Media comments on the sporting day
Yesterday was largely spent on my sofa following sport on BT Sport, Sky Sports, Amazon Prime, Radio 5 and Talk Sport.
I was largely unimpressed by the coverage.
BT Sport covered Chelsea 0 Arsenal 1 – a featureless match.
In the second half I switched to Talksport 2 where Clive Tyldesley commentated.
You may remember him for his extraordinary rant when he was demoted to being ITV’s number two. I say ITV, but like most sport commentators, analysts and presenters he is self-employed and can turn out for anyone.
I had vainly hoped that we heard the last of his verbal diarrhoea but not so.
Amazon covered England 29 Argentina 30.
Here we had as analyst David Flatman, whose bombastic, staccato and omniscient style grates.
At one point commentator Nick Mullins said “We are going behind the posts with the camera …” but no one at Amazon was listening so we did not.
After England’s abject performance I thought Sonia McDonnell in interview might pose some hard questions for Eddie Jones.
Have England any hope of competing in the World Cup?
Will he now abandon the Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith combo?
Why was Otoje played as flanker?
What did Tuilagi contribute?
Why does he persist with Ben Youngs?
No such hope: the hapless Jones was given an easy time.
Finally veteran Martin Tyler and champagne socialist and self-styled shop steward Gary Neville commentated upon and analysed Spurs 1 Liverpool 2.
Again I switched to radio for the best broadcaster I had heard all day – John Murray.
With the Internet and information stat pack provided by broadcasters, it’s never been easier to bone up on a match or programme.
Yet the coverage has never been less informed, nor less forensic.
In the week there was the normally-reliable Europe League programme on Radio 5.
Alistair Bruce Ball asked Italian expert Mina Raztiki – another know-all – if she would be supporting Italy. She would.
Italy have not qualified.
