on the subject of commentators

rom Guardian's usual "five things we learned about the premier league" thingie

Dan O'Hagan may be Britain's oddest commentator

"Watching Match of the Day remains an enthralling experience but thanks to Messrs Lineker, Hansen, Shearer and Motson, listening to it has become a pretty banal pursuit. However, if Saturday's edition of the show is anything to go by there may just be a fresh reason to take that finger off the mute button. Those who tuned in for the highlights of Norwich's 3-3 draw with Blackburn could not fail to have been engrossed by a match that contained two goal-of-the-month contenders, a dramatic comeback and referring controversy, but they may well also have been distracted by the ever-so-odd commentary of Dan O'Hagan.

The BBC's man at Carrow Road started well but then came Blackburn's second goal, scored by Yakubu Ayegbeni after 62 minutes. O'Hagan expressed a textbook grunt as the striker lashed a long-range shot at goal ("Yakubuuuu!!"), but then, as the ball hit the back of the net, nothing. No emotion, no wonder, no recognition that the visitors had just retaken the lead. A one-off, perhaps? Not so. A couple of minutes later Christopher Samba made it 3-1 to Blackburn and this time O'Hagan did not even grunt. His voice remained flat from the build-up to the goal through to the moment the men in blue and white were celebrating.

It was as if he was commentating on another incident entirely. In fairness to the man with the microphone, he reacted to Blackburn's opening goal, scored by Junior Hoilett, as well as Norwich's three, in an appropriate fashion but it was hard to escape the feeling that in O'Hagan ? who is described as "one of the world's leading freelance television football commentators" on his official website ? we may just have a maverick on our hands."

User Posted Link

Can't say I noticed myself.

Posted By: Tricky Hawes, Oct 31, 09:54:23