Tfc T.v Talent Lacking

[BASE]

Watching a poor display by TFC (RSL played some fine soccer though) coupled with the dreary voices of Gerry Dobson & Craig Forrest was double punishment for me. These two are the living cure for insomnia imo.

Doesn't anyone at the SportsNet (or TFC) realize they are big factors in making the TV coverage appear "little league". Dobson is a fine in studio host or sideline guy, but really should never go near a broadcast booth for a soccer match.

Why even spend the extra money to send a colour commentator at all? Its common place in the soccer world to have only one voice. Devos (CBC+GOL) and Forrest add very little, often provide frustrating bias and two in the booth often leads to a conversation in the booth during play rather than play by play. Seattle has brought in some guy from England and he calls the game by himself, and Dan Dunleavey at the FAN does a great job minus Robert Iarusci.

The only bright spot last night was seeing Andi Petrillo on the sidelines.

[DOMIN8R]

I disagree. I prefer controled, mature and relevant commentary unlike Serie A (IMO). Although, not perfect - I like this team.

I didn't like the sideline sideshow - too american for my taste. Let players play and coaches coach. Making players answer question 30 seconds after play has stopped seems inappropriate somehow.

[Damien]

Its not the talent, its the camera angles.... they'll do a close-up shot of a player for 3 or 4 seconds while something else more important is happening on the field.

Screw the close-ups for when there's no running play FFS!!

[drek]

+1 Damian. Fuck that was annoying during that match.

[[NBF]]

When the team is shitty there's hardly enough content to fill a 2 hour game. I have to say though, I do like Dobson and Forrest. I think Forrest gives a good perpective and I can see Dobson reaching a bit on the calls but the entire broadcast is fairly amateur. Soccer is yet to be mastered by the players as well as the commentators in Canada.

[106-12]

I agree with needing better comentators watching the game on tv is bad as it is and with out good comentotors who know the game and know how to make it fun to watch and listen to what they say is really painfull

[sulfur]

Problem with the camera crap for away games?

That's the home broadcaster's feed. Sportsnet (or CBC or GolTV) have no control over that at all. We saw the same pictures here as the RSL fans in Utah saw. The only difference was the sideline reporting.

[gtaguy]

Its not the talent, its the camera angles.... they'll do a close-up shot of a player for 3 or 4 seconds while something else more important is happening on the field.

Screw the close-ups for when there's no running play FFS!!

Yes totally . I can't stand when they're constantly panning at players and don't allow the wide view of the field .. I don't care the face a player is making .. I want to see the big picture on the field "positional strategy is everything in soccer". Its not just our local broadcasters that do this . I see it alot on American broadcasters aswell.

[FluSH]

Watching a poor display by TFC (RSL played some fine soccer though) coupled with the dreary voices of Gerry Dobson & Craig Forrest was double punishment for me. These two are the living cure for insomnia imo.

Doesn't anyone at the SportsNet (or TFC) realize they are big factors in making the TV coverage appear "little league". Dobson is a fine in studio host or sideline guy, but really should never go near a broadcast booth for a soccer match.

Why even spend the extra money to send a colour commentator at all? Its common place in the soccer world to have only one voice. Devos (CBC+GOL) and Forrest add very little, often provide frustrating bias and two in the booth often leads to a conversation in the booth during play rather than play by play. Seattle has brought in some guy from England and he calls the game by himself, and Dan Dunleavey at the FAN does a great job minus Robert Iarusci.

The only bright spot last night was seeing Andi Petrillo on the sidelines.

AMEN!!!!

I've been saying this for years.... PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.... Do not have Dobson and Forrest together... There is more exciting commentary in a Golf Match when these two are on...

WE NEED HIGHER TV RATINGS... We need to spend some $$$ on Commentators that will bring us just that... the casual soccer fan is not going to watch this product...

[rocker]

my prob with Forrest is he gets that "growl" in his voice.... and he has this tone in his voice where he sounds like your mom scolding you when you were a child.... (as he scolds TFC). I find that annoying. I also dislike all the mistakes Dobson makes during the game. Last night Gargan made a pass and he called him Saric. He also couldn't identify that Olave was the man down. I knew that already. When the viewer knows more about what's going on on the field than the commentator, then that's a problem.

[FluSH]

I disagree. I prefer controled, mature and relevant commentary unlike Serie A (IMO). Although, not perfect - I like this team.

I didn't like the sideline sideshow - too american for my taste. Let players play and coaches coach. Making players answer question 30 seconds after play has stopped seems inappropriate somehow.

We don't need a Sere A commentator... Charleston Battery's commentator is GRADE A MATERIAL



I remember watching battery games vs TFC in the crappiest feed ever... but you know what... The Commenator brought the game to me... crappy feed, crappy camera angles... it didn't matter... that guy was that good. (and he's far from Serie A... there is no gooooooal or anything like that... just class and excitement)

[menefreghista]

We don't need a Sere A commentator... Charleston Battery's commentator is GRADE A MATERIAL



I remember watching battery games vs TFC in the crappiest feed ever... but you know what... The Commenator brought the game to me... crappy feed, crappy camera angles... it didn't matter... that guy was that good. (and he's far from Serie A... there is no gooooooal or anything like that... just class and excitement)

I believe his name is Andrew Bell. He was often involved in calling the USL games on FSC. But I don't think FSC covers the new USSF-Div2 or whatever the hell you are suppose to call that league.

The funny thing is that he is also the President of the Charleston Battery.

[BASE]

[quote=FluSH;1006842]AMEN!!!!

I've been saying this for years.... PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.... Do not have Dobson and Forrest together... There is more exciting commentary in a Golf Match when these two are on...

quote]

I watched the game with 5 other TFC fans. I was the only still awake by 10:05..it was a lonely last hour (game ended at 11:05).

We had many a discussion about Dobson many years ago on the old Voyageurs site (late 90's) ...he hasn't changed one bit. He just isn't a play by play man...at least for soccer, and doesn't do our sport justice. I'm not knocking Dobson as a person or soccer guy, just his ability to call a game on TV. Unfortunately no one listened then and no one will listen now.

I would suggest the answer for Sportsnet already works for Rogers...Dan Dunleavey from the FAN 590.

[atlanticTFCfan]

I believe his name is Andrew Bell. He was often involved in calling the USL games on FSC. But I don't think FSC covers the new USSF-Div2 or whatever the hell you are suppose to call that league.

The funny thing is that he is also the President of the Charleston Battery.

It is indeed Andrew Bell. One of the best (if not THE best) PBP guy in North American soccer right now.

And no, FSC isn't covering the USSF D-2 League. Too much fucking around by the USSF in regards to certifying the new version of the NASL and decertifying the USL-1 league.

That's why Charleston dropped down to the lower USL-2 league for this season.

[mmmikey]

Serie a announcer or dobson? Wow that's two major extremes. Frankly if u watch serie a the English commentary is usually 1 dude doing the whole production.

As for sportsnet, Forrest would be ok with a different color man. Dobson does a really poor job of calling the play by play.. Very halting little fluidity, is often lagging behind and doesn't set up the talking points very well for Forrest. I really think Forrest would be better with a high quality play by play guy. Forrest doesn't tend to change his tone at all though which is a bit poor. JDV is great at that... When u can't show feeling facially the voice must carry it.

Dobson is good in studio tho and has been there for the game so he should get recognition for that.

[anonymiss]

We had many a discussion about Dobson many years ago on the old Voyageurs site (late 90's) ...he hasn't changed one bit. He just isn't a play by play man...at least for soccer, and doesn't do our sport justice. I'm not knocking Dobson as a person or soccer guy, just his ability to call a game on TV. Unfortunately no one listened then and no one will listen now.

I lost respect for him the day he referred to a Canadian women's national team midfielder as a "fire hydrant". Might just be me, but isn't that a bit of an insult? Especially considering she was playing fantastic!

[thisisinternetclash]

Forrest and De Vos are okay, I'd say. If the goal is to inculcate fandom into the general viewing public, a one-man setup might be a bit daunting and alien to a viewership used to the American model of two or three personalities in the booth. It's very rare in world football (at least in the English language) to come across a 'colour' man who actually adds anything of real substance to a broadcast. The interchangeable in-game analysts one finds on Setanta feeds largely speak in cliches and come across as unstudied and banal more often than not. Forrest and De Voc don't really resist conforming to this stereotype, but they're no worse than the status quo in their profession.

Dobson, though, is really very poor at commentating. He's awful, in truth. There's a real, trenchant distinction, even, between him and the other guys who call TFC matches (Wileman, Reed, even most of the American commentators that you'll hear over highlights from other feeds). He's just not up to the job.

[SilverSamurai]

I don't think Dobson is that bad. Not the greatest, but I'd rather listen to him than any US feed.
Still think Reed and Forest are the best combo IMO.

Shouldn't the thread name be, RSN lacking talent and not TFC TV (not that I disagree TFC TV sucks) Is CV2 still on it? Or has he finally been banned? lol

[FluSH]

I think the message is loud and clear.... The Questions are:

1. Is anyone paying attention?

2. Is anyone doing anything about this?


We are soccer supporters FFS... the hardcore who will watch this prodcut even if it was in Chinese Mandarin... If we are telling TFC that we can't believe how awful the experience is... imagine all the non-supporters who tune out because of the PBP commentary?

[rocker]

Reed is pretty good, although people have noted his penchant for mistaking certain players for other players and talking like he's reading a play by Shakespeare. But I find Reed is best at home, with the energy of the home fans driving up his energy.

Devos is better than Forrest in my opinion, although he does talk alot. Wileman is decent in limited action so far.

[Toronto_Bhoy]

AMEN!!!!

WE NEED HIGHER TV RATINGS... We need to spend some $$$ on Commentators that will bring us just that... the casual soccer fan is not going to watch this product...

Maybe if we spent money on people who can play, coaches who can coach and managers who can manage, we wouldn't need to worry about commentators and ratings.

If there was a HALF decent product to watch the casual fan would!

[torontocelt]

AMEN!!!!

I've been saying this for years.... PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.... Do not have Dobson and Forrest together... There is more exciting commentary in a Golf Match when these two are on...

WE NEED HIGHER TV RATINGS... We need to spend some $$$ on Commentators that will bring us just that... the casual soccer fan is not going to watch this product...

People wont watch because the product is shit, no other reason. In the age of globalization why would a casual fan watch MLS when they could watch premiership or better football?

[Sonny Cheeba]

we need you bhoys to get that guy from tictalk tv....

pay him in carry-outs.

[torontocelt]

It must be very difficult to get excited about matches that have very little chances, the problems lie with the league, the coaches and the players. For me it is like watching Scotland first division teams. The product in this case TFC is pretty crap to watch when they play away from home, it is easier to watch paint dry at times. It is different at home but even then it can be difficult. The football is just crap at times.

[torontocelt]

we need you bhoys to get that guy from tictalk tv....

pay him in carry-outs.

Even watching celtic is difficult never mind watching TFC. You watch Dundee United do you not? Sometimes the product you watch has nothing to do with the commentators and everything to do with the football on the pitch.

[TFC USA]

Devos is absolute dogshit some times. He talks way too much.

Nigel is the man though. Love him. Dobson is trash and Wileman is average.

[Sonny Cheeba]

Even watching celtic is difficult never mind watching TFC. You watch Dundee United do you not? Sometimes the product you watch has nothing to do with the commentators and everything to do with the football on the pitch.

the commentators in scotland are mostly talk about what a shit game the old firm teams are having, rather than what a good game the underdogs will have. well, when that actually happens...

May 15th should be a bra day..... i hope.

[james]

i like dobson on soccer central but as a commentator for TFC games he is so dam borring!

[torontocelt]

the commentators in scotland are mostly talk about what a shit game the old firm teams are having, rather than what a good game the underdogs will have. well, when that actually happens...

May 15th should be a bra day..... i hope.

Agreed, but it doesn't matter what the commentators say, if a game is shit then it is shit. If you are watching then you do not need a commentator to tell you the game sucks.

[FluSH]

People wont watch because the product is shit, no other reason. In the age of globalization why would a casual fan watch MLS when they could watch premiership or better football?

Getting the product from shit to good is a whole other thread... the fact is that I would watch the Charleston Battery on TV any day because of commentators like Andrew Bell.... that speaks VOLUMES.

A commentator is like a good sales man... he can sell you anything... anywhere... anytime.