Vince's commentary on Raw last night was appalling

[Uncle Sam]

I'm not a regular viewer any more, but what I notice when I do watch WWE is how bad the commentary is. The likes of Todd Grisham and Matt Striker have an excuse. JR, Cole and King are just bad - there's no excuse.

But Vince definitely takes the cake. Fucking appalling commentary last night. Firstly, the man forgets his Mr. McMahon character and does some awkward play-by-play instead. Secondly, I really mean awkward play-by-play. He just describes what's going on in a half-hearted, soulless sort of way, trying to put some enthusiasm in his voice. I mean, he always used to be shit. I'm not really surprised he still is.

 

[gordonfly2002]

I actually enjoyed hearing Vince announce. Brings me back to all the old school cards he used to call. Hearing Vince as the pussy announcer and not the over bearing brute boss brought a smile to my face.

Nice to see that Vince and Jesse still have chemistry together.

 

[TheBestThereEverWillBe]

I'm not a regular viewer any more, but what I notice when I do watch WWE is how bad the commentary is. The likes of Todd Grisham and Matt Striker have an excuse. JR, Cole and King are just bad - there's no excuse.

But Vince definitely takes the cake. Fucking appalling commentary last night. Firstly, the man forgets his Mr. McMahon character and does some awkward play-by-play instead. Secondly, I really mean awkward play-by-play. He just describes what's going on in a half-hearted, soulless sort of way, trying to put some enthusiasm in his voice. I mean, he always used to be shit. I'm not really surprised he still is.

You're opinion is totally understandable if you aren't familiar with old school 90's WWF which by the likes of your thread, it seems so. Many of us grew up listening to the bland play by play commentating of vinny mac. So it's something we are used to and/or enjoy seeing come back for one night. like the post above mine, i agree that its nice to see that vince and venture still have the chemistry. So to many, the 'awkward play-by-play' is not awkward but normal, we just haven't heard it in a while. The Brute Bad Ass Boss he is now is only a character, just like his old school commentator position was.

 

[JakeBrowning303]

I thought that what him and Ventura did tonight was pretty good. I wasn't overally too impressed with it though. If he brought more enthusiam with it, it would of been on a whole different level. I still thought that it was still quite a treat for us though.

 

[Jsaturn14]

I'm not a regular viewer any more, but what I notice when I do watch WWE is how bad the commentary is. The likes of Todd Grisham and Matt Striker have an excuse. JR, Cole and King are just bad - there's no excuse.

But Vince definitely takes the cake. Fucking appalling commentary last night. Firstly, the man forgets his Mr. McMahon character and does some awkward play-by-play instead. Secondly, I really mean awkward play-by-play. He just describes what's going on in a half-hearted, soulless sort of way, trying to put some enthusiasm in his voice. I mean, he always used to be shit. I'm not really surprised he still is.

JR and the King are BAD commentators? What the hell have you been listening to for the last 10 years if you think they are bad? JR and The King are two of the best ever. They are they type of guys that can take a bad match and make it halfway decent by interjecting some humor into the commentary, or having one of their trademark arguments. There is a reason why JR is in the hall of fame, and why he is considered by many in the wrestling business as one of the best commentators ever...its because HE is!

As far as vince goes.Like the previous posts, I too enjoyed having Vince and Jesse back on the Mic. It was nice to go to a nostalgic place even for just one night.

 

[Jetspete]

to uncle sam, what vince did last night was basically play his old announcing character from the late 80's to early 90's, right down to the red bow tie. It was a one shot deal meant for nostalgia purposes, and for those of us who grew up on WWF Superstars and the first few years of Raw, it was perfect.

To your point, i'm not a big fan of the announcing overall. I never really liked JR, just tolerated him, and I cannot stand Michael Cole. But JR is a good announcer, he understands the moves and the angle he needs to sell. But his act is that of a Big 12 football announcer and it is just not my cup of tea. What kind of guy do you think they should bring in?

 

[dmacizdman]

wasn't vince's half-hearted attempt at announcing supposed to be part of the storyline with ventura? i do agree that the announcers are bad at times, but it's pretty much always been like that.

i can't imagine doing what they do. imagine trying to talk during a match and getting yelled at through the headphones on a constant basis. that's a big reason why foley didn't want to do it anymore.

i still like jr, but i think he has to be with lawler to make it effective.

 

[nikvoodoo]

I grew up listening to Vince call matches, so I was really excited to hear that Vince and Ventura were getting back together. At first, I was really disappointed because I had this like....golden memory of what Vince calling a match sounded like. I had completely forgotten what it meant to have Vince in charge. As the match went on, I started to remember exactly what play by play called by Vince was like. It's always a slow roll until the build to the end. When Sheamus threw Mark Henry out and the match was headed home, you can hear the noticeable change in intensity/excitement in his voice. And that's how the old days used to be. Vince always seemed like he had some where better to be, until the end and then it suddenly became important that he pay attention.

True, the current announce teams aren't fantastic, but they certainly hold their own when compared to Vince. He wasn't the best by any means, but it was a really awesome nostalgic touch to have Vince and Jesse reunite and to have Vince embrace it instead of staying in the character/attitude he was showing backstage and resist going out.

P.S.- If Vince wasn't in the Gorilla position to yell at the announce team over headset, who was back there to scream in his and Jesse's ears? I say HHH just to poke fun at dear old Pop in law. Just my two cents.

 

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

wasn't vince's half-hearted attempt at announcing supposed to be part of the storyline with ventura?

I think that's what people are missing here. Vince was FORCED to do commentary.... it was part of the storyline. I think if vince WASN'T forced then it would be a totally different story.

 

[Coco]

Frankly, I loved it. Not only was hearing Vince behind the headset a trip and a fine throwback, it was nice to see he still had that announcer voice in his back pocket after all these years of using his loud, raspy heel voice. He did PBP like a PBP man should do PBP and did more PBP in that one match than PBP man Michael Cole has done in several months at the very least. It was refreshing to hear him get behind the mic and tear it up like that while Cole, on his instruction evidently, is told to go out there every week, ignore the moves, say his catchphrases, and let us know how long Raw has been on the air. It was contradictory to how we're always told Vince envisions commentary, and I hope he enjoyed it enough to make him push for an overhaul on the way PBP is done in the E these days.

 

[kobrad]

I actually liked and was impressed that Vince agreed to do this tonight, it made me smile and actually think about some AWESOME days in the early 90s WWF....

the part about Vince getting all out of character, well seriously he was in character when he was in the 90s and that was the perfect thing for Vince to do and it was awesome to see him last nite in my opinion, i wish we saw more of him

 

[a7xoff]

It was a surprise to me to see Vince on commentary. I haven't been watching much lately cause well... I think the show has been terrible as of late, but last night I thought was decent. Now as far as Vince on commentary goes I thought he did alright. I didn't watch WWF back in the 90s so I don't really know how he was then. I'm with Sam that he didn't really seem to have any enthusiasm which I guess would be part of his reluctant to do character. That and after almost every sentence Jesse would put him down in comic fashion. It was a nice change, but I don't think I could do with it every week. Once in a while would be nice though.

 

[Uncle Sam]

JR and the King are BAD commentators? What the hell have you been listening to for the last 10 years if you think they are bad? JR and The King are two of the best ever.

Ten years ago, sure, they were up there with the best. For the last, I dunno, I suppose six years they've been pretty mediocre. King just isn't funny any more and JR makes just as many mistakes as whatever schmoe they put him with.

You're opinion is totally understandable if you aren't familiar with old school 90's WWF which by the likes of your thread, it seems so.

Well, like I said:

I mean, he always used to be shit.

So... I suppose you could sell it as a return to form.

 

[beefthelegend]

I loved it as well. It felt good to have Vince behind the mic-at times he was forgetting his on-air character and having fun with it-just like back in the day.

It beat Cole.

I would love to see Vince back on commentary-but as Vince "What's his name" and not as the Tyrannical Mr. McMahon. I think he could play well of the likes of Matt Striker. I know it won't happen...but it'd be awesome.

 

[Tully]

Last night made me remember how much I enjoyed a true-heel announcer, which the WWE is clearly missing these days of "PG" broadcasting. Ventura was golden. I loved when he called Dick Cheney a coward. Great stuff!

 

[Suneeboy]

I thought McMahon was very refreshing on the mic. He was a way better than Michael Cole, and Ventura playing the heel on commentary was just great to hear. I was very entertained last night as Vince was on point and Ventura was just matching him wit for wit.

The chemistry was still there. I loved the "Shut up McMahon!" that Ventura threw at him, and he still played the wimpy face announcer but you can tell that he was enjoying himself.

Even if you think Vince was bad last night, he was still better than Michael Cole.

 

[DNice]

For reasons Taz was rumored to leave the WWE, specifically the screaming in his ear of one Vince McMahon, we the audience get the pleasure of hearing The Boss narrate a battle royal. What did we get? Audible silence.

What is audible silence besides a redundant sounding new term? The end result of on-air jitters as a main event is playing out. It leaps out at the viewing audience when the Raw logo says, "NEXT" in the bottom right of the TV screen and neither announcer calls attention to it. Or themselves. They just sit there and let the dead air leak through the speakers at home.

The production of Raw continued over the audible silence of both Vince and Jesse Ventura. Kofi Kingston made his entrance to whimpering complaints of Vince McMahon that, "this was a rotten idea," while The Body sat next to him waiting to barb him. And he did. When Vince bothered to speak. The problem was that there was so little to barb. Vince sat behind the table and nary said a word.

It was the only time in recent Raw history I missed Micheal Cole. Even if he says painfully obvious things during a broadcast, he's still talking. Still trying. I'm not saying I prefer babble to nothing at all, but Vince didn't seem like he kept quiet for any good reasons. He wasn't trying to let the audience absorb what was happening on screen. Letting the action speak for itself as it did during the showdown between Orton and DiBiase or HBK and JBL's stare down when Micheals was told to take a dive. Vince McMahon sounded hushed up because he genuinely didn't know what to say.

Maybe it was part of playing a humbled Mr. McMahon with Jesse "The Body" not only in his ear but right next to both ears. If that's what it was, bravo. It distracted from an otherwise meaningful match by having little verbal substance added to the physical battle on screen. And for what? To goof on Vince McMahon and give old school fans a throw back to one wrestling heyday? Fine, but it didn't work for me.

Here's hoping that if the viewing audience at home gets another taste of Vince McCommentary, it's a little louder than audible silence.

 

[Ghost of Benoit]

All I can say is this...last night...took all you youngens back to the days when wrestling was wrestling...Mcmahon and Ventura showed you all how it was MEANT to be done...

people like Sidious on here complain that Mcmahon constantly yells in commentators ears and such then get mad when they dont perform to his liking what he himself tells them to do...well last night he showed us (w/Ventura) what a well-balanced commentating/team should be composed of and the chemistry thats required to keep the show entertaining...

Last night also confirmed in me that a great commentating team is ESSENTIAL in pro wrestling...i dare say that most of the time during the last match...i was paying more attention to the commentators than the match itself...now thats a sign in itself...

yesterday showed a lack of talent in todays commentators...it showed the young generation what people like me were fortunate to have in the 80s/early 90s...it revealed a HUGE flaw in todays product...i no longer blame Mcmahon's yelling into commentators ears...he showed us last night what needs to be done...i blame the commentators for not being able to do it...plain and simple...

PS...i would love to see Ventura back behind the headsets full-time...

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

I cannot believe people are giving Vince crap for his commentating last night. When's the last time he did any commentary? Of ANY kind? Sure he tells most of the commentators what to say, but being live and coming up with things to say or getting used to the headset in such short time is something that's not an easy task. I challenge anyone in here to have about a couple hours notice to do some commentary, WHILE helping keep things in line with programming. It's like being the producer and actor in a movie. It's not easy.

And after the commercial break during the battle royal, I think they did a great job, and even Vince came around and did a fine job. I know it's kosher to bash Vince for his recent acts, but this is one thing you can't really blame him for.

 

[AngleisTNA]

OK first and foremost I've only been a member for a week but DUDE where the hell have you been for the last 15 years?! Jim Ross & Jerry "The King Lawler awful commentators? In your books Tony Schiavone is better than JR and a God right?

Last night was a nice surprise, I've been watching for 18 years and Vince on commentary is what I grew up with and have always loved it. The fact he dropped his Mr. McMahon character was probably to make it more old-school and it worked. I felt like I was watching an old episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, Vince using enthusiasm in his voice is what made him so great.

On to saying Matt Striker isnt a good commentator, yes sure he's only been doing it for a year but I have to say the guy is pretty damn good, he knows his stuff and knows how to sell when something does take place.

So Uncle Sam, please watch a classic tape and then tell me what you think of Vince McMahon, Jerry "The King Lawler" & Jim Ross as commentators. People like me who grew up with their commentary will literally think you're crazy to think such a thing.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

After watching Vince McMahon last night on Play by Play, he was a true refreshing change from Michael Cole. And where as he may not have been the old Mr. McMahon 100%, as his voice has changed a little bit over the years (sounded a little raspier) ... you could tell that he had the Classic Vince announcer still in him.

It's unfortunate that McMahon wasn't announcing a pinfall match, otherwise we could have all heard the:

"1, 2, 3 He got him!!! We've got a New .... No only 2."

Vince was more subdued, but he got energetic as the match progressed. And his banter with Ventura was both witty and humorous.

As far as Play by Play goes, I have no doubt that if Vince returned tomorrow, he would still be the best Play by Play man out of Michael Cole, Todd Grisham, and Josh Matthews.

Given the number of years McMahon has under his belt from announcing, and being that it was about 12 years since he has announced on Raw, he would truly be a welcomed addition to the Raw Broadcast team as once again returning to be the Face of Raw. Hell, that way instead of feeding his commentators lines and screaming at them, he can simply say everything himself.

 

[Theo Mays]

Hearing Vince and Ventura behind the mic last night was one of the best parts of Raw. Them to have such great chemistry and even after all those years apart they still have it. I'd love if Vince came back to announce again, that would be awesome. And it would be even better if The Body tagged along as well. Ventura is clearly better than any of the color commentators in the E today (even better than my favorite CC, Matt Striker). And Vince is better, like Sid said, than any of the play by play guys (Sorry Todd Grisham). Grish and Striker are my favorite team today, they work so well together and feed of each other. But IF Vinnie Mac and Jesse were to return full time, they'd blow everyone out of the water.

So to answer the question, it is a resounding YES from me. I'd take Vinnie Mac as the PBP man over anyone in the business already.

 

[Slam Master]

I thought it was great. Vince was a mix of the raspy-voiced boss and the hyperbolic play-by-play man that he used to be in the mid-90s. He played the character similar to his announcing days but still somewhat talked like raspy-voiced heel at some points. Vince was a big part of why Shawn Michaels got over with the TV audience in the mid-90s. I never heard Vince so behind a wrestler as HBK back in 1996. It woulda been great to have the whole show like that. I was entertained, it was nostalgic, and I liked it. He used that over-excited voice at some points last night and kept calm like the old days.

 

[Rated_R_Superstar2010]

this is how the commentary should be. not the crap they have now. i didnt grow up with vince and ventura on the sticks but i sure wish i did. the last decent commentary team was jr and king, but even king sucks now. vince did the perfect job. just sit there and call the action. let venture make all the comments about the wrestlers. and they were actually unbiast. y do the announcers have to get behing the face and hate the heel. when was the last time you heard them say something good about randy orton. its always "he's a snake and a bully" (haha its so funny to hear the word bully when talking about grown ass men) venture said randy is a "smart" wrestler and he is.

this is the kind of commentary that needs to be done. not this kiddy catchphrase stupid jokes crap. JR is good at the normal PBP and King was good as a heel color guy.

 

[WWF Wrestling Fan]

First Uncle Sam you must be in your early to late teens or in your early 20's or something calling Vince's Commentary on Raw last night appalling I grew up on McMahon as the play by play man Vince Gorilla and JR have to be the 3 best besides Gorden Solie play by play men ever in Wrestling history go back and watch the summer slams the royal rumbles survivor series and wrestlemaina's from the late 80's and early 90's Vince is a great play by play announcer and it was great to see him come out last night and do a match with his old partner ''The Body'' it was refreshing not hearing Cole say Vintage for a segment and to go old school for at least 10- 20 mins.