Some NBC announcers have got to go

I did hear Montano, who probably thought she was off mic, apologizing for not giving Hutchins enough space to talk on a transition.

that's why I'm watching a polish stream on Fomny TV. i recommend

les myles wrote:

Tim Hutchins - Great. The other guy is also good but these other women have got to go. I just saw a South Korean high jumper clear a height and the woman said, “ It’s always good to do well in front of the home crowd.” Another called Isaiah Jewett, Isaiah Giles in the 800 semi.

Talking over Hutchins, used worn out phrases, the list goes on and on.

The Olympics deserve better commentators. These women (Richards Ross, Montoya, Carter) we’re all great athletes but they are not adding a thing to the broadcast and are in fact making it difficult to watch.

While I agree with you, it’s not the ladies’ fault they get thrust into announcing with little to no experience in broadcasting whatsoever…I’m sure it’s good NBC money they’re being offered.

At some points it’s downright awful commentating…Start with canning the executive producer first..they should know better.

I have to agree on the announcing. In the Womens 800m round 1, the guy asked about Wilson (5th on the rail with 150m to go and boxed in) and the woman said, "She's where she wants to be."

Yeah, two runners on the rail in front of her and a runner to her outside and slightly ahead of her. As an 800m runner, you don't want to be boxed in and at the mercy of the moves of your opponents to get clear.

The 100m semis had the same problem. Calling the wrong athlete in front at 40m happened over and over.

I think it's time to put Lewis Johnson out to pasture. On broadcasts of summer 2021 meets he often mis-identified runners during races and laughed it off when corrected. His handling of the interview of the US mixed 4x400 team immediately after their heat was inappropriate.

I can't believe I'm writing this but I would prefer more Kara Goucher. Heck, even the field events. She couldn't be worse than the woman who is doing it. Try her out in the Lewis Johnson role. She has a knack for it.

I watched events (Women's rugby, field hockey, basketball), where there is only one announcer. Not great, but tolerable.

Little did we know that Kara Goucher would be the best woman on the broadcast.

If I hear Michelle Carter ever try to announce PV again I am going to lose my mind. She doesn’t know anything about the sport. Not sure how you have ever been to one track meet ever and know less about PV. She was talking about them not making it over the “board”

might the problem be that they feel forced to put a woman on television?

this is the problem with affirmative action type stuff.

or maybe there are no good men available anyway. just seems strange that their is always a woman with the male play by play...

maybe im imagining it.

It's Harder should announce all the field events and now that swimming is over give Roody Gaines the mic, he will make any race sound great.

Need more info now wrote:

If I hear Michelle Carter ever try to announce PV again I am going to lose my mind. She doesn’t know anything about the sport. Not sure how you have ever been to one track meet ever and know less about PV. She was talking about them not making it over the “board”

Right there with you!

She knows so little that I assume NBC dumped it on her at the last minute and she had no time to prepare. At least I have to give her that benefit of the doubt because it is so bad. She is not even offering great insight I expect in the women's shot put. We know she knows that event inside and out........please share!

A vaulter looked tired and slow late in prelims. He didn't penetrate and came up short. Michelle: "He hit the bar."

Yikes. Sounds horrific. I have been enjoying the CBC stream, although the replay versions that I have been watching are not the typical CBC announcers - who are pretty good too, typically ( I think Michael Smith and somebody else decent). I think on the CBC replays it is the British guy who normally announces the diamond league meets, along with an Australian ex-400 m fenale runner named Jane-something? She is fantastic. Extremely articulate and knowledgeable. For example, even even though she is a 400 m runner, she was making various astite comments about discus, of all things. Even the excellent British guy typically just comments on how strong and powerful they are. She was actually pointing out errors and strength in their technique. I was extremely impressed. In fact, I love all Australian track-and-field commentators that I have heard. They are extremely well spoken and knowledgeable for the most part. Even the American guy who is commentating with the British and Australian announcer has some track-and-field experience, being a 2.2 m ex high jumper. He says some stupid things, but hes not bad over all.

Sounds like the US stream is a disaster.

there are a lot of current and former coaches as well current and former multi event athletes who have an amazing depth of knowledge in almost every event. there is no excuse for what they are serving to us.

Need more info now wrote:

Little did we know that Kara Goucher would be the best woman on the broadcast.

I cringed when I heard Kara Goucher as the bell was rung for the last lap of the men’s 10000m. She sounded like she was way too excited and not genuine. Just an observation. I suppose it is not easy to please everybody.

Watching the broadcast on the USA channel is embarrassing indeed. Alysia Montano has been just dreadful and Michelle Carter is clearly out of her depth in color commentary.

The producers must accept responsibility for the poor “ talent”.

I do recognize the difficulties of having the announcing team in different locations.. for instance Tim is in London working with Alysia who is somewhere in the US, probably in NBC, Connecticut. I suspect Michelle is similarly in the US as is Bill Spaulding who will always be remembered for crediting Athing Mu as being from Ethiopia and not Sudan not to mention Athing is from Trenton, New Jersey.

I know that most Americans are in the dark ages when it comes to creative and expansive use of the internet, but if you have explored the fabulous world of VPNs, set your computer to 'Canada', and then go to

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1921097283747

at about the time the Monday morning session in Tokyo starts (for today, it's at about 7pm, CDT on Sunday).

This will bring you non-stop track for the entire session with a fantastic commentary team put together by the IOC on its Olympic Broadcast System (OBS). The team includes two Brits, one American, and one Aussie (Jane Flemming, former heptathlete and hurdler). The commentary is brilliant, totally unscripted, and in the case of the field events, quite informative because both John Trower and Flemming offer critical assessment of much of the action.

Full disclosure: Have your beer and chips ready before the session starts because the very few commercials which come are only about ten seconds in length.

I've used this Olympic coverage since the very first day, and I have no intention of trying to find NBC.

Thanks for this!

I watched this today and thouught it was terrific. John Andersen (of ESPN, former HJer I believe) is the American. He's a knowlegable fan.

Highly recommend this feed.

Bring back Curt Gowdy....

The full announcing team for the OBS stream are Brits Ron Walker and John Trower, American John Anderson, and Australian Jane Flemming.

Trower is Steve Backley's old coach in the javelin, and if his work yesterday is any indication, you can be sure to get lots of technical information today in the men's hammer throw qualifying round. He'll have 35 minutes before the women's 1500 heats start, plus some time in between those heats.