Sports stars don’t make good journalists
Roar Guru By Alan Nicolea, 20 Dec 2010 Alan Nicolea is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Andrew Johns, Benji Marshall, Brad Fittler, commentary, commentators, Craig Foster, Johnny Warren, Lote Tuqiri, Robbie Farah, Roy Masters
Those of us unlucky enough not to forge a career as a sportsperson will often seek an alternative route when it comes to entering the sporting industry. Sadly, the road leading to a career in sports journalism however is becoming blocked by the very stars who ply their trade in the sporting arena.
In this day and age, it has become frustratingly apparent that professional sportsmen, both retired and active, receive an easy passage to the media industry, while so many students must walk the hard road and go to university to obtain the qualifications necessary to perhaps kickstart a career in sports journalism.
The amount of former athletes either presenting or co-hosting a program, writing a column in the newspaper, or providing commentary on both radio and television, just makes it that much harder for many aspiring sports journalists to enter an industry that is already ultra competitive.
While there are some former players and coaches that have forged successful and respected careers in sports media, (SMH writer Roy Masters and the late Johnny Warren come to mind) they do not outnumber the novice writing, reporting and commentary from the majority of sports personalities currently working in the sports journalism industry.
In rugby league, high-profile NRL players such as Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Lote Tuqiri and Mark Gasnier have provided uninsightful features and opinion pieces for major newspaper outlets like The Daily Telegraph, The Sun Herald and the Sunday Telegraph.
The majority of the opinion pieces these present day superstars of the game conjure up usually involves the typical reaction from a player in a post match press conference after a win or a loss.
I recall one article written by Benji Marshall in The Sun Herald explaining how disappointed he was at losing the first qualifying final against the Sydney Roosters last season. Honestly, is there any need for Marshall, or The Sun Herald for that matter, to publish the article when most NRL followers already have a clear idea as to how disappointed the player would be after such a defeat?
Sadly, the opinion pieces offered up by many of today’s NRL stars pale in comparison to the useless commentary offered by Channel Nine sideline commentators Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler.
Fittler in particular has made an uncanny habit of reminding the television audience how lucky he is to be getting paid good money in exchange for offering next to little or no insightful commentary about the game he is covering.
While Johns isn’t as annoying to listen to, his commentary is also not up to standard in comparision to fellow NRL commentators such as Peter Sterling, Tim Gilbert, Andrew Voss and to an extent, Phil Gould.
Of course, Channel Nine are not the only media outlet responsible for hiring sports personalities to take on a role they are not qualified for.
One HD’s football program ‘World Football News’ has both Zeljko Kalac and David Zdrilic (both retired Socceroos), providing their personal views on the world game, which to be honest, is hardly riveting television.
When asked to offer an opinion on why Australia failed in its bid to host the 2022 World Cup during the broadcast on Channel Ten, both Zdrilic and Kalac proclaimed that nothing was wrong with Australia’s bid presentation, even though the presentation itself showcased nothing about the history of the world game down under.
While both Kalac and Zdrilic do not offer any innovative insight into the world game, the fact that there are others out there that are worse commentators is a blight on the sports journalism industry.
How Melbourne Victory skipper Kevin Muscat found himself commentating next to David Basheer at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is beyond me. During the Australia – Germany match, one could hear Muscat carrying on like a baby every time Germany scored. The amount of groans that came from his mouth far outweighed anything he offered in terms of commentary.
Even respected SBS chief football analyst Craig Foster can go overboard with his constant comments in regards to the Socceroos’ need to play like FC Barcelona, when it is painfully apparent that Australia possesses nowhere near the class of players necessary to perform at such a high level.
Indeed there are many other sports personalities out there who have forged a career in the media industry despite having no prior experience. Former Australian cricketer Stuart MacGill looked increasingly uncomfortable hosting the 2009 Ashes on SBS, in comparison to noted sports presenter Simon Hill, who hosted the 2005 Ashes series very well.
It is a great shame that many major media outlets have felt the need to hire active and retired sportspeople who are clearly bereft of any qualifications and knowledge when it comes to commentating on television or writing an opinion piece for a newspaper.
What is even more disappointing surrounds the fact that many aspiring sports journalists who actually have the qualifications and experience necessary to forge a career in journalism are being left behind in favour of the many amateurish sports personalities who dominate the sporting media today.
One can only hope Australia’s major sports tabloids and media broadcasters wake up to themselves and realise that the best commentary and insight to a game of rugby league, football, or any sport for that matter, comes from those who have taken the time to study, observe and experience the sports journalism industry inside-out, not those that have prospered inside the sporting arena.
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December 20th 2010 @ 6:25am
Vinay Verma said | December 20th 2010 @ 6:25am | Report comment
Alan,I share your sentiments. The broadsheets and other dailies are looking at “star power” to sell their papers. What is Darren Berry doing alongside Peter Roebuck.?
Often the best writers on cricket have been inferior practioners of the sport. Take Gideon haigh and Mike Coward,two of the best.
Some like Richie benaud,Jack fingleton and Bill O Reilly were seasoned journalists and working fulltime for newspapers.
December 20th 2010 @ 3:33pm
Long On said | December 20th 2010 @ 3:33pm | Report comment
Vinay
I don’t know what you mean about Roebuk and Berry appearing on the same page.
Roebuk and Berry were first class cricketers who failed to take the next step, though I think Berry got a lot closer. Both have continued in the cricket world after their playing careers, Berry in the media and various coaching roles while Roebuk stuck mainly to his newspaper work. Berry is in demand around the cricketing world for his coaching skills while Roebuk is famously reviled by Richards and Botham, two men who got to know him well. Berry writes entertaining articles concentrating on local issues, Roebuk is more international in outlook. I can’t understand your problem.
Could it be you prefer Roebuk for his more elegant flowing prose, though I am sure Berry’s more direct and less pretentious style would also have appeal. Though maybe it is Roebuk you find objectionable, this would be more understandable.
Could it be Roebuk’s lack of journalistic courage. I remember reading a Q&A he had with Patrick Smith in the Age many years ago. He openly admitted to changing his views on the legality of Muralitharan’s bowling action because of the intimidation he felt from some of the more volatile Sri Lankan supporters and not of a review of anything technical.
Maybe you find his views jaundiced and biased. This could be it, I certainly haven’t bothered reading anything he produced since his nauseating and hysterical criticisms on Ponting and the Australian team after the 2007 Sydney test.
Mind you, I had stopped reading him regularly before that though, he was an Englishmen with condescending views on all things local, you don’t need that with your Wheat Bix every morning. Though kudos to Fairfax and their determination to supply a variety of opinions.
Alan
On the main issue, it should not matter if someone has a sporting pedigree or not, surely it is how good they are. Unfortunately the requirement for mass appeal means those not engaged as deeply into their specific sports as your average Roar reader is the type of person media bosses are aiming at. There is lots lots more of that type of consumer out there, and the more deeply involved will watch, listen and read anyway. Therefore celebrity and populist opinion are more valued than considered analysis. This dumbing down is the way of the world you will have to get use to it.
December 20th 2010 @ 4:31pm
Vinay Verma said | December 20th 2010 @ 4:31pm | Report comment
Long On, I was alluding to berry’s lack of credibility in proposing Watson as a Captain. As you know berry is on the coaching staff of the Rajasthan royals,the franchise for which Watson plays in the IPL.. Nothing more. Nothing less. No matter what I write I would not dumb it down. I expect the readers that read me are as if not more intelligent than me.
December 20th 2010 @ 5:38pm
Long On said | December 20th 2010 @ 5:38pm | Report comment
Vinay
I think you misunderstand, my dumbing down comments were aimed at mainstream media and their quest for better ratings, viewers, listeners and readers. The Roar generally supplies interesting articles and follow up comments (you can include yourself in that) which is becoming an antidote for the lack of analysis in the mainstream media.
My only issue with your original comment was the comparison of Berry with Roebuk. There are many people who don’t have a high opinion of Roebuk. Some of us formed that opinion in the early 1990′s when he first started writing for Fairfax. Darren Berry, while no CLR James, provides a lively series of articles in the Age written in a direct manner. The Age will generally have at least three cricket articles on Sundays from journalist with no playing back ground.
On Berry’s boosting of Watson, he would not be the first retired player to publically support someone he has some connection with, Justin Langer and Phillip Hughes come to mind. I don’t understand why this effects Berry’s credibility. The way things are going Watson may be the last man standing, possibly even VC shortly if Clarke’s form continues to fail. Berry would then be seen to have been perceptive.
December 20th 2010 @ 7:17pm
Vinay Verma said | December 20th 2010 @ 7:17pm | Report comment
OK,Long On ,point taken .and I take this opportunity to wish yourself and ALL Roarers a Happy Xmas and a Fulfilling New year.
December 20th 2010 @ 7:39am
Dave said | December 20th 2010 @ 7:39am | Report comment
I have to disagree with you.
As a fan of NRL and cricket, i would much rather hear from the sports stars themselves who made the games what they are then some journo hack like yourself ripping on the stars!
As for Joey, he has the best mind in the game and his commentary is very good as he analyses the game. And Gus may be a tool, but you must admit he has a great understanding of the game.
I couldn’t even finish reading your article because you were trashing our stars too much! Grow up champ, you are making money off them, so why can’t they make a bit as well?
December 20th 2010 @ 7:54am
Brendan said | December 20th 2010 @ 7:54am | Report comment
Well said Dave
December 20th 2010 @ 8:18am
Danielle Warby said | December 20th 2010 @ 8:18am | Report comment
“I didn’t even finish reading your article…” – Says it all really
December 20th 2010 @ 9:15am
True Tah said | December 20th 2010 @ 9:15am | Report comment
Dave, Johns is an average commentator and very wooden.
December 20th 2010 @ 10:59am
David Heidelberg said | December 20th 2010 @ 10:59am | Report comment
Johns is a terrible commentator, Sterling and Gould provide insight, but Johns just wants to keep acting like a moron.
December 20th 2010 @ 2:54pm
sydboz said | December 20th 2010 @ 2:54pm | Report comment
I agree Dave with most of what you said other than the part about Joey.
December 20th 2010 @ 5:33pm
Football United said | December 20th 2010 @ 5:33pm | Report comment
gould is the biggest hack in the industry
December 20th 2010 @ 7:49am
Ratbag said | December 20th 2010 @ 7:49am | Report comment
The channel 9 cricket commentators are so much better than the ABC radio wannabees that it ain’t funny.
Roebuck, played 2nd grade cricket in England(which is about the standard we all played at, so what!?)
The ABC hires the commentators too small profile for tv, like O’Keefe, Lawson etc..
December 20th 2010 @ 8:19am
Tristan Rayner said | December 20th 2010 @ 8:19am | Report comment
Are you serious Ratbag?
The ABC (especially with Jonathan Agnew during the Ashes) is absolutely fantastic. Maxwell and Mitchell are astute callers, O’Keefe is insightful with added hilarity, Lawson has much knowledge on the game (and coached Pakistan so has many valuable insights), Roebuck is one of the most respected cricket writers around. I could go on.
The jokers on Nine are reactionaries and point out the obvious’ers. I respect Benaud, but the current crop of blokes they have are rarely un-mutable.
Interesting phenomenon that a few mates have observed though: Michael Slater on TV is no good, but when on Radio commentary he’s far more interesting and valuable. Perhaps the producers tell the TV commentators to pander to their perceived market?
December 20th 2010 @ 8:30am
Chris K said | December 20th 2010 @ 8:30am | Report comment
not to mention that laugh of Kerry’s
December 20th 2010 @ 1:03pm
Ratbag said | December 20th 2010 @ 1:03pm | Report comment
The ABC guys put me to sleep.
Really, compare Tony Grieg to Peter Roebuck. Now, honestly, who would you rather have round your place for a BBQ?
The prosecution rests it’s case.
December 21st 2010 @ 10:51am
Timmuh said | December 21st 2010 @ 10:51am | Report comment
And the court finds for the defence.
December 20th 2010 @ 8:46am
Grimmace said | December 20th 2010 @ 8:46am | Report comment
I couldn’t disagree with you more. My mates and I (all under 30) much prefer to listen to the cricket. Jim Maxwell is one of the most under rated commentatiors in the country and using some BBC commentators gives a different and high quality view on things.
I doubt people are going to watch the cricked because Shane Warne or some other former player is commentating. But they will turn off when the commentators are annoying and thats the affect a lot of 9 commentators have on my mates and I
December 20th 2010 @ 9:07am
Vinay Verma said | December 20th 2010 @ 9:07am | Report comment
Grimmace,your mates and yourself are one of the reasons cricket will survive. I mean test Cricket.
December 20th 2010 @ 11:56am
The_Wookie said | December 20th 2010 @ 11:56am | Report comment
Agreed Jim maxwell, Jonathon agnew, kerry – you have to love that laugh, tim lane – the ABC has done a stellar broadcast job over the years, I cant stand tv commentary, its all visuals and little substance.
December 20th 2010 @ 9:26am
Spencer said | December 20th 2010 @ 9:26am | Report comment
That is simply nonsense. Ratbag by name, and by wrote.
December 20th 2010 @ 9:48am
Mark Young said | December 20th 2010 @ 9:48am | Report comment
Hi Ratbag
I find that the ABC hires blokes that may or may not have played high level cricket but are very good at commentating.
As opposed to Nine which hires blokes that were very very good at cricket and may or may not be good at commentating.
I personally prefer ABC to Nine any time that Bill Lawry isn’t going right of his chops!
December 20th 2010 @ 1:07pm
Ratbag said | December 20th 2010 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
Am I the only one that finds Roebuck extremely annoying that when he states his opinion, he qualifies it with that annoying giggle?
You’d have the Nine brigade round your place anytime for a beer. A great bunch of blokes and characters. The ABC lot, you would be worried that they might frighten your animals.
December 20th 2010 @ 2:41pm
JF said | December 20th 2010 @ 2:41pm | Report comment
I think you’ll find you are very much in the minority Ratbag, the ABC commentary is the choice of any serious cricket fan. I would like to see the results of a survey of those wearing the sports ears at the ashes grounds, which coverage they prefer to tune in to, I know who I would have my money on.
December 20th 2010 @ 3:20pm
EP - Rugbywits said | December 20th 2010 @ 3:20pm | Report comment
I for one think the ABC commentary is much better than channel 9.
The stuff on 9 is usually a good 20mins behind any smart observation my mates or I will occasionally make about the game.
Mark Taylor is decent when he doesnt repeat himself. Shane Warne knows what he is talking about but unfortunately he will only arm himself with 1 point to rattle on about all day.
The guys on the ABC are great at ball by ball and also get enough colour in there to give the game context and also help you feel like you understand the finer points of whats happening.
My mates and I watch channel 9 with ABC running through the amp all the time.
Or for another left-field option there is always http://www.testmatchsofa.com . Its a bunch of poms that would definitely be good for a bbq if thats what you’re after. Its insightful rarely, but funny often.
December 20th 2010 @ 9:20am
Jason said | December 20th 2010 @ 9:20am | Report comment
Good article.
One of my pet peeves is ex-players on commentary teams who offer little or nil insight to the game from the professional athlete point of view. It should be a simple test; is what you’re saying adding to the picture? Given my sporting preferences, this is never more obvious than rugby, to which there would be three types of commentators. Well four, but one of them would never get a gig (apart from Gordon Bray…)
Ex player, poor commentator. This, unfortunately, is all too common. I’d list examples, but replies can only be so long. That they may have been a brilliant player is irrelevant, their job is to provide commentary: Insightful analysis and opportunities that the camera angle presently may not be showing. Instead I’m bombarded with the ignorant, jingoistic warblings of patriotic drum beaters. To make matters worse is their baffling ignorance of the laws of the game. How can someone who played the game at the highest level have absolutely no clue? The hypocrisy I might be able to put up with, but these clowns are little more than lowest common denominator cheer leaders. The worst of it is merely telling me what I can plainly see on the television. If only Fox Sports was advanced enough to let me determine which of the available commentary teams I wanted to listen to. Thank goodness for the Alternative Rugby Commentary.
Ex player, good commentator. Rare as rocking horse …. Excellent example is Rod Kafer. His insights would make some coaches look they wear helmets when riding on the bus. He should be cloned while Marto and Kearnsey get sent to the knackers. The unfortunate passing of John Drake took another of these rare gems.
Non player, good commentator. Unfortunately rare given the proclivities of production teams to shove “names” into seats with a microphone. Resembling a diamond coming out of a rising tide at Bondi before they built the new sewage pipe, look no further than Tony Johnson. Fair, insightful and entertaining.
The last two categories have an ability to elevate the coverage, praising good play from either team as fans of the game first and foremost.
December 20th 2010 @ 9:37am
SamSport said | December 20th 2010 @ 9:37am | Report comment
Yeah I agree. John Drake is a great example, wasn’t just there because he’d played a few tests and won a world cup, but actually gave magnificent insight into the game – especially the scrums. I’d learn something nearly every time I heard him commentate, and he’d always try and offer an explanation into why certain things were occurring scrum time. Wish Phil Kearns could be more like that.
December 20th 2010 @ 9:22am
SamSport said | December 20th 2010 @ 9:22am | Report comment
Good article Alan and I completely agree with you. I do however think there is a major difference between a retired player and one still playing. I don’t think i have ever read an article by a current player in any sport that didn’t bore me to tears. I don’t even bother reading them anymore – all they do is repeat the party line and resort to tired clichés. There are a few ex-players that I don’t mind reading, I always enjoy reading Richard Loe in the NZ Herald, and don’t mind some of Mark Ella’s comments in the Australian.
December 20th 2010 @ 9:49am
Mark Young said | December 20th 2010 @ 9:49am | Report comment
I agree SamSport, there are definately some ex and current players that write very interesting pieces.
December 20th 2010 @ 10:15am
GC Bulletin said | December 20th 2010 @ 10:15am | Report comment
Have to agree with author’s claims re Channel 9′s rugby league coverage and SamSport
Fittler is good for a few unintentional laughs, a bit like Brick from Anchorman (remember him dropping the s word one coverage?) but as far as insight into the game goes him and A Johns are lacking. Ok, they might have great ‘footballing brains’ but their ability to communicate what their superiorfootballing brains are seeing to the audience is poor, wooden , boring. The fact that A Johns is a consultant for every second club in the league doesn’t help his ability to be constructively critical of teams and players.
Gould offers great insight in a panel scenario, but when calling the actual game he continues to go off the deep end over trivial matters (refs calls, scrums etc) and engage in mock arguments with Rabs (who too has allowed senility to creep into his calls).
As for the newspaper columns they really are just ghost written rubbish, it really is just filler. Shane Webcke, who actually aspired to be a jounalist in his younger days, used to write some decent stuff in Big League.
Short of it is that current players are very reluctant to bag anything, which is fair enough as they should be more concerned on just playing the game. Sadly many ex-players carry this “everyone is a great bloke’ sentiment into their fast-tracked journalism careers, leading to a multitude of bland articles and analysis.
December 20th 2010 @ 10:29am
Tristan Rayner said | December 20th 2010 @ 10:29am | Report comment
Great reply GC Bulletin, summed up my thoughts. Unfortunately the celebrity element is why these companies choose a poor commentator but a big name.
Fox Sports are an interesting example. Ross Aloisi is .. umm… ‘learning’, yet on the other hand, (when being serious) Mark Bosnich is actually very good, especially with ‘keeping knowledge (as is to be expected).
Some stars can be good journalists. It’s just that most likely, they aren’t, and they’re being used for star power alone, with a healthy dose of jobs for the boys thrown in.
December 20th 2010 @ 12:57pm
Springs said | December 20th 2010 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
Ah yes, trivial matters like referee decisions…
I don’t care how many university qualifications a journalist has, I would rather someone like Gould or Johns provide bias, bland, boring commentry instead of some nobody who wasn’t good enough provide bias, bland and boring commentry.
December 20th 2010 @ 1:04pm
Jason said | December 20th 2010 @ 1:04pm | Report comment
Whereas I’d prefer commentary that wasn’t biased, bland or boring…
December 20th 2010 @ 10:26am
Roarchild said | December 20th 2010 @ 10:26am | Report comment
In regards to WFN, Kalac and Zdrillic aren’t great (Foster and Zelic are entertaining ex players though) but the host is a professional journalist without a playing background….I think he’s gotten better but he wasn’t exaclty doing a fantastic job either.
December 20th 2010 @ 11:12am
Brett McKay said | December 20th 2010 @ 11:12am | Report comment
Great piece Alan, agree with you wholeheartedly. Fortunately, in The Roar, we have an alternate method of getting our sports fix, and I feel that the balance of columnists and citizen journalists means we all get a better handle on what people really thing about what’s going on in our favourite sports..
December 20th 2010 @ 11:50am
Colin N said | December 20th 2010 @ 11:50am | Report comment
“In rugby league, high-profile NRL players such as Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Lote Tuqiri and Mark Gasnier have provided uninsightful features and opinion pieces for major newspaper outlets like The Daily Telegraph, The Sun Herald and Sunday Telegraph respectively.”
I suspect that most of those are ghost written.
December 20th 2010 @ 1:05pm
Jason said | December 20th 2010 @ 1:05pm | Report comment
Most certainly. Written with an eloquence that is at odds with their verbal communication.
December 20th 2010 @ 11:59am
Alan Nicolea said | December 20th 2010 @ 11:59am | Report comment
Totally agree Brett.. as always.