Adam Smith

[Counter-puncher]

Furthermore after 20 years in the job his progress has been limited.
.

has he really been annoying me for that long?

[Finn]

I am hearing the usual defenses of him being a nice guy who loves the sport, but still no one has accused him of doing a good job!
It was his dad who got him the job despite him having no experience or love of the game at that point. Furthermore after 20 years in the job his progress has been limited.
I will still say though he is so much better in the studio than as a commentator, but there are precious few jobs which give people so much longitude for so little.

loads of people have said he's doing a good job.

[mkirkhope]

I think he does a good enough job. You don't stick at something for much more than a decade just to quickly get ahead in your career and move on.

I think a big problem with coverage of all sports on tv in the UK is that there are far too many people who were 'brought up in a sport' or 'ex-pro's' who don't say anything worth listening to. I really don't care what anyone has done previously in their life as long as they can present useful information and have a decent knowledge of the sport. Look at football where you have loads of ex-players rolling out the same tired cliches week after week. Give me someone who hasn't played but has something interesting to say instead any day.

Adam Smith isn't the best boxing commentator/presenter in the world by an extremely long way. However what he did with his mates at uni or whether his parents have money is neither here nor there when assessing whether he is doing a decent job or not.

[leforge]

He will be a big flop! He comes across as someone who be better presenting show jumping!

[DavidPayne]

If you wake to an alarm clock you're working class.

[Chambers2]

A good portion of what you wrote there rings true. TV in this country is nepotistic to the bone; that's one of the reasons I rarely watch it anymore. Same with politics. Question Time is the prime example; a panel of pricks (every week) and a chairman who is nepotism personified.

Adam Smith will have got his job off the back of old contacts or his school tie and I can see how that must frustrate you. However, unless we are going to change the whole fabric of our society, we should really only judge him on his output.

Yeah the 'Jobs for the Boys!!' culture is rife in Britain! It ain't what you know, it's who you know or how you speak or what public school you were bummed at........

........ hence why my bosses are thick as fcuk with very few skillsets and brilliant little me earns a quarter of what they do

[lefty]

A good portion of what you wrote there rings true. TV in this country is nepotistic to the bone; that's one of the reasons I rarely watch it anymore. Same with politics. Question Time is the prime example; a panel of pricks (every week) and a chairman who is nepotism personified.

Adam Smith will have got his job off the back of old contacts or his school tie and I can see how that must frustrate you. However, unless we are going to change the whole fabric of our society, we should really only judge him on his output.

Yeah the 'Jobs for the Boys!!' culture is rife in Britain! It ain't what you know, it's who you know or how you speak or what public school you were bummed at........

........ hence why my bosses are thick as fcuk with very few skillsets and brilliant little me earns a quarter of what they do

I sense bitterness

[Chambers2]

If you wake to an alarm clock you're working class.

I pay my butler to turn my alarm clock radio on at 08:00 (I can't be arsed to set it), so I'm working class

[Chambers2]

A good portion of what you wrote there rings true. TV in this country is nepotistic to the bone; that's one of the reasons I rarely watch it anymore. Same with politics. Question Time is the prime example; a panel of pricks (every week) and a chairman who is nepotism personified.

Adam Smith will have got his job off the back of old contacts or his school tie and I can see how that must frustrate you. However, unless we are going to change the whole fabric of our society, we should really only judge him on his output.

Yeah the 'Jobs for the Boys!!' culture is rife in Britain! It ain't what you know, it's who you know or how you speak or what public school you were bummed at........

........ hence why my bosses are thick as fcuk with very few skillsets and brilliant little me earns a quarter of what they do

I sense bitterness

Very perceptive

[DavidPayne]

If you wake to an alarm clock you're working class.

I pay my butler to turn my alarm clock radio on at 08:00 (I can't be arsed to set it), so I'm working class

Yep.

[dbf]

People seem to have an issue with his over theatrical style (he studied theatre didn't he). Well maybe that is a reflection on the general public who are now more responsive to dramatic commentating etc - surely he plays up to it as the powers that be at sky probably have asked him to.

As good as Ed R is a reporter I doubt his subtle tones would get a pass a permanent commentator at sky.

They have to work with what they have got. But lets leave personal bias aside and judge Adam on the imapct he has made in his new role.

He's brought back ringside - a massive plus.
He's bringing in boxers from other networks into the studio.
He's commissioned Ed to make things like beyond (?) the ropes.
He's getting in some good fights.
He's listended to the fans.

If you don't like his commentating, then that may not be a worry as I presume he's going to have less time doing that.

He seems to have the fans interests at heart, but is aware he needs to cater to the wider audience. It must be tricky.

It seems that people have an issue with his style of presenting/delivery and not so much with the actual work he has done around developing a quality and varied output.

[Scottrf]

What annoys me is everything seems forced with him. He can't speak naturally he has to emphasise.every.word. That and the way he sits, sniggers at the boxers he interviews, he comes off a bit creepy. He's not a terrible fight caller but will never give the insight someone like Steward or even Jones Jr. give on HBO.

But in his job as head of boxing I think he's doing a good job at this early stage. Sky can't please everyone but I think they are listening to feedback and will continue to improve.

[leforge]

People seem to have an issue with his over theatrical style (he studied theatre didn't he). Well maybe that is a reflection on the general public who are now more responsive to dramatic commentating etc - surely he plays up to it as the powers that be at sky probably have asked him to.

As good as Ed R is a reporter I doubt his subtle tones would get a pass a permanent commentator at sky.

They have to work with what they have got. But lets leave personal bias aside and judge Adam on the imapct he has made in his new role.

He's brought back ringside - a massive plus.
He's bringing in boxers from other networks into the studio.
He's commissioned Ed to make things like beyond (?) the ropes.
He's getting in some good fights.
He's listended to the fans.

If you don't like his commentating, then that may not be a worry as I presume he's going to have less time doing that.

He seems to have the fans interests at heart, but is aware he needs to cater to the wider audience. It must be tricky.

It seems that people have an issue with his style of presenting/delivery and not so much with the actual work he has done around developing a quality and varied output.

He not getting in good fights! What good fights have we seen that we would not have seen under the old management!

[Scottrf]

He not getting in good fights! What good fights have we seen that we would not have seen under the old management!

I'm not sure we would have got Bradley vs Alexander, which was good on paper.

[bruthead]

To be fair to Smith he needs more time before he can be written off.

Adam Smith's #1 priority should be convincing Sky to up their boxing budget. Given the success of Hatton/Haye on PPV that should be possible. The more boxing they cover, the more household names they create, the more big fights they can put on PPV.

Carl Froch is the perfect example. If Sky had bought the rights to the Super Six and to Fight Camp 360 they could have turned Froch into a PPV star. It would have paid off for them big time.

Within the current context Smith needs to stop funding mismatches like Burns-Laryea and stop giving promoters dates without them promising tasty cards.

However, as I said when Smith got the job, I don't really think he's up to it. He seems nice enough but he's a total 'yes man.' He isn't going to put his balls on the line and tell promoters to shape up, nor is he going to rock the boat with Sky in an attempt to increase funding for boxing.

[DavidPayne]

To be fair to Smith he needs more time before he can be written off.

Adam Smith's #1 priority should be convincing Sky to up their boxing budget. Given the success of Hatton/Haye on PPV that should be possible. The more boxing they cover, the more household names they create, the more big fights they can put on PPV.

Carl Froch is the perfect example. If Sky had bought the rights to the Super Six and to Fight Camp 360 they could have turned Froch into a PPV star. It would have paid off for them big time.

Within the current context Smith needs to stop funding mismatches like Burns-Laryea and stop giving promoters dates without them promising tasty cards.

However, as I said when Smith got the job, I don't really think he's up to it. He seems nice enough but he's a total 'yes man.' He isn't going to put his balls on the line and tell promoters to shape up, nor is he going to rock the boat with Sky in an attempt to increase funding for boxing.

By way of balance, he's the only sports pundit I've seen pose uncomfortable questions to allegedly and others. Then people call him smug or up himself...you can't have it both ways. He's worked hard despite the flak and SKY boxing has improved in breadth and depth already. See where we are come November.

[bruthead]

See where we are come November.

Agree with this. Whilst I don't anticipate great things from Smith's tenure, I hope for the best.

[Srebmun]

dont know what to make of him. he looks like a toff, with his g@yboy haircut and that but seems ok. i saw someone on here once said they went to uni with him and him and his gang were a bunch of tw@ts. does anyone know what he is really like? does he really love boxing as much as he seems to? or is he a smug fcker who deserves a hiding?

he's a hampstead boy bought up to beleive education ,good connections and hard work get u somewhere not a haircut. he isnt smug he just has a particular set of mannerismsto cope with being on tv in front of millions and befitting the head honcho of sky boxing. who gives a fuckster what he did at uni that must have been 20 -25 years ago........

i give a "fuckster" mate, i love boxing, been brought up with it, i am also a working class lad from up north who worked his balls off to go to uni, get a degree and find out that trying to have a career in journalism was nigh on impossible unless you had connections. you dont benefit from having connections when you're from a council estate in sheffield..so i want to know if the bloke who has such a prominent position regarding the coverage of the sport I love, is an ok dude or just a posh little toff with a bad attitude and a ponchant for nepotism...problem is journalism, TV etc is rife for nepotism, possibly the most inbred industry aside from the medical arena...I admit that my first impressions of Smith were that he was a toff who needed a slap, its a symptom of where I am from, my background, we are supposed to resent posho's born with a silver spoon in their mouths, therefore I need to learn more about him would make me feel better if he is a true boxing fan who has a passion for the sport..

From the few posts I've read of yours you have displayed bigotry, homophobia, rage, jealousy toward 'class' different to you. Very :(

Symptom of your background you say - ever thought of bringing yourself into the 21st century?

[Bricks]

dont know what to make of him. he looks like a toff, with his g@yboy haircut and that but seems ok. i saw someone on here once said they went to uni with him and him and his gang were a bunch of tw@ts. does anyone know what he is really like? does he really love boxing as much as he seems to? or is he a smug fcker who deserves a hiding?

he's a hampstead boy bought up to beleive education ,good connections and hard work get u somewhere not a haircut. he isnt smug he just has a particular set of mannerismsto cope with being on tv in front of millions and befitting the head honcho of sky boxing. who gives a fuckster what he did at uni that must have been 20 -25 years ago........

i give a "fuckster" mate, i love boxing, been brought up with it, i am also a working class lad from up north who worked his balls off to go to uni, get a degree and find out that trying to have a career in journalism was nigh on impossible unless you had connections. you dont benefit from having connections when you're from a council estate in sheffield..so i want to know if the bloke who has such a prominent position regarding the coverage of the sport I love, is an ok dude or just a posh little toff with a bad attitude and a ponchant for nepotism...problem is journalism, TV etc is rife for nepotism, possibly the most inbred industry aside from the medical arena...I admit that my first impressions of Smith were that he was a toff who needed a slap, its a symptom of where I am from, my background, we are supposed to resent posho's born with a silver spoon in their mouths, therefore I need to learn more about him would make me feel better if he is a true boxing fan who has a passion for the sport..

we both give a fuckster pal. read what i said and than read between the lines.....i said he was a well connected hampstead boy........think where hampstead is and where most newspapers and media in this country are based.......beleive me pal i was less than "working class" but i have my degree and my letters and i boxed too and tried my hand at various middle class careers. ii know how unfair and tough it is out there

mcguigan is about the only one on skys panel right now not afraid to tell it like it is....

you need to wake up and smell the spit bucket my friend, i doubt smith is a pure out and out boxing fan like u and i, he's a career man who found his niche in boxing......if he was offered a better more powerful position as head of another sport within murdochs organisation he would be off in a second and he would learn that sport and make out he knows his stuff.......i mean look at that piece of ass on sky covering golf, you telling me that 27 year old big tits and arse mamma gives a shit about a fat old mans game played by 60 year olds in stupid trousers? sure as hell no but she wants to be on tv and make money.. same as charlotte jackson, you think she is some sports guru in it for the love of the game? well she tried to be a model, a singer before she tried to be a tv presenter.....the sport thing is incidental....she takes her clothes off still ...its all about the attention.

u need to accept smith is what he is.....and that this world isnt fair when opportunities are handed out.

[Bricks]

I think he does a good enough job. You don't stick at something for much more than a decade just to quickly get ahead in your career and move on.

I think a big problem with coverage of all sports on tv in the UK is that there are far too many people who were 'brought up in a sport' or 'ex-pro's' who don't say anything worth listening to. I really don't care what anyone has done previously in their life as long as they can present useful information and have a decent knowledge of the sport. Look at football where you have loads of ex-players rolling out the same tired cliches week after week. Give me someone who hasn't played but has something interesting to say instead any day.


Adam Smith isn't the best boxing commentator/presenter in the world by an extremely long way. However what he did with his mates at uni or whether his parents have money is neither here nor there when assessing whether he is doing a decent job or not.

well put im sick of most sport presnting being ex pros or tits and arse wanabee nuts loaded fhm girls or worse poorly trained jobs for the boys recipients.....sure we wont get people like harry carpenter, eammon andrews, or barry davis in this day and age, but personally i think a guy like john inverdale who does his homework and asks the questions is better than smith

[Finn]

he's a hampstead boy bought up to beleive education ,good connections and hard work get u somewhere not a haircut. he isnt smug he just has a particular set of mannerismsto cope with being on tv in front of millions and befitting the head honcho of sky boxing. who gives a fuckster what he did at uni that must have been 20 -25 years ago........

i give a "fuckster" mate, i love boxing, been brought up with it, i am also a working class lad from up north who worked his balls off to go to uni, get a degree and find out that trying to have a career in journalism was nigh on impossible unless you had connections. you dont benefit from having connections when you're from a council estate in sheffield..so i want to know if the bloke who has such a prominent position regarding the coverage of the sport I love, is an ok dude or just a posh little toff with a bad attitude and a ponchant for nepotism...problem is journalism, TV etc is rife for nepotism, possibly the most inbred industry aside from the medical arena...I admit that my first impressions of Smith were that he was a toff who needed a slap, its a symptom of where I am from, my background, we are supposed to resent posho's born with a silver spoon in their mouths, therefore I need to learn more about him would make me feel better if he is a true boxing fan who has a passion for the sport..

we both give a fuckster pal. read what i said and than read between the lines.....i said he was a well connected hampstead boy........think where hampstead is and where most newspapers and media in this country are based.......beleive me pal i was less than "working class" but i have my degree and my letters and i boxed too and tried my hand at various middle class careers. ii know how unfair and tough it is out there

mcguigan is about the only one on skys panel right now not afraid to tell it like it is....

you need to wake up and smell the spit bucket my friend, i doubt smith is a pure out and out boxing fan like u and i, he's a career man who found his niche in boxing......if he was offered a better more powerful position as head of another sport within murdochs organisation he would be off in a second and he would learn that sport and make out he knows his stuff.......i mean look at that piece of ass on sky covering golf, you telling me that 27 year old big tits and arse mamma gives a shit about a fat old mans game played by 60 year olds in stupid trousers? sure as hell no but she wants to be on tv and make money.. same as charlotte jackson, you think she is some sports guru in it for the love of the game? well she tried to be a model, a singer before she tried to be a tv presenter.....the sport thing is incidental....she takes her clothes off still ...its all about the attention.

u need to accept smith is what he is.....and that this world isnt fair when opportunities are handed out.

Thanks for your amazing insight into the mind and life of Adam Smith.
You have a degree? you've got a BS in something.

[Bricks]

who rattled your cage kingfinn ?
judging by your trolling clearly you have an obsessive compulsion to hate anyone with the education you so obviously lack.take my advice pal, leave chav capital coventrey, stop cheating benefits,put down the cheap supermarket cider, switch off the jeremy kyle show,clean up your piss stained bedsit and get out there and get a job instead of making jealous bitchy remarks all the time.

[Counter-puncher]

nice to see you still have that subtle, intuitive knack for connecting with people, mugabi.

[lefty]

he's a hampstead boy bought up to beleive education ,good connections and hard work get u somewhere not a haircut. he isnt smug he just has a particular set of mannerismsto cope with being on tv in front of millions and befitting the head honcho of sky boxing. who gives a fuckster what he did at uni that must have been 20 -25 years ago........

i give a "fuckster" mate, i love boxing, been brought up with it, i am also a working class lad from up north who worked his balls off to go to uni, get a degree and find out that trying to have a career in journalism was nigh on impossible unless you had connections. you dont benefit from having connections when you're from a council estate in sheffield..so i want to know if the bloke who has such a prominent position regarding the coverage of the sport I love, is an ok dude or just a posh little toff with a bad attitude and a ponchant for nepotism...problem is journalism, TV etc is rife for nepotism, possibly the most inbred industry aside from the medical arena...I admit that my first impressions of Smith were that he was a toff who needed a slap, its a symptom of where I am from, my background, we are supposed to resent posho's born with a silver spoon in their mouths, therefore I need to learn more about him would make me feel better if he is a true boxing fan who has a passion for the sport..

we both give a fuckster pal. read what i said and than read between the lines.....i said he was a well connected hampstead boy........think where hampstead is and where most newspapers and media in this country are based.......beleive me pal i was less than "working class" but i have my degree and my letters and i boxed too and tried my hand at various middle class careers. ii know how unfair and tough it is out there

mcguigan is about the only one on skys panel right now not afraid to tell it like it is....

you need to wake up and smell the spit bucket my friend, i doubt smith is a pure out and out boxing fan like u and i, he's a career man who found his niche in boxing......if he was offered a better more powerful position as head of another sport within murdochs organisation he would be off in a second and he would learn that sport and make out he knows his stuff.......i mean look at that piece of ass on sky covering golf, you telling me that 27 year old big tits and arse mamma gives a shit about a fat old mans game played by 60 year olds in stupid trousers? sure as hell no but she wants to be on tv and make money.. same as charlotte jackson, you think she is some sports guru in it for the love of the game? well she tried to be a model, a singer before she tried to be a tv presenter.....the sport thing is incidental....she takes her clothes off still ...its all about the attention.

u need to accept smith is what he is.....and that this world isnt fair when opportunities are handed out.

I agree with some of what you're saying but not all of it,obviously having connections gives you an advantage but my uncle grew up on a council estate but yet studied hard and got into oxford and now has a top level job in the city.

[forcefraser]

i give a "fuckster" mate, i love boxing, been brought up with it, i am also a working class lad from up north who worked his balls off to go to uni, get a degree and find out that trying to have a career in journalism was nigh on impossible unless you had connections. you dont benefit from having connections when you're from a council estate in sheffield..so i want to know if the bloke who has such a prominent position regarding the coverage of the sport I love, is an ok dude or just a posh little toff with a bad attitude and a ponchant for nepotism...problem is journalism, TV etc is rife for nepotism, possibly the most inbred industry aside from the medical arena...I admit that my first impressions of Smith were that he was a toff who needed a slap, its a symptom of where I am from, my background, we are supposed to resent posho's born with a silver spoon in their mouths, therefore I need to learn more about him would make me feel better if he is a true boxing fan who has a passion for the sport..

we both give a fuckster pal. read what i said and than read between the lines.....i said he was a well connected hampstead boy........think where hampstead is and where most newspapers and media in this country are based.......beleive me pal i was less than "working class" but i have my degree and my letters and i boxed too and tried my hand at various middle class careers. ii know how unfair and tough it is out there

mcguigan is about the only one on skys panel right now not afraid to tell it like it is....

you need to wake up and smell the spit bucket my friend, i doubt smith is a pure out and out boxing fan like u and i, he's a career man who found his niche in boxing......if he was offered a better more powerful position as head of another sport within murdochs organisation he would be off in a second and he would learn that sport and make out he knows his stuff.......i mean look at that piece of ass on sky covering golf, you telling me that 27 year old big tits and arse mamma gives a shit about a fat old mans game played by 60 year olds in stupid trousers? sure as hell no but she wants to be on tv and make money.. same as charlotte jackson, you think she is some sports guru in it for the love of the game? well she tried to be a model, a singer before she tried to be a tv presenter.....the sport thing is incidental....she takes her clothes off still ...its all about the attention.

u need to accept smith is what he is.....and that this world isnt fair when opportunities are handed out.

I agree with some of what you're saying but not all of it,obviously having connections gives you an advantage but my uncle grew up on a council estate but yet studied hard and got into oxford and now has a top level job in the city.

If you are smart enough and prepared to work hard, it doesn`t matter where you come from or what your background is.

I`m from perhaps the worst council estate in West Yorkshire. Never stopped me from doing anything in my life.

I would actually say growing up in the shit, has given me a work ethic that has contributed very positively to me achieveing what I wanted from life. You deal with the shit and get on it with it. Accept that some things you cannot change and concentrate on the things you can.