The I Hate Ray Hudson Thread

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Ray Hudson was recently hired by CBS as a color commentator for UEFA Champions League matches. CBS management is so infatuated by Ray that he's the lead color man, assigned to the most important matches.

Ray is awful on air. The guy never shuts up. He ruins every broadcast he's a part of.

For those not familiar with Hudson, here's a video showcasing his style - he's the high-pitched whiny commentator:


Imagine the above commentary, except that it's not restricted to key moments - it's constant, nonstop. Ray never shuts up. He's like this the entire game, frequently talking over the play-by-play commentator; awful!

Anyone else hate this guy as an announcer?

CBS previously had a great announcing team and half-time commentary. Hudson ruins everything.

 

[citizen_maine]

Sounds like Spit the Scouse

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Sounds like Sid Waddell having had a stroke.

 

[Barcon]

Ray Hudson is hilarious and has come out with some of the funniest sayings I've heard in football.
The biggest **** is that American/Italian or Spanish bloke that thinks he's funny but is just a pillock.

Edit: The aforementioned pillock is actually Venezuelan.
Just found this:

Sign the Petition

Remove Alejandro Moreno From ESPN Soccer Broadcasts

www.change.org

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

>> Ray Hudson is hilarious and has come out with some of the funniest sayings I've heard in football.
Hudson seems to know his football and indeed has a few witticisms that are interesting/funny upon first hearing them. But that's his schtick. He's got maybe 20 or so of those that he recycles. It becomes trite.

If Ray would speak only when appropriate I think he'd be tolerable - if not a welcome commentator.

But the guy never shuts up. Worse still - he feels compelled to gasp, hiss, inhale, etc. at every point in the game that he feels merits this excess.

The following is hypothetical but is illustrative of the way Hudson announces. It frequently goes something like this:

Foden passes to Haaland.
Hudson: "Another pass by the Stockholm maestro - waving his ivory baton, conducting the entire field to his will."

Haaland doesn't quite catch up to the pass.
Hudson: "Watch out! Sssss! Even wild animals couldn't reach that! But the Manchester gazelle gave it his best."

The Foden pass misses Haaland and makes it's way to a defender who miskicks and it's out for a corner.
Hudson: "Ohh! Ahh! That ball skipped past the defender like a school girl jumping rope!"

And on and on and on. Without stop. The play-by-play guy hardly gets a word in edgewise.

Hudson seems to think that the game in progress is incidental background - top billing is his over-the-top, nonstop commentary.

 

[citizen_maine]

Isn't that the point of a 'color' [sic] commentator?

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Isn't that the point of a 'color' [sic] commentator?

No, not at all!

The role of a colour [sic :-)] commentator is to provide enhancement - insight - amplification - at key moments. The color man fills in - the play by play announcer provides the framework and most of the detail.

Hudson thinks that he's the top bill - he's more important than the game - and certainly more important than the poor play-by-play announcer.
===
The English have the right of it - less is better. Frequently during top English broadcasts, there's dead silence.

Or it's mostly just player names, something like this:
===
Foden - Haaland - back to Silva....

Long silence...

Foden!!! Halaand!!! IT'S HIM!!! IT'S THREE - IT'S UNSTOPABLE!!!
====
The above - from the play-by-play man. The color guy hasn't said a thing. The color guy might say after Haaland's hat trick something like:

Pure genius! And to think that some doubted he'd make it in the Premier League!!!
===
The above is enjoyable commentary, at least for me.

Contrast the above with the nonstop verbal diarrhea that Hudson would have expelled. Ruining the entire goal scoring sequence.

 

[dickie davies]

He's certainly no Brian Clark

The big Irishman finds the little wizard who pops the ball into the onion bag

 

[p.taker]

Ray Hudson is hilarious and has come out with some of the funniest sayings I've heard in football.
The biggest **** is that American/Italian or Spanish bloke that thinks he's funny but is just a pillock.

Edit: The aforementioned pillock is actually Venezuelan.
Just found this:

Sign the Petition

Remove Alejandro Moreno From ESPN Soccer Broadcasts

www.change.org

3rd time is the charm lol

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

3rd time is the charm lol

Hate Hudson - but I just now signed the Moreno out petition - with luck, Steve Nicol is out as well. In fact, the entire ESPNFC main broadcasters are terrible.

At least Hudson seems to know his football - Nicol hasn't a clue; Moreno is simply annoying - a bit less so than Hudson.
America is cursed with horrible announcers. Can't wait for the World Cup (irony intended)!

Probably I should look into a good VPN.

Anyone else remember Fox Sports' failed attempt to make Gus Johnson their main commentator for World Football?

LOL. Gus was special - the only announcer I disliked more than Hudson... and that takes a lot of doing.