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Sports commentators: important or dispensable?

Broadcasts of sporting events continue to enjoy great popularity. Whether soccer, Formula 1 or skiing, there is something for all sports enthusiasts. Sports reporters who comment on the action are part of the permanent repertoire of the respective broadcasters. Their funny comments or their special expert knowledge complement the broadcast picture. But do we really need them?

Some comments from sports commentators remain in the memory forever, even for those who have not followed the broadcasts of the events in question. For example, who hasn't heard the legendary "Goal, goal, goal - I'll be mad!" from Edi Finger at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina?

However, depending on who is in charge of the post, some people find the comments useless or even annoying. For example, we received an email that said the following about the broadcast of a ski race: "You can tell whether someone is doing well or badly by the picture and the timekeeping. [You can see how unnecessary these comments are. This could save a lot of costs [...]."

However, a recent example also shows the dark side of this profession: British TV channel Eurosport recently parted ways with its Olympic commentator Bob Ballard after he made a sexist statement. During a live broadcast, he made inappropriate comments about Australian swimmers, which led to his immediate dismissal.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

What role do sports commentators play in your personal sports experience - do you find them enriching or rather annoying? Would you prefer to watch sporting events without commentary? Why or why not? What qualities should someone have for this job? How important is expert knowledge through commentary during a game or race to you? Let us know what you think!