Simply no contest. I love Motty but he has spent the last 10 years moulding his image as "Motty". I'm not against this, the BBC have a history if iconic commentators for each sport: McLaren = Rugby Union, Eddie Waring = Rugby League, Peter O'Sullivan - Horse Racing, Dan Maskell- Tennis, John Arlott/Brian Johnston - Cricket etc etc. However! Barry Davies transcended many sports: football, tennis, athletics, Winter Olympics and many more and of course Hockey! Of course I love the Franny Lee piece mentioned already but nothing in the history of BBC commentary ever gets close to his classic; and I include Kenneth Wolstenholme's iconic words. The best ever piece of BBC sports commentary was these wonderful words from Barry - "Where were the Germans?" "Frankly, who cares?"
This is like comparing a fine wine to Diet Pepsi. Davies , although as someone else said, Brian Moore was the king
As much as my teenage memories are of Brian Moore on 'The Big Match' - if we are talking about football commentators or even general sports commentators then nobody comes close to David Coleman.
As an aside I have met and interviewed both men and both are completely charming in their own way but for me Davies offered the better more memorable lines and his powers of description were better.
I think had Motson packed in ten years ago the vote would have been a bit more split.
With Davies I think I appreciated his commentary a bit more the older I got. Always a sense though with Davies of him being on the wrong side of self opinionated and a bit more about him imo, where as Motson always seemed more of a genuine football lover and a more neutral reporter of action
Don’t like either of their commentaries if I’m being honest. Motson sounds like a complete nerd and his voice annoys me. Became a total parody of himself in latter years. Davies just sounds like a self opinionated supercilious arse. Can’t comment on either of them personally as I’ve never met them. Davies looked seriously unwell on the recent documentary.
Good commentators are thin on the ground. I absolutely detest Tyldesley. Don’t mind Jonathan Pearce but he could become a self parody very easily if he doesn’t watch out.
Has to be Davies, also a big fan of Moore and Wolstenholme. Certainly Colman must have been the most versatile also making "Grandstand" the iconic programme it became, and you can add to that "A Question of Sport".
Has to be Davies, also a big fan of Moore and Wolstenholme. Certainly Colman must have been the most versatile also making "Grandstand" the iconic programme it became, and you can add to that "A Question of Sport".
Like them both in different ways so difficult to choose but it's fair to say, imo, that both are in a different league to the relentless drone of Martin Tyler.
The best for me is Brian Moore simply for one line of commentary, '...and it becomes the perfect start!'
Comments
Davies comes across as a bit of a snob
If only someone used a line from his 1988 Olympic Mens' Hockey Final commentary in the World Cup last week:
"Where were the Germans? And frankly, who cares?!"
Barry Davies > Motson > Bryan Moore
"Frankly, who cares?"
just love a good stare competition.
quick skim of the comments its around 25-8 in favour of Davies (give or take a couple for potentially miscounting)
With Davies I think I appreciated his commentary a bit more the older I got. Always a sense though with Davies of him being on the wrong side of self opinionated and a bit more about him imo, where as Motson always seemed more of a genuine football lover and a more neutral reporter of action
Good commentators are thin on the ground. I absolutely detest Tyldesley. Don’t mind Jonathan Pearce but he could become a self parody very easily if he doesn’t watch out.
The best for me is Brian Moore simply for one line of commentary, '...and it becomes the perfect start!'