Tennis commentators - love/like/hate/mute/#wishtheygotfired

[Moxie]

Since so many people seem to actively dislike so many commentators, and disparage them, and claim to mute them, here is a list of some of the most common, and you can tick if you actively like them. Tick all of the ones you like. Use the comments for the ones you dislike/hate/otherwise comments. I could have gone for a poll for who people hate, but that seemed too negative to me. But feel free in the comments.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

In the women's game the commentators I like listening to, and dont over talk but make good points and insights are Martina Navratilova,Chandra Rubin and Lindsey Davenport and someone that is not on the above list is Mary Jo Fernandez

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

In the mens game....Darren Cahill is the stand out commentator,he is also fair,and a great strategist
Love Robbie Koenig and Jason Goodall when they used to commentate together,still I enjoy their comments on the mens game,and Jason Goodall has also of late commentated on womens matches.
Paul Annacone another fair commentator and a good strategist as well.

 

[Moxie]

I'm sorry I left Cahill off...I like him. Not so much a fan of Mary Jo, TBH. Her husband is in business with Fed, and she was never impartial there, but I think for that reason they took her off of Roger's matches a couple of years ago.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I'm sorry I left Cahill off...I like him. Not so much a fan of Mary Jo, TBH. Her husband is in business with Fed, and she was never impartial there, but I think for that reason they took her off of Roger's matches a couple of years ago.

I dont mind her on women's matches,though I get your point with Mary Jo and her hubby in business with Fed,she should have been impartial.

 

[Moxie]

I'm just waiting for all the bile. I think a lot of people think that Goodall/Koenig are the dream team on men's matches, though we rarely get them any more. Mary Carillo catches endless flack, and currently Pam Shriver. The McEnroe brother are divisive. I do think Brad Gilbert is both smart and hilarious.

 

[tented]

Shriver and Carillo are easily my least favorite commentators. Shriver is your childhood friend’s mom who would call your own mother to blame you for something your friend did. Carillo always sounds as if she’s reading from a list of factoids someone handed her.

The McEnroe brothers didn’t used to bother me, but now I see John as a carnival barker and Patrick as the insecure little brother who still, after all these years, hasn’t learned how to modulate his voice correctly for TV.

Agree about Mary Jo being too biased to be objective, even though she doesn’t do Roger’s matches anymore.

Favorites: Annacone, Navratilova, Cahill, and Gilbert.

 

[Jelenafan]

Shriver and Carillo are easily my least favorite commentators. Shriver is your childhood friend’s mom who would call your own mother to blame you for something your friend did. Carillo always sounds as if she’s reading from a list of factoids someone handed her.

The McEnroe brothers didn’t used to bother me, but now I see John as a carnival barker and Patrick as the insecure little brother who still, after all these years, hasn’t learned how to modulate his voice correctly for TV.

Agree about Mary Jo being too biased to be objective, even though she doesn’t do Roger’s matches anymore.

Favorites: Annacone, Navratilova, Cahill, and Gilbert.

Pretty much my faves too.

Back in the day I used to like Virgina Wade a lot and she always had a pithy remark up her sleeve. I remember once she felt a player had a justifiable complaint to the chair and after he was rebuffed the camera panned to the chair and Virginia remarked “ Look at him, he’s so pleased with himself” with such contempt. LOL. Tony Trabert was annoying , ex champs are sometimes horrible commentators because you sense they feel they could do better and don’t hide it.

Mac boys are bad enough, but together they are unbearable. Chrissie suffers from “basic-itis” which is she gets an obvious point and bludgeons it to death just to talk. Sometimes I enjoy Chandra.

Martina and Darren bring up technical points without seeming condescending which I appreciate. Not the most incisive or knowledgeable commentator but I loved the heart that the late Bud Collins brought to the booth.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I'm just waiting for all the bile. I think a lot of people think that Goodall/Koenig are the dream team on men's matches, though we rarely get them any more. Mary Carillo catches endless flack, and currently Pam Shriver. The McEnroe brother are divisive. I do think Brad Gilbert is both smart and hilarious.

There was never anything better than the dream team Goodall/Koenig especially during the clay season. Brad is Aight. The one thing I will honestly say, the commentators are less critical of Roger and Novak than they are Rafa. That's why I like and enjoy Paul Anacone the most because he is fair. Jim Courier and Matts Wilander both have their biases which are evident. Both of whom predicted 6 years ago Rafa's grand slam days were numbered. For my ears. I want to hear strategy and tennis techniques. I dont want to hear about injuries or the personal relationships on the tour.

 

[Kieran]

Pretty much my faves too.

Back in the day I used to like Virgina Wade a lot and she always had a pithy remark up her sleeve. I remember once she felt a player had a justifiable complaint to the chair and after he was rebuffed the camera panned to the chair and Virginia remarked “ Look at him, he’s so pleased with himself” with such contempt. LOL. Tony Trabert was annoying , ex champs are sometimes horrible commentators because you sense they feel they could do better and don’t hide it.

Mac boys are bad enough, but together they are unbearable. Chrissie suffers from “basic-itis” which is she gets an obvious point and bludgeons it to death just to talk. Sometimes I enjoy Chandra.

Martina and Darren bring up technical points without seeming condescending which I appreciate. Not the most incisive or knowledgeable commentator but I loved the heart that the late Bud Collins brought to the booth.

Speaking of older commentators, you’re right about Virginia Wade. Everything about that woman exudes class, and she was always great company when she was in the box. On the BBC coverage, we were spoilt when Dan Maskall and John Barrett were on the mic. I remember American television switched over to listen to the legendary Dan, they thought his microphone was broken, or there was something wrong with the sound - a whole game came and went and Maskall had said nothing.

Eventually, they were just about to announce technical difficulties when Maskall muttered, “ooh I say, what a peachy forehand by McEnroe!”

Less talk is often more, and certainly when commentators catch GOAT-itis and declare even their lunch that afternoon as being the greatest lunch of all time (“the GLOAT!”) they become even less informative. Frew MacMillan was excellent on Eurosport. But I think he’s gone now. I like Tim Henman, I don’t mind McEnroe, Mats can be a little like the bloke who read the newspaper that morning and recites it back at you as if he wrote it.

 

[Hailz]

The ones I like are Martina, Chris Evert, Brad Gilbert, Chandra Rubin, Lindsay Davenport, Tracy Austin, & Jimmy Arias.

 

[Tennis_Steve]

I don't like them talking during the points.
Several ex-top players are bad at this.
The usual Eurosport and Amazon Prime commentators are pretty good at staying quiet.
Courier, Henman, Rusdeski, Petchy, Navratilova are good.
Forget Robbie "forehand forged in steel" K he's good, but some of his phrases
I think they are told / taught not to talk over the play.

The regular lower level tour commentators are good on Amazon Prime - cover nearly all ATP and WTA tournaments (every match and all available on replay) - we are blessed here in the UK and Ireland right now..

I do like ex-player anecdotes and insight. Wish they'd talk more about racquets and strings!

I have complained often in the earlier days is TennisTV!

I've heard ESPN commentators are very bad for just gabbling away - "oh is there a tennis match going on?"



Sent from my PCT-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[Tennis_Steve]

We have 2 Americans commentating on the Swiatek v Vekic, San Diego final - I'm watching the replay on Amazon Prime UK..
ESPN or Tennis channel? I don't know.
I don't know their names either, but they do talk a lot more than their UK counterparts.
Then they go silent during the on court advertising at end changes though

 

[the AntiPusher]

If anyone votes for Mary Carrillo to that poster needs to be put on blast..Moxie just remove mary and replace her with Cahill

 

[Tennis_Steve]

Hehe, I rewound to the beginning to hear their names.

Kevin Skinner - yakaty yak (some have called him relentless )

Jill Craybas, nice enough voice.

I remember skinner with Marion Bartoli. That was a disaster!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Hehe, I rewound to the beginning to hear their names.

Kevin Skinner - yakaty yak (some have called him relentless )

Jill Craybas, nice enough voice.

I remember skinner with Marion Bartoli. That was a disaster!

I had Kevin Skinner and Jill Craybas on the match yesterday in San Diego, Kevin gets on my nerves full stop lol! and Jill Craybas voice is very whiny and after a little while I just muted and watched the match in silence lol!......which was enjoyable

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

When ESPN got the rights to Wimbledon and the US Open is when tennis coverage started to suck. Nothing will ever beat the US Open coverage on CBS. Super Saturday was the best, when the women's final got sandwiched between the two Men's semifinals.

The only slam I get up for these days is the French Open, the only one ESPN doesn't have the coverage to. If ESPN ever got the rights to the FO, I might just never watch grand slam tennis again. ESPN commentary of tennis is so monotonic.

 

[tented]

When ESPN got the rights to Wimbledon and the US Open is when tennis coverage started to suck. Nothing will ever beat the US Open coverage on CBS. Super Saturday was the best, when the women's final got sandwiched between the two Men's semifinals.

The only slam I get up for these days is the French Open, the only one ESPN doesn't have the coverage to. If ESPN ever got the rights to the FO, I might just never watch grand slam tennis again. ESPN commentary of tennis is so monotonic.

Not to mention ESPN’s nasty habit of only showing a handful of matches, while not covering the entire day. Matches can begin at 11:00 AM, for example, and ESPN won’t begin showing them until 1:00 PM.

Ideally the Tennis Channel would have enough money to buy the rights to show all majors, but unfortunately that will never happen.

 

[tented]

I’ve been enjoying Chanda Rubin a lot on Tennis Channel. She‘s fair to all players, and — unlike several former pros — knows how to use her voice on TV.

 

[Kieran]

I don’t know his name but the commentator who always exclaims ‘will-you-STOP-it!’ after a sensational point bugs the shit outta me..