New respect for Mitch and televised pool

[Roll-Off]

I take back all the bad things I've said about Mitch Laurance. I just got done watching the 1993 semi-final match between Tony Ellin and Mike Sigel. Ellin was a great player. Anyway, it'll sure be refreshing to hear Mitch's commentating versus the guy partnered with Allen Hopkins. Mitch is a pool Einstein compared to this guy (can't remember his name). Most of the comments he made was intended as a statement/question at the same time. I guess Mitch's talent as a color commentator coupled with a professional player is a decent mix for televised pool. At least Mitch knows a little bit about pool.

 

[the kirkwood ki]

I take back all the bad things I've said about Mitch Laurance. I just got done watching the 1993 semi-final match between Tony Ellin and Mike Sigel. Ellin was a great player. Anyway, it'll sure be refreshing to hear Mitch's commentating versus the guy partnered with Allen Hopkins. Mitch is a pool Einstein compared to this guy (can't remember his name). Most of the comments he made was intended as a statement/question at the same time. I guess Mitch's talent as a color commentator coupled with a professional player is a decent mix for televised pool. At least Mitch knows a little bit about pool.

I respectfully disagree. Mitch Laurence sucks. Although, like you said, the other guy sucks too. What these matches need are real pool players commentating, not Mitch Laurence or Dawn Hopkins (who is a player), but still sucks as a commentator.

 

[Ken_4fun]

Can you imagine Grady doing TV pool?

I vote for Grady, now that would liven it up a little.

Ken

 

[steffi]

If I had to take my pick b/w Sid Waddell and Mitch Laurance then I know it wouldn't be Sid Waddell.

I take back all the bad things I've said about Mitch Laurance. I just got done watching the 1993 semi-final match between Tony Ellin and Mike Sigel. Ellin was a great player. Anyway, it'll sure be refreshing to hear Mitch's commentating versus the guy partnered with Allen Hopkins. Mitch is a pool Einstein compared to this guy (can't remember his name). Most of the comments he made was intended as a statement/question at the same time. I guess Mitch's talent as a color commentator coupled with a professional player is a decent mix for televised pool. At least Mitch knows a little bit about pool.

 

[Shorty]

Although Grady would argue about every shot with whomever you put in the booth with him...I personally like NO commentating whatsoever...let em play...or turn up the mic's some on the players. I just wanna hear Allison say "F**K" once LMAO

Shorty

 

[Rickw]

Although Grady would argue about every shot with whomever you put in the booth with him...I personally like NO commentating whatsoever...let em play...or turn up the mic's some on the players. I just wanna hear Allison say "F**K" once LMAO

Shorty

Now that's funny Shorty!! I think you'd have a long wait though. I watch her a lot and never see her open her mouth. Maybe when the camera is not on her she's talking it up to herself saying something like, "Miss you bitch!". I kind of doubt it though.

I have to respectfully disagree with a lot of you about Mitch. I think he does pretty much what he's supposed to. He needs a good person (color commentator) to work with him. I think he does fine with Allen Hopkins. I would like to see him with Jimmy Mataya just to see how he handles him! Now Jimmy would be a helluva color commentator huh?

 

[AuntyDan]

Maybe when the camera is not on her she's talking it up to herself saying something like, "Miss you bitch!". I kind of doubt it though.

Heh. Although Ms. Fisher never looks happy when her opponent is shooting (What good player does?) she looked really steamed having to sit and watch the final rounds of the 2005 San Diego Classic, which was the first time in years (Anyone know how many?) she had not made the televised rounds. However to her credit when the games were not in play she was as usual happily talking to people in the crowd and made no attempts to slink off as a lot of other top players would have done in that situation.

As for Mr. Laurance, I think the simple problem is that familiarity breeds contempt. 99% of the televised Pool in the USA for the last few years has been the same old ESPN WPBA and CoC coverage and the format just gets repetative, listening to the same old comments over and over. That's why people like Grady are more interesting, because they have so many more anecdotes and a much greater depth of knowledge to bring to every match and every player.

 

[hsholes]

Does anyone know if Mitch's twin brother is still acting?? Last time I saw him on a tv show,it was pretty bad!

 

[Poolschool]

Even though this isnt a poll or a thread about either of them I vote for Jimmy Mataya and Danny D. Those two were an absolute trip together in the booth. I had the pleasure of watching the 2004 DCC ring game from home via www.billiardclub.net I was in tears listening to Jimmy. I enjoy Danny's stories, I just dont think Jimmy does. Danny would start on one of his back in the day stories and Jimmy would rudely comment on the amount of aftershave Danny had on. I am probably one of the few but I think that is just classic! Definetly not meant for national tv... It sure beats listening to Sid go into a roller coaster rampage hitting every note and expression possible in one sentence.

 

[pocono]

I take back all the bad things I've said about Mitch Laurance. I just got done watching the 1993 semi-final match between Tony Ellin and Mike Sigel. Ellin was a great player. Anyway, it'll sure be refreshing to hear Mitch's commentating versus the guy partnered with Allen Hopkins. Mitch is a pool Einstein compared to this guy (can't remember his name). Most of the comments he made was intended as a statement/question at the same time. I guess Mitch's talent as a color commentator coupled with a professional player is a decent mix for televised pool. At least Mitch knows a little bit about pool.

Mitch Laurence is a terrible commenator. He doesn't know enough about the game.IMO, he doesn't see the patterns good enough to commentate, why, beacuse he can't play the game. Hopefully some time in the near future, the womens tour will eventually take the politics out of the game and come to the realization that Mitch is boring. Don't anyone take offense to this harsh criticism about Mitch, this is just my personal opinon.

 

[shinobi]

Mitch Laurence is a terrible commenator. He doesn't know enough about the game.IMO, he doesn't see the patterns good enough to commentate, why, beacuse he can't play the game. Hopefully some time in the near future, the womens tour will eventually take the politics out of the game and come to the realization that Mitch is boring. Don't anyone take offense to this harsh criticism about Mitch, this is just my personal opinon.

I don't know how often he has commentated, but I heard Buddy Hall commentating in the US Open 2004 and thought he was fantastic. If memory servers it may have been in a match between Feijen and someone...perhaps the Feijen/Wiseman matchup.

 

[sjm]

I have to respectfully disagree with a lot of you about Mitch. I think he does pretty much what he's supposed to. He needs a good person (color commentator) to work with him...

I agree with you completely, Rick. Mitch, though obviously no great scholar of WPBA pool, does the job asked of him well. Unfortunately, he's often paired with the wrong partner. Still, the one partner he works well with is his wife Ewa. Of the WPBA pros who commentate, Ewa Laurance is the only one that makes a sincere effort to analyze the players' thought processes, and who is willing to second guess a player's choice. As a BCA hall of Famer and living legend of pool, I believe Ewa is secure enough in herself to do this kind of commentating.

In contrast, I can understand why the other WPBA pros who commentate are so careful in critiquing the play of their peers, because ill feeling can result among the pros under the wrong circumstances.

What has been overlooked in this thread, however, is that the WPBA finances its own TV productions (tournament dirctor extraordinaire Steve Tipton is always quick to announce to WPBA audiences that the ESPN's annual TV budget is zero). Using a WPBA pro to commentate keeps TV production expenses down, as travel expenses need not be reimbursed for a player already in attendance, so it's good business. IMHO, none of the male commnetators mentioned would be a sufficient upgrade over Ewa to merit an increase in the TV budget of the WPBA.

In short, when Ewa and Mitch are in the TV booth, I'm totally cool with it.

 

[SplicedPoints]

Wych is decent, if he can tone down the cliches. I can't count how many times i've heard him say cliches like "It never says how, it only says who".

Also, some of the male commentators seem to over exaggerate some of the pros abilities. They always seem to say the players in the match they're commentating on are "upper echelon players" or the "best in the world" when they are clearly not.