What happened to Sid Wadell for the World pool?
- Thread starter racer rx
- Start date
racer rx said:
Every announcer is boring compared to Waddell. Reporducing a post of mine from 7/30/04:
Sid Waddell is the best pool commentator of all time. He is a Cambridge graduate with a wide range of knowledge and a gift for rhetoric. In some ways, he is similar to Cosell. He sees a pool match as big news the same way Cosell saw a football game as big news, and manages to transfer his limitless enthusiasm for the event to the viewer.
He can be both scholarly and well-spoken, but also has a way of blending in the language of the common sports fan into his commentary in a most impressive way.
I was in London during the Cardiff WPC of 2001, so I saw most of the action on Sky Sports (British Cable TV). In one match, Sid Waddell, teamed with Kim Davenport, was doing commentary, but Kim just couldn't compete. When someone got a super lucky roll, Waddell, in his inimitable, animated style, offered: "Oh, that lady luck, one day she's a bitch, the next day she's a babe." Such language might or might not fly in the US, but Waddell's ability for wild and innovative similes and metaphors is something special.
Waddell gets excited about pool in a way that no other announcer ever has.
To be fair, I recall that Ramdadingdong, making valid points, felt Sid gave pool a "wrestling atmosphere", that he wasn't the right announcer for the serious pool player, and that Sid's style evidenced that Barry Hearn was "going after the working class rowdy" demographic.
Still, I'd have to say that I'm with you on this one. WPC without Waddell is not nearly as good a watch. I love his commentary.
ramdadingdong
Banned
sjm said:
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It is so sad, here is the real story that has not gotten out yet, the American players in Vegas got so sick of him, they hired Guido and Vito to haul him behind the Venitian after the show was over and they cut his tounge out, video tapes of this act are on the internet on the same sites at the Bagdad beheadings. Guido left the dirty work to his assistants, Ali bob ba and el Karem doe doe. This Gruesome horrible disgusting and violent act are on elsireenalibabba.com web site and it costs $29.95 to go in and see it all in graphic detail. Poor Sid was squealing like a stuck pig. Guido loant ali his best stilleto for da job. Ali said the last time I saw a mouth that big it had a hook in it. It took 2 hrs to get the fish into the boat. Ali said that was also the mother of all tounges, longer than a Giraffes. It is being send to Cario University for study and observation in a pickle jar. From there it will be sold to a local tourist resturant.
I heard Sid now has painted his face white and is a mime in The Flamingo boom boom tittie show at night now. It's the only job he can take, it was that or it was walking Roy's tiger out on the stage for the show. Sid as you say is very smart and does not want to become an English kitty hors doo ver, he took the mime job. He said in his new international sign language, quote", blimey, Ive lost me boomin tounge and that blighter cat is not getting close to me. I say gov nor, youd have to be daft and off your bloomin jump to take that job. Quite right... They only now pay me a brass farthing at the Flamingo because they said my value has hit rock bottom, but its all you can eat at the buffet so what the hell. I sleep out at the pool in a deck chair at night, it never rains here so that is not a problem.
I cant afford to lose any more body parts, besides Guido told me to never walk into another big time pool room ever again or he will cut off me bloody pecker next time. Now that would really be a sticky whicket, tally ho old man, ta ta, toot ta loo. That was the end of the quote from Sid.
Oh how I wish it was true, wake up fast, your fantasy dream is over, tell the boys and girlies you were just kidding, tee hee hee...Sid will surly return next year and drive you bloomin off your jump and into a brain grand mal seizure, he did the last time, as I said, thank God for the remote and the mute button, Sid, mute....I now call it the Sid button.
Fast Larry Guninger
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ramdadingdong said:
I need a Fast Larry button
Just kidding. You have actually been fairly well behaved this time around. I'm impressed.
ramdadingdong
Banned
Wally in Cincy said:I need a Fast Larry button
Just kidding. You have actually been fairly well behaved this time around. I'm impressed.
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Fairly well behaved, for me, this feels like I have shaved my head and I am wearing an orange robe, oooooooohhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm What do I have to do to achieve well behaved status, be like Bush, say and do nuttin.
Listen to questions and then never answer them, give nothing back but BS platitudes. Happy days are here again....
Thanks wally, better late, than never, I'm not doing too bad for a two time loser and that's so funny, now every time you look at your remote, you will see the fast larry button, no way to escape that now wally, got cha. I am embedded into your brain and you cannot now erase me and there is no escape, how scarry is that one????????? Play music from the twil light zone now. You are doooooooooooomed, to resist, is futile...
Best Wishes,
Fast Larry Guninger
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I have watched Sid a lot, as well as millions of hours of snooker coverage(being from the UK). Personally, although I found some of his comments amusing I found his basic lack of pool knowledge annoying and irritating. I don't think I ever saw him call one shot right, he would go crazy about the most basic shot and then stay silent when a player did something truly magical. I'm not convinced he's good for pool on TV although I concede he may have a place in attracting a certain section of the public.
ramdadingdong said:
Another highly intellectual post on Larry's behalf.
I personally enjoy Sid as a commentator, as TheOne pointed out his knowledge of the game might not be as good as the other commentators who have a vast knowledge of the game, but they put most people to sleep. Most players don't need a commentator to tell them how a players going to run out...we can usually see for ourselves. Sid brings enthusiasm to the game that is definitely lacking nowadays, hope to hear him in the future.
ramdadingdong
Banned
DeadPoked said:
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Oh yes, that is the guy, he is the mother of all bozos. Most of the guys who are saying they like him are English. What we are seeing here is a simple clash of cultures. Sienfield did a commercial several years ago where he is doing a joke on stage in Vegas and he has them rolling in the aisles. Now he is in London, does the same joke and the entire audience just sits and stares, nobody gets it.
Sid is appealing to a working class mentality in England, that must play and sell well or he would not be carrying on this silly act he has invented. If its accepted there, right on, I can go with that, but here most find him totally nuts, insane, obnoxious and a total moron. Its a over the pond thing. Most hated Howard Cosell for some of the same reasons, and eventually the guy sort of grew on you, without Ali, he would have been back in the courtroom.
I want to watch pool without being screamed at, if I want that, I will spend the night at home with my old lady. I am watching da tube and she comes in, You did not take out the trash, hush woman, I'm watchin pool and drinkin beer, screaming commences. Women, cant live with them cant live without them.
Best Wishes,
Fast Larry Guninger
Steve Davis is my favorite commentator. Sid is ok, he doesn't annoy me that much. One guy that kind of got on my nerves was that guy who was commentating the 2003 WPC with Sid, it was the guy with a slightly southern accent. During Shin-young-park's against Alex Lely, he was critisizing Park's pattern play during the match. Park broke and ran the last 8 racks to win the match, and on the last break, he made the 1 ball and was left with the 2 ball frozen to the foot rail, with the cueball all the way up table. The 7-ball was close to the 2-ball, and Park cut the 2 ball in clean, using the rail first with inside english. That lousy commentator called it a fluke, saying Park got a lucky roll, that the 2-ball caromed off the 7-ball to go in the corner, and that he was trying to play safe, until they went over the replay, and realized that he cut the ball on purpose. Any half-brained pool player would know that shot from a mile away. He didn't even mention how he used the rail first with inside spin, he said Park cut it straight across. Who was that guy?
888
Registered
not too sensible but i still like him though.
i agree with the others that sid is not quite knowledgeable in pool. but i haven't heard anything he said that bothered me. even the other more knowledgeable commentators make mistakes in calling the shots especially when it's efren who's playing. sometimes they can't anticipate what efren is about to do. i remember one time a commentator drew on the screen with telestrator the possible paths efren will take to kick off from a snooker. a diamond shape was formed by two bank options showed by the commentator. but efren took the path in the middle with lots of english. commentators were dumbfounded and one just jokingly said: "we're actually showing you the options he will not take". too bad i can't remember who they were. If Sid is one of them, at least he's not the lone culprit in that boo boo.
sid is very enthusiastic and entertaining. steve is so humorous and entertaining too.
i agree with the others that sid is not quite knowledgeable in pool. but i haven't heard anything he said that bothered me. even the other more knowledgeable commentators make mistakes in calling the shots especially when it's efren who's playing. sometimes they can't anticipate what efren is about to do. i remember one time a commentator drew on the screen with telestrator the possible paths efren will take to kick off from a snooker. a diamond shape was formed by two bank options showed by the commentator. but efren took the path in the middle with lots of english. commentators were dumbfounded and one just jokingly said: "we're actually showing you the options he will not take". too bad i can't remember who they were. If Sid is one of them, at least he's not the lone culprit in that boo boo.
sid is very enthusiastic and entertaining. steve is so humorous and entertaining too.
Let's face it, Sid Waddell's no scholar on pool. He has no more than a cursory understanding of the game. That doesn't make him unqualified to commentate, however. He is generally teamed with someone who does know the game and who can provide some of the insights that Sid's incapable of providing. Sid's job is to make pool exciting and dramatic, and he is a master at doing so.
Like so many other pool geeks on this forum, I'd personally prefer the commentary of a pool guru, who would carefully analyze the pattern play, the safety play and give us a lot of strategic insight into what the players are doing. Unfortunately, such a commentator would put most viewers to sleep, and I care more about what would serve the game well than what would serve me well personally.
Cosell, by his own admission, was no scholar of football, but he gave us a sense that football was both important and exciting, and though he rubbed many the wrong way at times, he did a lot to raise the profile of pro football. Waddell, though surely zanier than Cosell and trying to appeal to a slightly different demographic, does the same for pool.
The commentator that manages to make a pool event seem both important and exciting is the one that can raise the game's profile, and, to me, Sid is the only pool commentator in the game's history that has pulled it off.
The only two televised pool events that have had a dramatically increased profile in the last few years are the Mosconi Cup and the World Pool Championships, and Sid Waddell, as a Matchroom Sports fixture, has a lot to do with it.
Like so many other pool geeks on this forum, I'd personally prefer the commentary of a pool guru, who would carefully analyze the pattern play, the safety play and give us a lot of strategic insight into what the players are doing. Unfortunately, such a commentator would put most viewers to sleep, and I care more about what would serve the game well than what would serve me well personally.
Cosell, by his own admission, was no scholar of football, but he gave us a sense that football was both important and exciting, and though he rubbed many the wrong way at times, he did a lot to raise the profile of pro football. Waddell, though surely zanier than Cosell and trying to appeal to a slightly different demographic, does the same for pool.
The commentator that manages to make a pool event seem both important and exciting is the one that can raise the game's profile, and, to me, Sid is the only pool commentator in the game's history that has pulled it off.
The only two televised pool events that have had a dramatically increased profile in the last few years are the Mosconi Cup and the World Pool Championships, and Sid Waddell, as a Matchroom Sports fixture, has a lot to do with it.