Kelli Underwood

[silicone skyline]

When she hyped up her call it was like someone scraping thier fingernails on a blackboard ...

Agreed. It's a bit like sitting there listening to someone scraping their finger nails across a blackboard for 2 hours.

Is there an echo in here??

Gee ... two posters made the same point in the same thread!!!! Doesn't happen does it?

Just pointing out the usage of the exact same simile.

Not so common.

[Vic Spy]

Nuff Nuff Blight and Kiwi Kelli, what a duo, get rid of both of them .
I'd rather listen to drowning kittens.

[Dogwatcher]

Kiwi?

[Psyber]

Perhaps football should be called only by people who can speak English well - like Alexander Downer?

[Dogwatcher]

I thought people were against commentators with female voices...

[Baron Greenback]

She's not bad...but she needs a male voice.
Just doesn't sound right.

[Hondo]

She's not bad...but she needs a male voice.
Just doesn't sound right.

Honesty. Hooray.

I have more respect for the guys that just say straight out that they don't think a female should be commentating football. I don't agree with them but at least they are honest.

Enough with the "hey it's not that she's a woman, it's her voice" brigade. I don't have an issue with guys hyper focussing on her intonation, pitch, etc if those same guys have been similarly focussed on these things with all the male commentators over the years, and been similarly public about it. But they haven't been, mostly.

There have been a spate of monotone, nasal commentators recently since the 3 networks started covering footy and they obviously ran out of decent callers. It's mostly the ex-footballers I am talking about + 2 regulars on Ch9's commentary team when they had it. Terrible callers and not a great voice to offset. However, not one single thread about their voices.

[whufc]

She's not bad...but she needs a male voice.
Just doesn't sound right.

Honesty. Hooray.

I have more respect for the guys that just say straight out that they don't think a female should be commentating football. I don't agree with them but at least they are honest.

Enough with the "hey it's not that she's a woman, it's her voice" brigade. I don't have an issue with guys hyper focussing on her intonation, pitch, etc if those same guys have been similarly focussed on these things with all the male commentators over the years, and been similarly public about it. But they haven't been, mostly.

There have been a spate of monotone, nasal commentators recently since the 3 networks started covering footy and they obviously ran out of decent callers. It's mostly the ex-footballers I am talking about + 2 regulars on Ch9's commentary team when they had it. Terrible callers and not a great voice to offset. However, not one single thread about their voices.

yeah i agree, but im of the brigade it just doesn't sound right being a women. Couldn't ever imagine her calling the last 20 seconds of the grand final in which leo barry stole the moment.

[Hondo]

Fair enough

[MatteeG]

This scenario will put this to rest once and for all:

Your team wins the Grand Final this year- you naturally buy the DVD to watch ad nauseum and Kelli is commentating.

Are you happy with that?

I rest my case.

No chicks calling footy.

[Adelaide Hawk]

This scenario will put this to rest once and for all:

Your team wins the Grand Final this year- you naturally buy the DVD to watch ad nauseum and Kelli is commentating.

Are you happy with that?

I rest my case.

No chicks calling footy.

The beauty part of that is you can buy GF DVD's with alternate commentaries, so you never have to listen to her.

[Adelaide Hawk]

I have more respect for the guys that just say straight out that they don't think a female should be commentating football. I don't agree with them but at least they are honest.

Enough with the "hey it's not that she's a woman, it's her voice" brigade. I don't have an issue with guys hyper focussing on her intonation, pitch, etc if those same guys have been similarly focussed on these things with all the male commentators over the years, and been similarly public about it. But they haven't been, mostly.

Splitting hairs. It's pretty much the same thing. The reason a lot of men don't want female commentators is because the sound of their voice, it just doesn't fit a footy broadcast, and that is what most have been saying.

If you think people haven't been critical of male commentators over the years for the way they call footy ... where have you been?

[Hondo]

If you think people haven't been critical of male commentators over the years for the way they call footy ... where have you been?

Critical of their voice (tone, pitch, etc) or the way they call?

That's what I'm saying

[MatteeG]

The beauty part of that is you can buy GF DVD's with alternate commentaries, so you never have to listen to her.

Yeah but they release that a couple of weeks after the game...

[Wedgie]

If you think people haven't been critical of male commentators over the years for the way they call footy ... where have you been?

Critical of their voice (tone, pitch, etc) or the way they call?

That's what I'm saying

Yes.
Ive seen and made many criticisms about people like Rowe, Cornes and KG on 5AA calling games.
Ive heard much criticism of Darryl Eastlake and Ray Warren too.
Just watch a few comedy shows and you'll see it too.
Karen Tighe used to be a good commentator/special calls, Debbie Spillane too IMHO.
Been a few good ones at the basketball and netball although Michelle Timms definately is NOT one of those. Shocking voice.

[Hondo]

It's their style that you are criticising really, not their voice. It's the stammering, the bias, the "colour", the dull-ness, etc. It's a subtle difference which could be seen to be splitting hairs, but it's still a difference.

No-one's saying these guys shouldn't be commentating at all just because of their "voice". We accept their vocal flaws. However, on the whole, we aren't being so tolerant with Kelli. In fact, all those names you mentioned are successful, long term commentators despite their bad voices (in your opinion - if that's what you were trying to say?).

If a "shocking voice" was the sole criteria then we'd have far less commentators today.

To me, it's not about the voice, it's about how they call the game and how they keep the viewers and listeners informed and entertained (in their own unique way). I don't think Kelli's the greatest caller we've ever had, but she's no worse than many of her peers IMO.

Most guys I speak to who object to her end up admitting they just don't think a woman should be commentating football. To them, it sounds wrong. As I said before, that's their opinion and they're entitled to it. At least they aren't getting technical about intonation issues. They're just being honest.

[Wedgie]

Nup, I'm criticising them for their voices.
I don't blame commentators for their styles, I blame their employers or listeners for that.

I agree if commentators had to have good voices there'd be a lot less as that would be exactly what I want.

I enjoy some good female voices, I don't enjoy some bad ones. My opinion is EXACTLY the same of men's voices.
In fact I preger a really good female voice.
My point is you shouldn't make generalisations and assumptions on why everyone has the opinion they do when you wouldn't have a clue on why some people have the opinion they do.
Most people you talk to don't like her because she's female, most people I talk to don't like her because of her voice.
Just because you hang around narrow minded fools don't assume the rest of us do and that we're not being honest.
Cheers.

[Hondo]

Wedgie, are you seriously picking me up on making generalisations about people's opinions? Should I quote one of the many generalisations you make about Crows supporters? And that's just one example. 1 month ago you loudly announced to the SAFooty commununity my opinion on Port Power and the SANFL. An opinion your surmised incorrectly and had not the slightest clue about as you'd never asked me.

Unbelievable.

I dont know why a crows supporter would say that, because she is South Australian and a crows supporter

Because they're ignorant, paranoid an d have a whopping big chip on the shoulder perhaps?

Besides, I haven't made any such generalisations BTW, I've said most of the guys I have spoken to (and people on forums I have read) admit they don't like a female voice. Just look at this thread! Your the only one getting defensive about it. For you, it's about her voice. Fine. You said that on the first page.

[Wedgie]

Completely irrelevent and once again you're wrong in your assumption as in that case I was referring to one person. If that's all you can come back with you really are struggling my friend, I'll put it down to a brain fade as Im sure upon re reading it you'll notice the joker was talking about a person and my response was in regard to her.
My point was you keep prattling on about how Kelli only gets criticised because she's female where Ive cited several examples of where male's get criticised for their voice and where other females have been commended on theirs.
People dislike Kelli for different reasons, some her style, some her voice and some simple because she's a female. God forbid some people might have a different opinion to you.
Get over it!

PS Its only 99% of Crows supporters that are wankers with no idea, not all of them. I know a couple who are OK and they agree!

[Gingernuts]

Well, personally I think this generalising about Crows supporters who are generalising about posters who are generalising about female commentators just has to stop, generally speaking.








Seriously blokes you're giving me a headache.