“Come on, kids”: Sports commentators now have a Bible

From “Come on, kids” Roger Couderc, one of the pioneers of sports commentators, on “Second post Pawar!!!! » Gregoire Margotton, via “Then perhaps…” Patrick Montel’s “Legendary Commentaries” recalls the great moments that marked French sports fans thanks to those who brought them to life.

“Our company produced podcasts for Amphora publications, and while discussing our love of sports on television, we realized that there was no book that was truly dedicated to this exercise,” explains Thomas Lage, co-founder of the audio production agency. So at the start of the 2022 school year, he set out on an adventure to bring attention to this fairly young profession that began in the mid-1900s.

But rather than starting with the big names, the former journalist, notably formerly of M6, Le Parisien or Toulouse FM, decided to focus on phrases that have become iconic. “I told myself that we need to talk about what people know. We all have specific comments in mind without necessarily remembering who the author is. “His first memory? “Curse”, released by Thierry Roland, overcome with joy during the 1998 world title.

“I was 7 years old. I wonder why he says this on TV? I remember his words, his emotions. This is the first time I’ve heard someone on television on the verge of tears. It was from this moment that I became attentive to the voices accompanying sports. So, I was very interested in talking about this with Jean-Michel Larquet, his friend of many years. »

Following this, Thomas Lage released an extremely comprehensive book, built on interviews in which these great voices, or those who accompanied them at the microphone, reveal their secrets of preparation, their approach to the event, as well as their vision of the profession. accuracy and emotion. “Almost all of them have in common that they are, in fact, journalists, not commentators. And they stick to it. The comment came later in their professional careers,” says the author, noted for his modesty.

“ They consider themselves servants of the moment. They know they are not stars. “But one thing also distinguishes those who use their voice every day: “most of them don’t work on it. I find it pretty crazy.”

And to make room for women, who are still very rare in this profession, Thomas Lage gave the floor to Nathalie Pechalat and Marion Rousse, two consultants recognized for their expertise in figure skating and cycling, who are pioneers in a world that is still very masculine character today. Through all this evidence, Legendary Commentary takes us back to feats that have marked generations and spanned many sports, from Yannick Noah’s coronation at Roland Garros in 1983 to the Blues’ victory over the All Blacks at the 1999 World Cup. Florent Manadou’s cup or Olympic title in 2012 in London. The voices of Christian Jeanpierre, Alexandre Boyon, Arnaud Romera or Mathieu Lartaud are always heard in the background, which can be listened to again thanks to the QR code on the bookmark.