Best commentator in pool
- Thread starter gordml
- Start date
+1 on Jay. Dude knows his stuff and doesn't try to force anything.
Just watched the SVB vs. The Lion race to 21 from DCC in 2008 (for $6, thx TAR). The commentary on that one is an example of my least favorite thing in commentary, when people's ego start them to arguing over shots. I almost spit out my cereal when a certain black widow was criticizing SVB for getting the wrong angle and being lazy as he was running out to go up 20-16. Bobby Hunter and Jay had given up at that point. :thumbup:
My picks are a little different - and I like certain people for different reasons. My favorites are Danny Diliberto - Weenie-Beanie - Grady Mathews, and of course Billy Incardona!
My favorite person to listen to is Big Truck. He just has a great voice and a great passion for the game of pool. I've been in the booth with Ray - and he is absolutely incredible. He is constantly multi-tasking and fidgeting with equipment - computers - making sure everything looks and sounds as good as possible - and he never misses a beat. He is very dedicated at what he does - and I tip my hat to all the people that provide live-stream coverage - as they all give their best to provide this service for fans, players, sponsors, and promoters - putting in a lot of miles on the road and sacrificing time away from home. Thank you to all of them!
As far as players go ... I believe that Jeremy Jones is awesome any time he is the booth - he is so knowledgeable and he has the gift of communicating clearly and simply. That's not easy to do with the game of pool sometimes - but Jeremy does better than anyone I've ever heard.
John Schmidt is hilariously funny - yet he also provides great insight into any game. He is one of those people that you can talk to all day about the game - and I hope he gets in booth a lot more. I've said this for a long time - if pool is to get anywhere - that guy needs to be out there - front and center - John has that X-factor that draws people to him - the force is strong with that one.
I also enjoy Jerry Forsyth. Having had the pleasure to casually sweat matches with Jerry over the years, it is always great to hear his voice calling the action at some of the biggest events in our game.
Honorable mention goes to John DiToro. I've never had more fun in the booth than I've had with John. One minute he could be cracking me up - having me in stitches - almost pissing my pants laughing at something he said -or- mistakenly said - and the very next second he would provide some gem of wisdom from out of nowhere - hitting everybody with that mental whiplash - a combination of humor and in-depth, precise study. I believe that John DiToro is one of the most knowledgeable pool players alive - if you can find some of the old Pro Pool Video matches out there - watch them! John provided some of the best commentary for those matches. He is a great player, a great teacher, and a great guy!
My favorite person to listen to is Big Truck. He just has a great voice and a great passion for the game of pool. I've been in the booth with Ray - and he is absolutely incredible. He is constantly multi-tasking and fidgeting with equipment - computers - making sure everything looks and sounds as good as possible - and he never misses a beat. He is very dedicated at what he does - and I tip my hat to all the people that provide live-stream coverage - as they all give their best to provide this service for fans, players, sponsors, and promoters - putting in a lot of miles on the road and sacrificing time away from home. Thank you to all of them!
As far as players go ... I believe that Jeremy Jones is awesome any time he is the booth - he is so knowledgeable and he has the gift of communicating clearly and simply. That's not easy to do with the game of pool sometimes - but Jeremy does better than anyone I've ever heard.
John Schmidt is hilariously funny - yet he also provides great insight into any game. He is one of those people that you can talk to all day about the game - and I hope he gets in booth a lot more. I've said this for a long time - if pool is to get anywhere - that guy needs to be out there - front and center - John has that X-factor that draws people to him - the force is strong with that one.
I also enjoy Jerry Forsyth. Having had the pleasure to casually sweat matches with Jerry over the years, it is always great to hear his voice calling the action at some of the biggest events in our game.
Honorable mention goes to John DiToro. I've never had more fun in the booth than I've had with John. One minute he could be cracking me up - having me in stitches - almost pissing my pants laughing at something he said -or- mistakenly said - and the very next second he would provide some gem of wisdom from out of nowhere - hitting everybody with that mental whiplash - a combination of humor and in-depth, precise study. I believe that John DiToro is one of the most knowledgeable pool players alive - if you can find some of the old Pro Pool Video matches out there - watch them! John provided some of the best commentary for those matches. He is a great player, a great teacher, and a great guy!
Tahoedirt
Tahoedirt
Can’t stand Billy, who never shuts up and Danny whistling thru his false teeth and overstates the most obvious.
Jeremy and Mark are easily the best commentators in pool.
I think JJ is an amazing in the booth. Has a knack to discuss each shot at game speed and usually with good input. I still like Billy and Danny even if they have the weaknesses you mentioned. Another person I like is Jay Helfert. I first heard his commentary on the JJ vs Rempe US Open match.
10 year old thread, and new commentators on the scene.
I think I like Karl Boyes a lot. He mixes just the right amount of strategy, just the right amount of fun, and doesn't talk forever.
Billy and JJ talk to much IMO. I won't turn them off, but I wish they left more gaps.
Schmidt I super liked on a few of his self commentary 14.1 runs over the years, and some random matches he commentated.
Earl I like a lot too.
I think I like Karl Boyes a lot. He mixes just the right amount of strategy, just the right amount of fun, and doesn't talk forever.
Billy and JJ talk to much IMO. I won't turn them off, but I wish they left more gaps.
Schmidt I super liked on a few of his self commentary 14.1 runs over the years, and some random matches he commentated.
Earl I like a lot too.
Did anyone ever find what tape this is? That would be a good one to have.
Grady and Billy together were great. John Schmidt and Jimmy Mataya would be comedy gold. I can't hardly listen to Mark Wilson because he can't go more than 3 minutes without mentioning something about fundamentals. Says the same things every match, "note the smooth cueing action and the transition from back stroke to front stroke which facilitates accuracy and aids in consistency blah blah " 
I remember the first time I watched one of Gradys tapes, my game went up 2 balls in 2 days. Every thing he ever said, or wrote down about pool, I memorized, because it was all gold.
He was always nice to me when he didn't have to be and knew how much I enjoyed talking to great players , so if he saw me he almost always swung past and gave me a chance to talk to them. He came to a small town I was going to and spent a week a couple of different times, I never laughed so much, or had so much fun around a pool room in my life, plus ,I always made money when he was around. How can you not love that guy! RIP Grady
There's something about Grenier's voice and commenting that I love , and thusly have to go with him as the best.
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JJ, Billy, Danny, Jay, Rempe, Nick V, and Freddy.
I've not listened to John Schmidt but I'm looking for the Varner Archer match now to hear it.
Anyone have a link handy with John Schmidt commentating? Thanks ahead.
I've not listened to John Schmidt but I'm looking for the Varner Archer match now to hear it.
Anyone have a link handy with John Schmidt commentating? Thanks ahead.
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realtor1618
Registered
+1 on Boyes. Couldn’t have said it better
Grady and Billy were by far the best team ever, sharp analysis and razor sharp wit, but there are plenty of other good commentators. Nick, Shannon, Danny D (at least when he's paying attention), Karl Boyes, etc.
And that English guy who's always doing the Mosconi Cup and other Matchroom events is the best "play by play" announcer of them all, even if he doesn't do much in the way of analysis. In many ways he sounds more like a basketball announcer with his often excitable style of speaking, but after a while it's grown on me.
Schmidt's only problem is that he gives out superlatives so much that after a while it seems as if he's never seen a bad shot. But I think he'll get better with more practice.
I agree with FunChamp about Mark Wilson, and the way he and Jeremy keep repeating the same point about fundamentals can get to be more than a little annoying. And the way Jeremy keeps getting surprised by shot selections that anyone watching the stream could see coming makes me wonder what's wrong with their vantage point.
I'll check to see if I can find it. At least they said it was Reno in the 90s so can narrow it down to Sands Regency so only 76 files to go through LOL Have to say it was neat to see Efren commentating but he was not really the best to listen to, needed a lot of prodding to talk.
The early AccuStats team was still tops, Grady, Billy, Buddy, Danny.
Modern era, I think JJ is a bit ahead of others with his way of getting the co-commentators into it by giving them openings to say things and his way of talking about the subtleties or shots with giving the dangers and benefits of going one way or the other. Karl is pretty good as well. Mark Wilson has always been good but more of a mainstream commentator rather than an insider's commentator if you guys know what I mean by that. I guess someoen more suited to ESPN vs AccuStats.
skiergd011013
Well-known member
jimmy mataya and mary kenniston. I challenge you to watch this match and not laugh