With Live Sports Gone, Announcer Offers Play by Play of the Everyday (nytimes.com) 16
The narration begins customarily, with the play-by-play announcer enthusiastically welcoming his audience live to a competition unfolding on the screen. But this is no ordinary competition. From a report: "It's the final of the two lonely blokes in a park contest," the announcer, Nick Heath, begins, setting the scene of two men idly kicking a ball in a park. When one of the men clips the ball and sends it rolling in the opposite direction, Mr. Heath observes: "Oh, that was absolutely terrible. It's what we've come to expect really from these two." He finishes the video with "Looking forward to the third- and fourth-place playoff later." Without live sports to cover because of the coronavirus outbreak, Mr. Heath, a freelance rugby commentator, has turned to covering everyday life in London.
His 20- to 30-second videos capture people in his neighborhood doing mundane tasks, like shoppers at a market ("Regional Qualifiers Market Bartering") or people pushing strollers ("International 4x4 Pushchair Formation Final. Live.") Marked with the hashtag #LifeCommentary, the clips have become a fun social media distraction for his more than 70,000 followers on Twitter. The clips blend irreverence and a sense of the absurd with a veneer of straight narration reminiscent of Monty Python's "Upper Class Twit of the Year" competition. Fans have found the videos wildly amusing thanks to Mr. Heath's over-the-top rapid delivery.
His 20- to 30-second videos capture people in his neighborhood doing mundane tasks, like shoppers at a market ("Regional Qualifiers Market Bartering") or people pushing strollers ("International 4x4 Pushchair Formation Final. Live.") Marked with the hashtag #LifeCommentary, the clips have become a fun social media distraction for his more than 70,000 followers on Twitter. The clips blend irreverence and a sense of the absurd with a veneer of straight narration reminiscent of Monty Python's "Upper Class Twit of the Year" competition. Fans have found the videos wildly amusing thanks to Mr. Heath's over-the-top rapid delivery.
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We need some time wasters for these days... then again, one of my projects in development is supposed to offer as prizes some restaurant, gas, and retail gift cards.
Goalie commentators (Score:2)
Gotta talk about something! (Score:2)
All sports reporters need to speak a lot in order to keep their voice in shape. So, with no game to call, so they've gotta describe something to stay ready.
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Well, that explains the priest at Princess Vespa's wedding.
The sport itself is fluous (Score:2)
Sport reporters are superfluous unless you are blind or they are radio reporters.
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Professional sports are superfluous.
FTFY
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They do pretty much what this guy does here -- make something that's ridiculous to watch seem interesting.
The commentary often makes it - Murray Walker (Score:3)
Like this guy. The "crossing dash" video on the article fantastic. Pure sports commentary, and a second in I actually got engaged in it and laughed like hell at the end. Well done.
What? (Score:5, Insightful)
So instead of linking directly to the guy's videos, you link to the New York Fucking Times? Do you know how the web is supposed to work?
Reminds me (Score:3)
... of Monty Pythons's Philosophers Football. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com] The name of one of the German players, I. Kant, says it all.
This could be good (Score:2)
Snot fires up Fortnight, and hides for 45 minutes while coaxing Patches back onto his lap. Patches finally jumps up, distr
Video links (Score:3, Informative)
For those who'd like to bypass the NYT website: The videos are all uploaded to
https://www.youtube.com/user/R... [youtube.com] .