BBC coverage

[The Hitch]

BBC has no idea how to hype an event. Would have thought mentioning how epic 2008 was would help sell the 4 by 100 relay. Instead they showed footage of thorpe pretending to play guitar.

Oh dear cycling noobs... those are the questions I had when I first started watching.. but then I was 6 years old...

IS Linekar 6 years old?

He is one of Englands best footballers of all time who in his current role is forced to feign interest in all these none football sports he has no interest in, in return for lots of money.

bbc use him as a presenter because they think all people want to see is celebrity faces, and sadly i think they may be right.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

That was hilarious.

On another note, does anyone know where I could find a full replay? Or at least a replay from the start of the laps of Box Hill?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNp3Ymg8f28&feature=relmfu

 

[Caruut]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNp3Ymg8f28&feature=relmfu

Not in my country apparently.

I have found myself twice on the one from the BBC website. A very productive evening.

 

[Izzy eviel]

If only Chris Boardman could've done it on his own!.

I watched alot of the road race this afternoon and couldn't believe they commentated without having the starters list in front of them.

Number 16 has a name you know, and it's not 'The American Girl on the front again'

Massive kudos to Eurosport who recognized they might have problems with this and got Gilmore in.

Also the problem with lack of information, it wasn't the BBC to blame but twitter. Too many people tweeting at the finish used up all the bandwidth apparently...(sorry guys)

 

[Anonymous]

The BBC don't hold the monopoly for spouting complete tosh where cycling is concerned, our national press are equally as bad, and if I dare say it, are on a par, or worse.

It's been amusing reading the national newspapers since Brad Wiggins was in line for the TdF crown. So called esteemed sports writers were using the word 'peloton' with a sort of insouciant abandon - as if they knew what it meant despite only once having set foot in Halfords.

Cycling journalism has now become a sort of obsession, one that needed to be fed by what I'd call "knowledgeable guff", facts to be traded back and forth down the pub. It reminded me a little of those heady days in 2003 when, with England poised to win the Rugby World Cup, people were holding forth from an unassailable ignorance on the legitimacy of England's "rolling maul".

It irks me that column inches and TV media time is given to welts who don't have a farkin' clue.

 

[Caruut]

BBC has no idea how to hype an event. Would have thought mentioning how epic 2008 was would help sell the 4 by 100 relay. Instead they showed footage of thorpe pretending to play guitar.

He is one of Englands best footballers of all time who in his current role is forced to feign interest in all these none football sports he has no interest in, in return for lots of money.

bbc use him as a presenter because they think all people want to see is celebrity faces, and sadly i think they may be right.

I wish they could have two sets of coverage - one set of coverage done by noobs for noobs, and one set done by fans for fans. I know I need noob coverage for some sports, but that noob coverage for cycling ****s me off.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Not in my country apparently.

I have found myself twice on the one from the BBC website. A very productive evening.

That is strange, it is from the official olympic account on youtube.

 

[Arnout]

BBC has no idea how to hype an event. Would have thought mentioning how epic 2008 was would help sell the 4 by 100 relay. Instead they showed footage of thorpe pretending to play guitar.

He is one of Englands best footballers of all time who in his current role is forced to feign interest in all these none football sports he has no interest in, in return for lots of money.

bbc use him as a presenter because they think all people want to see is celebrity faces, and sadly i think they may be right.

Ah, Gary botoxface Lineker. A Dutch pay-to-view football channel even hired him, which didn't work as he didn't have a clue.

 

[Jaunty Monty]

Womens road race, the only thing they said about any rider was if they won a medal in Beijing or not. Vos has won so much and all they could say about her was was repeat ad nauseum that she won a gold on the track in 08.

I turned over to ES for the last 5km and there was a female rider on the commentary - not a part time road cyclist from 10 years ago who doesn't watch the sport, and they were discussing how Vos won this that and the other, how Lizzie won Gent-Wevelgem,

To be fair at one point the BBC mentioned that Vos had won 5 stages in the Giro and that she was the Cyclocross world champion. I actually thought Porters knowledge and recognition in the womens race was better than it was in the mens but I agree he is past his use by date. Apart from Boardman the commentary and punditry was poor. Some of the comments on the late night show from the likes of McEnroe were cringeworthy in their ignorance. If you are going to discuss cycling at least have someone on the sofa who knows his beans.

I disagree about the BBC sports coverage being poor. Their standards have slipped in some sports like football (still better than ITV) and athletics (better than C4) but the coverage in others is excellent. The swimming team is superb with Moorehouse, Jameson, Foster and Davies (spoilt a bit by Balding mind). I enjoy the Wimbledon coverage except for the insufferable Andrew Castle. The commentary during most of the olympics has been excellent but its been let down by the odd anchor.

 

[Frosty]

Some of the comments on the late night show from the likes of McEnroe were cringeworthy in their ignorance. If you are going to discuss cycling at least have someone on the sofa who knows his beans.

It looks like Carl Lewis and Ian Thorpe will be the pundits tonight.

Must be difficult on the review of the day show to get someone who has a good knowledge of all sports.

Edit: Or maybe not, Brailsford turns up at the last minute.

 

[The Hitch]

Carl Lewis. I hope they have Ben Johnson on at some point then.

 

[The Hitch]

To be fair at one point the BBC mentioned that Vos had won 5 stages in the Giro and that she was the Cyclocross world champion. I actually thought Porters knowledge and recognition in the womens race was better than it was in the mens but I agree he is past his use by date. Apart from Boardman the commentary and punditry was poor. Some of the comments on the late night show from the likes of McEnroe were cringeworthy in their ignorance. If you are going to discuss cycling at least have someone on the sofa who knows his beans.

I disagree about the BBC sports coverage being poor. Their standards have slipped in some sports like football (still better than ITV) and athletics (better than C4) but the coverage in others is excellent. The swimming team is superb with Moorehouse, Jameson, Foster and Davies (spoilt a bit by Balding mind). I enjoy the Wimbledon coverage except for the insufferable Andrew Castle. The commentary during most of the olympics has been excellent but its been let down by the odd anchor.

Glad to hear they mentioned Vos giro. You know when they did it ( i am bored enough to look through the coverage on bbc i player to find it).

 

[Frosty]

Glad to hear they mentioned Vos giro. You know when they did it ( i am bored enough to look through the coverage on bbc i player to find it).

They mentioned it quite a few times. Also mentioned that pooley came second.

 

[Froome19]

It looks like Carl Lewis and Ian Thorpe will be the pundits tonight.

Must be difficult on the review of the day show to get someone who has a good knowledge of all sports.

Edit: Or maybe not, Brailsford turns up at the last minute.

Yeh nice review by DB who even started attempting to explain tactics before realizing where he was and what channel he was on.

 

[Izzy eviel]

Yeah, they mentioned the Giro Donne quite often. Called a different race every time! Giro femme, race d'femmin, womens tour de france...

 

[Froome19]

BBC offer a comprehensive and impressive Wimbledon coverage likewise Match of the Day, British Open, Big horse races and Ski Sunday, but unfortunately some of the other events which they do not often they disappoint in.

But too say they are bad and have general poor coverage is misguided imho.

 

[Swifty's Cakes]

Coverage was very poor. The thing is that road cycling needs to be on free to air Terrestrial TV to really take off so its either the beeb or phil and paul on ITV.

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that if they weren't trying to cover 40 different sports at the same time it would be better.

 

[thehog]

Yeah, they mentioned the Giro Donne quite often. Called a different race every time! Giro femme, race d'femmin, womens tour de france...

I did note this. And the comment "There's the Dutch rider putting in an injection of pace", "There's the Russian rider putting in an injection of pace", "There's another rider putting in an injection of......"

and

in the Men's race having no idea why Gilbert and Nibili were attacking. Thinking they were attacking to stay away and win. Do these guys understand tactics? They kept saying: "Have no idea why Gilbert is attacking, this won't stick, he has a long way to go and he can't keep this up against Team GB". No sh!t Sherlock. Did you actually think that was his plan?

 

[thehog]

Coverage was very poor. The thing is that road cycling needs to be on free to air Terrestrial TV to really take off so its either the beeb or phil and paul on ITV.

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that if they weren't trying to cover 40 different sports at the same time it would be better.

Just had the televising to Hog and Vaughters and be done with it. Those guys will sort this mess out.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

It's not just the BBC but the majority of English speaking cycling commentators that are not crazy enough about the sport to know the shape or the riding style of a cyclist just by seeing them - and can't have good stab of identifying who it is without the bid number.
The Italian commentators are much much better at that. The Italian commentator also have a much longer repeat cycle - they would never mention that Vino won the silver medal three times within the space of five minutes, like the BBC guys did in their desperation.

The BBC guys were far too partisan for Team GB which only promotes disappointment when the projected dream doesn't come true - which again distracts from enjoying the spectacle and deciding for yourself who doing great. Uran was fab!

 

[thehog]

The BBC guys were far too partisan for Team GB which only promotes disappointment when the projected dream doesn't come true - which again distracts from enjoying the spectacle and deciding for yourself who doing great. Uran was fab!

Yes. This.

They kept saying "we" when referring to Team GB and basically took little interest or actually believed any other team would have a rider win; "Chris WE are doing ok out there on the road, there's a good chance WE can break back this break".

 

[Izzy eviel]

I did note this. And the comment "There's the Dutch rider putting in an injection of pace", "There's the Russian rider putting in an injection of pace", "There's another rider putting in an injection of......"

Yes I noticed that too, I've ranted about it elsewhere on the forum. It's sad if someone like can identify the riders and not the 'experts' All they knew was 7 riders!!! Pooley, Martin, Cooke, Armistead, Vos, Hughes, Armstrong

in the Men's race having no idea why Gilbert and Nibili were attacking. Thinking they were attacking to stay away and win. Do these guys understand tactics? They kept saying: "Have no idea why Gilbert is attacking, this won't stick, he has a long way to go and he can't keep this up against Team GB". No sh!t Sherlock. Did you actually think that was his plan?

What they should do is before the race starts or before the live feed starts is to spend 5-10 minutes explaining who to watch and what tactics are in bike racing. Or do what ITV did during the tour and put videos up on the website explaining all this.


I educated a few people today at the race who've never seen a bike race before and I got through to them. If I can do it in less then 5 minutes so can paid professionals!

 

[Caruut]

Patriotic dullard from the Mail says that Armitstead did the most work in the break today. Makes me sick.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Patriotic dullard from the Mail says that Armitstead did the most work in the break today. Makes me sick.

Lol, what race did he watch?

 

[Caruut]

Lol, what race did he watch?

I don't know, apparently it was a shame to see Armitstead getting pipped in the sprint after she did most of the work in the break. News to me. Daily Mail is like Britain's Telegraaf, though. Just looking for an excuse as to why Johnette Foreigner beat the good wholesome Briton.