Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

[mighty_west]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

I tend the think people should perhaps give her a few more goes at it before really making a judgement call, i kind of felt a bit uneasy listening to her, but thats more so for being her first call etc.

[hujsh]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

BT as in Brian Taylor? Can't say I rate him as a commentator....

Still stealing his material (nicknames)

[soupman]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

Her voice is really nasal and irritating, definitely not suited to the commentary box.

Her player recognition was good, but I did find that at times she didn't really describe the play properly. For example there was a spot in the first quarter where the Geelong players were under pressure and just handpassing the footy around and she pulled out the phrase "silky skills", which didn't seem to suit the situation at all.

She wasn't terrible, and I understand many of these issues could be attributed to first game nerves, but with her voice I don't think she will make it.

It makes you appreciate how smooth the normal commentators are though. I very rarely pay attention to them but last night I realised just what a good job they actually do.

[mjp]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

She got the player names right. Most of the rest of it is pretty inane anyway. I thought she was fine - certainly no worse than some of the others (Jason Bennett, Tim Lane, Steve Quartermaine and Michael Christian spring immediately to mind) and no-one has tried to poach Brereton or Lyon from 9 to do special comments which is good.

Less is more.

[Raw Toast]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

I reckon they told her to tone it down.

Her player recognition was very good and she described what was happening fairly well too.

Agree with this. and I think you are right in that people fear that:

The problem with women callers is that their voice is much higher than that of a man so if she gets too excited it will sound like a screech..

I'm not convinced that she would sound like she was screeching if she revved it up, but it did seem like she was under clear instructions to be slow and measured.

I don't think she was great, but thought she called the action pretty well and would take her over Christian, Bennett, BT and especially James Brayshaw - I agree with MJP that less is more.

I'd like to hear her given a few games and then judge it from there.

[Mofra]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

She sounded very, very, very nervous for mine.

She picked up some of the players well (considering Adelaide's jumper changes) however she didn't seem to understand the rules at times (especially in the first quarter, missing some fairly obvious frees ie not knowing out of bounds on the full).

Will give her a few more chances, she may just need to get used to the role. Didn't find her voice irritating, and I assume she'll sound a little more natural as time progresses.

[The Pie Man]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

Made for an awkward moment at home when I conceded this was an alien tv experience for me. I countered that women's tennis and netball is often called by women and that fits, but I didn't even convince myself there wasn't some lurking sexism there (and believe me I'm not normally sexist)

Hoping it was just her and not women commentators in footy that turned me off. She sounded weird. Maybe it's the type of game it is, it just calls for a masculine voice...yeah, that's it, I'm not sexist (oh sheez)

[hujsh]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

Made for an awkward moment at home when I conceded this was an alien tv experience for me. I countered that women's tennis and netball is often called by women and that fits, but I didn't even convince myself there wasn't some lurking sexism there (and believe me I'm not normally sexist)

Hoping it was just her and not women commentators in footy that turned me off. She sounded weird. Maybe it's the type of game it is, it just calls for a masculine voice...yeah, that's it, I'm not sexist (oh sheez)

Just because you find women don't work well as commentators doesn't make you sexist. Just a preference.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

She sounded very, very, very nervous for mine.

She picked up some of the players well (considering Adelaide's jumper changes) however she didn't seem to understand the rules at times (especially in the first quarter, missing some fairly obvious frees ie not knowing out of bounds on the full).

Will give her a few more chances, she may just need to get used to the role. Didn't find her voice irritating, and I assume she'll sound a little more natural as time progresses.

I'd cut her some slack here. She knows her footy fairly well and I'm perfectly sure she knows the OOB rule.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

I though she was completely awful.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

It was clear to me that she was very well prepared, and was far quicker at spotting fringe/new players in action than anyone else I have heard preseason

In fact she actually knew who they were, which is a big step up on the boys club regulars

I thought her voice was a little bit monotone, which was probably a sign of nerves

and that the Richie Benaud advice of dont say anything unless you can add to the picture could also be applied - I thought she over called it a bit.

If she'd been a player you'd say she showed good signs in her debut and that she'd get better with more experience

[LostDoggy]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

Who the .... is Kelli Underwood?

[Bornadog]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

It was clear to me that she was very well prepared, and was far quicker at spotting fringe/new players in action than anyone else I have heard preseason

In fact she actually knew who they were, which is a big step up on the boys club regulars

I thought her voice was a little bit monotone, which was probably a sign of nerves

and that the Richie Benaud advice of dont say anything unless you can add to the picture could also be applied - I thought she over called it a bit.

If she'd been a player you'd say she showed good signs in her debut and that she'd get better with more experience

I agree, very tough for a female to call footy when we are all used to hearing a male voice.

Personally, of all the callers on TV or radio, there are very few I rate.

[Scraggers]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

Her player recognition was very good and she described what was happening fairly well too.

Agree totally but ... I will make a sexist comment ... I don't think women should call football.

The Underwood experience had me turning off the TV

Made for an awkward moment at home when I conceded this was an alien tv experience for me.

Hoping it was just her and not women commentators in footy that turned me off. She sounded weird.

But maybe that's just it ... something I'm not used to ... we'll see how the season turns out, but I didn't enjoy this call at all

[always right]

Re: Kelli Underwood as a footballer caller?

Only heard snippets of her call but I remember reading that the station trained her to lower the tone of her voice so as not to sound too shrill.

A really difficult gig first up. Let's face it....she knows she's going to be under fierce scrutiny as the first female caller and there would be many waiting for her to fall over. so to get through the call without too many disasters is a pretty good achievement.

She has the added problem of having mainly called on the radio which is obviously very different to TV. That would explain the "over-calling" of many passages of play. Personally I'm skeptical that she will be a long term prospect but I think she should be given several opportunities to settle in. Jury is out.