30 years of commentary on Channel 9

[redden whites]

Max Walker spoke at a work function a couple of years ago and gave an interesting insight into Tony Greig's and Ian Chappell's longevity on Ch 9.

Apparently because of what both guys gave up to go with Kerry Packer's WSC - particularly Greigy who gave up the England Captaincy never to play test cricket again and ostrocised from the MCC establishment for years - Packer promised both of them jobs 'for life' with Channell 9. With Greigy the gratitude extended to paying off significant personal debts at the time.

It's not what you know sometimes .....

Greg Chappell and Rod Marsh were also on the deal.Greg Chappell did the dirty on Packer acting as a" liason" man to get try to get another network the Sth Africa tour tv rights into Australia a few years ago when it was going to be 1 v 2 in world cricket.Packer found out and nearly drove GC broke by opening up real estate agencies and cricket warehouses in QLD in direct competition to GC and ran them at losses just to drive him under.At a rather famous luncheon Packer offered to halt the witchhunt if GC signed himself out of the lifelong deal which he did.From a massive real estate empire to coaching SA in 8 months and on the bones of his arse.
As for Marsh when the Commonwealth Bank signed up as sponsor to the cricket academy a VERY major customer (KP) suggested they pull their weight and insist on Marsh being appointed coach which also got him off the deal for life payroll .Jack Potter got moved on and Bacchus suddenly was a cricket coaching guru.An instant pull out(in a single day) of all packer company accounts and share sell off also was the threat there and that worked a treat also.
Cant comment on Ian Chappell thought as he had actually retired and came out of retirement for WSC. Lillee missed the '77 trip to England through injury and was doubtful with a back injury as to what his future was so his market price was reduced at the time of the negotiations so he missed out on the job for life deal.

[GWW]

Bill Lawry is a favourite of mine, he gets carried away but adds to the excitement.

Tony Greig really is a waste of space, adds nothing to the telecast. The less said there the better.

Chappelli is very knowledgeable but comes across as a smart arse some times.

Stackpole was great on ch 9 and also during his stints on radio as well. Rod Marsh likewise.

[RustyCage]

Bill Lawry is a favourite of mine, he gets carried away but adds to the excitement.

Tony Greig really is a waste of space, adds nothing to the telecast. The less said there the better.

Chappelli is very knowledgeable but comes across as a smart arse some times.

Stackpole was great on ch 9 and also during his stints on radio as well. Rod Marsh likewise.

Bill is an extremely proud Victorian!!! On Foxtel the other day they had an old WSC match on, where Jones became the first player to score back to back tons in OD cricket, when he got out and was walking off the pitch, Bill got quite excited, saying "There you go all you viewers in Qld, NSW and WA, this is what a great Victorian looks like!"

He's still a great commontator, for me, up there with Chappelli.

[redden whites]

Ian Chappell is the single reason I rely on radio for commentary while watching ch.9

[am Bays]

Ian Chappell is the best commentator by the length of the Vic Park straight.

His knowledge of the game and its nuances is par excellence and he is always (to me) ahead of the game when it comes to describing what is going to happen or should happen. Yes he has his views on coaches, sdministrators and certain ex-players I don't necessarily agree with but he praises when it is appropriate and criticises when appropriate regardless of his personal thoughts. A great commentator IMHO.

I like Ritchie, Mark Taylor and Ian Healy too for their tactical knowledge of the game, I don't really care how they say it or deliver it.

Tony and Bill can p!ss off - their niggling act has been niggling me for years. Bill gets over excited and generalises too much for me the same as Tony. I believe they just say their sterotypical lines just to please teh audience rather than commentate on what really is happening.

Don't like MArk Nicholas, my view on foreign commentators is that I should hear them when we tour their country and only when they tour here.

Personally, I liked Maxie and Rod MArsh commentating

R&W I don't know about G Chappell but it is common knowledge that Rod MArsh was one of the last to sign up when it came to WSC (last day of the Centenary test). Also he didn't take over from Potter he took over from Andrew Sincock who was in charge for 6 months. If it was get rid of Potter and install Marsh, MArsh would have been doing the job a lot sooner than he did. So I'm not quite sure of your story

[Dirko]

Should just bone them all and give the gig to Billy Birmingham

I like Slatts as he is a breath of fresh air. Everyone else is ho-hum IMO.
I usually, 9 times out of 10, switch the radio on. Skull makes me laugh,
and the general chit-chat between deliveries is good.
Would love to see Tim Lane back on air calling the cricket though...a true wordsmith....

[Pup]

Ian Chappell is the best commentator by the length of the Vic Park straight.

His knowledge of the game and its nuances is par excellence and he is always (to me) ahead of the game when it comes to describing what is going to happen or should happen. Yes he has his views on coaches, sdministrators and certain ex-players I don't necessarily agree with but he praises when it is appropriate and criticises when appropriate regardless of his personal thoughts. A great commentator IMHO.

I like Ritchie, Mark Taylor and Ian Healy too for their tactical knowledge of the game, I don't really care how they say it or deliver it.

Tony and Bill can p!ss off - their niggling act has been niggling me for years. Bill gets over excited and generalises too much for me the same as Tony. I believe they just say their sterotypical lines just to please teh audience rather than commentate on what really is happening.

Don't like MArk Nicholas, my view on foreign commentators is that I should hear them when we tour their country and only when they tour here.

Personally, I liked Maxie and Rod MArsh commentating

I dont agree.

Healy is terrible, Taylor is average and Richie is just about finished. Mark Nicholas is an excellent caller and is becoming the face of channel 9 cricket which is a good move. He is far better than other foreign commentators and that is why he is on full time and not just when their sides tour.

[Dogwatcher]

Greg Chappell and Rod Marsh were also on the deal.Greg Chappell did the dirty on Packer acting as a" liason" man to get try to get another network the Sth Africa tour tv rights into Australia a few years ago when it was going to be 1 v 2 in world cricket.Packer found out and nearly drove GC broke by opening up real estate agencies and cricket warehouses in QLD in direct competition to GC and ran them at losses just to drive him under.At a rather famous luncheon Packer offered to halt the witchhunt if GC signed himself out of the lifelong deal which he did.From a massive real estate empire to coaching SA in 8 months and on the bones of his arse.
As for Marsh when the Commonwealth Bank signed up as sponsor to the cricket academy a VERY major customer (KP) suggested they pull their weight and insist on Marsh being appointed coach which also got him off the deal for life payroll .Jack Potter got moved on and Bacchus suddenly was a cricket coaching guru.An instant pull out(in a single day) of all packer company accounts and share sell off also was the threat there and that worked a treat also.
Cant comment on Ian Chappell thought as he had actually retired and came out of retirement for WSC. Lillee missed the '77 trip to England through injury and was doubtful with a back injury as to what his future was so his market price was reduced at the time of the negotiations so he missed out on the job for life deal.

Not that I doubt you, but what's the source of this very interesting story?

That would explain someone else's comment in the thread on Greg Chappell's experiences in India - they said "if you knew the motivation for him taking on the job", suggesting it was for the money.

[Benchwarmer]

Best - I Chappell, Benaud (wish I could be doing that at 77!), Tyson (very great insight and said only what was needed) and Cozier (good knowledge and a very smooth voice).

Worst - Greig followed by daylight, then Sidhu (FFS shut up!) and Holding (stop mumbling) and Lawry (geez, enough already!). Stuff jobs for life, give Bill and Tony the arse.

Credit for foreigners - Brian Johnson (ligth hearted, but serious ... if you know what I mean), Agnew, Bumble Lloyd, Haysman (shame he left S/Af for the USA).

[Pup]

I enjoy Agnew as well

[spell_check]

Greg Chappell and Rod Marsh were also on the deal.Greg Chappell did the dirty on Packer acting as a" liason" man to get try to get another network the Sth Africa tour tv rights into Australia a few years ago when it was going to be 1 v 2 in world cricket.

Was that 2001/02? I find that funny, because apart from the World Cup, when was the last time Channel 9 broadcasted an overseas tour?

[redden whites]

So I'm not quite sure of your story

Technically you are correct Tassie It was not so much as oust potter just give Marsh the job.Sincock was there for a short period between Potter and Marsh but Jack was hardly going to hang around in those circumstances was he?As for if you believe my post well that is of no concern to me at all ,but the details of the post are right on the money I can assure you and it is no great secret in the cricket community as a whole anyway.

[redden whites]

Greg Chappell and Rod Marsh were also on the deal.Greg Chappell did the dirty on Packer acting as a" liason" man to get try to get another network the Sth Africa tour tv rights into Australia a few years ago when it was going to be 1 v 2 in world cricket.

Was that 2001/02? I find that funny, because apart from the World Cup, when was the last time Channel 9 broadcasted an overseas tour?

Spelly what year it was I cant remember mate .CH9 were banking on picking up the tour at an absolute bargain price and another player entered the bidding and 9 were livid because they had in Australia only stitched up with the ACB at the time.Other tours(non-ashes) would not be viable money wise but interest and expectation was building and CH9 thought it might be viable to do it on this tour as long as the price was right.CH9 may well have ended up doing it?????(no idea personally)but GC was working behind the scenes with connections in Sth Africa for someone else as didnt just get his fingers burnt he got his arms burnt.

[smithy]

Let's not forget Norman May.......a legendary commentator

[locky801]

Let's not forget Norman May.......a legendary commentator

right on the money Smithy, dunno what all the whinging is really about, the guys that commentate on Foxtel are so useless, especially that idiot that keeps calling the wrongun, the wrong one, I go off my tree everytime he says it

[GWW]

Let's not forget Norman May.......a legendary commentator

It could be a world record

[am Bays]

So I'm not quite sure of your story

Technically you are correct Tassie It was not so much as oust potter just give Marsh the job.Sincock was there for a short period between Potter and Marsh but Jack was hardly going to hang around in those circumstances was he?As for if you believe my post well that is of no concern to me at all ,but the details of the post are right on the money I can assure you and it is no great secret in the cricket community as a whole anyway.

The Commonwealth Bank sponsored the Cricket Academy from day one, Potter referred to that in Jack Egans book Extra Cover published in 1989 in that case why wasn't Marsh head coach from day one???

[spell_check]

Greg Chappell and Rod Marsh were also on the deal.Greg Chappell did the dirty on Packer acting as a" liason" man to get try to get another network the Sth Africa tour tv rights into Australia a few years ago when it was going to be 1 v 2 in world cricket.

Was that 2001/02? I find that funny, because apart from the World Cup, when was the last time Channel 9 broadcasted an overseas tour?

Spelly what year it was I cant remember mate .CH9 were banking on picking up the tour at an absolute bargain price and another player entered the bidding and 9 were livid because they had in Australia only stitched up with the ACB at the time.Other tours(non-ashes) would not be viable money wise but interest and expectation was building and CH9 thought it might be viable to do it on this tour as long as the price was right.CH9 may well have ended up doing it?????(no idea personally)but GC was working behind the scenes with connections in Sth Africa for someone else as didnt just get his fingers burnt he got his arms burnt.

It would be that tour I think. That series was summed up by Gilly teeing off at the gold ingot sign and to quote Maxwell Smart "missing it by that much"

[locky801]

Know Ritchie was there but who were the first original commentators on Nine when they started

[spell_check]

Know Ritchie was there but who were the first original commentators on Nine when they started

All I know is that in 1977/78 there was Benaud, Lawry, Trueman and Cozier.