It's all about the words

It’s all about the words

I made a passing reference to reporters and commentators who were good with words the other day and people were kind enough to offer other suggestions.


The debate came out of the death of rugby’s Bill McLaren who most people admired – me included – for his charm of his descriptions and the instinct he had of letting the pictures do the talking.


I am reminded of a man on Sky called Graham Symonds – another RU correspondent – who again has a lovely way with the spoken word and how it can be used in a way that enhances what you are looking at.


Mihir Bose was a newspaper man before coming to TV as the BBC’s sports editor and while he could get the good stories I never felt he was entirely comfortable with the camera. But one correspondent said his words could get her to love camel racing. Well, it’s a start.


I like my commentators to be understated and I can’t do with people who tell you the obvious or analyse games with the aid of fancy technology.


My bête noir is Andy Gray. I’m sorry but he’s becoming a caricature of himself. Even Soccer AM used to have a “Take a Boo son” feature of the way he used his stock phrase in commentary.


The best pundit and the best commentator for me are Sky’s RU dup of Stuart Barnes and Miles Harrison. The former all opinion and common sense, the latter an enthusiast and true conveyor of the excitement and drama of what’s happening in front of him.