to think that anyone who complained about this really need to have a long hard look at themselves....

[clarksonforPM]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26116848

[Salmotrutta]

I've been enjoying Steve Cram's curling commentary - he has a reasonable grasp of what's going on tactics and rules wise.

He does have Jackie Lockhart (think that's the right name?!) with him who is a competitive curler though.

[Mitchy1nge]

well there isn't a commentator alive who can turn curling into a good spectator sport (unless someone you knew was in it I suppose)

[CosyTeaBags]

Yes I think the Curling commentary is good, well balanced between a good professional commentator, and an expert on the sport.

Slightly less emotional than the slopestyle, but it might heat up...

[evertonmint]

Salmotrutta - he's great! He knows a lot but then knows when to defer to Jackie Lockhart for that insider knowledge.

The problem with Pinsent is that he's not a commentator, he's a roving reporter. That's a role where charisma, and an ability to react to your interviewees and sound natural counts - and his Olympic experience gives him none of that. They would be much better off with a trained reporter than an Olympian for this role. His weaknesses really show.

[evertonmint]

Ooh mitchy, no - curling is very absorbing. But then I love cricket so I love long, slow, strategic sort of sports...

[Mitchy1nge]

I mainly only like watching things I can imagine myself doing or have tried or where there is at least some ungainly movement at speed with somersaults (like the ski slopestyle) - mental limitations and concentration difficulties I think

[MrsCakesPremonition]

I thoroughly enjoyed the slopestyle commentary today. They were like a couple of overexcited labrador pups bouncing around. They managed to predict all the results wrong, but still had a hoot.

[Mitchy1nge]

or if there is a lot of testosterone and some lovely male physiques to perv over

[evertonmint]

Oh, I love the slopestyle (abd halfpipe and moguls) too. But then the only sports I hate are ones involving cars or footballs...

[BitOutOfPractice]

I love the whole Olympic emotion thing and generally like to see the commentators get stuck in but this was OTT. I had no idea what was going on. Nobody was actually telling the audience what was going on - and bear in mind that this must've been the first time 99% of the audience had watched this sport so we needed all the help we could get!

It did spoil it for me. But I wouldn't have complained.

[Yohoahoy]

I enjoy the fact there are different styles of commentary for different 'styles' of sport, and found the snowboard slopestyle team pretty enjoyable.

The thing that seems to get overlooked in talking about Aimee's response to the Canadian falling, is that for much of the previous commentary they discussed how friendly the sport is, and how supportive the different competitors are of each other. And Aimee did say very quickly after her whoops of delight (that Jenny had got the bronze), that she wasn't laughing at someone else's misfortune.

And with regard the scoring, they also said several times that as this was a totally new event, no one (not even the judges) really knew how the scoring worked. A couple of times they thought they'd sussed it, but then something inconsistent came up.

I think it's all just personal taste really. Would I want them commentating on Ice Dancing? No. But for snowboarding they made me smile.

[Wabbitty]

I enjoyed the commentary. Also GB like celebrating bronzes - think back to how Tom Daly celebrated his bronze whilst the Silver winner was crying in the background.

[ohmymimi]

Not something I'd bother to complain about, but the commentary was pretty juvenile and very short on explanation for what is a new Olympic sport. Well short of the BBC's usual standard, but not everyone can match the likes of Robin Cousins (authoritative, very honest, loads of pertinent insights, clear and appropriate explanation and doesn't witter). Jolly well done Jenny, though.
As to sports persons commentating on other sports - why not? Sue Barker, for example, is excellent. I don't think McKririck ever mounted a race horse that sounds so wrong and is a lousy example, anyway

[lainiekazan]

Loved the commentary.

I know nothing about snowboarding stuff but the commentary team were so enthusiastic that they had me hooked and I loved watching both the men and women's events. And indeed dh, dd and I leapt up and punched the air when that person blew it giving Jenny Jones the bronze. It wasn't meant nastily - it was just that we had got a medal.

I don't want a commentary by someone who can robotically describe all the moves in detail but who generates zero atmosphere for the average viewer.

[ohmymimi]

whois I'm 66, so probably in your sights as not being slopestyle's target viewer. I loved watching it, it was exhilarating. I love :-) F1 and MotoGP and lots of other stuff you probably think some old bird is too boring to appreciate. We don't all live out our later years knitting legwarmers, drinking cocoa in comfy lift and rise.

[BitOutOfPractice]

Neither so I Lainie but I think there can be a happy medium

[Seff]

Whenever I've caught any of the figure skating, the commentary seems non existent. It seems the BBC can't decide on a happy medium.

[Mitchy1nge]

I am actually knitting some leg warmers unfortunately the first one came out like a sort of Möbius strip (how do you do magic loop on long circular needles without twizzling it?)

[ohmymimi]

Twizzle Mitchy? That's one of Robin's technical terms, maybe he knits his own legwarmers.
Hope you manage a loop without a twizzle. Are they stripey, by the way bet Robin's are

[LtEveDallas]

I'm loving the commentary, and today's mens halfpipe was ace. They explained loads of the tricks beforehand and DH is much happier . He was getting fed up of me explaining - reckon it was a challenge to his manhood.

So pleased for the Japanese 15 year old. Imagine getting a silver medal at that age? Mindblowing. Felt for Shaun White - but pride comes before a fall mate. I think his arrogance was his undoing.

Ed Leigh is the perfect person to commentate on boarding and actually Pinsent isn't doing that bad a job, sounds like he's learning the lingo at least (although he did get confused between a starfish and dead sailor). The bizarre lingo is half the appeal - can you imagine anyone else 'getting it'?

[evertonmint]

But Shaun White was then very gracious in defeat, going up to congratulate them all rather than wandering off so I can forgive any arrogance while boarding :) Loved the halfpipe!

[LtEveDallas]

Nah, it was his jacking off the rest of the competition to concentrate on the half-pipe. There were other boarders that could have gone in his place if he didn't want to do it.

All the boarders seem pleased for each other mind, it's something I really like to see - like they are mates as much as rivals.

[Mitchy1nge]

ohmymimi - yes, but self-striping yarn so in theory pretty effortless

[deste]

We loved it, we did comment to each other that it was unusual but put it down to being a sport for younger people and being introduced by young people.

[Mitchy1nge]

"If you're a really small animal, that half pipe is what a polar bear's oesophagus must look like"