would have thought they knew what the score was!
A great TV moment let slip.
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Medway Maniac View Drop Down
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Posts: 2788 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Medway Maniac Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 12 at 5:10pm
"Head of Development" at Laser.  I was about to splutter "what sort of job is that?!", when I realised it means he is probably behind the Laser 3000 concept.  Best keep my mouth shut, then.
Wilsonian SC
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bustinben View Drop Down
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Posts: 288 		Post Options Post Options   Quote bustinben Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 12 at 3:18pm
Complaint filed  Clap

I'm not judging whether he knows what he's talking about but has been told to dumb it down to a 10-15 IQ level, or whether he actually doesn't have a clue (I find that hard to believe), but it doesn't matter.  The commentary is awful and needs to be sorted out.
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ColH View Drop Down
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Posts: 242 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ColH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 12 at 2:25pm
Yep, Simmonds is really doing my head in by now - screaming every time he repeats how the scoring system works, or what "left hand side of the course" means. I can appreciate a desire (by him and/or BBC) to educate/inform non-sailors, but does he have to trot out the same things several times in every race??  As Roger says, it's doubtful whether many of the viewers need this; and even so there's plenty of places people can go to find out the terminology etc if they're puzzled.
Much prefer it when Leigh is speaking - at least he comes out with relevant-to-the-moment info and explanations, without excessive 'dumbing down', and commentates on what is happening.
Please Mr. Simmonds - find, or fight to use, a better style!
 
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DiscoBall View Drop Down
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Posts: 305 		Post Options Post Options   Quote DiscoBall Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 12 at 9:35am
Originally posted by Roger

 
 
Work for them... he was....
 
Managing Director 1992-1998
Head of Development 1987-1992
 

Thought that was the case - he seems to be unable to leave his desire to sell lasers behind too, really labouring it in the commentary.
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nutonthetiller View Drop Down
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Posts: 31 		Post Options Post Options   Quote nutonthetiller Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 12 at 8:04am
Roger, thanks for the biog of Simmonds. 

If he ever knew anything about sailing he seems to have forgotten it now. I wonder where he sails a laser? Can anyone help us there?

Rob Walker was having his first sailing lesson at the last olympics. 

I doubt he knows any more now!  Thumbs Down
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GybeFunny View Drop Down
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Posts: 403 		Post Options Post Options   Quote GybeFunny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 12 at 7:00am
Simon Bornhoft has been great for the RSX commentary, the others didnt give him much of an opportunity to chat during the medal races but when he did he gave good insights, explaining the holding the uphaul technique and in the womens race about the centreboard up/down decision. I agree with getting class specific experts such as the training partners, afterall they will be there in the background so why not get Giles Scott for the Finns, etc?
in Beijing Ben Ainslie commentated on the Star medal race, that was good, maybe he could do a few of the medal races this time?
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Roger View Drop Down
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Posts: 524 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Roger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Aug 12 at 10:21pm
Originally posted by Xpletive

Originally posted by Oatsandbeans

Richard Simmonds is starting to really annoy me. I don't care for his style and he makes some real clangers. eg. He is surprisingly uninformed about how they race lasers......
Odd really.....he used to work for Performance Sailcraft, at Banbury, selling them!
 
 
Work for them... he was....
 
Managing Director 1992-1998
Head of Development 1987-1992
 
ref: http://www.sunsetvine.co.uk/ where Richard Simmonds is currently Joint MD.
 
According to this http://sport-onthebox.com/london2012/bbcolympics/richardsimmonds/ he still competes in a Laser.
 
For all the criticism he has got here, commentating is a very difficult job, producers will have issued instructions and I guess a commentator has to follow those.
All the top commentators in other more widely broadcast sports say that the key is research and preparation, every time you refer to your notes it comes over in the commentary, so commit to memory all you can, plan what you'll say in the breaks and have something to say about every competitor should the need arise.
 
The real question for me is why it's all been dumbed down on the live broadcasts, I can't see too many non sailors spending several hours in an afternoon watching live, I would guess (and it is a guess) that 90% plus of the audience are very knowledgable about sailing.
 
Much as I'd like to think I could do it, I doubt very much I could, maybe worth turning the sound down, record yourself commentating for an hour or two from the pictures, then play it back and see if your worth listening to,
 
I chatted online to the guys commentating on the medal races at Sail4Gold a couple of years ago, they had come from covering AC and other events, but said that commentating on just 10 boats in a Medal Race was far harder than they had anticipated and way more difficult than any big boat stuff they had done.
 
 
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Xpletive View Drop Down
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Posts: 320 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Xpletive Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Aug 12 at 9:16pm
Originally posted by Oatsandbeans

Richard Simmonds is starting to really annoy me. I don't care for his style and he makes some real clangers. eg. He is surprisingly uninformed about how they race lasers......
Odd really.....he used to work for Performance Sailcraft, at Banbury, selling them!
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