There’s so much nonsense talked these days about ‘diversity’, isn’t there? Politically correct Greenie types shooting their mouths off without even bothering to get all the facts.
Like people who’ve criticised Channel Nine’s commentary team for the upcoming Ashes series for being all-male. What these hasty killjoys didn’t realise when they made their ill-judged comments was that Channel Nine has a policy that happens to necessitate the team having this makeup.
The policy is very simple: the network insists, as per this article, that “only those who have played in the event being broadcast can commentate on it”.
You see? No conspiracy, no boys’ club, no entrenched culture of sexism. Just a simple policy: if you didn’t play in it, you con’t commentate on it.
It’s a policy to bring only the most insightful of analysis to each sporting event. For example, in the Ashes, the viewer benefits from insider knowledge, thanks to the experience of commentators like Test veteran Mark Nicholas, whose long career playing in hard-fought Ashes battles gives him a unique perspective on the game.
The important thing is that the policy that restricts commentary of events to those who have played in them, like Nicholas, is applied equally consistently across all of Nine’s sporting events.
Former Test openers Mark Nicholas and Mark Taylor (AAP Image/Chris Scott)
For example, anyone tuning in to the Women’s Ashes last night could hear the measured tones of legends Ian Healy, Michael Clarke and Mark Taylor, all hardened veterans of Women’s Ashes past, and some of the greatest women cricketers of all time. So it’s only natural that if commentary on women’s cricket is restricted to former great women cricketers like Healy, Clarke and Taylor, commentary on men’s cricket is restricted to luminaries of the men’s game.
And of course the policy applies to other sports too. Look at rugby league, where for decades fans have thrilled to the emotive commentary of Ray Warren, whose take on the greatest game of all is informed by his long and distinguished career in first-grade rugby league.
Indeed, Nine got lucky with Warren, as the fact that he was both a star league player and an elite Olympic swimmer means he can commentate with skill and insight on both sports for the network.
Former rugby league star Ray Warren. (AAP Image/Jason McCormack)
Of course, Warren can’t call every game: that’s why Nine has excellent backup options too, like Ray Hadley, whose wealth of rugby league knowledge was built over a near-peerless NRL playing record.
The really important thing about Nine’s policy is not just that it is adhered to with rigorous consistency, but it is at heart just an excellent policy, if you want the highest quality of sports broadcasting.
It’s only a pity other networks don’t have the same policy. If Seven, for example, had implemented a policy of ex-players only for its AFL coverage, we would have been spared all those dreadful years of listening to hacks like Dennis Cometti and Bruce MacAvaney, instead being able to enjoy the brilliant calls of true experts like Brian Taylor and Dwayne Russell.
Imagine how much more pleasant watching rugby union would’ve been down the years, if the commentary had been led by the erudite Chris Handy rather than known blunderer Gordon Bray.
And who doesn’t long to see Simon Hill forcibly removed from all soccer broadcasts, replaced by Craig Foster? It would finally redress the terrible injustice that saw Les Murray allowed to commentate for so many years despite never being so much as a substitute in the NSL.
So rather than pillorying Channel Nine for what might seem on the surface a stultifying insistence on living in the past, let’s applaud them, for their dedication to sport, their commitment to excellence, and most of all their total absence of blatant hypocrisy.
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
I know, I hate it when people sound more intelligent than me as well....
Big Daddy
Guest
All we need now is Ponting in the commentary box and we can have the three stooges - Clarke, Warne and Ponting.
Duncan Smith
Guest
The Australian cricket team is sexist too. It's almost all white males. To achieve real diversity, the team should contain suitable quotas of women, LGBT, and non-white members, along with other marginalised groups. The ability to play cricket is a secondary goal. The most important thing is to impose gender studies on every area of life. Because gender studies IS life.
Duncan Smith
Guest
Hooray - let's get identity politics into cricket! Cricket is a white supremacist sport played only by white men, especially in the most powerful cricket nation, India.
brains of a bimbo
Guest
i hope your left wing politics doesnt ruin sports like it has everything else
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Thanks Andrew for proving Ben’s Point.
Mark
Guest
How stupid are you arthur?
fp11
Guest
This.
bobburra
Guest
Today, 1st. over after 3rd. ball the dulcet tones of Mark Taylor, "there is a long way to go in this game". No kidding. Then a little later England are 1/6,made of prods here and there, Taylor again after a cracking drive through the covers for 4, 'that's the shot of the day". Hello, at 1/6 it would be pretty obvious would it not.? And these people are "the best cricket commentators" that channel 9 give us. Thank god for the ABC.
bigbaz
Roar Guru
Mate, I love your articles, but I love even more the posters who believe you. You're going off on Facebook too.
qwetzen
Guest
Partial Solution: cricket.com.au have four live streaming audio options. So when, sayyy M Waugh or Dim Maxwell come on you can change stations.
qwetzen
Guest
And Ma Taylor. And Slater. And Clarke.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
When was the last time Mark Nicholas played test cricket?
The FatMan
Roar Rookie
Ch9 visuals + ABC audio is the way. Not sure the problem is the commentary members (besides the lack of diversity) but more the direction of conversation that the producers push. You'd think that there's enough senior members interested in upholding the standard that was in place with Richie at the helm.
Grindalsphere
Guest
Channel 9 should be investigated by the federal government for lack of of equal opportunity. If the NFL, one of the more macho sports, can manage a 25% female commentators on most games why can't cricket? Tubby Taylor is the worst commentator in the history of sport because, although he is fairly bright, he acts stupidly regularly to make himself seem more down to earth. Micheal Clarke lacks command of the English language. The whole group is a massive misogynistic boys club that i only listen too because 9 and Telstra combine to hinder all other broadcasters (why is ABC radio digital on a thirty second delay?). Keep Healy and Chappell (both of whom keep themselves above the hi jinks of the other commentators), add 2-3 women and 2-3 internationals and you may get something worth listening to. Until then, Australia is made dumber by listening to this group......
Big Daddy
Guest
Every ex cricketer thinks that he can be an instant media commentator when he retires. I want to see katich and Clarke in the box together and I see Ricky Ponting in another ad I think I will neck myself.
GWSINGAPORE
Guest
Ben forgot one of Ray Warren's other strings in his bow. Riding Tulloch to victory in the 1961 Brisbane Cup.
Johnno
Guest
channel 9 seem to oppose women calling men's cricket matches, and want to make there current commentators feel comfortable by just having men. They should ignore the boys club whinging commentators who only want men commentating on men's game and put females there, it's very masculine and mysgonstic are the channel 9 commentators and women and feminism should invade there commentary box, the old boys club at channel 9 just have to get over it that women should be included commentating on men's games..
Jimbob
Guest
I was just about to fire up about this article. Now I get it...
Andrew Pengelly
Guest
Sarcasm is ok, there's no shortage of it on the Roar, but some digs are just unwarranted and completely off topic. Bagging the channel 9 commentary is a passtime I'm capable of indulging in as well as the next bloke, but why cloud the article with such cultural sterotyping?