Earlier this year, British commentator Andy Gray found himself in hot water over some sexist remarks he made on-air. That normally wouldn’t be that big a deal for us, were it not for the fact he was half the commentary team for top-selling series FIFA
Gray, a former player at my beloved Aston Villa, has been dumped, replaced in the virtual commentary box by Alan Smith, the former Leicester and Arsenal star who will be appearing alongside long-time FIFA announcer Martin Tyler for the first time in the series (though he’s worked with Tyler in the real commentary booth before).
Oh, the double standards! Tiger Woods is found to have cheated on his wife by fucking everything with a hole and a pulse and he gets to keep his name on a game box, while Gray, whose comments were relatively tame by comparison, finds himself benched.
https://lastchance.cc/scandal-or-no-ea-sports-stands-by-its-man-5417483%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
In EA’s defence, Gray’s sacking probably had more to do with it than the offence behind it; it makes him less desirable as a virtual commentator when he’s not working as a real one.
On the bright side, it means Tyler has recorded more new dialogue than has been the case in the last few years. It also has prompted EA to offer two English commentary options, fans able to select from the Tyler-Smith pairing or instead opting for Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend (who are also the default team for tournament matches), who we last heard from in the 2010 World Cup game from EA.
UPDATE – After consideration, particularly given the fact Gray is no longer employed as a working commentator, I’ve changed the headline.
(Top photo by Tony Duffy | Getty)
