Female pundits

[Loiner]

7 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

My word, I dread the day we do. Not because the pundit is a woman, nothing misogynistic like that but because of the outcry there will be that a woman is talking about Rugby League on the TV.

The females who do punditry for football are absolutely castigated online for their opinions, mainly, IMO, because they’re a woman. Sue Smith the latest, for saying a football team didn’t have a goalscorer, when in fact they have a man who’s scored 20+ this season. Yet Martin Keown hasn’t received the same bile and vitriol for saying “you don’t see that often” last night when Sergio Aguero got taken off the pitch, when he’s actually been taken off 17 times in 21 games this season.  

I can only imagine what some RL fans would say if we ever employed a woman. 

Personally though, Jenna Brooks has always come across very well on Sky and I’d like to see more of her. Whereas, Angela Powers needs sacking, not because of her sex but because the stuff she says is often completely rubbish (as in the facts, not her personal opinion).   

I'd like to see more of Jenna Brooks as well lol.

[Roughyedz]

lol this thread is a joke , its time that MEN started digging coal outa t ground again with picks ant shovel and after a took their wippet tat ther match bressed in clogs and flat cap. AND their employes refused to pay them for broken time at work , in fact bring back 1895  that would stop all thee northern folk gettin above their correct station in life

[North but south]

9 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

The females who do punditry for football are absolutely castigated online for their opinions, mainly, IMO, because they’re a woman. Sue Smith the latest, for saying a football team didn’t have a goalscorer, when in fact they have a man who’s scored 20+ this season. Yet Martin Keown hasn’t received the same bile and vitriol for saying “you don’t see that often” last night when Sergio Aguero got taken off the pitch, when he’s actually been taken off 17 times in 21 games this season. 

Lots of male commentators get a lot worse, Michael Owen spring to mind.

Personally I don't like the female football commentators on the BBC. I just don't like the style, far to much time spent describing the players and scene and not enough talking about what actually happening. If a team is wearing a blue shirt then it's blue, I don't care if it's sky kingdom blue or has a slight hint of mint green.

[Clogiron]

2 hours ago, Wolford6 said:

Have those female pilots ever been expected to make 80 yards taking the ball up the middle in a game of Superleague?

Just asking, like.

Have you ever seen Terry O'Connor land a 747 in a crosswind at Leeds-Bradford,......Nasty!!

[Oliver Clothesoff]

20 minutes ago, North but south said:

Lots of male commentators get a lot worse, Michael Owen spring to mind.

Personally I don't like the female football commentators on the BBC. I just don't like the style, far to much time spent describing the players and scene and not enough talking about what actually happening. If a team is wearing a blue shirt then it's blue, I don't care if it's sky kingdom blue or has a slight hint of mint green.

They really don’t. 

Women get it a lot worse, not because of what they said, but because they’re women. 

[Wolford6]

26 minutes ago, Clogiron said:

Have you ever seen Terry O'Connor land a 747 in a crosswind at Leeds-Bradford,......Nasty!!

Yes, but he wouldn't ride the clutch.

[Futtocks]

2 hours ago, MZH said:

A 90 year old pundit might be interesting though.

Sadly, Graveyard Johnny is still waiting for a call from Sky or the BBC.

[MZH]

1 hour ago, North but south said:

Lots of male commentators get a lot worse, Michael Owen spring to mind.

Personally I don't like the female football commentators on the BBC. I just don't like the style, far to much time spent describing the players and scene and not enough talking about what actually happening. If a team is wearing a blue shirt then it's blue, I don't care if it's sky kingdom blue or has a slight hint of mint green.

I have seldom listened to women commentating on football, but there are some good female commentators on test match special. Cricket goes hand in hand with the sort of thing you're talking about, so maybe you have a point.

[North but south]

2 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

They really don’t. 

Women get it a lot worse, not because of what they said, but because they’re women. 

Not sure about that. Yes women get abuse but 5 mins looking at followfollow, ranger forum, and some male commentators are getting death threats

[The Future is League]

13 hours ago, HarrogateKnights said:

To be fair Fox Sports in Australia have been leading the way with that with Yvonne Sampson being the main presenter presenting the Night/UK morning NRL shows (such as Saturday Night Footy Show) in the build up to NRL games. They often have a touchline commentator too

Yvonne Sampson is in her job on merit. She knows a lot more about Rugby League than many so called male experts. She comes from a Rugby League background and has a genuine love for the game.

[Copa]

Ladies Who League podcast 

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/ladies-who-league/

 

[Mr Wind Up]

17 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Can I ask. Would you switch off a Rugby League game if there was a female commentator?

Absolutely. Wouldn't think twice. It's jarring listening to a female commentate on sports that I am used to hearing commentated on by men. In sports like tennis I don't mind. I also watch NBA who have a female colour commentator occasionally and she's quite good and it sounds fine. But that's partly because I didn't grow up watching NBA. I understand that my aversion to listening to women commentate on traditional sports comes from the fact that I grew up listening to men commentate on all the games. It is partly driven by tradition/nostalgia, and partly by the fact that I simply prefer male voices in the sports that I like.

17 hours ago, Yorkshire Knight said:

If he thought she was speaking rubbish then yes just like if it were a male commentator 

It's not about what they say for me. I don't think women are any worse than the drab colour commentators who add nothing of value other than to repeat to the viewer what just happened on the screen. For me, it's all about the voice. 

15 hours ago, Chronicler of Chiswick said:

#MeToo seems somehow to have passed you by.

The social justice movement definitely passed me as I stood there waving as it sailed by. 

If it were up to me, we also wouldn't have to put up with colour commentators anymore. Just one man in a booth by himself is all that's needed.

[Cheshire Setter]

16 hours ago, JohnM said:

So many parallels. Ever been on a Boeing 747? 

Designed and made almost exclusively by men, often piloted by women.

Not wanting pedantry to get in the way of a good argument JohnM, but I think you’ll find these days there’s a higher proportion of female staff working in the Boeing factory and on the design team than the proportion of females who fly airplanes.   I’ve been to Everett a few times and seen it for myself!

But since the 747 was designed in the 60s and mostly built in the 80s/90s I’ll let you off...  

[Chrispmartha]

4 hours ago, Mr Wind Up said:

If it were up to me, we also wouldn't have to put up with colour commentators anymore. 

I really had to read that twice!

 

Anyway, I really find it strange that you judge a persons voice by their gender rather than actually how they sound, the blanket approach of 'I don't like women's voices but I like men's voices' seems odd to me, surely they should be judged on their own individual merits, but each to their own.

[Dunbar]

5 hours ago, Mr Wind Up said:

Absolutely. Wouldn't think twice. It's jarring listening to a female commentate on sports that I am used to hearing commentated on by men. In sports like tennis I don't mind. I also watch NBA who have a female colour commentator occasionally and she's quite good and it sounds fine. But that's partly because I didn't grow up watching NBA. I understand that my aversion to listening to women commentate on traditional sports comes from the fact that I grew up listening to men commentate on all the games. It is partly driven by tradition/nostalgia, and partly by the fact that I simply prefer male voices in the sports that I like.

Thanks for the reply.

The only point I would make is that I too prefer some commentators to others but I haven't come across one yet who would make me want to switch off my favourite sport... maybe just throw a few things at the TV!

 

[Cheshire Setter]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

I haven't come across one yet who would make me want to switch off my favourite sport... maybe just throw a few things at the TV!

Has John Inverdale ever commentated on a RL game?   I know he’s presented the coverage in the past

[Cheshire Setter]

6 hours ago, Mr Wind Up said:

It is partly driven by tradition/nostalgia, and partly by the fact that I simply prefer male voices in the sports that I like.

That’s a fair point, but until we actually hear a female RL commentary we have nothing to compare with the male commentary.

If I’m honest I’d take a team of Claire Balding, Dave Woods and Jon Wells over any other current commentators.   Of course I’d have Brian Carney presenting the coverage as he’s both knowledgeable and also helps dispel the Northern English stereotype that the media seems keen to play on (not having a dig at Northerners there just making use of an opportunity to appeal to a wider audience).

[Dunbar]

4 minutes ago, Cheshire Setter said:

Has John Inverdale ever commentated on a RL game?   I know he’s presented the coverage in the past

That may do it!

[Clogiron]

46 minutes ago, Cheshire Setter said:

Has John Inverdale ever commentated on a RL game?   I know he’s presented the coverage in the past

John Inverdale commentating with Stephen Jones & Jeremy Guscott providing colour , what a pity Ian Robertson retired or we could have had the full set

[Dunbar]

I have genuinely never heard the 'providing colour' phrase before, I am guessing it is the expert punditry added to the commentary? 

[gingerjon]

Just now, Dunbar said:

I have genuinely never heard the 'providing colour' phrase before, I am guessing it is the expert punditry added to the commentary? 

Seems to be the standard phrase for it in the states - you have the commentator and then the color commentary ...

[North but south]

15 hours ago, MZH said:

I have seldom listened to women commentating on football, but there are some good female commentators on test match special. Cricket goes hand in hand with the sort of thing you're talking about, so maybe you have a point.

The issue may be down to usually coming across female commentators on the radio where the flowery language takes away from the game, the last time I heard one they talked about the colour of the shirt multiple different times during the game. It was "the ball is picked up by Clarke. Looking at his shirt again I'd say it almost looks like it has a hint of green in it. It really is the most amazing colour. And it's out for a throw"

 

I don't have the same issue with female commentators when watching tv.

[Dunbar]

I have listened to Eddie Hemmings commentate on Rugby League for over 20 years.  I am very open minded about a little change.

[North but south]

7 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Seems to be the standard phrase for it in the states - you have the commentator and then the color commentary ...

You learn something new everyday. Just had a look a Wikipedia and it's the same as expert or analyst.

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, North but south said:

You learn something new everyday. Just had a look a Wikipedia and it's the same as expert or analyst.

Aye. I wouldn't know it but there's always a lot of discussion on US sports sites about the 'color commentator' and so I'd sort of forgotten that it's not a phrase I've ever really heard about UK sport.