Bob Roll's comments

[Michele]

As for the italian commentary, of course they cheers for italian riders but give high notes also to other riders like everyone else.

Like yesterday they were reporting both stories of Kyrienka and Pauliho, which are ever interesting to hear.

 

[Tangled Tango]

"the french" despise americans...they are honestly arrogant dumb ***

When did you last spend any time in France? If you went with the attitude you show here, I wouldn´t be surprised if you received some of it back in kind.

I´ve worked and vacationed in France for years and have never seen evidence of the "arrogant dumb ***" or the "despise american" attitudes. Both of which sound frieghtenly close to tipical redneck american "anti foriegner" attitude.

The world is a big place and though it may make you feel better to put down another country, all you are really doing is sowing hate and discord. Just what this world needs.

 

[galaxy1]

Phil used to be the best, and i still like him, but i think he is a bit past it now though. he is also heavily incentivised to be pro-Lance and failing that, pro-American. my understanding is that this is how the majority of americans like their sports on TV - ready made "all-american heroes" and foreign "villains", spoon-fed.
if you don't like it there are plenty of alternatives on the internet. of course the standard of euro coverage is way better - but you must remember that the average belgian in a flemish street is an expert on cycling - the USA doesn't even have enough ex-pros to fill a TV studio.

i'm afraid some of the nationalist sentiments on this thread isn't very classy - please stop. every country has its good and bad points, and the less ignorant you become, the more you will come to appreciate the good points and understand the bad.

 

[FactChecker]

When did you last spend any time in France?

I lived in France for seven years, and followed the French commentary for the last five of them.

The French despaired of having few competitive riders, but did not bag other countries.

However, they went off Lance quite early on. Sometimes I think people confuse their dislike of Lance with a dislike of American riders in general.

 

[FactChecker]

Haters hatin' on America.
-- snipped long rant --
The French can't win the Tour again for the same reason they sucked at the World Cup.

You do know they made the final the time before though? Beaten only on a penalty shoot-out. And they won the thing in 1998.

It would be unwise to suggest that no Frenchman will ever win the TdF again on the "logic" that they are weak at the moment.

 

[ergmonkey]

you must remember that the average belgian in a flemish street is an expert on cycling

Simply not true.

I appreciate a certain amount of hyperbole for rhetorical effect, but let's not get completely carried away here. The bottom line is that cycling probably isn't the big mainstream sport anywhere. When I was in Gent for Het Nieuwsblad this year, I had trouble finding people on the street who knew there was a race going on--let alone who could tell me how to get to the finishing area. Really. I started by asking at the reception desk in the hotel--where they had no idea there was a race that day (though the woman still smiled when I told her I was rooting for Tom Boonen...); it was mostly downhill from there. I did manage to find a bar nearby where five other people were huddled around a TV watching the race.

Belgium is a beautiful country with a beautiful cycling tradition (and an even more beautiful beer tradition), but don't expect every person on the street to wax poetic about the cobbled epics.

 

[L'arriviste]

Ignorance exists everywhere. If he makes nationality the axis of his argument, Roll is just another ignoramus. Unfortunately he doesn't come with an "Ignore" button.

 

[L'arriviste]

... but you must remember that the average belgian in a flemish street is an expert on cycling ...

Simply not true ...

Belgium is a beautiful country with a beautiful cycling tradition (and an even more beautiful beer tradition), but don't expect every person on the street to wax poetic about the cobbled epics.

This. I'm into my third year here now and I have yet to meet anyone who actually knows much more than a couple of names and dates in pro cycling, fewer still who even like cycling. Several know it only by the headlines of its dirty reputation.

I could namedrop the Koppenberg or the Muur van Geraardsbergen or even actual towns like Bastogne and Wevelgem and most folks have never heard of any of them.

 

[Tangled Tango]

I lived in France for seven years, and followed the French commentary for the last five of them.

The French despaired of having few competitive riders, but did not bag other countries.

However, they went off Lance quite early on. Sometimes I think people confuse their dislike of Lance with a dislike of American riders in general.

Lance had an anti France/Europe attitute before he started winning the Tour, as early as his worlds victory. He was quoted early on in various papers saying disparging remarks about "the French", "f*+^kin Europe" ect., and in general had to try and dig himself out of all that once he started winning the Tour. Also the timing of 9/11 helped created an US anti French sentiment, which unfortunately probably still lingers in some.

 

[Angliru]

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.

It takes 2 to argue.

 

[Angliru]

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

Where would they be without him?

Phil was doing the WCP video commentary before Armstrong blew up, but his increase in notoriety, in the English speaking world was of course due in large part to Sir Lancelot.

 

[top_tenz_finish]

Bob Roll is ***.

He called the Irish rider Nicholas Roche

"Knee-Cola Roche"

Bob you dumb phuck he is from Ireland not Russia!

You do know that it is actually Nicolas and that he has a French mother etc. Why not now search and find out the French pronounciation (of Nicolas that is not the name you wrote). I think it will be more similar to "knee-cola" than the English Nicholas.

 

[movingtarget]

Bob Roll is correct. Casar is an opportunist who may win one race a year and he had a good win two days ago, but he was always expected to get better results over the years than he did. Take out Chavenel's results and it does not look good. Hinault would agree. Roll is talking about strong riders that win and there are only a handful in France. I don't think that is rascist or silly, just honest.