[adembroski]

I know, I know, there are plenty of gripes to be had about commentary, and there's the other side of the coin; there are plenty of games that should get the commentary complaints before this one. I agree on both counts, but there's one specific thing that annoys me more than other things.

Inane, self-evident comments. The kind of comments that really make you realize it's video game commentary.

I realize commentary has to be somewhat neutral, as the computer can only be so aware of situations and it must be able to adapt to a lot of circumstances. But some things are just plain pointless and make the commentators seems stupid.

Example: "Ya know, penalties can really ruin a team's chances of winning when they commit too many."

Thanks, Herbie, what insight! Did you learn that watching John Madden? "Anytime you score a touchdown, BOOM! That's worth six points. Heh heh, and then you even get to kick an extra point. That's worth one. So if you score a touchdown and your kicker can make the extra point, you get seven points. Of course, you don't have to kick the extra point, you can go for two and... hey, Pat, what's with all the whiskey?" "Thaaanksh Joohhnnn... *hic* "

I think commentary could be made appreciably better by simply finding these lines (and I'm sure we can provide a list!) and rewriting them in a way that doesn't sound so damned disinterested and lame.

Most of the "we'll see" lines fall into this category. "We'll see what the offense can do here." "We'll see how this rain affects these two teams." Really, Brad? Will we? Or will we watch 60 minutes of football and look back saying, "You know, I'm really not sure how the offense did on that drive."

So, drop every line in the game that starts with "We'll See". Rewrite the inane filler babble and insert something of an opinion.

Example: Instead of the penalty comment, Herbie could say, for instance, "That's just wreckless, undisciplined football! You've gotta be more aware than that." Simple, perhaps still a bit of a filler line, but at least its something I can imagine him actually saying, and it doesn't shove the words "VIDEO GAME" down my throat.