Would football be more enjoyable without commentators?

OleBoiii

New Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2019
Messages
6,021
I'm probably in the minority, but I think it would...

I was watching a match the other day. Due to technical difficulties the sound from the commentators was gone for 5 minutes or so. This wasn't a new experience, but it reminded me of something I've been thinking for quite some time: football is best when you only hear the sounds from the stadium and the game itself. With commentators gone, the only thing I'd miss is information about things happening off screen.
 

stubie

Full Member
Joined
May 13, 2009
Messages
9,683
Location
UK
Any football match is fine to listen to so long as the following aren’t on co commentary

McManaman
Jenas
Redknapp
Murphy
P.Neville
 

Brightonian

Full Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2012
Messages
14,090
Location
Juanderlust
I've always thought this, and was chuffed to hear Amazon Prime offer a 'stadium noise only' option on their new streamed games. Thought I was set for life... but actually I found it oddly distracting. I think I'm just too accustomed to it, for all that 95% of commentators drive me barmy.
 

dove

New Member
Joined
May 15, 2013
Messages
7,899
No, not sure how could you survive 2 hours watching a game from some stadium with dead atmosphere. I personally don't like BT commentators and always watch NBC as I quite like the commentators they got there.
 

Grinner

Not fat gutted. Hirsuteness of shoulders TBD.
Staff
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
72,287
Location
I love free dirt and rocks!
Supports
Arsenal
I like commentary, I fecking loathe inane drivel, pointless stats, and matey back-slapping with the colour men.

Bring back Barry Davies.
 

horsechoker

The Caf's Roy Keane.
Joined
Apr 16, 2015
Messages
51,381
Location
The stable
I think the option to turn off the commentary should be present however I prefer to have it on. I can cope without it, I've watched games without the sound and I've watched games with commentary in languages I don't speak.
 

Josep Dowling

Full Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
Messages
7,622
Prefer commentary but the combination of Ian Darke and McManaman is unbearable and more often than not they let McManaman commentate our European games.
 

mu4c_20le

Full Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
42,729
Yes and no. It's like watching a movie without subtitles, you are forced to pay closer attention because the information is no longer hand fed to you. But it's tedious when done often, unless you really enjoy analyzing the tactics. We watch it for the entertainment after all, and the emotion from the commentators adds to it
 

Florida Man

Cartoon expert and crap superhero
Joined
Jan 24, 2014
Messages
13,863
Location
Florida, man
When Fox Sports used to have rights to CL matches, their streaming service had options for no commentary. It was actually kind of nice.
 

WR10

Correctly predicted France to win World Cup 2018
Joined
Jul 19, 2009
Messages
5,644
Location
Dream
Whoever it is at NBC gold or whatever that channel is - they’re an atrocious couple. Infuriating to listen to because they consistently shove their aggressive opinions on matters and some of them are just flat out wrong and absurd. Constantly get it wrong on calling fouls on replays/VAR as well. It’s hard to listen to when there’s no one setting them straight in all the bullshit they’re spitting
 

Grinner

Not fat gutted. Hirsuteness of shoulders TBD.
Staff
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
72,287
Location
I love free dirt and rocks!
Supports
Arsenal
Whoever it is at NBC gold or whatever that channel is - they’re an atrocious couple. Infuriating to listen to because they consistently shove their aggressive opinions on matters and some of them are just flat out wrong and absurd. Constantly get it wrong on calling fouls on replays/VAR as well. It’s hard to listen to when there’s no one setting them straight in all the bullshit they’re spitting

Arlo White and Lee Dixon?

Both fecking awful.
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

Gullible
Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Messages
21,623
Location
The Mathews Bridge
The games on Amazon were great as you could turn the commentary off. Felt like the next best thing to being at the game. Love hearing the crowd reaction and the ball fizz against the net when a goal goes in, instead of hearing a hysterical commentator feigning excitement.

Commentators are now often accompanied by 2 co-commentators. It's just overkill, not to mention a lot of them to display a great level of bias towards former club and whatnot. I hope it becomes an option to turn it off on all platforms eventually.
 

fps

Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Messages
5,478
I also really like the Amazon stadium only option, much better.
 

TwoSheds

More sheds (and tiles) than you, probably
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
12,741
I think the main problem is British commentators. I love listening to Spanish or Latin American commentary.

But yes I'd happily just have music playing rather than listen to Motson, Townsend, Lawrenson, Hargreaves, Tyler and all the other boring plonkers we've been subjected to over the years.
 

ArjenIsM3

Full Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2015
Messages
5,633
Location
Netherlands
The commentators on here in NL are always very negative about the club, always ridiculing the likes of Fred and Maguire because of how much we've paid for them, etc. It's infuriating. When we played Brugge it was especially annoying because the commentator was so pro Brugge you'd think we were playing a Dutch club instead.
 

stu_1992

Full Member
Joined
May 8, 2013
Messages
4,856
Location
Ireland
Can't say I've missed it too much when I've been watching live in the stadium. Obviously you miss replays a bit more there for the full story. Living in France has meant I watch United games with French commentary, so I mostly tune it out and it certainly hasn't impacted my enjoyment. And I get the benefit of not having commentators sell me some story of the game.

However I do think commentary can certainly add to the excitement of a big moment. It can make it feel a little extra special so it's not completely without its merits.
 

Liver_bird

Full Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Messages
6,683
Location
England
Supports
Liverpool
The problem is the commentators themselves. Likes of Macca etc are horrible, the amazon prime bunch were far better just called the game as it was with no agendas and no narratives. With sky and bt they’re always getting in little digs about something or the other. That’s their commentary style.

What do you do about it though really? Even if prime takes off the likelihood is some of the current lot will be taken over there eventually too. I will say it again, I really can’t stand macmannaman and he’s on every European game for English teams it gets to the point where you can’t even tune it out and is extremely off putting in trying to concentrate on the game.

Yeah the mute button is there people don’t pay money to have to mute the channel cause of how bad the coverage is.
 

Dante

Average bang
Joined
Oct 22, 2010
Messages
25,280
Location
My wit's end
The only thing I want to hear from a commentator is the name of the player on the ball. If it could be done by some kind of graphic rather than commentary, then all the better.
 

lsd

The Oracle
Joined
Jun 5, 2016
Messages
10,784
Had a good stream for todays game with foriegn commentary so turned the sound off and enjoyed the game probably more.

It was refreshing to not get annoyed at some of the absolute nonsense most UK commentators spout every game
 

tenpoless

Full Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2014
Messages
16,180
Location
Fabinho's forehead
Depends on the commentators. If someday They make a Premier League app to stream matches (or maybe They did it already?), I hope there will be "mute commentary" feature.
 
Last edited:

Charles Miller

Full Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Messages
3,046
In South America they are part of the show. And there is a guy named Mariano Closs, who apparently is the only commentator in all spanish speaking countries in the region.
 

BillyJoel

Liverpool Fan
Newbie
Joined
Mar 6, 2014
Messages
178
Location
Bogotá, Colombia
Supports
Liverpool, Hansa Rostock
In South America they are part of the show. And there is a guy named Mariano Closs, who apparently is the only commentator in all spanish speaking countries in the region.
Not exactly, he's the commentator for Fox Sports. There's plenty others in ESPN, DirecTV and so on. He's quite good and well known, though.
 

HaliRed

Full Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2017
Messages
195
Location
Halifax, Canada
Play by play commentator is a must for me, and adds to the enjoyment most of the time...

...Colour commentators on the other hand can go take a flying leap. Completely unnecessary!
 

stevoc

Full Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
19,836
If the commentators are Owen, Keown and Tyler then definitely yes.

I can happily watch matches with russian or portuguese commentary and enjoy it, i wouldn't miss commentators much at all. I wish all channels gave us the option to turn them off.
 

ivaldo

Mediocre Horse Whisperer, s'up wid chew?
Joined
Nov 15, 2012
Messages
28,699
Any football match is fine to listen to so long as the following aren’t on co commentary

McManaman
Jenas
Redknapp
Murphy
P.Neville
Jenas is alright. Where's Hoddle though? Explaining to you exactly what you just saw.
 

Adamsk7

Full Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
Messages
2,699
I quite like it tbh, even the shit they talk about sometimes. Today the NBC guys were talking about Troy Deeney’s avocado smoothie diet and it did make me chuckle, more in the “what the feck are these guys talking about?” Than anything else.
 

Sad Chris

New Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Messages
1,641
I'm probably in the minority, but I think it would...

I was watching a match the other day. Due to technical difficulties the sound from the commentators was gone for 5 minutes or so. This wasn't a new experience, but it reminded me of something I've been thinking for quite some time: football is best when you only hear the sounds from the stadium and the game itself. With commentators gone, the only thing I'd miss is information about things happening off screen.
I totally agree. If I can‘t watch a game only with stadium audio, I rather watch it without sound. I feel like it‘s the only way not to be influenced by good or bad commentary. Then I can see and judge for myself without being swayed in one direction or another.

If some of you haven‘t done it before, you should really give it a go. It‘s a different experience. Some will think it sucks, but I love it.

I should add that I‘m talking about United. I usually have commentary on watching other teams, because I usually do something else on the side watching other games.
 

baskinginthesun

Full Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
1,102
I quite like it tbh, even the shit they talk about sometimes. Today the NBC guys were talking about Troy Deeney’s avocado smoothie diet and it did make me chuckle, more in the “what the feck are these guys talking about?” Than anything else.
That was a bit weird. Then Danny Higginbotham got accused of having that smoothie by the main guy and almost got offended by it.

I do like arguing with commentators though. Adds to the excitement sometimes. I mean, I know they cannot hear me but, it's fun to argue still.
 

Cantonagotmehere

Full Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2015
Messages
3,316
Location
Charm City, MD
Without freaking Arlo and Le Seaux (sp?). They make my ears bleed. I like your classic British announces, better than any sports announcers I hear in the States. (Besides Romo)