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Post by FreeBaller on Jul 29, 2021 15:27:04 GMT -5
Thank you to the OP for starting this thread, since I came here to do the same— insufferable is right. There have been moments throughout the years when I can tolerate him because of his decent analysis, but his personality and tendency to frame every story through the lens of his career is so off-putting. Nobody cares dude. And his attempts at humor are so reminiscent of that annoying kid in middle school who can't read the room. I did love however, when he made that horrible "left-out" pun re:JT in the China match, and Sunderland just let the joke sit there and rot without any response.
Would prefer Sunderland solo, Marlowe, Heather Cox, Maria Taylor, Holly Rowe, Anne-Marie Anderson, Jim Watson, Mike Dodd, any of the FIVB's commentators especially Clayton. They just never try to make the match about themselves.
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Post by diggerdive on Jul 29, 2021 15:28:40 GMT -5
I like Barnett. I like him better than Clayton Lucas (who I think I like better than most volleyball fans). The thing I like about Barnett is that even at this point in his career, he is still up for learning. There have been times where I have texted him during a live broadcast about something he and Sunderland said. I wasn't telling him he got something wrong, but to add some insight and he addressed it right there in the broadcast. I got to work with him a bit on TNL. I found that while he has been out of the international and pro game for some time, he was often asking about current situations and trends to make him better on the microphone. I appreciate that. If you still have that number ask him if he’ll go home.
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Post by guest2 on Jul 29, 2021 15:30:21 GMT -5
I think the pairs are mismatched. The kind of pompous, know it all element of Barnett that bothers people with Barnett is echoed in Sunderland. In either one its fine, but from both? I'd rather it be Barnett and Wong and Sunderland/Marlowe. All of them know the games, but this seems like a better pairing. Also Marlowe with Sunderland doing PbP comes in smaller doses. Hmm, I guess, but my issues with Barnett don't really have to do with him being pompous or a know-it-all. I just find him irritating. I don't think there's another play-by-play announcer that he could be paired with that would make me change my opinion on him. He would have to change his broadcast style. I suppose if he was with a truly annoying play-by-play guy, I might find him more tolerable by contrast. That's the case with John Smoltz and Joe Buck. That was my thought. I think whoever is making decisions looks at Marlowe's day job and tries to plug that into VB, but it doesn't really work out as well. In retrospect, pretty amazing the mainstream success those guys + Billy Mac have had. Who would have guessed the three most successful - in mainstream sports anyway - people from the AVP's heyday might be the two main announcers and a fill in announcer
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Post by guest2 on Jul 29, 2021 15:31:43 GMT -5
Thank you to the OP for starting this thread, since I came here to do the same— insufferable is right. There have been moments throughout the years when I can tolerate him because of his decent analysis, but his personality and tendency to frame every story through the lens of his career is so off-putting. Nobody cares dude. And his attempts at humor are so reminiscent of that annoying kid in middle school who can't read the room. I did love however, when he made that horrible "left-out" pun re:JT in the China match, and Sunderland just let the joke sit there and rot without any response. Would prefer Sunderland solo, Marlowe, Heather Cox, Maria Taylor, Holly Rowe, Anne-Marie Anderson, Jim Watson, Mike Dodd, any of the FIVB's commentators especially Clayton. They just never try to make the match about themselves. No-selling jokes used to be a Sunderland trademark when he was with Marlowe. Barnett deserves it more though
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Post by bkedane on Jul 29, 2021 16:36:29 GMT -5
Thank you to the OP for starting this thread, since I came here to do the same— insufferable is right. There have been moments throughout the years when I can tolerate him because of his decent analysis, but his personality and tendency to frame every story through the lens of his career is so off-putting. Nobody cares dude. And his attempts at humor are so reminiscent of that annoying kid in middle school who can't read the room. I did love however, when he made that horrible "left-out" pun re:JT in the China match, and Sunderland just let the joke sit there and rot without any response. Would prefer Sunderland solo, Marlowe, Heather Cox, Maria Taylor, Holly Rowe, Anne-Marie Anderson, Jim Watson, Mike Dodd, any of the FIVB's commentators especially Clayton. They just never try to make the match about themselves. Part of this seems exactly right. A friend pointed out today that when Brazil's setter turned her ankle that Barnett immediately pointed out that he had turned his ankle badly in his career. His first reaction was that this was somehow about him.
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Post by gibbyb1 on Jul 29, 2021 17:02:02 GMT -5
Well I’m sure he reads volleytalk, so maybe he will get an understanding as to just how insufferable he is. Hard to imagine Sutherland isn’t having some conversations with him or production team.
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Post by chisovnik on Jul 29, 2021 17:11:24 GMT -5
Kevin is such a tool. Always has been, but you’re right - he’s been particularly bad during the Olympics. I hope Sunderland is having some behind the scenes conversations with him.
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Post by westcoastmom on Jul 29, 2021 17:16:10 GMT -5
There are moments during AVP coverage that I enjoy from him. But better broadcasters learn how to use personal experiences to add color or understanding instead of making it feel like a platform for self promotion. During AVP beach coverage there also seems to be a difference in how he interacts with female versus male partners and language used to call women’s games.
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Post by ajm on Jul 29, 2021 17:27:08 GMT -5
Barney is an acquired taste. When he started on the AVP Amazon broadcasts, I didn’t really get him at all. The 80s move references got old pretty fast. But listening to the last couple years of The Net Live, I really learned to love his broadcast style. He provides great insight and analysis, and the more I listen to him, the more I get his humor. Listening to Chris Marlowe saying the same one-liners that he’s been using for the past 30 years on the beach broadcasts has really made me wish they had moved Bernett over to the beach and put Chris out to pasture. Kevin might not land all his quips, but at least he mixes it up. I really wish TNL was still going, and I’m hoping for an Olympic wrap-up show from him and DJ Roueche in a few weeks when they get back from Tokyo. I’m coming more from the beach side where most of the streams don’t have commentary. I’m used to watching replays on mute and skipping 10-20 seconds between each rally, but when I have been watching replays of the indoor teams here this past week, I am watching with the sound on JUST to listen to Kevin’s commentary. To each their own, but I have really enjoyed him and Paul on the indoor side much more than Marlowe and Wong on the beach. #TeamBarney I also really miss TNL and am disappointed that no other podcast has really filled the void of what they were doing. Instead there are at least a half dozen volleyball podcasts and most of them are either not timely or it’s too hard to find the interesting topics. And I always thought Kevin blended just the right mix of news, discussion, inside information, and opinion of beach and indoor volleyball, both genders, all levels. I actually think play-by-play and color commentary is less important these days and often don’t pay attention to them anyway. For me the future of volleyball coverage is social media, chat, podcasts, and yes, even VolleyTalk!
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Post by potato518 on Jul 29, 2021 17:29:16 GMT -5
Been fortunate enough not to have heard him aside from the YouTube highlights
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Post by kc8413 on Jul 29, 2021 17:48:18 GMT -5
I didn't find him annoying on amazon prime during the previous AVP seasons.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2021 17:55:51 GMT -5
There are moments during AVP coverage that I enjoy from him. But better broadcasters learn how to use personal experiences to add color or understanding instead of making it feel like a platform for self promotion. During AVP beach coverage there also seems to be a difference in how he interacts with female versus male partners and language used to call women’s games. Because he’s misogynist trash.
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Post by Not Me on Jul 29, 2021 17:58:57 GMT -5
Yeah, I agree. I actually stopped watching the rebroadcast of the China win because Barnett was so annoying. Not even Sunderland could keep me around. It annoys me to no end to know that the there's a very good option already in Tokyo in Amy Gant, and they aren't using her. Maria Taylor is there too She makes WAY too much money to do volleyball now. She is big time.
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Post by ramo2653 on Jul 29, 2021 23:24:42 GMT -5
Just hopping in to say I miss the Nell Fortner/Sunderland Texas volleyball games, they always seemed like they were seconds away from swinging on each other.
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Post by socalplayer on Jul 29, 2021 23:46:18 GMT -5
I’m saying it in years!!!! He is the worst!
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