• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Bob Roll's comments

Anyone catch Bobke's dig at the French on Bastille day on Versus?

Exact quote:

"There's only two strong Frenchmen in the whole world. One of them is Sylvain Chavanel who's had the yellow jersey and won two stages, and Pierrick Fedrigo, the only other Frenchman that can win against the international competition."

Sure, France doesn't have the strongest riders in the peloton these days, but that's a bit harsh! Pretty sad that the only one of those four guys I can stand listening to these days is the one that knows the least about the sport.
 
Nov 17, 2009
2,388
0
0
jaylew said:
Anyone catch Bobke's dig at the French on Bastille day on Versus?

Exact quote:

"There's only two strong Frenchmen in the whole world. One of them is Sylvain Chavanel who's had the yellow jersey and won two stages, and Pierrick Fedrigo, the only other Frenchman that can win against the international competition."

Sure, France doesn't have the strongest riders in the peloton these days, but that's a bit harsh! Pretty sad that the only one of those four guys I can stand listening to these days is the one that knows the least about the sport.

I think you need to give Casar some credit. Come on Bob... he did win a mountain stage... YESTERDAY.
 
Aug 6, 2009
1,901
1
0
kurtinsc said:
I think you need to give Casar some credit. Come on Bob... he did win a mountain stage... YESTERDAY.

Yes, but he said against international competition, the stage Casar won was in some race called Tour de France.
 
Mar 10, 2009
280
0
0
jaylew said:
Anyone catch Bobke's dig at the French on Bastille day on Versus?

Exact quote:

"There's only two strong Frenchmen in the whole world. One of them is Sylvain Chavanel who's had the yellow jersey and won two stages, and Pierrick Fedrigo, the only other Frenchman that can win against the international competition."
Sure, France doesn't have the strongest riders in the peloton these days, but that's a bit harsh! Pretty sad that the only one of those four guys I can stand listening to these days is the one that knows the least about the sport.
Let's not forget how terrible Pineau, Charteau, and Moreau are doing in the Mountain Comp.:rolleyes:
 
Jul 6, 2009
795
0
0
oh whatever hinault said worse and hes actually french. french gc contenders where? if you suck its because your dope free right? hinault would disagree.
 
Jun 20, 2010
259
0
0
I remember seeing goofy advertisments in Mountain Bike Action with Bob Roll back in the early nineties. Parts of it read "....Bob Roll, 3-time Tour de France participant".

Back then, I found this hilariously thin. And even more now. Just saw his complete palmares in Wikipedia. His "palmares" consists almost enterely of "participation" in races. Three wins in his career. Only one in a European race.

*impressive* character....:p
 
Mar 11, 2009
748
1
0
He isnt playing the "ugly American" he IS one.... so sad.
How many stages has the US won in the tour this year?
Does not matter anyway.
 
Jul 10, 2010
21
0
0
Yesterday he made a reference to soccer and said "that sport sucks". Hummer appeared stunned and then quickly muttered "Bob does not speak for anyone else here at Versus". Funny stuff.
 
Jul 9, 2009
104
0
0
Bob Roll - Bad Guy?

Hey, let's not pick on Bobke! After all there's no way Versus could've found 4 bigger idiots to do the commentary, is there? Although, I suppose Sherwen isn't too bad - by contrast :D
 
Mar 10, 2009
1,318
0
0
dolophonic said:
How many stages has the US won in the tour this year?
What a silly argument. Obviously none. but then how many riders did the US start out of the 197? Try going through the percentage of wins a nation has verses how many riders they send. Then factor in what team they ride for and what that team's over all and specific stage agenda is.

FWI, lest I missed any, there are 7 Yanks on 3 teams. Those teams are BMC, Garmin, and RadioShack. Prior to the trip over the easy side of Col de la Madeleine, just what were those team's ambitions?

Finally, before you continue bashing Roll for giving a decidedly North American bias on a North American brodcast outfit, listen to the Spanish (or Italian, or German, or Dutch or...) broadcast, factor how many riders they have in the race, and on which team, and what that team's ambitions may be, then look at how many wins they have in this year's tour.

Like I said, it is a silly argument.
 
forty four said:
oh whatever hinault said worse and hes actually french. french gc contenders where? if you suck its because your dope free right? hinault would disagree.

You really are a meathead forty four. Please tell me I don't have to race against you this weekend at Watsonville?
 
Jun 18, 2009
1
0
0
Versus V Eurosport

Could I add that as a Brit living in Boston until 2012 Versus coverage is really bad. Even though I can watch it on a 50" tv in HD I choose watching Eurosport on my laptop listening to David Harmon commentating. The reason for this is Versus have advert breaks every minute & every interview or profile has to have 'brought to you by' in large graphics blocking out some of the action on screen. How can Euro & Brit tv stations show programs & cover such events as the TDF & soccer World Cup with 60% less ad breaks? Is it just money grabbing to the detriment of viewing pleasure by US TV stations? Bob Roll really does not help because he does not have that much insight into something he should know everything about. Lastly Phil Liggett & Paul Sherwen also supply the commentry for ITV in the UK & the program they put out on ITV everyday is superior in every aspect. Come on Versus put some effort in & produce a broadcast that is up with the best & not where you are at the moment the lanterne rouge.
 
May 15, 2010
833
0
0
It's a maaaaaadhooooooouuuuuuse.....!!!!!

cody_57 said:
Hey, let's not pick on Bobke! After all there's no way Versus could've found 4 bigger idiots to do the commentary, is there? Although, I suppose Sherwen isn't too bad - by contrast :D

Boob makes Paul look half way sober. Paul makes Phil look like a genius. Hummer just tries to look like he hopes no one will ever remember he was there.


planet-04-300dpi-1024x792.jpg
 
May 15, 2010
833
0
0
Moose McKnuckles said:
Sniffing Lance's jock has put bread on Roll's table and weed in his pipe.

+1. All three of them are living relatively large courtesy of Saint Lance.

Where would they be without him?
 
May 15, 2010
833
0
0
benpounder said:
What a silly argument. Obviously none. but then how many riders did the US start out of the 197? Try going through the percentage of wins a nation has verses how many riders they send. Then factor in what team they ride for and what that team's over all and specific stage agenda is.

FWI, lest I missed any, there are 7 Yanks on 3 teams. Those teams are BMC, Garmin, and RadioShack. Prior to the trip over the easy side of Col de la Madeleine, just what were those team's ambitions?

Finally, before you continue bashing Roll for giving a decidedly North American bias on a North American brodcast outfit, listen to the Spanish (or Italian, or German, or Dutch or...) broadcast, factor how many riders they have in the race, and on which team, and what that team's ambitions may be, then look at how many wins they have in this year's tour.

Like I said, it is a silly argument.

Look, I think we all get it. We are going to get a bias in favor of Americans. But just because it's that way doesn't mean our intelligence has to be insulted every 5 seconds.

Doesn't that tell you what they think of us? And Bob is by far the worst offender. Like I said, outside of cycling, Lance and euro-bashing, he actually is a good storyteller and has had more than his share of crazy moments or at least can embellish boring stories to the point of being funny. But his commentary on cycling makes me wonder if he even pays passing interest in the race.

He works from a narrative no matter how far what is happening on the screen diverges from it. And then when he tries to relate what is happening at the moment to his Lance-is-God-narrative you have to question the man's awareness of reality.

His comments tonight about team Astana being weak made me stop and tell MY SLACK-JAWED 9 YEAR OLD that the man who was on TV was suffering from some sort of mental illness.