Great sports commentators and commentary

[Nearly Sane]

Triggered by Blowers announcement, and having listened to various people being asked today about who they think are great commentators and pieces of commentary, I thought starting a thread on what is at its best an art. The link below is one persons choice of the great commentary moments but the great commentators create atmosphere as well. The most evocative for me was John Arlott, as these things are always about time, and Arlott is like a petite madeleine, dragging me back to summers of impossible sun to a sport I barely understood.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/oct/06/sixnations2008.features

[Rhiannon]

I'd like to start with Hugh Porter, just because after watching endless Le Tours on Ch4 it was his commentaries on Olympic road racing that finally enabled me to understand how team racing works. Which is kind of the point of good commentary first and foremost.

Nice article here.

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/hugh-porter-man-behind-mic-156073

[Nearly Sane]

Interesting point about helping understanding, there are many classic commentators where that doesn't seem to be the main aim. Dan Maskell, I think would be the most obvious, where often there was a lack of commentary.
In terms of explanation both Ron Pickering  and Paul Dickenson were great for field events in athletics.

[Nearly Sane]

This is one of those pieces of Wiki where tons of it isn't that interesting, some names stop time for you, and you realise that John Inverdale has been crap at so many things.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports_announcers