I feel so sad for our Aussies.
They really need to just let everyone watch.
I do have to disagree on the commentary thing. I don't like that Chris talks while they are skating. He can talk all he wants before and after but not while. I really like that Ted does not talk while they are skating. Please don't yell while the skaters are skating Chris. It shatters my nerves.
Being a commentator on TV for all those years has meant that he has developed some bad habits.
TV producers seem to have the mentality that if there is nobody talking, people are not going to stay on the channel, but are going to flick over to the next channel.
It is different with internet streams. People actively seek them out, so there is no need to talk just to keep their attention. Despite what the ISU tried to tell us when trying to put a positive spin on their mess-up with selling the TV rights, people don't just stumble across the streams on the internet.
With TV, anybody can come stumbling in, so commentators have to cater for people who are not able to identify things. Hence why the British Eurosport guys would point out little things during the programmes. And because that is what he has been used to doing for the past 30 years, Chris is still doing it. But, he will hopefully soon realise that his viewers on the internet stream will have that bit more knowledge about what they are watching, and start to talk less.
Another problem is that he is used to having somebody sitting beside him (be it Simon or Nicky). So, I think he was trying to play both his own role and his partner's role.
Also, Eurosport tended not to join the coverage until after the introductions of the Judges / Officials, and tended to go to adverts during the Warm-Ups. So, I think he was unsure what to do, so just talked continuously.
Personally, my main gripe was that he talked when the rinkside announcer was talking. And the result was that we couldn't hear either of them. So, my advice would be to just do what Ted does - let the rinkside announcer do the introductions, and then use the time when they are being quiet to elaborate.
As for getting excitable, well, I think that is just relief that he is back commentating again!
I don't know if there is the capability of doing this on YouTube, but I would like it if you could have multiple audio tracks on the same video. So, you could have a track with just the "ambient sound", a track with English commentary, and possibly even tracks with different language commentaries.
Going forward, I would like to see two commentators doing the competitions. Because, I always find it better when we are hearing the views of 2 different people. Plus, they can bounce off each other. Chris and Simon had been working together for so long that there was a great chemistry between them.
So, perhaps the ISU could bring together a pool of our favourite commentators to work on their streams. Ted and PJ are already doing work for the ISU, so maybe a Canadian team for the Juniors. And Chris, Simon, and Nicky are available this season, so maybe a British team for the Seniors.
CaroLiza_fan