Commentaries that enhanced your enjoyment

We all know that sometimes commentary can be annoying, intrusive or plain wrong. We also all have our favourite and least favourite practitioners of the art.

This thread is not for any of that! What I want to know is those instances where commentary has been pure gold! Maybe it was funny, extremely moving, fascinatingly insightful or just the right words at the right time.

What are your commentary gems? With video even better!

TheGrandSophy said:

We all know that sometimes commentary can be annoying, intrusive or plain wrong. We also all have our favourite and least favourite practitioners of the art.

This thread is not for any of that! What I want to know is those instances where commentary has been pure gold! Maybe it was funny, extremely moving, fascinatingly insightful or just the right words at the right time.

What are your commentary gems?

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Tracy Wilson explaining, step by step, how Bourne & Kraatz were going to get screwed out of a medal during the 1998 Olympics.

Anything with Dick Button and Peggy Flemming. Loved the Good Cop/Bad Cop Duo.

I was very impressed with Robin Cousins's commentary at Sochi. He called out elements as they happened, but otherwise saved his commentary for the Kiss & Cry slots. I thought that was perfect.

"Peggy, will you marry me?"

HAHA. I really loved Dick and Peggy together. Dick would say "Now that is an unacceptable position in that spin!" and Peggy would immediately chime in "She has such nice speed in this spin, and nice centering!!" I love the good cop/ bad cop commentary.

I can think of two of my favourite Scott Hamilton ones off the top of my head: his pure and obvious delight as Jason's Riverdance built and built and built and overflowed - he was clearly riding every step of that program just as much as the crowd. And, "That is what we call a fine how-dyou-do!" when Max hit the 4S-3T in the SP at 2013 US Nationals.

EDIT: And of course anything the British Eurosport guys. They're awesome!

One of my favourites (and fave skater too) is when the Eurosport guys commentated Daisuke Takahashi's 2010 win at Worlds. They were just so excited and with his "Gorgeous!" And "Look at his face" Simon Reed sounds in love! Also, "A born entertainer! You could never take it out of him, whether he was first or thirty-first!" is so on point as a description of Dai.

And I also love their commentary of his 2012 Worlds performance of Blues For Klook- "Spine-tingling stuff" sums it up for me!

I also love an old classic - the BBC commentary (all after the performance!) of Torvill and Dean's Barnum (1983 Worlds) with "they seem to have set a new dimension in ice dancing" a phrase that demonstrated their importance to ice dance.

"Good for you, Lucinda Ruh" - Dick Button (and many more of the "Uncle Dickie" moments)!

my recent favourite is from world 2015 when Simon was introducing Adam during SP, saying "he is a man in mission, hopefully its not mission impossible" , he probably meant his 4Lz and the reason i find it so funny that Adam's SP music is from the movie Mission Impossible

A recent example from the British Eurosport guys was during Denis Ten's 4CC SP. Can't remember which one, but one of them said "That routine for me shows that the boy has now become a man." https://youtu.be/a7TRgHDIClg?t=204

I also love in the beginning of the program when they mention that Denis has moved to California "where he trains VERY HARD under Frank Carroll."

Here's the link for the whole program if you want to hear some of their other wonderful commentary--and enjoy his stunning program again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7TRgHDIClg

On the Olympics SP (re-watching on the NBC app with Eurosport commentary): "It's packed to the gills in the arena. This one's gonna be a humdinger!"

The wonderful Eurosport boys once suggested that the judge who placed Shen and Zhao second at world's in 2003 "should be carried off and spanked". Rightly so.

TheGrandSophy said:

One of my favourites (and fave skater too) is when the Eurosport guys commentated Daisuke Takahashi's 2010 win at Worlds. They were just so excited and with his "Gorgeous!" And "Look at his face" Simon Reed sounds in love! Also, "A born entertainer! You could never take it out of him, whether he was first or thirty-first!" is so on point as a description of Dai.

And I also love their commentary of his 2012 Worlds performance of Blues For Klook- "Spine-tingling stuff" sums it up for me!

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:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Another favorite for me is probably this one: His Beatles medley FP at NHK 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxg7f9bsX0M at 4:30 "ohhhhh... it's just a dream, isn't it?"

Also, I love when they call his name as 'Daisuki! Takahashi!!' almost intentionally. I would always reply to them in my mind, 'So do I!'

Scott Hamilton's extreme (and slightly creepy) excitement during Jason Brown's FS at the 2014 US Nationals. I died laughing.

The Russian pairs Olympic champion, Maxim Trankov's commentary for Mao's Sochi LP is the most I have ever felt that the passion and eloquence of the announcer really enhanced the impact of the performance, even though my Russian is not that good. He also varied the intonations of his voice to match the ebb and flow of emotions: from wonder, to being overwhelmed, to showing sympathy. He also conveys a great sense of tragedy and triumph and the phrases he creates on the spot, like "true samurai" are memorable and moving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C62RN3YikFQ

My best shot at a translation. I know there are some mistakes:

I can't believe that Mao is doing her free program because she came here to at least get a medal. I don't know if there has been a time when she was in so deep a hole in 16th place. It's a great pity. It's a tragedy for Mao herself and her huge army of supporters in Japan.

After Mao lands her triple axel: She did it! She did a simply magnificent triple axel. She is the only woman who executes this.

Triple flip / Triple loop. Superb! This is Mao Asada.

Then, in a soft voice, he says, "the 2nd Concerto Rachmaninoff is one of the most beloved musical compositions. Her figure skating suits it very well. Very expressive. Pleasing.

Double Axel / Triple Toe. Yes of course today, Mao, this is as it should be. Important that it isn't too late.

Triple Salchow. Triple Flip / Double loop / Double loop. Insane competitor. She's skating the maximum level of difficulty today.

After the final Triple loop. She is performing a truly ideal and clean free program. She's a real fighter.

During the Biellman spin: A true samurai!

(Step sequence): The crowd the crowd is into it. Listen to how the crowd (hall) is clapping. Today is truly the performance of an Olympic medalist.

second announcer: free program

Maxim: Free program a pity of course because 20 points. Mao today I think it will be a huge score. She must maintain her focus. Today, everything fell into place perfectly.

After Mao finishes Maxim: She would have been.....I think she would been Olympic Champion. It is the performance that only an Olympic Champion could do.

I have not seen that kind of woman's skating performance in a long time. She did the maximum level of difficulty.

the slow motion of Mao crying: Of course, she understands......it's a great pity that she understands everything.. that her freeskate was the performance of an Olympic champion.

deedee1 said:

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Another favorite for me is probably this one: His Beatles medley FP at NHK 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxg7f9bsX0M at 4:30 "ohhhhh... it's just a dream, isn't it?"

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And at 2:30 " awwwwww, just brilliant..." They always seem to voice what I'm thinking!

You're right, that is another brilliant one. I haven't watched it in a while because it always makes me cry by the final step sequence. And, yes... it did again. Thank you even so.

LiamForeman said:

"Peggy, will you marry me?"

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Will you explain please? Just interested

Dick Button takes the cake for his relentless shade. Was it Kim that he was like "Point your toe, dear."

Of course, Scott's enthusiasm is infectious, and the British Eurosport guys are the best in the biz, IMO.

The Eurosports announcers really add to Richard Dornbush's FS at COC last year. I like the arm positions he managed to pull off at Lombardia better, but always come back to this one for re-watches as the commenters are so cute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3V7sHtIta4

I really love the "Good Boy" comment at 47 seconds in

Another vote for Scotty Hamilton's commentary during Jason's FS at 2014 US Nats. Far from finding it creepy or laughing at it , I find he mirrored in a totally appropriate manner (for this skate) the audience's growing excitement. I love the "they better bring in the repair crew because he is going to blow the roof off this building when he is finished" comment. True dat!:thumbsup:

Of course, Uncle Dick is my ultimate fav. He and Jim McKay during the Olympics; none finer.:yay:

StitchMonkey said:

The Eurosports announcers really add to Richard Dornbush's FS at COC last year. I like the arm positions he managed to pull off at Lombardia better, but always come back to this one for re-watches as the commenters are so cute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3V7sHtIta4

I really love the "Good Boy" comment at 47 seconds in

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ahhh Richard, my favourite headcase, i hope we will see clean version of this program with all the different arm movements with BESP commentary