I don't see it as the players taking opportunities from others. It seems to me to be more of a demand issue. Fans EAT IT UP. There are virtual Reddit shrines to some comment Nate or Jerm make every week, so it makes sense for Jomez to bring them back.
I think your fandom is showing a bit here, because first you have to recognize that Ian is the king of /r/discgolf. Jerm and Nate are jesters in his court, and I'm the dude hauling the cart outside yelling "Bring out yer dead!".
If you honestly feel that way, you should prove yourself more and do commentary on lesser known events and prove to the disc golf world you are the one to hire as a pro commentator. I personally thought you were going to become the "Jim Nantz" of the disc golf world, but something seems to have derailed that train.
Not trying to sound like a dick here, but I helped build the biggest disc golf media outlet in the sport (won't be #1 for much longer - all due props to Jomez for their grind and dedication). I personally feel like I've provided proof as far as what I can bring to the table while at the same time knowing that I can always get better, and I'm always down to collaborate with people.
There's lots of behind-the-scenes stuff that has happened that's not really worth going into, but I do miss it, I am admittedly a little jealous (I'm only human...), but I want to emphasize as well that I'm not hating on people trying to grind and make their way in the world. I just feel like the spirit of inclusivity (bringing pros into the booth to share a perspective) has been taken over and replaced with a notion that pros can do a better job, and I just don't agree with that. I also recognize that I had a hand in all of this, because I wanted pros on the mic with me...though I wanted a stable host and a rotating carousel of analysts, because I know what that spotlight can do for them.
If I'm Jim Nantz (and thank you, by the way) - I want to meet the Mike Tirico, the Terry Gannon, etc. and I just don't see the window right now in the current configuration for those people to come up. I truly believe that the GOAT disc golf commentator has not been discovered yet. I just want that person to be able to have a chance, because our productions are going to grow to be unbelievably good once that discovery takes place.
Not sure about my take on all the above, but I do appreciate a little insight into your world and a peek into the behind-the-scenes considerations.
I do agree that your commentaries have a better production feel, but the players bring a more laid-back vibe to it. No doubt some of the player commentators are not good at all, and even the good ones are not good sometimes.
The Nate/Jerm show this week is the first one that's had me laughing out loud.
Bottom line: good, bad or indifferent, we don't care.
Entertain us and we'll tune in.
I'm all about more options on the table. If I was directing content for Jomez I'd rebrand BigSexy as a video-based podcast, and give Jerm and Nate some input into what the video actually looks like so it matches their conversation flow better, and put together a more broadcast-style play by play team for the 24-hour edits.
If Nate and Jerm could, for example, rewind a shot and dissect it, then skip a boring hole, then pause to make fun of one of their buddies outfits, etc...then the jokes would land harder and the analysis would come off more as more profound. Hell, you could do this as a livestream (kinda like DGPT did with FPO this weekend) - go live on the channel and give them the controls to pause/rewind/ff the video cut they're watching. It might take a few episodes for them to get smooth on the controls, but I think it would really highlight what they do well and effectively mask what they don't do so well.
I do enjoy the laid back vibe, I just don't think it fits with the direction that they're pushing technically - but again that's just one guy's opinion on the internet...and you know the ol' saying about opinions