Sky Sports pundits

[Deleted member 18645]

I was doing the first regular season NFL game at Wembley in 2007 between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins. Some renta-tits from Sky Sports News came over about to present a piece and asked us which team was which. Mike Carlson of Channel 5 quickly replied "The Dolphins have NY on their helmets as those are the initials of their owner". Dumb blonde walks off about to repeat it to camera in front of a load of Miami players. We did all laugh including the regular Sky NFL presenters.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Men buy more pints in a pub when there is a sexy barmaid,I suspect it’s all about numbers watching.

Myself personally I like someone who’s been there and done it.

Thing is tho mate some of em are right dogs.

And to think Sky let Abdo & Sawyer go 😫

 

[Rlburnside]

Thing is tho mate some of em are right dogs.

And to think Sky let Abdo & Sawyer go 😫

Crass, that's someone's daughter your speaking about.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Crass, that's someone's daughter your speaking about.

But Abdo & Sawyer’s parents would be proud 🤷‍♂️

 

[TheDiablo]

Grant85, being a good player doesn't make you a good manager, a good pundit or in fact anything else other than a good player. That may be all you can do, not a bad thing though! My point is that the pundit role in sports, up to this point, has been held by people who HAVE been at the top level, who have the credibility. Players who don't make good pundits should get rooted out, there are plenty out there ready to step in.

The pundits we have now will hopefully get their points across well but you also know that they have been out there in similar circumstances, they are elevated above the standard, normal fan. If you want to bring in professional pundits, non players, then that is fine but at the moment it comes out as tokenism.

Jenas, Kilbane, Redknapp, Hartson, Savage - all incredibly average players, and completely vanilla pundits rolling out the same lines year on year (other than Savage who is just tosh). I don't think these guys hold much credibility personally, certainly not been at the top level.

You've then got good players who are terrible pundits, Owen, Sutton, Keown etc. They're so bad at punditry they don't hold any credibility either.

Finally you've those who are scarily biased, Phil Thompson, Souness etc - again reducing credibility.

There has to be room for your so called 'tokenism' - it's already raising the standard beyond the catchphrase punditry style we get all the time.

 

[Wolf]

If including more women pundits is a token gesture then let's have more of it.

Football pundits have rolled out the same dross for years because of who they are. The female ones I've seen recently have been honest, unbiased, knowledgeable and made interesting points so that's a win for me.

With golf again it's great to see them involved, you don't need to have played top level to have good understanding of what you see in front of you and to be able to put that in to words in a manner we all understand.

I liken it to Butch Harmon, Denis Pugh etc not top level players but top level coaches who top players listen to to improve their performance is that any different to us listening so someone that hasn't been a top player as a pundit! Of they're eloquent, knowledge is sound and good to listen to that's all that matters.

Flip it around try listening to John E Morgan commentate he has been there and my god is he dull.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The credibilty comes from having played at PL or top division level. They may not be the best in the world but they have been in the dressing rooms, they have been on the pitch in the top division of English football. All of the names quoted by Diablo have been. When they tell you that something should have happened or why something happened it is because they have been there

The female footballers can not relate to that top level, no more than a local amateur footballer because that is about the level they are at. They can not give that extra depth, that extra knowledge. It is happening in cricket as well. How can a female player talk about what it is like to have faced a true quick bowler, the cauldron it creates, when around 70mph is the maximum they face? I've faced plenty of bowlers quicker than that at club level. It's a credibility gap for me but things are moving that way so I accept I will have to get used to it, or mute the volume .

I happen to agree that the names quoted are pretty dross, I like Hartson actually so I will excuse him from your list. Robbie Savage is absolutely stealing a living imo, worst of the lot, but that is down to the broadcaster to change them.

Question, if next midweek set of fixtures the panel was Charlie Nicholas, Matt le Tissier, Phil Thompson and Billy Davies (recently retired after 15yrs playing at Gateshead) would anyone look at Billy and think what the heck are you doing there? No matter what he said that is still the question people would be thinking.

 

[HughJars]

The credibilty comes from having played at PL or top division level. They may not be the best in the world but they have been in the dressing rooms, they have been on the pitch in the top division of English football. All of the names quoted by Diablo have been. When they tell you that something should have happened or why something happened it is because they have been there

Thing is they are really bad at it, it's statements of the obvious that anyone whose ever played for any team could come out with - and by that I mean any amateur or sunday league team.

You won't see it because you're in England, but the best 3 pundits in the UK right now are all on BBC Scotland, and miles ahead of the satellite channels - Michael Stewart, Steven Thomson & Willie Miller. There's actual insight, there's intelligence behind the comments, and there's rarely a cliche.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Thing is they are really bad at it, it's statements of the obvious that anyone whose ever played for any team could come out with - and by that I mean any amateur or sunday league team.

You won't see it because you're in England, but the best 3 pundits in the UK right now are all on BBC Scotland, and miles ahead of the satellite channels - Michael Stewart, Steven Thomson & Willie Miller. There's actual insight, there's intelligence behind the comments, and there's rarely a cliche.

My favourite is Martin O' Neill. Unfortunately he only comes on during World Cups. Shame as he is both insightful and very funny, often unintentionally.

 

[Piece]

I like a pundit that is a balance between pro insight and a fan insight. Too many of the pundits only see it from the pro side.

 

[HughJars]

My favourite is Martin O' Neill. Unfortunately he only comes on during World Cups. Shame as he is both insightful and very funny, often unintentionally.

Good shout!