1. Focus
by brent smith alkinggame
a good
game
The personality
Multi-talented Mpho Maboi comes from a radio background, but we’re
glad she’s made the switch to TV. We can’t imagine this big personality
confined to a stereo system. Her producer on SuperSport’s The NFD Show,
Nono Cele, has described her as smart, witty, loud, outspoken and confident.
It’s hard to disagree.
Thankfully, she’s come a long way since her radio debut on YFM, assisting
with the traffic on DJ Fresh’s former breakfast show. Mpho is a football lover
above all, and it’s fitting that she now finds herself talking about the National First
Division on SuperSport. She’s also one of six presenters on PSL News and does
voice-over work for the lifestyle magazine show Love PSL. And she never leaves
her work at the office – even spending most of her time after hours watching
matches on TV. ‘I do watch other sport, but not as religiously as football.’
Mpho has a novel way of preparing for broadcasting. The tech-savvy
Twitterite BBMs her producer throughout the week, which helps her overcome
her nerves before going on air. ‘But,’ she says, ‘when that 10-second countdown
to live goes, I’m ready because there’s no turning back.’
Though highly knowledgeable about the beautiful game, she always stays
impartial and leaves the opinions to the experts. ‘It’s why they’re there.
I normally try my level best not to be too harsh on coaches I feel can do better.’
Mpho is a big movie fan too. Her favourite sports film? Mpho rates Any Given
Sunday as among the greatest ever made. She says: ‘Who can forget that
inspirational speech Al Pacino gives at the end? Touching stuff.’
The best sports
presenters are just
like us – fans, first
and foremost. We go
behind the sports desk
with seven popular
announcers.
tMopph poic’sk s
Jogging or gym? Gym.
Weights or spinning? Weights.
Jeans or dress? Jeans.
Massage or pedicure? Massage.
Rain or shine? Shine.
Winning, fame, money or
the game? I could lie and say
money isn’t important, but
we all know that without it,
it’s hard to enjoy all the other
things in life. That said, the
game comes a close second.
I’ve been in love with football
for a very long time.
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2. photographY Aubrey johnson IMAGES supplied
The F1 expert
The big guy
Sasha Martinengo, who recently celebrated his 5 000th show on 5FM,
says of radio: ‘It allows you the freedom to explore your knowledge of
language. You can express and describe much more on radio than TV,
but it’s unfortunately a dying art form in South Africa.’
He adds with typical candour: ‘We have some shocking radio sports
presenters and commentators.’
Sasha has been on the country’s airwaves since 1994. He says his
first show on 5FM was electric and he still feels the same when he
broadcasts today – no nerves though, just excitement.
The ‘Italian Stallion’, as he is known, also hosts SuperSport’s Formula
One coverage and Absolute F1. He is South Africa’s answer
to Jeremy Clarkson – an unashamed petrol head. When
the Top Gear guys toured SA last year, Sasha MCed
their shows, proving a natural foil and sparring partner
for Clarkson.
‘I’m actually building a kit car at the moment – a
replica 1967 Alfa Romeo,’ he says. The F1 aficionado
spends huge amounts of time studying up on the
motorsport, and has amassed a large collection of
memorabilia over the years.
An all-round sports fanatic at school, Sasha captained
his cricket and rugby teams. Nowadays, if he has any
free time, which he says is rare, he plays golf. He also
indulges his passion for amateur motor racing, though
not as regularly as he used to.
The first lady of rugby
The glamorous Elma Smit is a recent addition to SuperSport’s lineup. Earlier this year, she
won the station’s Lady Rugga competition. Her knowledge of rugby so impressed the judges –
including Naas Botha – that she was chosen to present the 2011 IRB Rugby World Cup from the
field in New Zealand. Not bad for someone who played netball at school.
Elma describes winning the competition as the proudest moment in her broadcasting career
so far. She started out at a Stellenbosch University campus radio station, where she met her
husband, sports journalist Richard Maspero. DStv’s MK channel offered her the job of co-host
of Studio 1 around the same time she finished her law degree. Elma moved north and Richard
followed eight months later. The couple now live in Linden with their two rescued cats.
Two sports nuts in one house means their DStv is always tuned somewhere in the 200s.
‘Whereas he stays up until 2am to watch golf, I spend most Saturdays during rugby season on
the couch in front of the TV; and when it’s Wimbledon time, it’s every day of the week.’
And what does she enjoy doing in her free time? Sewing. ‘I’ve been doing it since
I was very young and in recent years I’ve made curtains for my house, scatter
cushions, and lots of clothes for myself and friends.’
The popular presenter also hosts the early-morning weekend show on
5FM. She says although there are little things she’d like to fix after
every show, she still enjoys live broadcasting. ‘I think the fact that
it’s imperfect is what makes it so real. That’s what people relate
to – otherwise robots could, and probably should, do my work,’
she laughs.
‘Us tight forwards
don’t listen to anybody!’
‘Being factual and correct
speaks volumes, because the
viewer has to trust you.’
stoiaps p’si cks
Biltong or chips? Biltong. It’s my
staple diet.
Beer or wine? Red wine. Merlot,
thank you.
Chicken or beef? Beef – refer to
biltong choice.
Jogging or gym? I need to mix
it up, so gym then a jog.
Highveld or coast? Coast.
I was born and bred there, and
wouldn’t mind heading back in
the future.
TV or radio? Trick question!
Rain or shine? I love the
thunderstorms in Joburg.
Soccer or rugby? Newcastle
United, then rugby.
Rock or rap? Rap. Eminem is
quality, but there is so much
great music out there that it’s
hard to stick to one genre.
Marks Maponyane used to make a living playing
football. The legendary striker-turned-pundit appears
on SABC’s Laduma, where he’s refined his on-field
banter into engaging on-air prose.
‘South Africans are not stupid,’ he says. ‘They want
honesty. That’s why I’m here. I have no agenda and
I say it like it is.’
Marks is known to anyone who follows South African
football, but his first loves at school were athletics
and tennis. Nevertheless, the man from Soweto
turned football pro in 1981 and never looked back. He’s
played for Bafana Bafana and Soweto’s two biggest
clubs – first Kaizer Chiefs, then later in his career
Orlando Pirates – and was crowned Footballer of the
Year an unprecedented three times. It’s not surprising
then that he’s a highly respected analyst of the game.
He’s philosophical about live bloopers. ‘What I’ve
learnt from playing football is it’s how you recover
that counts. Attitude is everything. That’s how teams
go from 3-0 down to 3-3.’
He likens an on-air mistake to an incident in a
recent match between two PSL sides. The one team’s
goalkeeper conceded a goal by letting the ball pass
through his legs. ‘It was embarrassing – like a scene
from a movie,’ says Marks, ‘but the following week he
came back and was man of the match. All that matters
is the game on the day.’
Nevertheless, Marks is cautious before broadcasting
and regards it as a sign of respect to the game and its
players to prepare well.
‘You have to be committed,’ he insists. ‘I will never
fault a team for a loss, but if a player doesn’t show
commitment, I will criticise him.’
Though his job is talking sport, Marks has never
stopped keeping fit and active, and spends much of
his time on the golf course with his two sons.
Kobus Wiese is a sporting giant – literally. But he’s never taken
himself too seriously. The former Springbok lock reckons Bruce
Fordyce should play him in a film … or Danny DeVito. Picture it: a
surreal portrait of a rugby player known for his large size ironically
played by one of Hollywood’s most famous little guys.
Kobus hosts SuperRugby on SuperSport on Monday nights. He’s
received two awards for his broadcasting work – for best presenter
and best presenter/commentator. At school he played cricket and
football, and took part in athletics, but rugby was his calling. When
we think of the quintessential South African lock, we think of
brush-cut Kobus Wiese, an intimidating man of more than 1.8m with
a huge sense of humour to match. ‘Us tight forwards don’t listen to
anybody!’ he says, jokingly.
He was part of the 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok side,
and in 2007 commentated on the RWC final, also won by the Boks.
‘I love the honesty of live television,’ he says. Let’s not jinx it, but so
far he hasn’t had a particularly bad on-air moment, though he says
pronouncing names correctly can be tricky – especially when referring
to players from countries like Japan, Fiji, Georgia and Romania. ‘The
best advice is to look for a Smith or Jones playing for those sides, and
guess what? He has a blinder!’
tKoopb puicsk’s s
Biltong or chips? Definitely biltong.
Whisky or water? Water. Whisky is terrible, foul
and completely undrinkable!
Beer or wine? I love red wine, but I also have
respect for beer.
Highveld or coast? The West Coast, where
I grew up. I love the people, the sense of
humour, the beautiful clean beaches and the
crisp sea air. But I’m also a fan of Highveld
thunderstorms and the winter sunshine.
Winning, fame, money or the game? Winning
is what it’s all about. It’s your reward for all the
sacrifice, blood sweat and tears. It’s how you test
yourself and your team. Winning isn’t everything,
it’s the only thing! The game will always be
bigger and more important than any individual. The competitor
Gershawn Coetzee is a sportsman turned presenter. The
ex-Cape Town Spurs U19 player entered the premier league
of broadcasting when he joined e.tv nearly seven years ago.
He now presents sport on the prime-time news bulletin News
Day on the eNews channel, and is the face of e.tv’s UEFA
Champions League coverage. He’s kept the blazer he wore
during his first news broadcast as a souvenir.
Like all good presenters, fairness and impartiality is
paramount to Gershawn. ‘You have to remain neutral at all
costs and say it the way it is. Being factual and correct speaks
volumes, because the viewer has to trust you.’
The sports-crazy presenter is driven and highly competitive
and his enthusiasm and commitment to sport comes across
on air. He participates in football, cricket, squash, chess,
cycling, road running, volleyball, tennis and ‘anything that’s
sheer fun’.
Gershawn says South Africa winning the 1995 and 2007
Rugby World Cups and the 1996 African Cup of Nations were
proud moments for him. He has a ‘good feeling’ one of the
country’s teams will win another world cup within the next
eight years.
tsoaps hpiac’ks s
Beer or wine? Wine. I like pinotage.
Gym or jogging? I don’t go to gym,
but I was told recently I’m getting
a bit of a tummy. I guess I’ll have to do
something about that!
Highveld or coast? Joburg to live, but
the coast for a holiday. I mix it up.
There’s something special about Cape
Town, but Durban is much better for
a beach holiday.
The hard grafter
Despite his chilled-out nature, Sias Du Plessis is one of
the hardest-working individuals in broadcasting. He’s up at 4am
every weekday and his vast knowledge of most sports has made
him a sought-after presenter. He plies his trade on Gareth Cliff’s
5FM breakfast show and reports for SuperSport Blitz.
Sias has a long sporting history, having played first-team
cricket and rugby at Durban’s Glenwood High School. The
‘Ginger Ninja’ recently started paddling and is training for the
2012 Dusi Canoe Marathon.
Like his 5FM colleague Sasha Martinengo, he no longer gets
nervous on air. He views preparation as key. ‘I always try to ask
the experienced producers, directors and commentators for
their take on pronouncing names. When in doubt, say it quickly
and confidently and hope no one notices!’
Of course, everyone makes mistakes, and Sias has made a
few on air – like the time he announced, ‘You’re watching Boots
& All’ when he was presenting All Out Rugby.
When he’s not talking sport, he spends as much time as
possible with his wife and three-year-old son, Blake. ‘He’s on
the go all the time and reminds me constantly that I’m a ginger,
but a cool ginger who he loves very much. My wife Nats is
unbelievable and puts up with my long hours and demanding
schedule. The house is always buzzing, usually because
CBeebies is on the telly.’
tgoepr psihcaksWN’s
Biltong or chips? Sliced biltong.
Beer or wine? Light beer or Heineken.
Chicken or beef? Grilled or steamed chicken.
Highveld or coast? Coast.
Rain or shine? Rain.
Soccer or rugby? Soccer.
Rock or rap? Rap, but light rock will do.
tmoapr pSkick’ss
Highveld or coast? Joburg is where the
adrenaline is. Everything’s pumping.
But I do love to relax at the coast.
I also enjoy exploring and recently
discovered a beautiful place near the
Jozini Dam in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Radio or TV? I actually started out on
Radio Metro, but TV is better – there
are more challenges. For one thing,
you always have to have bright eyes
and look your best.
The legend
elMa’s top picks
Beer or wine? Generally wine, since I’m not a beer drinker, but
in New Zealand I discovered the locally brewed apple cider,
and I’m now in pursuit of the perfect apple cider back home.
Stilettos or trainers? Stilettos, definitely. I’ve built a great
relationship with Plum shoes, which basically means I wear
only their lovely shoes, mainly heels. They then give me
more to wear. Win-win!
Rock or rap? I love both. Besides perhaps electro, these are
my favourite genres. Jay Z is a genius, but I also have a soft
spot for UK rappers. Locally, I’m a huge fan of Bittereinder,
Jack Parow, JR and HHP. Local bands are bringing out such
impressive material. I’d recommend aKing, Zebra & Giraffe,
Dance You’re on Fire, Wrestlerish and Die Tuindwergies.
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