Field Theory by Hadyn Green

I'm a sports fan, too. I really appreciate your sports blogs. The mainstream media, with a few exceptions, don't seem to be able to report/comment on sports in an intelligent and humorous way. So, thanks for the info, insight and laughs.

Haydn, just a question out of curiousity: do you play / participate in any sport yourself?

(I used to write a lot of music articles / reviews despite never being a musician and if you don't play sport I don't see that preventing you from writing about sport).

I'm a long-distance runner, myself.

I really appreciate your sports blogs

Thanks!

do you play / participate in any sport yourself?

Interesting question. No I don't.

I find it fascinating that media agencies hire ex-sportsmen and women to be commentators, because very few of them are good. they may be able to notice subtleties of the game that we (mere mortals) can't, but often they can't articulate them.

The best example of Player-to-Commentator-FAIL is American Football great, Emmitt Smith.

if you don't play sport I don't see that preventing you from writing about sport

Whew! :)

Grant,

I can’t speak for HG, but there is no need to be playing, or having recently played, sport to a top level to be able to write about it. In fact in this country there is far too much reliance put on ex-players in the MSM.

Ian Jones, for example.

From Neville Cardus on, the best sports writers have been those who can analyse from a distance, as long as they have a deep understanding of the game.

"I find it fascinating that media agencies hire ex-sportsmen and women to be commentators, because very few of them are good. they may be able to notice subtleties of the game that we (mere mortals) can't, but often they can't articulate them."

This is so true. I actually found it a relief to hear the Aussie commentators on the recent All Black Wallabies games played in Oz. They expressed their analysis in a much more viewer-friendly way. I'd rather have no commentator than some of the ex-sports stars we are subjected to. They're nice enough but not eloquent enough.

Stu Wilson is the Emmett Smith equivalent here. He is just an appalling, appalling guy on the TV, whenever he starts talking you see the other pundits start looking around the studio, eyes glazing over etc. No wonder they stick him on the sideline most of the time.

I play football and cycle at the moment - I also do golf, tennis and used to play a lot of cricket, my favourite sport to *play*. I like to have a working knowledge of my limitations, but don't reckon it helps sports blogging, unless you picked up an injury that laid you up for a month or two.

omg... are you *the* hadyn green?

</insider gag>

but seriously... they'll let anyone post at public address these days

whoops.

PS congratulations on the column.

Che Tibby?...Che Tibby? Hmmm....

Ah yes I remember you! Tall fellow. Glasses. Uses long words. Where have you been my good man?

Would you rather ex-players commentate or coach ?

but seriously... they'll let anyone post at public address these days

None taken.

Would you rather ex-players commentate or coach ?

I've always thought Andrew Mehrtens wouldn't make a bad commentator, and some ex-cricket players are good. It's not a qualification in and of itself though, it's more that they happen to also be good at talking.

None taken

</2nd and missing private joke tag>

Ex-players should coach, although there is too much of an emphasis on that too.

A coach needs to be able to understand and communicate a higher technical understanding to his smaller but more focussed.

A commentator needs to be able to articulate his thoughts to a wider audience, and does not need to bother about things like motivation.

A coach needs to be able to understand and communicate a higher technical understanding to his smaller but more focussed.

Which in turn permits the assumption that being a player allows one to develop;

i) In depth understanding of the game
ii) The ability to communicaate effictively

The former only marginally likely and the latter very unlikely IMHO.

Besides, is this all there is to coaching ?

Cricket does commentators a lot better - John Parker (probably the best comments guy I've ever heard), Jeremy Coney and Mark Richardson spring to mind, but that's becuase they're witty, articulate guys who just so happen to be ex-test players more than anything else. I find Ian Smith relentlessly negative about the NZ team.

Merthens would be good. Justin Marshall would be shocking. That Stevo guy that does UK Super League is magic.

I've always thought Andrew Mehrtens wouldn't make a bad commentator

Hmmmm... I remember Mehrts (with Justin Marshall) doing a segment for "The Golf Show" a few years back. He always seemed to be trying too hard to be that "funny guy" that we all heard he was. They appeared to be trying to imitate Ellis and Ridge's TV style.

Maybe he would be different when commentating on rugger...

Ex-players should coach, although there is too much of an emphasis on that too.

A coach needs to be able to understand and communicate a higher technical understanding to his smaller but more focussed.

I disagree. Being a good player doesn't automatically mean they'll also be a good coach. There's a lot of good ex-players that are mediocre coaches. Graeme Mourie, David Kirk and John Kirwan, for example, were fine players, but unsuccessful coaches.