Lucia
07-07-2008, 07:41 AM
Okay, it went on forever, but it was gripping stuff - and could have been even more gripping had the BBC had the sense to appoint two better commentators than Andrew Castle (who?) and Tiny Timid Timmy whom I mistakenly believed (until I clapped eyes on him) was some sixth-former who'd won a competition to commentate at Wimbledon - when I did clap eyes on him, I was astounded to see that he had been uncool enough to turn up wearing his school uniform for the honour.
Since neither of that useless pair have ever in their less than illustrious careers, got any closer than crashing out in the semi-finals of Wimbledon, what could they possibly have known about the pressure on and emotions of Rafa and Roger as they competed magnificently for the men's championship title?
What made it even more galling was that Boris Becker - a hoot in anyone's book and a fine champion in his time - was left kicking his heels in the studio along with that eejit Sue Barker - a woman who apparently won the French Open eons ago and despite being so stupid and so determinedly flirtatious with men 30 years her junior that she'd probably still keep giggling if someone set her hair on fire, has somehow managed to secure herself a job for life with old Auntie Beeb.
Actually, I wish I'd had the sense when I was a gel to enter a few tennis tournaments - for the price of looking a fool in the eyes of the world and gamely losing every match I entered for a year or so, I could be on clover now and working as part of the British commentary team - there was a list flashed up at the end of the broadcast which included the names of every Brit who ever waved a despairing racquet as some more talented foreigner wiped the court with them.
To return to my original complaint, re: the dire 'commentary' of Timmy and the bloke Castle - it comes to something in a match as fine as that when all they can do is 'state the bleeding obvious' and echo one another - and as for Castle recognising such a luminary as Gwen Stefani (who?) and failing to recognise Crown Prince Felipe and his princess - he referred to them as 'Spanish dignitaries' - words fail me - Dan Maskell must have been spinning in his grave!
Since neither of that useless pair have ever in their less than illustrious careers, got any closer than crashing out in the semi-finals of Wimbledon, what could they possibly have known about the pressure on and emotions of Rafa and Roger as they competed magnificently for the men's championship title?
What made it even more galling was that Boris Becker - a hoot in anyone's book and a fine champion in his time - was left kicking his heels in the studio along with that eejit Sue Barker - a woman who apparently won the French Open eons ago and despite being so stupid and so determinedly flirtatious with men 30 years her junior that she'd probably still keep giggling if someone set her hair on fire, has somehow managed to secure herself a job for life with old Auntie Beeb.
Actually, I wish I'd had the sense when I was a gel to enter a few tennis tournaments - for the price of looking a fool in the eyes of the world and gamely losing every match I entered for a year or so, I could be on clover now and working as part of the British commentary team - there was a list flashed up at the end of the broadcast which included the names of every Brit who ever waved a despairing racquet as some more talented foreigner wiped the court with them.
To return to my original complaint, re: the dire 'commentary' of Timmy and the bloke Castle - it comes to something in a match as fine as that when all they can do is 'state the bleeding obvious' and echo one another - and as for Castle recognising such a luminary as Gwen Stefani (who?) and failing to recognise Crown Prince Felipe and his princess - he referred to them as 'Spanish dignitaries' - words fail me - Dan Maskell must have been spinning in his grave!