who's your favourite sports commentator?

[2SkodaFamily]

I've just finished reading an edited collection of works by Brian Johnston, my favourite cricket commentator. I don't use the word "jolly" very often but it certainly applied to him. There are so many lovely stories either told by him or directly involving him. There was the famous "leg over" incident involving Ian Botham and Jonathan Agnew, but rather typical of him was the story involving the South African bowler Peter Pollock.

It was 1968 and Pollock had come over to play in a Rest of the World game at the Scarborough Festival. Pollock was on honeymoon and had brought his bride with him. Within a few minute of being brought on to bowl, he hobbled off injured and news came from the dressing room that Pollock was suffering with a badly swollen ankle.

Always one to commiserate, Johnston announced to his television viewers "oh what bad luck for him, especially as he's on honeymoon with his pretty young wife. I suppose he'll be all right as long as he sticks it up as soon as he gets back to the hotel." A totally innocent remark, only given away by the helpless laughter of his colleague in the commentary box Denis Compton!

Another favourite quotation was from the rugby commentator (whose name escape me at the moment) "well I wouldn't say that Jonah Lomu looked like a hod carrier but I'd be laying bricks if he was running at me!"

Edited 20 February, 2011 by 2SkodaFamily

[BilboBaggins]

Archie Mcpherson used to be a blast on STV- especially trying to control his combover when it was blowing a hooly

[2SkodaFamily]

it was either him or Bill Mclaren who made the hod carrier remark!

Of the "live" commentators my favourite is now Henry Blofeld, mainly because he still retains that public school berk image "my dear old thing....."

Edit: bloody smart phone that thinks I know what I want to say more than I do!

Edited 20 February, 2011 by 2SkodaFamily

[Brimma]

Another favourite quotation was from the rugby commentator (whose name escape me at the moment) "well I wouldn't say that Jonah Lomu looked like a hod carrier but I'd be laying bricks if he was running at me!"

Sounds like something Bill McLaren would have said :yes:

[Jim H]

Murrey Walker...... Absolute Legend.

Other Motorsport commentators I like are Steve Slater, Paul Musselle, and of course for Rallycross, Arthur Debenham.

Edited 20 February, 2011 by Jim H

[FellyMagic]

Murrey Walker...... Absolute Legend.

Him & James Hunt were a perfect team..Murray's gob always got him into bother, and his over excitement as if he had just spilt a boiling hot cuppa on his legs!

[Brimma]

David "Remarkable" Coleman, or Eddie "It's An Up And Under" Waring take some beating :yes:

[Brimma]

And Richie Benaud

[Brimma]

And whoever it was who said "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey"

[2SkodaFamily]

Apparently there's no record that was ever said by anyone, according to Johnners himself.

[fluffmeister]

One with big norks!

[2SkodaFamily]

It was, though, BJ who said......

"And there's Neil Harvey, standing at leg slip, with his legs wide apart; waiting for a tickle."

[2SkodaFamily]

David Coleman; "There were 19 Kenyans in this race, and they finished 1, 2 and 3!"

[bettsy]

david coleman

" he opened his legs and showed his class "

classic colemanballs

[phantomlurker]

Benaud (an understated Aussie )

Blofeld ("....and here comes the number 19 bus, a jolly red affair...")

and Stewart Hall on 5live - proving that the line between genius and madness is very fine!

PL

[Brimma]

Need I say more

[Brimma]

Murrayisms from the bbc website

Many of the Murrayisms can be put into two basic categories:

Stating the Obvious

*

It's raining and the track is wet!

*

There are four different cars filling the first four places.

*

This is lap 54. After that it's 55, 56, 57, 58.

*

The gap between the two cars is 0.9 of a second which is less than one second.

*

This is an interesting circuit because it has inclines, and not just up but down as well.

*

Look up there! That's the sky!

*

The faster he goes the quicker he'll get to the pits. The slower he goes the longer it will take.

*

Twenty four points for Schumacher, twenty three points for Hill, so there's only one point between them if my mental arithmetic is correct.

*

As you can see, visually, with your eyes.

*

Either the car is stationary or it's on the move.

Make your mind up Murray!

*

There is nothing wrong with the car except that it is on fire.

*

I imagine the conditions in those cars today are totally unimaginable.

*

I make no apologies for their absence. I'm sorry they're not here.

*

It's not quite a curve. It's a straight actually!

*

He can't decide whether to have his visor half open or half closed.

*

With two laps to go then the action will begin, unless this is the action, which it is.

*

He's here again for the first time.

*

And Michael Schumacher is actually in a very good position. He is in last place.

*

A sad ending, albeit a happy one, here at Montréal for today's Grand Prix.

[Octygone]

Has to be Murray Walker....the best!!

[bettsy]

Murrayisms from the bbc website

Many of the Murrayisms can be put into two basic categories:

Stating the Obvious

*

It's raining and the track is wet!

*

There are four different cars filling the first four places.

*

This is lap 54. After that it's 55, 56, 57, 58.

*

The gap between the two cars is 0.9 of a second which is less than one second.

*

This is an interesting circuit because it has inclines, and not just up but down as well.

*

Look up there! That's the sky!

*

The faster he goes the quicker he'll get to the pits. The slower he goes the longer it will take.

*

Twenty four points for Schumacher, twenty three points for Hill, so there's only one point between them if my mental arithmetic is correct.

*

As you can see, visually, with your eyes.

*

Either the car is stationary or it's on the move.

Make your mind up Murray!

*

There is nothing wrong with the car except that it is on fire.

*

I imagine the conditions in those cars today are totally unimaginable.

*

I make no apologies for their absence. I'm sorry they're not here.

*

It's not quite a curve. It's a straight actually!

*

He can't decide whether to have his visor half open or half closed.

*

With two laps to go then the action will begin, unless this is the action, which it is.

*

He's here again for the first time.

*

And Michael Schumacher is actually in a very good position. He is in last place.

*

A sad ending, albeit a happy one, here at Montréal for today's Grand Prix.

these are all brilliant.

i bet there are even more murrayisms out there

[Paul007]

Murray Walker

"Three lights, four lights, five laps" followed by (uugh) - the realisation that he'd dropped one again. Brilliant

[Fish]

Peter o'Sullevan - "the voice of racing". Makes a 3 horse novices' chase at Haydock sound like the charge of the light brigade!

In fact, he'd call home every ruddy horse in the charge of the light brigade.

Also like listening to Jim Maxwell on TMS when we are playing the Aussies.

[Leodhasach]

I thought 'Murray Walker' as soon as I saw this thread!