Carlton kirby - has to go !!

[El Pistolero]

I knew how to type his name, but not Cippolinni's :facepalm:

Didn't know who the **** dodger or pocket rocket were though. No one ever uses these nicknames lol.

 

[taiwan]

Anyone supporting Carlton Kirby on this forum must ride a tricycle like Duffield - you all clearly have no idea about cycling !!

How so?

...................

 

[johndouglas]

well i think carlton and the other commentators do a grand job. perhaps they could mix it up with a few more guest commentators too.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

overall they are not great but mostly due to paulo martins.

Paulo Martins might be the worst cycling commentator I've ever heard.

Might be.

 

[El Pistolero]

By the way Sporza have a new commentator. He's really good.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

By the way Sporza have a new commentator. He's really good.

It's the same guy that was commenting at the ToB right? who is he ?

 

[craig1985]

David Harmon ? Paul Sherwen who constantly makes things up. A classic is saying Egoi Martínez rode for Armstrong at the Tour de France. Yes he rode for Sicovery Channel, but that was in 2006 and 2007 after Armstring had retired. And let's not forget about the one about Samu being a poor bike handler

 

[El Imbatido]

I actually like Carlton Kirby........and yes i have been watching cycling for a long time. The main reasons i like him include: his stories (as people have mentioned), his humour and wit (his ability to make fun of himself and the situation) and i guess because he is more of a 'left of field' commentator.......ie. Harmon would just say it as it is: 'Sky train coming down the right, HTC train coming down the left to lead out Cav'

Where as Carlton would add some extra quips to it......ie. 'Sky lighting the touch paper down the right, HTC deciding the are finally going to have a go and are marshalling their troops for a raid down the left' and then he gets really excited at the end. Can't really fault him very much has lots of passion and enthusiasm......yeah i know he gets it wrong a bit but that is just part of commentating on 200 guys riding bikes and in many cases wearing similar kits (sky, Gamin etc)....some people are just better at picking out people.

To the idiot trying to get Carlton fired......wake up to yourself mate....if you don't like him don't watch or turn the volume down...there are always plenty of other feeds on the internet of other stations you can tune into to get your cycling fix.

 

[timmers]

I find it interesting that there appears to be an expectation that commentators' will talk continuously throughout the broadcast. This to me is the problem.

Some commentator's, Duffield when he was still on air, Kirby and Harmon for example, feel a need to speak when the viewer has no need to hear them.

I am capable of commentating for myself, sometimes out loud to my partner's annoyance, and appreciate commentator's when they add something that is not visible on the screen or may not be known to a follower of the sport.

The Dauphine coverage I have seen on the internet has been spoilt by the adulation of Wiggins and Sky and the failure to comment on the lack of serious competition given the TT had a major effect on GC.

The best one I heard was that the Sky buses are built on lessons learnt from F1. Two very similar sports!

 

[Anonymous]

sad that cycling doesnt "a Martin Tyler" or "a richie benaud"

 

[euanli]

The best one I heard was that the Sky buses are built on lessons learnt from F1. Two very similar sports!

Well they are two sports that have similar aspects where the drivers look for the more rest as possible.

The rear of the Sky bus is probably similar to what F1 buses had for the drivers when they still used buses.

 

[euanli]

Also someone needs to ride their bike more. They are obviously a little bit too angry

 

[timmers]

Well they are two sports that have similar aspects where the drivers look for the more rest as possible.

The rear of the Sky bus is probably similar to what F1 buses had for the drivers when they still used buses.

Well I may have thought that if I wasn't aware that cycling teams had had buses since last century and the use in practice are quite different between both sports.

My comment was to highlight without being offensive the inane comments that Kirby makes. However that doesn't detract from my view that commentator's in any sport should not talk rubbish and be informative to viewers.

I would hope and expect that Eurosport would take as positive (i.e. people watching) twitters to Kirby and if necessary provide training to their commentators to improve their performance.

Having said that TV without sound is very weird.

 

[Anonymous]

I do think the nationalistic supporting of Wiggins by kirby and smith was a bit much. Is that the same commentary that goes out on international? or do they have their own commentators?

If they only go out to english speaking countries i guess its fair enough.

 

[Connor Pass]

Some of the comments here are totally off the wall.

Carlton Kirby isn't Eurosport's main cycling commentator - Eurosport have so much cycling on that from time to time David Harmon probably needs to take a holiday so Kirby steps in to cover.
His knowledge of the sport isn't great but it's not as if he knows nothing about it and I think his commentary of the action is generally pretty entertaining.

I think David Harmon is a very good commentator and is very well informed. He often has stories of having met a rider the previous night - if most of these are Anglophones that's presumably because the Dutch riders speak to Dutch TV commentators, the French riders speak to French TV commentators, the Italian riders speak to Italian TV commentators and I guess that leaves the English speaking riders talking to English TV commentators...

Also these 2 commentators work for British Eurosport, although the same feed is used for international it is actually the British channel they're doing commentary for so their target audience is British and you will find that the average British cycling fan can relate more to English speaking riders than others.

It's fine to come on here and post "I can't believe Carlton Kirby got Tommy Voeckler mixed up with a Quick Step rider" but to actually contact Eurosport asking for him to be sacked and to send him personal twitter messages abusing him is just ridiculous. If you really think about it you might realise that the problem is with yourself and not him!

 

[just some guy]

I do think the nationalistic supporting of Wiggins by kirby and smith was a bit much. Is that the same commentary that goes out on international? or do they have their own commentators?

If they only go out to english speaking countries i guess its fair enough.

Mostly Eurosport will have country specific commentators ( non English), unless its on Eurosport 2 - replay then it is a bit of pot luck but mostly in English.

 

[Ferminal]

Also these 2 commentators work for British Eurosport, although the same feed is used for international it is actually the British channel they're doing commentary for so their target audience is British and you will find that the average British cycling fan can relate more to English speaking riders than others.

They are doing the English commentary, which is paid for by cable providers and subscribers not just in Britain, but all regions which receive Eurosport channels in English.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Some of the comments here are totally off the wall.

Carlton Kirby isn't Eurosport's main cycling commentator - Eurosport have so much cycling on that from time to time David Harmon probably needs to take a holiday so Kirby steps in to cover.
His knowledge of the sport isn't great but it's not as if he knows nothing about it and I think his commentary of the action is generally pretty entertaining.

I think David Harmon is a very good commentator and is very well informed. He often has stories of having met a rider the previous night - if most of these are Anglophones that's presumably because the Dutch riders speak to Dutch TV commentators, the French riders speak to French TV commentators, the Italian riders speak to Italian TV commentators and I guess that leaves the English speaking riders talking to English TV commentators...

Also these 2 commentators work for British Eurosport, although the same feed is used for international it is actually the British channel they're doing commentary for so their target audience is British and you will find that the average British cycling fan can relate more to English speaking riders than others.

It's fine to come on here and post "I can't believe Carlton Kirby got Tommy Voeckler mixed up with a Quick Step rider" but to actually contact Eurosport asking for him to be sacked and to send him personal twitter messages abusing him is just ridiculous. If you really think about it you might realise that the problem is with yourself and not him!

Good post.

Two things. Firstly, Eurosport are pretty low budget, yet cover a huge amount of cycling air time. Secondly, cycling is a sport which lends itself to faux pas - there's hundreds of riders across a large number of teams, countries, races, etc. and you get long periods where very little happens and the commentators have to fill and then periods where absolutely everything happens in different places, all at the same time. It's an incredibly hard job to be interesting, entertaining, insightful and accurate, day after day.

Kirby's not bad. Harmon and Kelly are excellent.

 

[Swiss Tony]

What should have been a great weeks viewing following the Dauphine as had the edge taken off it by the constant drivel spouting from Carlton Kirby's mouth for two hours each day..The only respite being Brian Smiths knowledgeable snippets of co-commentary. I'm devastated to discover this annoying idiot Kirby is about to ruin my enjoyment following the Tour of Switzerland. We'll be at a couple of Stages this week and will record the days action... but I know because of his incessant blabbering's I wont look forward to seeing it back the way I should do... and definitely wont keep the recording.

The guy's commentating on the first two stages have been great.

 

[Bielers]

At least Wiggins and Evans aren't riding...

 

[Cycle Chic]

At Last ! SWISS TONY sums it up !! If we all write to Eurosport they have to take notice !

 

[Anonymous]

At Last ! SWISS TONY sums it up !! If we all write to Eurosport they have to take notice !

well you draft the letter and put it up here, then those who want to can join your campaign.

Have you done the quiz yet?

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

I do think the nationalistic supporting of Wiggins by kirby and smith was a bit much. Is that the same commentary that goes out on international? or do they have their own commentators?

If they only go out to english speaking countries i guess its fair enough.

That is my point about their little englander attitudes. There was a section where I think Smith was talking about how Frodo was likely to join Sky and how great it was for everyone to get behind Sky and Wiggins and Frodo. The assumption that if you are a British person who likes cycling then you automatically follow and cheer for a rider just because he shares the same passport as you.

That attitude is pretty insulting to the intelligence of people who don't just follow riders because they are British.

Harmon is on record as saying that he commentates to the lowest common denominator and he has no interest in appeasing what he feels are the 'hardcore' minority (ie people like you and I who watch every race, go on forums etc).

And + 1 million on the person who said that Harmon etc need to learn that they don't need to talk continuously for 4 hours. Less is more.

Harmon and Kirby are more Alan Partridge than Ritchie Benaud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D568_-2E2Uo

 

[wirral]

I thought Kirby was as good as he has ever been on the Dauphine. He is not an expert analyser and that's why Brian Smith is there. He commentates on a number of sports. I thought he did a fairly good job. Harmon, on the other hand, bangs on about his pet hates (non-English speaking drug cheats) endlessly and exudes negativity on occasion. It's easy to knock but not so easy to get up there and do it yourself.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Harmon is on record as saying that he commentates to the lowest common denominator and he has no interest in appeasing what he feels are the 'hardcore' minority (ie people like you and I who watch every race, go on forums etc).

Is that what he wants to do or what his employers want him to do? Probably the latter. Besides, we get plenty of insight from Kelly which should appease the hardcore - and Harmon is very good at getting the best out of Sean.