planetf1.com

Because I never quite got it.

I mean he wasn't really funny, the funniest bits were when he accidentally said something wrong. No witty jokes or anything. Also his knowledge from the actual racing was surprisingly low given his massive experience from the field. For example every time someone pulled away from the slipstream he was going for an overtake no matter what corner or how far back he was approaching. Most of the time the viewer had more understanding of the current situation than him.

So was he so enjoyable just because he was so darn excited about the sport? Usually I like a commentator who genuinely loves the sport he's involved in, but with Murray I just got annoyed by his sheer lack of... general knowledge. Same goes with the Finnish version of him, Kyllönen, who seemed to know absolutely nothing that was going on but was like a kid in the candy store all the time.

I want to hear your opinions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-oAsDCGNA

'Nuff said.

More seriously though, I never actually watched F1 when he was commentating, I wasn't interested in the sport back then (Boo me!) but i've seen him on some of the classic races and the BBC features, and I think whilst commentating he made errors, generally his sense of enthusiasm and knowledge for the sport was unparalleled. He clearly knows his stuff and to use a favourite addage of mine, has forgotten more about F1 than i'll ever know.

He represents it to the masses. Many a person i've talked to from different generations know Murray Walker. It's a mixture I guess.

His absolute passion for the sport and his absolute compassion for the sport and drivers

I rather listen to someone with passion rather than some idiot that can spout off every random fact he/she knows. Commentating is an art that few have. MotoGP and Indy Car have some of the worst commentators and I can barely watch the full races anymore.

Certainly wasn't for his accuracy! I can see why he was loved though. Can't say why, but I understand it

Rallying83 wrote:I rather listen to someone with passion rather than some idiot that can spout off every random fact he/she knows. Commentating is an art that few have. MotoGP and Indy Car have some of the worst commentators and I can barely watch the full races anymore.

Agreed
Though have to say, Brundledoes a good job.

But there's only one Murray Walker

Murray was and still is the biggest F1 fan in the world. Yeah he got stuff wrong and he probably didn't know half as much as Brundle but his passion and enthusiasm was fantastic without being annoying. Had he been a young guy just starting to commentate now though I don't think he would last very long, a bit like Legard really. Legard knew some stuff, no where near as much as Brundle but his enthusiasm and "passion" was just plain annoying.

Take someone like Chandhok for example, he knows EVERYTHING it would seem. Can spout of fact and stat after fact and stat but he comes across as a bit uppity with it. Murray never ever came across as anyone but someone who knew he was the luckiest man on the planet doing a job involved with the sport he loves. He was genuine.

He just had great passion for it and it came through in his commentating.

Laura23 wrote:Murray was and still is the biggest F1 fan in the world. Yeah he got stuff wrong and he probably didn't know half as much as Brundle but his passion and enthusiasm was fantastic without being annoying. Had he been a young guy just starting to commentate now though I don't think he would last very long, a bit like Legard really. Legard knew some stuff, no where near as much as Brundle but his enthusiasm and "passion" was just plain annoying.

Take someone like Chandhok for example, he knows EVERYTHING it would seem. Can spout of fact and stat after fact and stat but he comes across as a bit uppity with it. Murray never ever came across as anyone but someone who knew he was the luckiest man on the planet doing a job involved with the sport he loves. He was genuine.

"Genuine", and liked by all.

i think what makes commentating very good in any kind of sports is how much the commentator loves his job and what he does and how much he is passionate about the match or the race . in football i like the most excited commentators and it will be so good if he combines that with facts and knowledge

Murray had the gift of being able to convey the excitement of what was going on to the viewer better than any sports commentator I have ever heard. Yes he got things wrong, but as he said in his autobiography he had decided that when someone had gone off it was better to guess who it was (50 / 50 chance) than lose the flow of the commentary. And I agree to be honest - whenever Eddie Irvine went off the track I would much rather hear 'OUT OUT OUT!!! SCHUMACHER'S IN THE WALL!!!' than 'There's a Ferrari off! Now, which one is it? ......' He definitely needed a Brundle-like figure alongside him to fill in the technical details as Murray was rather lacking in this area, but I think his general lack of knowledge about how the cars worked and the sport's finer details helped to endear him to the sport's casual fans. People who switch on the F1 and just have it on the background while doing something else (who let's face it, make up the majority of the sport's viewing audience) would much prefer to listen to Murray giving it both barrels than to Martin Brundle describing how blown diffusers work.

My favourite thing about the clip posted above of him doing the snooker commentary is when he says that he always commentates standing up. That for me sums him up perfectly - he was always so excited about what was happening that he couldn't possibly watch / commentate on it sitting down.

his screw-ups.

So many many great one liners, but my all time favourite had to be.....

"And the car in front is unique.................. Apart from the one behind, which is exactly the same"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_HQiEDe ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGYpoa9VUM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnXDEw3gqhk

it is his love for the sport, the mistakes makes him so human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fv ... fYf0FtkRxY

Because he loved the sport and wasn't afraid to show it.

Also his longevity also gave him some other emotions. Murray Walker commentating on Damon Hill's final lap of the Suzuka 96 GP still makes me feel warm inside.


Plus, some of his screw ups were just so heartwarmingly funny.

Angel De La Muerte wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_HQiEDe ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGYpoa9VUM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnXDEw3gqhk

it is his love for the sport, the mistakes makes him so human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fv ... fYf0FtkRxY

So You mean I'm not human

ToughGuy wrote:So many many great one liners, but my all time favourite had to be.....

"And the car in front is unique.................. Apart from the one behind, which is exactly the same"

Do my eyes decieve me or is Senna's Lotus sounding rough?

and of course

there is nothing wrong with the car, except that it's on fire

ToughGuy wrote:

Angel De La Muerte wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_HQiEDe ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGYpoa9VUM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnXDEw3gqhk

it is his love for the sport, the mistakes makes him so human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fv ... fYf0FtkRxY

So You mean I'm not human

no comment lol

Angel De La Muerte wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_HQiEDe ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGYpoa9VUM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnXDEw3gqhk

it is his love for the sport, the mistakes makes him so human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fv ... fYf0FtkRxY

LMAO!!!!!!!1 At the whole McLaren bit HAHHAHAHAHAHA OMG How I wish we can get somebody similar to Murray

His utter sincerity and passion for the sport somehow translated through the TV to the viewers at home, I think he is fantastic.

He must be mid 80s now.

88!

The strange thing is that, when you hear the voice of Murray Walker, you think of F1.

The REASON why Murray Walker was so great is because he was a great throwback to how the sport began with drama, nostalgia, history, manners, eccentricity and a style that could only be found in someone born before the war years, something all the current commentators lack. It is a perfect antidote to the characters and stylings of the modern hi tech sport which has driven out almost all its humanity.

Martin Brundle is about as close to you will get I am afraid.

Rallying83 wrote:I rather listen to someone with passion rather than some idiot that can spout off every random fact he/she knows. Commentating is an art that few have. MotoGP and Indy Car have some of the worst commentators and I can barely watch the full races anymore.

Lol the commentator im listening has no clue about F1...


Example Vettel does lap on hard tyres and sets time...then Alonso does quali lap on super softs with +2, +3 seconds faster than Vettel...

And Commentator goes like "OOOOOOOOhhh my Gooooooood, Ferrari made a best car ever...i think they will dominate every race till end of the season"....

Or countless times back in old days when Minardi was black....when Minardi wents off the track..he usualy goes ...OMG DAVID COULTHARD is out of the race !!!

Or we see Kimi attacking Alonso in 2005...and as Alonso defends...race director playes a replay of that Attack...and the commentator seing replay of the attack goes...."AND KIMI IS ATTACKING AGAIN !!! 2 attacks in less than 10 SECONDS...AMAZING!!"

.
Because he was one of us, a fan of F1, first. It wasn't just a job...

j man wrote:Murray had the gift of being able to convey the excitement of what was going on to the viewer better than any sports commentator I have ever heard.

Arguably, Bill Mclaren from rugby union was the best commentator evah! In common with Murray, he'd taken part in the sport, loved the sport and wore it on his sleeve. The difference between them being Bill never made mistakes...

Bill Mclaren

didn't he make some verbal clangers tho

For those of us who got to watch F1 with Murray's commentary, he was THE voice of F1. The sense of anticipation he generated when the lights were going out was second to none. I doubt you'd find a single person in the pitlane who didn't hold him in the highest regard. Even Ayrton Senna would make sure he got the replays of each race with Murray's commentary, a fact which (correct me if I'm wrong) Murray says was one of the greatest compliments he ever received.

If you have time, watch this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifsRZJW7ix0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAlexTb0 ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UwHVGei ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cQWFOq6 ... re=related

I grew up listening to Murray going mental every couple of weeks so to sum up what made him so good was exactly that - he was MENTAL. I remember Damon overtaking Schumi at Hungary 1997 and laughing my head off for days. I was 13 at the time and nearly broke the VHS I recorded the highlights on rewinding it so much

Murray was a one-off. To compare him to someone like Legard is like comparing Salma Hayek to Susan Boyle. No disrespect to JL (I've been reading posts about him on the Brundle thread) but even the most accurate and wide-ranging of F1 knowledge is not a substitute for true emotion and true passion. It's all about engaging with the audience. And Murray had them both in buckets.

Swaf13 wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-oAsDCGNA

'Nuff said.

More seriously though, I never actually watched F1 when he was commentating, I wasn't interested in the sport back then (Boo me!) but i've seen him on some of the classic races and the BBC features, and I think whilst commentating he made errors, generally his sense of enthusiasm and knowledge for the sport was unparalleled. He clearly knows his stuff and to use a favourite addage of mine, has forgotten more about F1 than i'll ever know.

He represents it to the masses. Many a person i've talked to from different generations know Murray Walker. It's a mixture I guess.

He was a natural when it came to being a commentator and had the voice for it as well. He made the sport more fantastic then it was.

He made errors and more during the final years, to be frank though all commentators make mistakes but he was getting old

The fact that the OP never watched it back then goes to show why your asking that question. Would be like asking why was Senna so popular

Murray Walker has a love and enthusiasm for Formula One that is obvious and contagious.

His unwavering passion.

His ability to predict something, only for the exact opposite to occur (quite often!).

The time he poked Nigel Mansell on the massive bruise on his head.

When Damon became WDC "I have a lump in my throat".

Plus a thousand others I could mention.

What I really liked about Murray, is the fact that when he was doing commentary, he was first and foremost a fan. There was such passion watching the race. It was more than just a job.

I've heard Murray in interviews, and as a previous poster mentioned, he has forgotten more than I will know about F1. Murray doing commentary was totally different from Murray in an interview.

wcx wrote:For those of us who got to watch F1 with Murray's commentary, he was THE voice of F1. The sense of anticipation he generated when the lights were going out was second to none. I doubt you'd find a single person in the pitlane who didn't hold him in the highest regard. Even Ayrton Senna would make sure he got the replays of each race with Murray's commentary, a fact which (correct me if I'm wrong) Murray says was one of the greatest compliments he ever received.

If you have time, watch this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifsRZJW7ix0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAlexTb0 ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UwHVGei ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cQWFOq6 ... re=related

THANK YOU for this. Murray reminds me of watching F1 as a boy with my, sadly now deceased, father and he'll always be special for it. He just has a knowledgeable warmth and even as a hyperactive boy I felt compelled to sit and listen. Even if he wasn't always right

The day he dies will be a truly sad day.

wcx wrote:For those of us who got to watch F1 with Murray's commentary, he was THE voice of F1. The sense of anticipation he generated when the lights were going out was second to none. I doubt you'd find a single person in the pitlane who didn't hold him in the highest regard. Even Ayrton Senna would make sure he got the replays of each race with Murray's commentary, a fact which (correct me if I'm wrong) Murray says was one of the greatest compliments he ever received.

If you have time, watch this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifsRZJW7ix0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAlexTb0 ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UwHVGei ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cQWFOq6 ... re=related

That programme tells you why Murray was so good. #Legend

Rallying83 wrote:I rather listen to someone with passion rather than some idiot that can spout off every random fact he/she knows. Commentating is an art that few have. MotoGP and Indy Car have some of the worst commentators and I can barely watch the full races anymore.

That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If they know a lot, it's because they were passionate enough about the sport to seek the information out, and part of the passion is passing on that information to viewers who may not know. That wouldn't make them an idiot.

Also, I agree about one of the two IndyCar commentating teams. The ABC crew is utter trash. The Versus (now NBC Sports Network) crew, though, was great and very informative, though Bob Jenkins gets on my nerves here and there.

We're lucky in Aus - Channel 10 gives us three days of formula one coverage for the Ozzie GP, and a couple of times they've had Murray in to stroll around the pits, interview people and do special features. I think he was there last year and it was great.

He simply loved racing and that always came through. The drivers adore him. I also remember he often stuck up for Schumacher when the British press gave him a hard time.

Watching the Senna-Prost-Mansell era with Murray Walker and James Hunt was just great. They are some of my all time favourite F1 moments.

sugarkay wrote:He simply loved racing and that always came through. The drivers adore him. I also remember he often stuck up for Schumacher when the British press gave him a hard time.

Watching the Senna-Prost-Mansell era with Murray Walker and James Hunt was just great. They are some of my all time favourite F1 moments.

basically it

The Murray/Hunt commentary pairing was something to behold. I was watching some old footage the other day, with them commentating, and I just forgot quite how much life it injected into the races.

matzy wrote:

sugarkay wrote:He simply loved racing and that always came through. The drivers adore him. I also remember he often stuck up for Schumacher when the British press gave him a hard time.

Watching the Senna-Prost-Mansell era with Murray Walker and James Hunt was just great. They are some of my all time favourite F1 moments.

basically it

The Murray/Hunt commentary pairing was something to behold. I was watching some old footage the other day, with them commentating, and I just forgot quite how much life it injected into the races.

.......they didn't always see eye to eye -many times hunt would give his honest opinion about current F1 drivers , and murray would change subject quick, with no comment -he did it with patrasse, and there were more but i can't remember right now-and hunt always gave credit to the drivers where it was do- he did in the early days of senna's F1 career - now i did like hunt as a comentator- he was brutily honest