Why isn't Michael Johnson (ex 400m World/ Oly champion/World record holder) on US TV commentating athletics?

He's too good for US TV

He's been working for the BBC during championships for so long, he'll have a pretty sweet contract. He'd have to want to sit in a studio in Manchester to talk about Commonwealth Games track action happening on the other side of the world for Britain's day time TV viewers..

If it is true that Alan Shearer can pull in around half a million working for the BBC, the mind boggles at what a former sports person who has won things and is good at televsion could negotiate.

Don't know why - but I'm glad that he isn't! He is the only redeeming feature of the BBC's athletics coverage at the moment.

Because he would rather work for a competent network and an educated audience with a real athletics circuit throughout the summer. That Ato Boldrn has earned the reputation he has says a lot about US audiences.

I'd love to see him team up with Ato Bolden on NBC. Everyone else SUCKS

bloviating wrote:

Because he would rather work for a competent network and an educated audience with a real athletics circuit throughout the summer. That Ato Boldrn has earned the reputation he has says a lot about US audiences.

What's wrong with Ato?

asians are awesome wrote:

bloviating wrote:

Because he would rather work for a competent network and an educated audience with a real athletics circuit throughout the summer. That Ato Boldrn has earned the reputation he has says a lot about US audiences.

What's wrong with Ato?

He's too short

His agent first went to NBC but IIRC NBC wanted too much in terms of exclusivity. The BBC's terms were a much better fit for him.

He's a great analyst, very thoughtful and insightful and the BBC group lets him talk at length.

asians are awesome wrote:

bloviating wrote:

Because he would rather work for a competent network and an educated audience with a real athletics circuit throughout the summer. That Ato Boldrn has earned the reputation he has says a lot about US audiences.

What's wrong with Ato?

MJ might be better, but Ato is good enough. That event area is not the one in most need of new talent over at NBC.

Maybe he did not want to be required to do a bunch of special human interest story reporting.

Maybe he did not want to dumb down the commentary, such as

"400 meters is about 1/4 mile."

"Women run the same distance as the men."

"Athletes will run one lap around the track"

"Athletes must stay in their lane for the entire race."

Also, since the BBC covers far more Athletics competitions than NBC, his contract is likely much bigger since he is actually working on a regular basis.

jonnyjinlondon wrote:

Why isn't Michael Johnson - one of the most brilliant 400m runners to have ever existed - commentating on US TV? I ask because, though he is American, I consistently see him on the BBC commentating for the athletics (currently commentating the Commonwealth Games athletics). He is FAR superior to the (quite agonisingly bad) athletics commentary you hear on the US networks. He is fluent, gifted with speaking around the technical aspects of running, and gives some great insights. He is also critical where he should be, and brings up some excellent points around training and athlete's lifestyles, as a former champion runner. Just love this guy.

The US networks need to pick this guy up. to replace the idiots that currently commentate on US TV!

First of all, track and field is still more popular in the UK than the USA, despite being nowhere near as popular in the 80's and before. The BBC can afford to pay him more than American broadcasters. Even though the BBC is not a commercial channel, every person in the UK with a TV has to pay the BBC a 'licence fee'. On top of that, it gets additional funding from the government. And the BBC is infamous for paying its (male) presenters inflated salaries.

The BBC is also the most politically correct broadcaster outside of North Korea. It requires to have a black sprinter as one of the presenters, and Colin Jackson doesn't quite cover all the bases as a hurdler, and anyway, he's there more for being a gay athlete. What suitable BBM sprinting star has the BBC to choose from? Linford Christie is forever untouchable because of his drugs test failure. Nobody else from the UK comes close to star value and 'authority' as MJ.

MJ and Paula on the BBC is too funny for obvious reasons

gog;jk;bjnn/ wrote:

He's been working for the BBC during championships for so long, he'll have a pretty sweet contract. He'd have to want to sit in a studio in Manchester to talk about Commonwealth Games track action happening on the other side of the world for Britain's day time TV viewers..

If it is true that Alan Shearer can pull in around half a million working for the BBC, the mind boggles at what a former sports person who has won things and is good at televsion could negotiate.

Alan Shearer will be paid far more than Johnson, whatever the figures are.

British football legend Vs American sprinter; no contest in terms of popularity and recognition amongst British people. Without even mentioning that football gets far more views.

I'm surprised that the US networks couldn't match the BBC pay: the US is around 5 x larger than the UK; the NCAA scene is really big (nothing like it in the UK), and I'd have thought there would be a significantly larger audience there compared to the UK interested in athletics. You're right about the BBC TV licence though, and maybe this is it. Just another tax on UK citizens - makes for a huge funding pot.

Re the comments on the BBC's [Bolshevik Broadcasting Commission's] obsession with PC: I hear the truth ringing in my ears..The main presenter for this Commonwealth Games is a posh lesbian (Claire Balding) who makes terribly inappropriate jokes, and seems to have no knowledge whatsoever about anything but horses. But, she's lesbian, so she's covered.. You're right about Colin Jackson..he's on the gay ticket, and he was a hurdler, not a straight sprinter. Nice guy and not a bad commentator - certainly not at MJ's level. Steve Cram is brilliant [on par with MJ], but he's a middle distance man + tooo male, tooo white (the new token white guy)..Paula Radcliffe [the un-caught blood doping druggie] was a terrible commentator to start with, has improved a bit over the past year or so (and at least she has stopped sniffling and snorting in to the mic). You're right, no-one exists to fulfill the BBC criteria of having some sort of sex-based (ie. must be female), LGBTQ++ or have minority 'privilege', with some elite success in the sprints combined with at least a modicum of commentating ability...you're right..they had to reach over the pond to grab MJ. Lucky for us in the UK, though. One of the few things they've done right, and something to be very pleased about. Bad luck for the US audiences though, as we've got one of their stars (whilst - I'm sorry to say - they get some appalling commentary..our US cousins need MJ..in the interests of track and field, surely the BBC can share..).

crumpet wrote:

asians are awesome wrote:

What's wrong with Ato?

He's too short

Ha ha ha ha!

Ato Boldon is great!

Go to Dollar Store and buy the MJ Autobiography. Try reading said book (if you can find it still) then you might understand why he should not be on TV.

Race is not involved Mj is the best. Christie us more on the Frank Bruno level.

Gushing Balding clears up in the pc stakes! I like horse racing and thank god she moved into other sports - as long as it's about women,!

Johnson is quite good, better than the awfulness of Coleen J. Steve Cram is great especially when he rants about the field events which for some reason - envy maybe - he seems to have a particular obsession with. Remember he and Hutchings on Komen's 3k WR: "1:56 at 800! That....is fast!"

In the past British commentating was led by Peter O'Sullevan even though his sport was tedious and anoraked.

In the US, the quality of T-and-F commentary is awful. Nobody matches Andres Cantor. Great moments in US sporting history are called by EL MAESTRO CANTON, como ese...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrGbhNYW030

and "cuatro a cero!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iwwVWS83Wk&t=33s

asians are awesome wrote:

bloviating wrote:

Because he would rather work for a competent network and an educated audience with a real athletics circuit throughout the summer. That Ato Boldrn has earned the reputation he has says a lot about US audiences.

What's wrong with Ato?

He spent his whole career running behind Donovan Bailey, and the size of his ears.