Melanie Smith-Taylor

[HRF_Second_Chance]

I wonder if the people watching handball are this pissed off about their commentators? My guess is they were probably thrilled to just get coverage.

The bottom line is there isn’t enough money or popularity for our sport to have a seperate commentator for each area at the Olympics. Sorry to burst your bubbles but that’s the fact. Horse racing is very popular and had 3 former jockeys commentating on the Aridondrack (sp?) this weekend on an ESPN channel. When we get that popular maybe we can get George Morris, MST, and another great to sit together and discuss hairnets and heels down. Until then, we get one. Because that’s all the money they want to throw at this.

Eventing has gotten Jimmy Wofford for their Rolex commentary once a year. That’s a start. And I do greatly enjoy Jimmy just in general. He’s witty, sharp and to the point. My feelings wouldn’t be hurt if he took over.

[MHM]

@HRF Second Chance;6495598

I wonder if the people watching handball are this pissed off about their commentators? My guess is they were probably thrilled to just get coverage.

Just one more difference that sets horse people apart from others. :lol:

[HRF_Second_Chance]

Right? Quite frankly I was shocked that handball was an Olympic sport.

Or better yet table tennis. Don’t get me wrong, I suck bad at ping pong. And those people are VICIOUS. But Olympic sport level? Fascinating!!!

[chancellor2]

[QUOTE=HRF Second Chance;6495598]
I wonder if the people watching handball are this pissed off about their commentators? My guess is they were probably thrilled to just get coverage.

The bottom line is there isn’t enough money or popularity for our sport to have a seperate commentator for each area at the Olympics. Sorry to burst your bubbles but that’s the fact. Horse racing is very popular and had 3 former jockeys commentating on the Aridondrack (sp?) this weekend on an ESPN channel. When we get that popular maybe we can get George Morris, MST, and another great to sit together and discuss hairnets and heels down. Until then, we get one. Because that’s all the money they want to throw at this.

Eventing has gotten Jimmy Wofford for their Rolex commentary once a year. That’s a start. And I do greatly enjoy Jimmy just in general. He’s witty, sharp and to the point. My feelings wouldn’t be hurt if he took over.[/QUOTE]

And so you will note that I suggested starting a fund to get Axel Steiner to be the commentator…I’d pay a good amount to get a decent commentator…bet there would be others as well. What do you want to be that if a bunch of us pledged some money to get a commentator who knows his hairnet from his elbow, NBC STILL wouldn’t listen? NBC has a history of not listening.

[HRF_Second_Chance]

I think you’re missing the point. Equestrian events aren’t pulling enough advertising dollars to warrant multiple commentators. I truly doubt that a bunch of angry equestrains are going to raise as much money as say Pepsi.

NBC listens. TO DOLLARS. More dollars than horse people have. Whose money should I take… Hmmm… Money from Yum Brand foods OR unreliable money from broke ass (by way of comparison) horse people. Tough call…

And then if the advertisers pull their commercial because the viewing audience isn’t strong enough how ever will they fill that gap? Oh that’s right, with the money pledged from horse people. Even if you handed them a check for a million dollars to remove her, that’s nowhere NEAR the same amount of cash they get from mega advertisers. I’ve heard of MST. I have no idea who the person you mentioned was. She’s FAMOUS and that’s what they are after. Not saying her voice doesn’t grate on my nerves, just pointing out facts.

Doesn’t that make it a channel similar to PBS?

[chancellor2]

Actually, YOU are missing MY point.

I would pay Axel Steiner to be the commentator. Melanie Smith Taylor can take the day off to figure out where her hairnet is.

[HRF_Second_Chance]

[QUOTE=chancellor2;6495809]
Actually, YOU are missing MY point.

I would pay Axel Steiner to be the commentator. Melanie Smith Taylor can take the day off to figure out where her hairnet is.[/QUOTE]

Maybe I am. Because I fail to see how you have more money than advertisers or more pull than the powers that be at NBC.

Those who hold the gold make the rules.

[HRF_Second_Chance]

And still no idea who Axel Steiner is. Guess I should look that up.

[chancellor2]

[QUOTE=HRF Second Chance;6495835]
And still no idea who Axel Steiner is. Guess I should look that up.[/QUOTE]

Which pretty much explains why you are happy with MST.

[Moesha]

The coverage was great…I thought for the horse events, Dressage was a huge hit at work, we are a large international institution and were fortunate that during big events the plasma screens are brought out throughout our buildings, and two co-workers signed up for their first dressage lessons! They have some riding experience and went this weekend and loved it…The horse events had small crowds watching at the various screens and TV’s and frankly NO ONE was really paying attention to the commentators, they were thrilled to watch the horses!

Honestly the state of the world right now, the Olympics were amazing bright light in London, and I think the best ever…I was just glad that from what I’ve seen in the world that myself and probably everyone on this BB live like the 1% in relation to the world and were able to enjoy the olympics either in person or from the comfort of their homes… and then go out and ride our horses…many people are hiding from warfare and military shelling, desperate for food and water, basic healthcare and forget education that’s so far removed from their daily struggles…I think a commentator’s style is really pretty trivial don’t you?

[grayarabpony]

[QUOTE=chancellor2;6495809]
Actually, YOU are missing MY point.

I would pay Axel Steiner to be the commentator. Melanie Smith Taylor can take the day off to figure out where her hairnet is.[/QUOTE]

:lol: I will say though just when I’d start getting annoyed about the stocktie and hairnet comments they would subside. I don’t understand the appeal of the cafeteria lady look anyway.

[horsepoor]

Maybe you need to convince a “suitable” commentator (in the minds of all you detractors) to offer their services to NBC for free? For the good of the sport, kind of like the big opening/closing ceremony performers taking just one pound as payment for their appearances. Good luck with that…

The Olympics are over and I checked back on this thread and was surprised the argument is still going on. I watched very little of the TV coverage as I preferred to see more than they showed and the online videos were so easy to access, but did see some of the freestyles with MST making a few remarks, but nothing too annoying. I cringed more often listening to the other guy (Tim Ryan?), like when he repeatedly referred to the bit, etc. checks as vet checks…but really, it didn’t matter that much in the end. I’m not going to write to NBC to complain about it. Heck, the guy I can’t stand the most is Bob Costas, and I’m sure I can mount a successful campaign to unseat him…ha!

[HRF_Second_Chance]

Have you watched HBO Boxing? There’s a guy on there we’re pretty sure is either married to someone’s daughter or has incriminating photos of the powers that be. It’s so bad that the last big fight we watched the boxers laughed in his face during their interviews. There’s a guy that needs a new profession!

[findeight]

Maybe Mr Steiner did not apply for the job and does not want it and the contractual requirements and limitations that come with it? Maybe he is already under contract elsewhere? Maybe he can’t afford the pay cut to drop everything else? They don’t make as much as some think if they are out in the field/weather with a specific, minor sport.

Best make sure a replacement actually wants it before you get the current one ousted…you may not get who you want, you may end up with worse then you have. Like the producers daughter in law that showed Ponies 15 years ago:rolleyes:.

[Velvet]

[QUOTE=horsepoor;6495888]
Heck, the guy I can’t stand the most is Bob Costas, and I’m sure I can mount a successful campaign to unseat him…ha![/QUOTE]

:lol: No kidding! He used to be kind of fun to listen to. Know that he’s truly the head guy on the Olympics, he’s become rather snarky towards his co-workers and seems to think the interviews are also about him.

BTW, how much longer does NBC have the deal on the Olympics???

[Realty_Bites]

Me thinks the DQs complaining and requesting better commentary are doing so because they are only a tad more knowledgeable than the average Joe and really need to be told if what they are seeing is good or not because they really don’t know what they should be looking for in upper level dressage.

MST has come a long way from her first first Olympic commentary years ago. Let’s face reality. NBC doesn’t show enough footage and doesn’t have enough viewers to pay a commentator devoted to each equestrian sport. She does a fine job for the audience NBC is trying to reach out to and attract. Remember….America is still being introduced to the Stephen Colbert’s 2012 sport of the summer….

[chancellor2]

[QUOTE=Realty Bites;6497415]
Me thinks the DQs complaining and requesting better commentary are doing so because they are only a tad more knowledgeable than the average Joe and really need to be told if what they are seeing is good or not because they really don’t know what they should be looking for in upper level dressage.
.[/QUOTE]

You got me. I had no idea that the walk was put into the test so the horse could rest even though it is really really tough to walk after all that collected work.

[Sandy_M]

[QUOTE=Realty Bites;6497415]
Me thinks the DQs complaining and requesting better commentary are doing so because they are only a tad more knowledgeable than the average Joe and really need to be told if what they are seeing is good or not because they really don’t know what they should be looking for in upper level dressage.

MST has come a long way from her first first Olympic commentary years ago. Let’s face reality. NBC doesn’t show enough footage and doesn’t have enough viewers to pay a commentator devoted to each equestrian sport. She does a fine job for the audience NBC is trying to reach out to and attract. Remember….America is still being introduced to the Stephen Colbert’s 2012 sport of the summer….[/QUOTE]

While I agree NBC doesn’t show enough (nor CARE enough) to get separate commentators, etc. I would disagree that MST has improved. She’s still making the same inane, inaccurate statements she did in Barcelona (as to dressage). As for not knowing whether what we supposed DQs see is good or not… yeah, I’m a dummy to be annoyed that MST was, for instance, obsessive about counting strides in the tempis in Barcelona, without ever commenting about whether the horse was straight or through or swinging its quarters or the rider over-aiding or any of that esoteric stuff. So the horse gets a poor score, and the Average Joe says, WHY? MST said it did the right number of strides!! Yeah, that’s educating the public.

[cyberbay]

Well, MST is not a commentator by profession, and doesn’t get many opportunities to do it. So, no, she won’t come off as polished as the NFL commentators, etc.

Honestly, I would rather have a commentator make the sport comprehensible to the uninitiated than cater to the cognoscenti (sp?). We need to expand, not repel, viewership for equestrian.

So, counting the tempi strides is OK by me. It’s extremely hard to comment knowledgeably for the uncomprehending viewer, esp. when live. I am sure the BBC announcer who was so popular knows that he’s working with a knowledgeable, up-to-speed audience, and that must really help to know that viewers don’t need to be held by the hand.

The remarks about the hairnet and flapping ties? Just came off to me as what comes out of the mouth of a tired commentator… she’s human. I can see around the tie to the horse and rider and what they;re up to and enjoy things just fine. Yes, maybe not the best comment for the horse-dim, but I don’t think people reached for the remote because of that.

[Lord_Helpus]

@Realty Bites;6497415

Me thinks the DQs complaining and requesting better commentary are doing so because they are only a tad more knowledgeable than the average Joe and really need to be told if what they are seeing is good or not because they really don’t know what they should be looking for in upper level dressage.

MST has come a long way from her first first Olympic commentary years ago. Let’s face reality. NBC doesn’t show enough footage and doesn’t have enough viewers to pay a commentator devoted to each equestrian sport. She does a fine job for the audience NBC is trying to reach out to and attract. Remember….America is still being introduced to the Stephen Colbert’s 2012 sport of the summer….

^^^^^^
This.

Melanie is not commentating for the full live stream. She is covering the condensed, Readers Digest version. True afficianados do not watch this version now that they have live stream. And if you want to watch it in addition to live stream, then you have already seen the rides and can watch with the sound off.

Melanie is commentating for non-equestrians. If you know as much as she does, then there is no reason for you to listen to her at all, is there?