I think you answer the question pretty well...
people expect different things from casters at different times

while its nice to see a professional event put on like the ESEA lan or i46, the individual casts give a personal feel when you are that 'goofball' caster.

edit: by personal feel I mean sexually

http://youtu.be/LjhCEhWiKXk?t=1m10s

I liked the more relaxed approach.

You became popular just how you are and personally I enjoy how relaxed it is.

i don't think it would be a bigger draw.

The only time I've seen someone who didn't like one of your casts is when I showed this match: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJvtXaLXjAE to a few friends who play TF2 in pubs regularly but don't play competitively.

Their main complaint was that they understand the concept of the classes pretty well and have a good grasp on how the flow of TF2 works (even though their experience is only in pubs) and your winding explanations of things interrupted a lot of cool stuff that happened on the screen. IIRC, that's like the deepest you've ever gone into explaining the tf2 metagame in a cast, so I don't think it's a continuing thing.

So maybe you're not the most attractive caster to the subset of people who pretty much fully understand the game of TF2 but haven't gotten into the competitive scene? I love watching your casts and wouldn't want you to change them to be more 'professional'. Sometimes you go onto tangents that are ultimately pretty pointless but most of the time they're funny so I don't mind when you occasionally don't call something that happens. I suppose you could get rid of this problem by planning out a take (and planning anecdotes/explanations for stalemates/dead time) before actually casting, but I don't expect anyone to spend that much time just to cast a TF2 match.

In summary, keep on doing what you're doing, because doing anything else would take an unnecessary amount of time.

sal we love you

dammit. I wrote a slightly long post and then lost it cuz I wasn't plugged in.\\<3 you though Sal, don't change too much just cuz of one person\s opinion. You got a great personality and unprofessional is the last thing I'd associate with you.

be yourself and cast how you want to cast.

I would seriously hate if that one comment made you lose your incredibly amazing personality when you cast.

In the end, you're an entertainer. Most people watch for fun, and not for the stats. (Too) Serious stuff gets less views.

I care very much about the important parts and moments in the game though, but bringing it in an entertaining way is more important, in my opinion.

To be honest I don't see you as really unprofessional. You cast like some people watching are new, going off on tangents to explain things provides more depth to certain aspects of the game. New players / watchers could never understand things like that if you weren't explaining it for them.
You have your own style. Nothing wrong with that IMO.

(Unless it's MLG of course)

To be honest I don't see you as really unprofessional. You cast like some people watching are new, going off on tangents to explain things provides more depth to certain aspects of the game. New players / watchers could never understand things like that if you weren't explaining it for them.
You have your own style. Nothing wrong with that IMO.

(Unless it's MLG of course)

It's a thousand times more important to be comfortable with yourself than it is to be fitting some predetermined notion of what's professional. Just please don't become James Chen and spend 7 minutes explaining one aspect of the game that everyone that's ever touched a pug knows about.

I noticed in that message the phrase, "you favor players or sides." That should never happen in any cast; it might lead to drama, and we don't want any more of that. Personally, I don't really watch your casts (or any besides TFTV), but the TFTV ones you have done seem fine to me. So try to fix that, and you should be fine. And don't overexplain, as said above.

Edit: On second thought he might have just been trolling and just said stuff

SAL YOU'RE MY FAVOURITE CASTER

I quite like your style, Sal. you have a great energy about you and I dig your sense of humor; I've "lol"'ed a few times during your casts, mostly when you talk about your hyper-aggressive neighbor.

I think you have a great hybrid of following the gameplay at hand and discussing strategy, which has helped me understand competitive 6v6 and the roles of each class. sure you might miss a play or two, but you usually verbally acknowledge it and I can't blame you for not doing multiple recasts.

I appreciate what you do and provide for the competitive scene, and encourage you to keep being yourself.

You're totally fine Sal!

Since you know how to set up a microphone though, could you perhaps do everyone a favor and teach pledge and djc (probably others as well) to set up their shit (or have them buy $5 mics) so as not to be a hot static mess? We'd all love you even more.

I hate people like this. He watched one video, read one thread of comments and is now an expert about what the TF2 community should want. Here's what the TF2 community wants and needs: SAL. Unadulterated Sal, who's brought literally hundreds (if not thousands) of new players and watchers to competitive TF2, who's kept us entertained and laughing for over a year, who's taught us new strategies of play, and who's never asked for anything more than the spread of the game.

SAL- IF YOU EVER CHANGE, I QUIT.

As long as you're with the TF2 community, you're doing just fine because we like that. Would it work elsewhere? A better question would be if you're going elsewhere, because your style clearly works here.

The mere fact that you got someone to give you such detailed feedback is quite telling that you show potential in that guy's eyes. Most would just write you off if they didn't like you. I think that says something. Maybe you could do both types of casting. Just install a dedicated on/off so you don't become the mask, heh.

Sal Brought me here. I made playoffs this season. <3 sal forever.

If that guy watched a cast you did with cbear or DJC his whole argument would be void anyway. When you cast on esea or TF.tv i think your as professional as you can e minus all the bullshit from recent things like the FT thing or the STV lag thing.

Watches one video, bitches about it acting like he knows the in and outs. Should tell his little professional ass to come here and say it to everyone so that he "doesn't put you on the spot." <rage>

Really though? What was on his youtube channel? If it's casting in SC2/Dota2 and at gamescon/IPL/Defense, then I'd understand, but if it isn't. Just shrug it off, especially if he's doing what you said "I can message you but you can't message me."

You're one of the best casters I've watched and for a small set of reasons: you're funny, give information, and a can-do attitude with each cast.

people subscribe for the "derpy" kinda style. i personally think too professionel cast's can get boring

The lack of professionalism has helped you build a wonderful personality.
"Professionals" all aspire to do the exact same thing, and just end up becoming robots, but your videos feel more personalised and make you much easier (And more fun!) to watch.

Just my two cents

You're an awesome caster and I always enjoy watching your vids.

I'm just gonna say that if that guy has any sort of standing in competitive gaming (MLG)and legitimately thinks that his message can help you get better at casting, not letting you know who he is or leaving a way to contact him was, indeed, very unprofessional.

"I downvoted it."

Sal, you've been trolled by a professional redditor.

and goddamn this guy. like holy shit who takes the time to type this shit up over watching 8 minutes of a video i mean how much of a shithead do you actually have to be to do that jesus christo i am angry. does this guy think he's fuarking good? he's giving you advice on becoming "big" as if he is day9 or someshit. What a dickhead. GOD DAMN.

post his username. (NOW IM BEING TROLLED BY A PROFESSIONAL REDDITOR)

This game isn't a money making venture for anybody involved, it's something we do because we like it, and in all probability that's all it will ever be. Surely, we'd like for it to grow, but ultimately we're all individual actors doing something we like for fun.

Do what makes you happy Sal, and produce products that you're happy with. If that means you need to dress up in a tuxedo and speak 18th century English with 10 takes on the audio track, then whatever.

Especially when we're talking about commentating on tf2. I can count the number of regularly contributing casters on less than both hands, there's obviously tons of competition; I bet the other casters are rolling in dough like Scrooge McDuck, and surely being "more professional" would put you at the top of that very small list, at which point you could construct a golden swimming pool like Cbear.

I've been in Cbear's golden swimming pool. The problem is, the gold flakes off and dissolves in the water and you come out covered in gold. You wouldn't think that's a problem, but heavy metal toxicity is a terrible thing.