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Channel Nine presenter Tony Jones comes under fire for treating the Australian Open broadcast like an episode of Footy Show with his ‘old trick’: ‘It’s just not funny’
- Nine host Tony Jones is criticized for the broadcast of the Australian Open
- Fans think Jones is treating the grand slam like an episode of Footy Show
- Viewers take issue with his brand of humor, calling it “embarrassing”.
Tennis fans have lashed out at Channel Nine presenter Tony Jones for acting like he’s on an episode of Footy Show while hosting the network’s Australian Open coverage, with many taking issue with his brand of humor.
The veteran sports reporter, 61, has been at Nine News Melbourne since the mid-’80s, covering the AFL, cricket and the Olympics, occasionally making headlines for the wrong reasons.
Tony Jones (left, with co-hosts Jelena Dokic, Todd Woodbridge and Dylan Alcott on Nine’s coverage on Wednesday) has fans off guard with his version of the Australian Grand Slam.
The veteran sports reporter, 61, doesn’t stop with jokes when he hosts Nine’s Sunday Footy Show, but viewers say he’s not a good fit when he’s covering tennis.
His coverage of this year’s Australian Open has been criticized on social media, with many tennis fans believing his “soccer humor” has no place on tennis broadcasts.
‘When will @Channel9 and @AustralianOpen get Tony Jones not to host tennis? His surly old-fashioned football humor of his doesn’t work in tennis! @toddwoodbridge not your Nathan Brown punching bag. Jelena is Gr8 and she kicks his ass! It’s just not fun or entertaining,’ said one viewer.
Another tweeted: ‘For God’s sake that old Tony Jones stunt is embarrassing and embarrassing. It’s 2023.’
‘@9NewsMelb please nine, get Tony Jones out of tennis, it’s embarrassing to see what he knows about tennis,’ said a third.
‘Can we get on with #tonyjones? He totally can’t read the room. Inappropriate comment on @NickKyrgios’ another tweeted.
Jones has used jokes in an attempt to bring some color to Nine’s coverage, showing Australian Olivia Gardecki fake text messages from her mentor Ash Barty after she won her first-round match, and comparing the cut of co-host Dylan Alcott’s hair with the mops worn by the Beatles early in their careers.
It wasn’t well received by tennis fans, and it’s not the first time viewers have gone after the veteran journalist.
Jones working on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show
Jones came under fire on social media in 2019 for his ‘condescending’ talk with Naomi Osaka after she defeated Petra Kvitova in the Australian Open final.
The interview got off to an awkward start when Jones joked that he “wasn’t sure how you got it here” after Naomi brought the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup onto the Channel Nine set.
When Naomi was apparently surprised by the comment and smiled, Tony commented, “There’s the smile.”
While some fans found that comment patronizing, others took issue with how he addressed his heritage.
Jones’ awkward August 2016 attempt to kiss Rebecca Judd made headlines
“Your grandparents in Japan and you left Japan when you were three years old and you still consider yourself a Japanese player,” he said.
“Your grandparents took a while before you and your sisters wanted to play tennis and you finally got together.”
In 2016, Jones’ then Nine colleague Rebecca Judd pulled away and screamed when he tried to kiss her on her last day as the station’s weather presenter in Melbourne before she went on maternity leave.