Churchill Announcer

[Linny]

Originally Posted by Scurlogue Champ

It's like the difference between Kobe Bryant and a high school kid. The huge fields they deal with along with the absence of color coded saddle cloths make the task they accomplish pretty amazing.

Always colorful with their calls and they make it seem like they are just relaxing through the race without getting nervous and trying to "find" horses.

The in-race analysis of how it is setting up is another thing that the antipodean guys are experts at. They really know their racing and circuits.

Alot of the Aussies (and South Africans) seem to be sharp analysts and appear to detect moves from horses and riders. They seem attuned to alot of subtleties that escape alot of US callers. Listen to Terry Spargo's "pre-race" in Dubai. He knows the horses and jockeys and their idiosyncracies very well. He deals with huge fields and rarely stumbles.

I think Michael did a great job last week. If he gets the job I'll be pleased to listen to him calling.

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by Linny

Alot of the Aussies (and South Africans) seem to be sharp analysts and appear to detect moves from horses and riders. They seem attuned to alot of subtleties that escape alot of US callers.

Is this ever on the money. Some of the comments during a race by 'top' U.S. announcers are LAUGHABLE. Durkin is particularly bad at correctly detecting moves and identifying the pace (based, one would think, on the way the jocks are riding) before fractions are posted (he has much company with the latter).

It's 2008. Let's keep track announcers for ENTERTAINMENT purposes -- there will always be those 'fans' who get a kick out of 'ARRRRRRRRRRR'. However, we have the technology to implement TRAKUSlike systems and take away all the guesswork out of watching a race. Is there anything more pleasant that MUTING out Denman and (accurately) enjoying a race at DMR? Then again, this is an industry that lives to deliver FLAWED DATA.

P.S. we really don't need GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPLACED ACCENTS doing race calls. Let's give the job to region specific accents.