Best & Worst sports commentators

[AFS]

Jackie Fullarton and Jimmy Magee are now both in the same boat, so past their prime theyre now embarrassing - time they were gone. Magee and Dave Boy McAuley on the boxing commentary is terrible.

Motsons getting a bit passed it 2

George Hamilton is still a great commentator i think, the voice of irish soccer.

I think George Hamilton is terrible, and he's also a jinx!!!! If by some miracle Ireland happen to be 2-1 up on Wednesday with 30 mins left George would be giving it "We're almost there" cue Henry scoring an outrageous last minute goal.

Oh yeah Andy Gray too, what exactly does "i'm sorry but.............." mean??

Its a widely known fact that George 'The Baggio brothers, of course, are not related' Hamilton is responsible for every Irish defeat in the last 25 years.

[Farrandeelin]

I still like George Hamilton. If we don't qualify for SA, maybe we will be blaming him instead of Trap!

[Doogie Browser]

There is a website set up by Irish fans in George's honour 'Danger here', some of his nuggets...

"Real Madrid are like a rabbit in the glare of the headlights in the face of Manchester United's attacks. But this rabbit comes with a suit of armour in the shape of two precious away goals."
Simply the greatest sentence ever uttered.

"And Hyypia rises like a giraffe to head the ball clear."
George alludes to the giant African mammal renowned for its mighty leaps.

"Russia have beaten Ireland 4-2, Albania 4-1 and now Switzerland 4-1 at home. It would be a wise man who bet against them beating Georgia."
Bet George is a popular man down his local bookies.

"Let's hope that's a surgical staple gun."
George fears for wounded Dunner with FAI track record:

"What a goal. What a goal! Straight through the legs of Adams, it flew towards the roof of the net like a Wurlitzer!"
Hope that didn't go straight down the keeper's throat.

"The midfield are like a chef...........trying to prise open a stubborn oyster to get at the fleshy meat inside."
Reckon Keano would have got the hammer out.

"The orange tide is lapping against the green door which refuses to open."
George is all at sea with this maritime metaphor.

"Glum Oranges. In fact I think the fruit their feelings are more akin to is a lemon."
The coup de grace from Ireland's defeat of Holland.

"We could let them score one now and they wouldn't have time to score another."
George perhaps reveals why he choose commentary above coaching as he comes up with a novel way of running down the clock.

"Kevin Moran.....oldest man on the pitch today...35 years of age.....of course the referee could possibly be older than that ......and technically he's on the pitch too.....then again his linesmen could be even older than him... but are they technically 'on' the pitch."
George digs and digs 'til daylight is but a distant memory.

"That should be NO problem for the defence – OH NOOOO!!"
A familiar refrain.

"Poland have to score twice now to draw and they will not do so."
The Poles duly knock one in. Minutes later.....

"I might be tempting fate but I can't see the Poles Scoring...OH NOOOO they just have!!"
By DangerHere's calculations, George is directly responsible for 87% of the goals Ireland have conceded during his reign in the gantry.

George: "Roy Carsley has it"
Jim: "Lee Carsley, George"
George: "Ah yes, perhaps it's because his head reminds me of Ray Wilkins"

"Italy are preparing to make a substitution – and it is, the unmistakable figure............of Roberto Baggio"
George announces the arrival on the pitch of..... Gianluca Vialli. Unfortunately, the two subs had got their shirts mixed up.

"And Ireland have got to contain the brothers Baggio."
George surely was the only one not to know.

"The Baggio brothers, of course, are not related."
But at least he cleared it up. Or did he?

"The seeds of doubt that were sown at the weekend against Egypt have been doused by a dose of Jack Charlton's almighty weedkiller."
George goes green in Italia 90

"If that's not offside, I'm a Chinaman!"
George reveals his oriental background after a perfectly correct refereeing decision.

"You sir, are an idiot!"
George politely rebukes Lilian Laslandes after a red card offence.

"He's pulling him off. The Spanish manager is pulling his Captain off!"
Our George thinks THE George as Butragueno is replaced.

"Red Sky at night, good day tomorrow."
George reckons that the popular proverb needs a little simplification

"Bless my soul, he's missed it!"
George is disappointed in Simone Inzaghi's penalty taking skills.

"Two nil and the ability to score goals in seventeen consecutive matches, getting the ball in the net, it, the shape of what we're to expect, even if Iran are good, has to be positive."
George in succinct stylist mode

"And we're now watching a traditional Korean Drum Dance, performed by the appropriately named Kim Yung BONG"
George finds something of interest during the World Cup draw preliminaries.

"The ESB-sponsored Georgian special Olympics team will be in Dublin this year and maybe they will reflect on the night Ireland came to Tbilisi and provided more than power."
Pure George

"We're into the second moment of stoppage time of which there isn't one."
George breaks new ground to become the first commentator to enter a time vacuum

"The flags are waving, and no doubt at the foot of the Alps, the cow bells are chiming too. And it's going to take a lot for Ireland to turn it round and sour the chocolate."
The moment Ireland knew the World Cup game was up.

"...the industrious Czech, to the German Hamann, to Murphy, the quintessential Englishman."
I'm sure even Danny Murphy would doff his top hat to that one.

"They've really eked this one out. Like coal miners mining their seam until they finally reach the surface with their precious black gold."
Another George classic at the end of Arsenal – Kiev.

[Archie Mitchell]

Jackie Fullerton, especially when he says Healy. He must be pleasuring himself when saying it as he gets so excited.

Can't stand many of the MOTD or Sky Sports ones. Martin Tyler is ok though.

Also Ron Atkinson has to be up there.

[5 Sams]

Classic stuff there Doogie.....my favourite on that site was "How to speak Ronglish".....brilliant.

[TheGreatRambo]

"Poland have to score twice now to draw and they will not do so."
The Poles duly knock one in. Minutes later.....

"I might be tempting fate but I can't see the Poles Scoring...OH NOOOO they just have!!"
By DangerHere's calculations, George is directly responsible for 87% of the goals Ireland have conceded during his reign in the gantry.

These two quotes send shivers down my spine, we were on the brink of qualification for Euro 92 (A tournament we had a decent chance of winning) UNTIL George struck

[Puckoon]

worst

paddy hunter!

Paddy "So to speak" Hunter?

Shocking.

[ziggysego]

worst

paddy hunter!

Paddy "So to speak" Hunter?

Shocking.

Didn't Paddy win Irish regional radio sports presenter of the year recently?

[red hander]

The Worst has to be that clown Mark Sidebottom, f**k he would put years on you

Brian Carty ruins my Sundays on the way back from matches in the car ... he's brutal.  Gerry Armstrong is a weasely, totally biased f**k when he commentates on statelet matches, a spoofer of the highest order who has made a media career out of zero talent and one goal in 1982.

[Farrandeelin]

The Worst has to be that clown Mark Sidebottom, f**k he would put years on you

Brian Carty ruins my Sundays on the way back from matches in the car ... he's brutal.  Gerry Armstrong is a weasely, totally biased f**k when he commentates on statelet matches, a spoofer of the highest order who has made a media career out of zero talent and one goal in 1982.

Can't suffer him either. Those Hamilton ones had me bursting my hole with laughter there doogie.

[Shamrock Shore]

think George Hamilton is terrible, and he's also a jinx!!!! If by some miracle Ireland happen to be 2-1 up on Wednesday with 30 mins left George would be giving it "We're almost there" cue Henry scoring an outrageous last minute goal.

Oh yeah Andy Gray too, what exactly does "i'm sorry but.............." mean??

Would we not win on away goals 

[Yes I Would]

As pundits go i never thought i could despise anyone as much as Jamie Lampard Redknapp until i had the misfortune of seeing Andy Townsend in action during Champions league coverage! Ball licking bastard..
Oh also forgot about that yolk Murray who does channel 5. If ever a face for radio!!

In fact some of the best about these days are the cricket guys, Lloyd, Botham and Warne.. Boycott can be ok in small doses!

[AZOffaly]

think George Hamilton is terrible, and he's also a jinx!!!! If by some miracle Ireland happen to be 2-1 up on Wednesday with 30 mins left George would be giving it "We're almost there" cue Henry scoring an outrageous last minute goal.

Oh yeah Andy Gray too, what exactly does "i'm sorry but.............." mean??

Would we not win on away goals 

No SS, because that would make it 3-2 on aggregate

[Never beat the deeler]

think George Hamilton is terrible, and he's also a jinx!!!! If by some miracle Ireland happen to be 2-1 up on Wednesday with 30 mins left George would be giving it "We're almost there" cue Henry scoring an outrageous last minute goal.

Oh yeah Andy Gray too, what exactly does "i'm sorry but.............." mean??

Would we not win on away goals 

No, We'd lose 3-2 on aggregate

Love the George Hamilton-isms, and the Ronglish stuff, although it must be damn near impossible to commentate and not sound annoying! Nearly every commentator has annoyed someone on this board

Re: YIW, Michael Holding is a joy to listen to when the cricket is on!

[AZOffaly]

I love some of the American sports broadcasters. Harry Carrey from the Chicago Cubs had a great rythm for baseball. The College Football has/had some great ones, including Keith Jackson (Woah Nellie) and you'd go a long way to hear a better team than Pat Summeral and John MAdden in the NFL.