Pool Commentators
- Thread starter Fleece3
- Start date
my favourite pool commentators are:
1. Jerry Forsyth
2. Jim Wych
3. Billy Incardona
4. "California" Kim Davenport
1. Jerry Forsyth
2. Jim Wych
3. Billy Incardona
4. "California" Kim Davenport
Freddie the Beard: has pool knowledge, a cool voice, and I like his attitude towards pool and life. Best commentator for one pocket and banks. The one guy I think who could have his own show on internet/cable with instructional stuff, matches, some story telling about the rogues gallery he spent his life with.
Buddy Hall: ton of knowledge, likes to have fun in the booth. My favorite for nine ball, definately. Buddy seems to go into just a little more detail on what english he prefers for certain shots, or the best speed to kick at balls,etc...
Grady and Billy: I've watched so many tapes of these guys together I think of them as a pair. Even separate, they do a great job. Grady is probably better for 14.1 and maybe banks but Billy does know a ton about nine ball and one pocket.
Nick Varner: great attitude, lots of knowledge, seems to do best when with a couple of other commentators.
Danny DiLiberto: funny guy, knows almost as much as he thinks he does. He forgets the score on every one pocket tape I have it seems but overall I really like him.
Wilson, Vickery, Maddux, and most of the other accu-stat commentators are good, but I prefer the guys above.
Annigoni, Laurence, Wytch, or any of the screaming British guys I can do without. I like Eva but ESPN pool just don't excite me.
There is one guy, though, that I'm totally sick of. I don't wan't to be a total d*ck but this guy (MS are his initials) pretty much ruins any three cushion tape he comments on. Monotonic voice, spends half the tapes talking about player averages, who the referees are, telestrating every shot. Every billiard player I know hates his commentary and he's on some of the best tapes.
Buddy Hall: ton of knowledge, likes to have fun in the booth. My favorite for nine ball, definately. Buddy seems to go into just a little more detail on what english he prefers for certain shots, or the best speed to kick at balls,etc...
Grady and Billy: I've watched so many tapes of these guys together I think of them as a pair. Even separate, they do a great job. Grady is probably better for 14.1 and maybe banks but Billy does know a ton about nine ball and one pocket.
Nick Varner: great attitude, lots of knowledge, seems to do best when with a couple of other commentators.
Danny DiLiberto: funny guy, knows almost as much as he thinks he does. He forgets the score on every one pocket tape I have it seems but overall I really like him.
Wilson, Vickery, Maddux, and most of the other accu-stat commentators are good, but I prefer the guys above.
Annigoni, Laurence, Wytch, or any of the screaming British guys I can do without. I like Eva but ESPN pool just don't excite me.
There is one guy, though, that I'm totally sick of. I don't wan't to be a total d*ck but this guy (MS are his initials) pretty much ruins any three cushion tape he comments on. Monotonic voice, spends half the tapes talking about player averages, who the referees are, telestrating every shot. Every billiard player I know hates his commentary and he's on some of the best tapes.
I like Dave Maddux. He seems to have good knowledge of the game, but doesn't act like he knows it all.
Buddy is too condescending for me. I have heard him belittle excellent players on shot selection and execution, and I don't think he should do that. He's a little too monotone in his delivery as well.
I agree that Bert K would be a good commentator. He is colorful and kind of from the old school, which I think is good. I think he may have a little trouble not criticizing shot selection or execution occasionally, but at least he would be fun to listen to while doing it.
If I'm geeked up, I love Sid Waddell. If I'm not in the mood, He's a little too much to take.
Mike
Buddy is too condescending for me. I have heard him belittle excellent players on shot selection and execution, and I don't think he should do that. He's a little too monotone in his delivery as well.
I agree that Bert K would be a good commentator. He is colorful and kind of from the old school, which I think is good. I think he may have a little trouble not criticizing shot selection or execution occasionally, but at least he would be fun to listen to while doing it.
If I'm geeked up, I love Sid Waddell. If I'm not in the mood, He's a little too much to take.
Mike
OldHasBeen
Tom Ferry
I agree 100% with this post, except.........
What irritates me the most is when players try to use a vocabulary that they really are not familiar with. I guess they are trying impress the TV audience. If you talk to Billy, Mark, etc. in a poolroom, you will never hear them say "He got rewarded". Hell, he got shape!
Naturally I like the older commentators as I can relate but I really like to hear Buddy, Danny, Grady, Freddie, Billy, Mark. As far as Mitch Laurence - I call him the "MUTE Man". He never says a word on my TV.
TY & GL
bud green said:
What irritates me the most is when players try to use a vocabulary that they really are not familiar with. I guess they are trying impress the TV audience. If you talk to Billy, Mark, etc. in a poolroom, you will never hear them say "He got rewarded". Hell, he got shape!
Naturally I like the older commentators as I can relate but I really like to hear Buddy, Danny, Grady, Freddie, Billy, Mark. As far as Mitch Laurence - I call him the "MUTE Man". He never says a word on my TV.
TY & GL
gregory said:
Is that the English or Australian guy that varies the pitch of his voice to make it sound more exciting? if so... I think that guy is a tool. What an idiot, he annoys me beyond belief.
Stuff him in the corner pocket and say Idiot deposited.
You are describing Sid Waddell. He scared the crap out of me every time he would start yelling the first time I heard him. I remember one line in particular, describing Tony Drago's fast play.supergreenman said:
He's on them LIKE A WOLF ON THE FOLD
We had to rewind it and watch it with captions to figure out what he was saying, and then we just looked at each other like, WTF!?
Just found a site with some quotes from his darts commentary
"That's the greatest comeback since Lazarus."
"When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer. Bristow's only 27."
"It's the nearest thing to public execution this side of Saudi Arabia."
"If we'd had Phil Taylor at Hastings against the Normans, they'd have gone home."
"You couldn't get more excitement here if Elvis Presley walked in eating a chip sandwich!"
"He looks about as happy as a penguin in a microwave."
"Darts players are probably a lot fitter than most footballers in overall body strength."
"Trying to read Reyes's (is there a darts Reyes as well) mind is like trying to read the mind of Jabba the Hutt"
"This is the clash that makes King Kong versus Godzilla look like a chimpanzees tea party!"
"They've got Shakespeare on Radio 2 but you can't beat this for drama."
"It's like trying to pin down a kangaroo on a trampoline."
"Well as giraffes say, you don't get no leaves unless you stick your neck out."
"His eyes are bulging like the belly of a hungry chaffinch."
"That's like giving Dracula the keys to the blood bank."
"Steve Beaton, he's not Adonis, he's THE donis"
"The players are under so much duress, it's like duressic park out there!"
etc.http://mrankin.home.cern.ch/mrankin/Waddell.htm
gregory said:
Those are hilarious! I think the guy is a riot, personally.
Jim Wych is the Canadian ex-snooker player with the annoyingly high-pitched, nasal voice. He certainly does tend to reuse his sayings ad nauseam: "navigate those colors", "9-ball deposited", "that ball sure wiped it feet...", etc. I could do without Jim, let's just leave it at that.
OldHasBeen
Tom Ferry
If I could pick only two......
It would be Buddy Hall & Billy Cardone (but only if Billy spoke as he does in the poolroom).
TY & GL
It would be Buddy Hall & Billy Cardone (but only if Billy spoke as he does in the poolroom).
TY & GL
I remember one from about ten years ago. I think it was Buddy, but maybe Varner. Anyway the player at the table scratches in the side and the comment was, "it's been there a hundred years". I got a kick out of that one. Another favorite was Jimmy Mataya, he was definitely a colorful, color commentator.
Tracy
Tracy
> Some one mentioned Keith as a commentator here,and he did a decent job,but he needed to either speak louder or have his volume turned up,it almost seemed like he was intentionally whispering. Billy and Grady BELONG together,if I had my way about it,they would be handcuffed side by side. Buddy does a great job,as does Mark Wilson. Two more guys I like are Tony Annigoni and Jay Helfert. To be honest,I can't remember ever hearing bad commentary on Accu-Stats videos,just on tv. Mike Sigel's tv commentary is not quite as grating as Allen and Dawn Hopkins,or Mitch and Ewa. There are a few Accu-Stats matches that Mike does commentary on,and they are said to be greatly improved over his regular routine,he picks out patterns and options few other see. Jeannette's really isn't too bad. Allison Fisher did a great job on a player review match with Billy. See if you can find a match between Bustamante and Earl from the 1991 Bicycle Club tournament,the commentators are Tony Annigoni,Mark Wilson,and Jeff Carter,hearing Jeff impersonate Earl's voice is worth the price of the tape,and our first look at Francisco to boot. One of the few guys I don't like is Johnny Archer,it seemed like he had problems relating his thoughts in spots,another I didn't care too much for was Steve Mizerak. Nick does pretty well,and Jim Rempe should be used a LOT more,provided he doesn't pitch Meucci cues every 2 minutes. As far as ESPN matches,back in the 80's Barry Tompkins was about as good as it gets,he paid attention,and actually seemed like he took the time to learn not only something about the sport but the players as well. Tommy D.