Maybe because I've been brought up on great male commentators Brian Johnson (cricket), Bill McLaren (Rugby Union), Peter O'Sullevan (Horse Racing), Peter Allis (golf) John Motson (football) etc, I find it really hard to find much affinity for female commentary.
Like you it is pretty clear that these days there has to be in order to be politically correct an equal-ish number of women to men (and a significant quota of black (both male and female) commentators as well.
Positive discrimination I think it is called and ok, I'm sure it's done with the right intent and for the right reasons but I want someone who can lift and enhance my watching/listening of a sports event, not simply to tick an equal opportunity box quota in a corporate organisation.
A few years back commentators who had regional accents were 'pushed' too and I remember there was a woman with a thick Welsh accent (I even remember her name was Dot) who clearly only got the 'gig' because regional accents were then the 'in thing' because she knew next to nothing about what she was commentating (golf - irrc).
I've got a daughter and I certainly don't want her to bang her head on the 'glass ceiling;, so I'm not a misogynist in any way but I do want her to succeed on merit and not because women are underrepresented at the top in her chosen career but because she's the best person male or female, black or white - and I want the same for the person who commentates on whatever it is I'm watching.
A similar thing rankles with me at the theatre where parts are cast 'colour blind' meaning historical parts can be played by black actors - a good example at the moment is Romeo and Juliet currently on in London (it's supposed to be brilliant btw).
![Where do you stand on women co-commentators in men’s football? Romeo-Juliet.-Tom-Holland-Romeo-Francesca-Amewudah-Rivers-Juliet.-Credit-Marc-Brenner.-1189](https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Romeo-Juliet.-Tom-Holland-Romeo-Francesca-Amewudah-Rivers-Juliet.-Credit-Marc-Brenner.-1189.jpg?w=1000)
Now for me if the play was set in the fourteenth century, rich upper class, Italy you have two white leads.
If you want to set it more contemporary then have what ever skin colour you like - I don't see a problem in that.
Now if you think I'm going a bit racist here, then think about this - War Horse was a film and play that won a lot of awards - just imagine if you switched the horse for say a pig (because pigs are unrepresented in plays, or because you want 'animal blindness') then it starts to become bizarre and somewhat grotesque, doesn't it?
Then doesn't changing something in fourteenth century Italy into something it could not have been - and doing so deliberately - isn't that bizarre and somewhat grotesque too?
I mean how far do you go with it - why not have two black women in a lesbian relationship as Romeo and Juliet set in fourteenth century Italy, or maybe even the War Horse and his mate the pig as Romeo and Juliet set in fourteenth century Italy (based on blind 'living creature' casting)!
I guess what I'm saying is let us have the best person, man or woman, black or white (yellow. pink) able bodied, non able bodied, etc, etc, etc, for the job and if something is historic then be true to the history and not current day political correctness.
Also fwiw, women's sport (particularly football) is vastly over hyped and frankly imo not even that good to watch.