I was thinking about this before.
While none of us are perfect, Owen comes across as the person you hear at the game who must have been watching a different game due to the rubbish he spouts.
From all accounts, he's always been an odious little bell end as well, so it's as if they've gone down a tick list and thought, 'Hey, he suits what the audience want'.
A) Household name,
B) England international,
C) Minority for being a midget
D) A Kopite!
His understanding and reading of the game, in the sense of a pundit, is so far off it's woeful. You then have the likes of Sutton who are only good at antagonising.
Yes, flair with intonation and tone are part of it - nobody wants a dullard - but first and foremost they need to be able to talk in a way that most fans nod and agree.
Nobody, and I mean even Owen's family, would listen to his words and nod along to the tripe he talks.