Our Commentary on the Commentary!

[mle]

To be fair, what a weird example for fans to pick. Criticizing her for mentioning that a teammate's fall puts pressure on those to follow? Of all the things to pick, that one is dumb. Are fans also offended by someone stating that when it's cloudy the sky might look grey because that's too negative?

Edit to add- Was typing at the same time as RedBirdie, but that, exactly

Yeah, one of my complaints is that it feels like she is afraid to say anything critical about a routine. I feel like this is something NBC is pushing, but I also think she is too close to many of the gymnasts and only wants to say positive things about them.

ETA: it also bugged me that she refused to say things like Rebecca's Cheng was better than Simone's.

 

[MaryClare]

Yep. Her closeness to the gymnasts and her general lack of maturity and experience is a terrible combination

 

[makam]

And really, if she points out leg separations and bent knees and other obvious form errors, is NBC gonna fire her in the middle of the olympics? I guess she wants this to be a continuing job but...I don't know, maybe KJC needs to start holding clinics?

 

[RichardL]

For me it's just this sense that she really has no idea what scores are going to be and just keeps saying "she's thinking that she wants to do a good routine here" when there is dead space on air, which is a completely meaningless thing to say and it drives me absolutely bonkers.

 

[PeakePups]

I just came across a video on TikTok where everyone thinks Laurie commentating is the best thing to ever happen to gymnastics. They feel seen, and heard, and love her style. I could not believe how many detailed positive comments there were. I get that casual fans are different but wow.

 

[mle]

And really, if she points out leg separations and bent knees and other obvious form errors, is NBC gonna fire her in the middle of the olympics? I guess she wants this to be a continuing job but...I don't know, maybe KJC needs to start holding clinics?

And they don't have to be perceived negatively if stated properly e.g. you don't have to say someone has horrible form throughout or nitpick every form error, just state that the knee bends and leg separations will each be 0.1 deductions.

 

[Passion]

If you search "Laurie Hernandez" on google you enter the Twilight Zone.

 

[brg09]

Her autobiography reads the same way. It is the same length and came out within the same year as Biles and Raisman's books. Yet their books are both written to adults and Laurie's is written to 2nd graders.

It could be that that's the market for the book and there's a more mature version somewhere?

But Laurie's never struck me as particularly smart or well-spoken. She's not stupid really, she's just sort of average.

Contrast Laurie, a student at a prestigious university, with Simone, who hasn't gone to college but it's like night and day. Simone is so much more eloquent and well-spoken. I'm going to assume that her parents are readers and that they used the same sort of... precise and clean language around her when she was a kid.

I think the dumbest thing I heard Laurie say today was that international meets are different from domestic meets because they have a qualification round and final round.

Edit: WAIT, THERE'S MORE! How could I have forgotten the weird fangirl giggling over Seth Rogen? That was truly bizarre. "I don't know why I'm laughing." Yeah Laurie, NEITHER DO I.

 

[rlayt]

Yeah wtf was that about Seth Rogen? she giggled at this?

 

[Kittentoes]

I like Johnny because he's not afraid to point out actual technical and aesthetic details and flaws and respects the audience enough to go into more explanation. I don't necessarily mind Tara, but she does talk too much. I miss the days of Dick Button's commentary, though, and I know a lot of people thought he was too critical, while I usually thought he was spot on. And I am a hardcore fan/formerly competitive figure skater (it was my second sport alongside gymnastics).

I Dick Button.

 

[RedBirdie]

Dick Button was an international treasure. He did not hold back.

 

[onodian]

All I want are explanations of scoring

For FS? bias and hype. There you go, did it for you

 

[onodian]

I haven't heard Laurie but I was reading one of these articles, and I have to say however bad it is, the criticism might be even worse. Apparently people criticised her for saying suni could be extra nervous after Jordan fell? Cause she was overtly critical? How insane is that?

 

[brg09]

I haven't heard Laurie but I was reading one of these articles, and I have to say however bad it is, the criticism might be even worse. Apparently people criticised her for saying suni could be extra nervous after Jordan fell? Cause she was overtly critical? How insane is that?

Laurie is a shit commentator but her saying that isn't negative. It's just stating a fact.

 

[dweiss324]

Reading the fan criticism of Laurie's commentating is almost as mind bending as actually listening to her commentating. What world is this?!?!?!? How.......

 

[xxParkerxx]

For me it's just this sense that she really has no idea what scores are going to be and just keeps saying "she's thinking that she wants to do a good routine here" when there is dead space on air, which is a completely meaningless thing to say and it drives me absolutely bonkers.

All of the gymnasts are thinking they want to do a good routine all the time.

Unless.... conspiracy!!! They want to fail!

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

Cynthia Potter, the diving commentator, is retiring

 

[dweiss324]

Did they literally just say Cynthia Potter was done?!?!?

 

[rlayt]

Nooooo!

 

[Seyonne]

I’m going to miss her. I love her commentary. So informative. And I love the way she accurately predicts the scores. If she says a dive is getting 8’s and 8.5’s, you can take it to the bank