Commentator curse: Negativity hurting rugby league

[El Diablo]

https://sporttragic.wordpress.com/2016/07/14/commentator-curse-negativity-hurting-rugby-league/

Commentator curse: Negativity hurting rugby league
Posted on July 14, 2016 by jmcgrouther

Watching State of Origin on Wednesday night with a few friends, it occurred to us that the constant bagging of the refereeing subtracted from the overall spectacle on display.

This idea is not new to Rugby League, with commentators and media personalities alike constantly finding flaws with refereeing decisions and focusing on them rather than the product we love. The issue is, it is unique to the sport and in my opinion a contributing reason that the overall appeal is waning.

Prime examples from Wednesday night included;

1. The penalty count – numerous times the 9-1 penalty count was either spoken about, or complained about. I hate to tell you, but Queensland deserved to have it look this way with poor discipline. It had nothing to do with refereeing; nothing to do with bias, but it appeared that way from the comments on channel 9.

1. The hit on Josh Dugan. Andrew Johns bagged the decision, saying that it was tough to be a penalty in club land, let alone Origin. I’m sorry, but Greg Inglis shoulder charged Dugan in the head, breaking his jaw. It was a deserved penalty. Just because in the ‘old days’ it was soft, it was still a penalty and well picked up by the officiating crew.

They are just a few examples from Wednesday night, but a constant week-to-week theme in the NRL. We need to accept that referees are humans. Players make mistakes constantly throughout games, yet we want out officiators to be 100% accurate every weekend. It’s just not going to happen.

Compare this type of attitude to the AFL and NBA/NBL, and I’m putting it to you that it is having a drastic impact on the appeal of rugby league.

AFL: Watching the Swans vs Hawthorn last night, the Hawks were winning by one point mid way through the fourth quarter. This was the top of the table clash in front of a record crowd, as big a stage as it gets. A long bomb looked to have scored a behind but the umpires ruled it to have hit the post and the ruling was out of bounds on the full. It was a contentious call, one that could have gone either way, but the commentators let it go, got on with the game and it wasn’t spoken of again. It’s the old adage that no one can name an AFL umpire, they just don’t cop the heat or constant negativity as their NRL counterparts.

NBA/NBL: Basketball lovers will know that referees have a tough job. Three officials have to watch 10 athletes competing hard in a game that penalises contact. They make challenging calls night in, night out, but do so without the barrage of commentator negativity. In the NBA, the referees are even awarded hall of fame status, with 15 referees awarded the honour at present. This respect for officials is the direction the NRL needs to go.

The attitude towards referees across our codes is significantly different, and the constant negativity around rugby league is hurting the game I love most.

When I started studying journalism one of the first things someone told me was choose now. Choose whether you want to be known as a positive writer, advocating for change and writing about the positive things sport has to offer, or a negative writer, constantly grabbing headlines and stirring the pot.

I love rugby league, I have since I was 4 years old. But it has changed. It frustrates me to try and work out why, of course I have my opinions, but we need to change the attitude and be more about change and positivity then headlines and stirring the pot.

 

[bnie7349]

Very well said. The issue with Rugby League is that it is not as black and white as other sports so there is always going to be more discussion around the officials. However that doesn't excuse the constant negative commentary about referees that you alluded to. That's why so many Rugby League fans this year are watching Fox sports coverage over Channel 9. Their commentators are so much more professional and dont bang on about the officiating like channel nine do.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Very well said. The issue with Rugby League is that it is not as black and white as other sports so there is always going to be more discussion around the officials. However that doesn't excuse the constant negative commentary about referees that you alluded to. That's why so many Rugby League fans this year are watching Fox sports coverage over Channel 9. Their commentators are so much more professional and dont bang on about the officiating like channel nine do.

I totally disagree with this. We just give such a huge platform to these whingers for so long that it is just now accepted...

I havent managed to sit through an entire C9 game since 2012. Ill flick it on and within 5 minutes remember why i havent watched a game in 5 weeks.

Negativity is not "just a part of the game", the FOX broadcast is great in this regard. But it is a fundamental part of the C9 broadcast.

The game is coping so much damage from the 9s commentary; FTA games are the most consistent contact most people will have with the game. Are we really going to act surprised when that miserable experience makes people stop watching?

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Phil Gould bleeds like a stuck pig. No no no no...etc. The sighs...the under the breath misery guts observations...

Having Fox simulcast is a godsend.

 

[bnie7349]

I totally disagree with this. We just give such a huge platform to these whingers for so long that it is just now accepted...

I havent managed to sit through an entire C9 game since 2012. Ill flick it on and within 5 minutes remember why i havent watched a game in 5 weeks.

Negativity is not "just a part of the game", the FOX broadcast is great in this regard. But it is a fundamental part of the C9 broadcast.

The game is coping so much damage from the 9s commentary; FTA games are the most consistent contact most people will have with the game. Are we really going to act surprised when that miserable experience makes people stop watching?

What do you mean you disagree? I never said negativity is "just a part of the game".

You pretty much just repeated my point about the Fox broadcast being so much better then channel nine.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

What do you mean you disagree? I never said negativity is "just a part of the game".

You pretty much just repeated my point about the Fox broadcast being so much better then channel nine.

It sounded like you were just trying to justify a shitty situation as "just RL being RL"....

League fans do it all the time; "Crowds are shit because we're a tv sport", "FTA ratings are shit because where a PayTv sport", "sponsorships are a fraction of what the VFL get because we are working class and the corporate sector doesnt like that".

So when you say "there is so much negativity in the commentary because the game is no black and white", im inclined to say bullshit. The rules in League are no more difficult than any other and far more straight forward that some.

Suggesting the game itself is the reason for this negativity is self-defeating. The fact that we chose and keep choosing a FTA channel that slaps the game down at every opportunity is the sole reason.....

 

[bnie7349]

It sounded like you were just trying to justify a shitty situation as "just RL being RL"....

League fans do it all the time; "Crowds are shit because we're a tv sport", "FTA ratings are shit because where a PayTv sport", "sponsorships are a fraction of what the VFL get because we are working class and the corporate sector doesnt like that".

So when you say "there is so much negativity in the commentary because the game is no black and white", im inclined to say bullshit. The rules in League are no more difficult than any other and far more straight forward that some.

Suggesting the game itself is the reason for this negativity is self-defeating. The fact that we chose and keep choosing a FTA channel that slaps the game down at every opportunity is the sole reason.....

100% agree with your 2nd paragraph but you're way off the mark when it comes to interpreting what I said. You need to read my first post again. I never said "there is so much negativity in the commentary because the game is no black and white", I said "The issue with Rugby League is that it is not as black and white as other sports so there is always going to be more discussion around the officials. However that doesn't excuse the constant negative commentary about referees".

When I say "discussion'', that doesn't always mean negative discussion, the perfect example of what I mean by discussion was an incident in last nights game which was Daniels Tupou's no try. Warren smith and Mark Gasnier agreed with decision however Braith Anasta didn't. Even though he disagreed with the decision, Anasta did not go on huge rant like the channel 9 commentary team would, he just accepted the decision and moved on. This is the main point I am trying to make, Foxsports are so much more professional then nine.

I was a Rugby League referee for 4 years in junior grades so I would never justify the refereeing bashing culture that Rugby League has because obviously I copped my fair share as well. If you disagree with my opinion about Rugby League being not as black and white as other sports then fair enough, each to their own. But just because I think that doesn't mean I'm justifying the negativity in Rugby League.

 

[GW.]

https://sporttragic.wordpress.com/2016/07/14/commentator-curse-negativity-hurting-rugby-league/

Commentator curse: Negativity hurting rugby league
Posted on July 14, 2016 by jmcgrouther

Watching State of Origin on Wednesday night with a few friends, it occurred to us that the constant bagging of the refereeing subtracted from the overall spectacle on display.

This idea is not new to Rugby League, with commentators and media personalities alike constantly finding flaws with refereeing decisions and focusing on them rather than the product we love. The issue is, it is unique to the sport and in my opinion a contributing reason that the overall appeal is waning.

Prime examples from Wednesday night included;

1. The penalty count – numerous times the 9-1 penalty count was either spoken about, or complained about. I hate to tell you, but Queensland deserved to have it look this way with poor discipline. It had nothing to do with refereeing; nothing to do with bias, but it appeared that way from the comments on channel 9.

1. The hit on Josh Dugan. Andrew Johns bagged the decision, saying that it was tough to be a penalty in club land, let alone Origin. I’m sorry, but Greg Inglis shoulder charged Dugan in the head, breaking his jaw. It was a deserved penalty. Just because in the ‘old days’ it was soft, it was still a penalty and well picked up by the officiating crew.

They are just a few examples from Wednesday night, but a constant week-to-week theme in the NRL. We need to accept that referees are humans. Players make mistakes constantly throughout games, yet we want out officiators to be 100% accurate every weekend. It’s just not going to happen.

Compare this type of attitude to the AFL and NBA/NBL, and I’m putting it to you that it is having a drastic impact on the appeal of rugby league.

AFL: Watching the Swans vs Hawthorn last night, the Hawks were winning by one point mid way through the fourth quarter. This was the top of the table clash in front of a record crowd, as big a stage as it gets. A long bomb looked to have scored a behind but the umpires ruled it to have hit the post and the ruling was out of bounds on the full. It was a contentious call, one that could have gone either way, but the commentators let it go, got on with the game and it wasn’t spoken of again. It’s the old adage that no one can name an AFL umpire, they just don’t cop the heat or constant negativity as their NRL counterparts.

NBA/NBL: Basketball lovers will know that referees have a tough job. Three officials have to watch 10 athletes competing hard in a game that penalises contact. They make challenging calls night in, night out, but do so without the barrage of commentator negativity. In the NBA, the referees are even awarded hall of fame status, with 15 referees awarded the honour at present. This respect for officials is the direction the NRL needs to go.

The attitude towards referees across our codes is significantly different, and the constant negativity around rugby league is hurting the game I love most.

When I started studying journalism one of the first things someone told me was choose now. Choose whether you want to be known as a positive writer, advocating for change and writing about the positive things sport has to offer, or a negative writer, constantly grabbing headlines and stirring the pot.

I love rugby league, I have since I was 4 years old. But it has changed. It frustrates me to try and work out why, of course I have my opinions, but we need to change the attitude and be more about change and positivity then headlines and stirring the pot.

The part I bolded is yourself answering your own question.

I've never seen a sport go through so many changes that are hugely unpopular with its fans. It shows a lack of foresight and reading it's constitutents pulse.
Whe I was young I knew that eels and dogs changing its logo to cartoon crap will come to bite back. I knew that Souths dismissal was going to shake the core of the game, I think EVERYONE knew super league would be a disaster. No one likes the advertising saturation.
Let's look at some rule changes now;

The shoulder charge - took out the highlights of the game, a part of RL fabric and just to twist the knife, ridiculous penalties for the softest of soft.

The biff- yet to meet someone that doesn't like a bit of a punch on in origin.

Bunker- league was known for its theatre and quick pace. This slows it down too much.

Tap and run no marker- was fun to watch.


I struggle to find many positive changes our game has experienced over twenty years ?

 

[Perth Red]

The change to the corner post rule is probably one of the few I can think of that has made the game more entertaining for fans.

 

[Hawkins]

I watch on mute, I don't know what half the commentators sound like.

 

[aads]

I don't know if you guys feel the same about your team - but my team - the bulldogs - never gets any love with esp GUS and he is always rooting for the other side it seems, often even when winning all the bad points are picked out constantly - and think what you want about the team that's not even or fair comentary.

 

[FlameThrower]

I watch on mute, I don't know what half the commentators sound like.

If your watching Fox, the annoying Vossy goes overboard with "Fox Sports Lab" constantly mentioned. I think when he was on Nine, he was more reserved, but he has gone overboard now and tries to hard to be funny...plus he rattles off useless and meaningless stats all the time now..