Okay, so the US Open tennis was on, and this time around, I decided I’d really pay attention to the commentators. Not just have the TV on, but actually listen to what these guys and gals were saying. It was sort of a little project for myself, you know?
My Process – Just Listening In
So, what I did was pretty simple. Every time I sat down to watch a match, whether it was early rounds or the finals, I cranked the volume up a bit. I focused less on just the shots and more on the conversation happening in the booth. I watched matches on different channels when I could, just to see if the vibe was different.
Here’s what I basically did:
- Turned up the TV volume.
- Actively listened to the commentary during points and between points.
- Tried to catch different commentator pairings.
- Made mental notes (and sometimes real notes!) on who said what, and how they said it.
What I Noticed
It became pretty clear, pretty fast, that there’s a whole range of styles. You got your legends, like John McEnroe. He obviously knows tennis inside and out, played the game at the highest level. Sometimes he says things that are spot on, things only a top player would notice. But, man, sometimes he just starts talking about something totally unrelated, or repeats himself. It’s just his style, I guess. Love him or hate him.
Then there are others, like Chris Evert or maybe some of the newer faces, often former players too. They might focus more on the mental side, or the technique. I found some were really good at explaining why a player hit a certain shot, or what the strategy was. Others were better at telling the player’s story, adding that human element.
Some quick takes:
- Some commentators are great at building excitement.
- Others are more analytical, calm.
- Sometimes the chemistry between the commentators was really good, made it fun to listen.
- Other times, they seemed to talk over each other or just fill silence with fluff. That got annoying.
- You definitely notice who has done their homework on the players, especially the lesser-known ones.
End Result? A Different View
After doing this for the whole tournament, I can’t say I found the perfect commentator. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. But I definitely have my preferences now. I appreciate the ones who add real insight without just stating the obvious or talking non-stop. It’s a tough job, talking for hours live on air, trying to be interesting and informative.
Doing this little exercise, just actively listening, kind of changed how I watched the matches. I paid more attention to strategy because the commentators were discussing it. It wasn’t just about watching the ball go back and forth. So yeah, that was my little experiment with the US Open commentary this year. Just listening a bit closer than usual. Made the whole thing a bit more interesting for me.
