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Carlton kirby - has to go !!

How much longer do the cycling public have to suffer the idiotic commentary from Carlton Kirby ?? This afternoon, I yet again, tolerated his insulting drivel on the Dauphine. Brian Smith is very good and I feel for him having to listen to Kirby's dumbfounding comments. What is his cycling background ? why must us cyclists have to tolerate a commentator who has no knowledge of professional cycling. Would the football fans be subjected to him commentating on the football matches ? No ! because there wuld be an uprising in the country. We have to get him off eurosport. I changed to German commentary on eurosport international today I was so mad. I tweeted quite a few comments which clearly annoyed him. We have Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Magnus Backstedt, Dean Downing, Rob Hayles and David Harmon (who although is not the best at least it seems he is really doing some research and background checks on the riders and teams - he is clearly learning from Kelly as they sit in the box)...but Kirby doesnt even do any background research. His Grand National, Murray Walker shouting in the last 2 kilometres really is unbelievable. After my tweet he at least toned that down. COME ON WRITE TO EUROSPORT AND LETS GET HIM OFF ! There must be so many ex-pro riders out there who would give valuable commentary and insight into the races. Eurosport cant get away with this !!
 
Mar 31, 2010
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wow, all the power to you man! if many people would do this via twitter it could at least give a sign. I don't know the guy but I wish in netherlands we would do it with mart smeets, danny nelissen and herbert dijkstra, who are complete idiots
 
Kirby is a shockingly bad commentator, but Harmon is not much better.

They basically work on the principle that people watching cycling in english are only interested in english speaking riders.

I can only assume that Kirby and Harmon have jobs because they are a) cheap b) are performing sexual favours for the ES management or c) have compromising photos of the ES management.
 
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Anonymous

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Whilst im not Carltons biggest fan (prefer Backstead w Harmon) I very much doubt I could talk for between 1 and 5 hours without descending into complete nonsense from time to time.

We can critisise, but I would like to see one of us try and do the job.

I had the misfortune of listening to Sherwen and Bobke commentate last night. Gerald Thomas, Edward Bohahasen Hagen.. Makes Kirkby look like Sid Waddell.

Its pretty easy to stream audio online. I challenge some of you to do audio commentary for a stage of the Tour de France for us. Preferably a flat stage so you have to talk about nothing for 3 hours. ;)

Bye the way, to the original poster. I couldnt actually read your post. Due to slight mental health issues, large blocks of text with no paragraphs or spaces are almost impossible for me to read. The same goes for people who are dislexic. Hitting return is free you know. ;)

One small point (i just copied your post to notepad and put spaces in myself).. of the following

Sean Kelly (runs a team, commentating is not his full time job), Stephen Roche (coaches, runs a business, etc, again, commentating not his job), Magnus Backstedt (Runs a team as well as riding in it), Dean Downing (Full time rider), Rob Hayles (team manager) and David Harmon

So of those, Only David Harmon is actually a full time commentator. The rest all have day jobs.
 
That is because like most hacks they are too arrogant to do any research and preparation. They seem to think that it is enough to just talk about english speaking riders, or to 'emote' any time there is a crash, or a difficult corner. More often than not they slip into commentary which is at best nationalistic, and at worst xenophobic.

Their hypocrisy surrounding clinic related issues is a whole other issue.

And I do have to talk for up 4 hours in my work life, and guess what, before I go to work I make sure I am prepared.
 
Mrs John Murphy said:
They basically work on the principle that people watching cycling in english are only interested in english speaking riders.

I agree with this. It would also make it easier for them to avoid talking nonsense for 5 hours as TeamSkyFans says if they simply have more things to talk about by talking more about non-Anglo cyclists.
 
Exactly - and if you had any insight into professional riding and experience actually being a pro like Sean Kelly or Rob Hayles - you wouldnt struggle to find commentary. As for the Sky Team Fans member - you wouldnt actually be Mr Kirby would you ???? or maybe you,re a relative ??
 
Mar 13, 2009
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Whenever I watch an anglophone stream online because there is no other way for me to watch a race I have to think of the HIMYM episode where Barney goes to get Robin from Canada and, looking at the "funny" Canadian dollars, says: "It's like you want us to make fun of you".

(Please note this episode also makes fun of the arrogance of some US-Americans, or, in this case, of elitist continental-european cycling fans)

We are not without flaw either over here, as heard today on German Eurosport:

Commentator 1: And there we see Sanchez. Not Samuel but the other ... oh, help me with the name ...
Commentator 2: Oh yes, what is it ... José Luis I think.
Commentator 1: Yes here we have José Luis Sanchez of Rabobank ...
 
Jul 24, 2010
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Mrs John Murphy said:
Kirby is a shockingly bad commentator, but Harmon is not much better.

They basically work on the principle that people watching cycling in english are only interested in english speaking riders.

I can only assume that Kirby and Harmon have jobs because they are a) cheap b) are performing sexual favours for the ES management or c) have compromising photos of the ES management.

That is complete nonsense. Harmon may get more excited when a British rider is involved, in part because he personally knows them, but he certainly doesn't neglect non English speaking riders. It's a ridiculously inaccurate accusation.
 
Yes Harmon is okay and like I said - at least he does his homework on the teams and riders and hangs on every word uttered by Sean Kelly...as though he is keen to learn the professional circuit. As for Kirby - its the arrogance of the bloke - does he think his viewers are 10 year olds who know NOTHING about cycling. The blokes an insult to all cyclists.
 
Aug 18, 2009
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I often moan about Kirby myself, but I don't really want anyone to lose their job, particularly as I don't even buy Eurosport. He is annoying though, like when he interrupts Brian Smith talking sense to talk crap.

Harmon - I don't mind him, genuinely.
 
Mar 31, 2010
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TeamSkyFans said:
Whilst im not a great fan of Carlton Kirkby I very much doubt I could talk for between 1 and 5 hours without descending into complete nonsense from time to time.

We can critisise, but I would like to see one of us try and do the job.

I had the misfortune of listening to Sherwen and Bobke commentate last night. Gerald Thomas, Edward Bohahasen Hagen.. Makes Kirkby look like Sid Waddell.

Its pretty easy to stream audio online. I challenge some of you to do audio commentary for a stage of the Tour de France for us. Preferably a flat stage so you have to talk about nothing for 3 hours. ;)

Bye the way, to the original poster. I couldnt actually read your post. Due to slight mental health issues, large blocks of text with no paragraphs or spaces are almost impossible for me to read. The same goes for people who are dislexic. Hitting return is free you know. ;)

One small point (i just copied your post to notepad and put spaces in myself).. of the following

Sean Kelly (runs a team, commentating is not his full time job), Stephen Roche (coaches, runs a business, etc, again, commentating not his job), Magnus Backstedt (Runs a team as well as riding in it), Dean Downing (Full time rider), Rob Hayles (team manager) and David Harmon

So of those, Only David Harmon is actually a full time commentator. The rest all have day jobs.



with a good equally passionate partner I could easily talk 1-5 hours without talking horsesh*t and lies or downright stupid things. I live and breathe cycling so I know all about it and really all about it. not a rider in the peloton that I don;'t know. inside story's, everything. it's not hard at all but these guys are just in the wrong position
 
Jul 24, 2010
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Cycle Chic said:
Yes Harmon is okay and like I said - at least he does his homework on the teams and riders and hangs on every word uttered by Sean Kelly...as though he is keen to learn the professional circuit. As for Kirby - its the arrogance of the bloke - does he think his viewers are 10 year olds who know NOTHING about cycling. The blokes an insult to all cyclists.

Harmon LOVES cycling, cycling history, and even riders who don't speak English. Of all the criticisms that can be leveled at him (not recognising riders, not admitting he doesn't recognise a rider), being only interested in angolophone riders isn't one of them.
 
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Well then I propose a CN forum audio livestream for the tour de france. Shouldnt be that hard to organise with so many people here able to talk eloquently and intelligently for 4 hours. :D

Honestly, part of the reason we have so many different people commentating is because there is so much cycling on tv now and races are shown for longer.

Im sure if Eurosport cut down the number of races, and cut down the hours of transmission then Harmon and Kelly could do it all.

Like i say, virtually all of the people in the list have day jobs.
 
Harmon's attitude can best be described as 'wogs begin at Calais'. His knowledge of most non-english speaking riders can be written on the back of a postage stamp, with the exception of 'famous' foreigners like the Schlecks, Dertie Cont, Cancellera and after this spring Gilbert.

Harmon's rules of the break:

Look for the British rider - talk about him - if no British rider
Look for the Aussie - talk about him - if no Aussie -
Look for the American - talk about him - if no american
Look for the guy who used to ride with Evans or Armstrong and then talk about Evans and Armstrong.

If a flat stage suck up to Frodo for 4 hours. Emote when the break gets caught.

If a hilly stage suck up to Contador, emote when Evans goes out the back.

And under no circumstances ever ever raise the possibility that a rider maybe doped - unless it is Vino.

If rider does get busted, react with faux shock and pretend that you knew along even though you've spent the last several days/months/years creaming your pants at the riders every move.
 
hatcher said:
Harmon LOVES cycling, cycling history, and even riders who don't speak English. Of all the criticisms that can be leveled at him (not recognising riders, not admitting he doesn't recognise a rider), being only interested in angolophone riders isn't one of them.

I'm sure he does. I'm not saying he's hostile towards non-anglo cyclists or anything, but he just doesn't know that much about them, which is noticable to me since I don't speak French, Italian, Dutch or Russian and I honestly don't know that much about most cyclists from these countries either.
 
What a load of rubbish - Team Sky Fan !! theres nowhere like ENOUGH cycling on tv. And its only the past year that we even get to see more than the Tour de France. You are as ill informed as Kirby. Eurosport is transmitting the same amount of races as any standard european tv channel - go to Italy where it is their number 2 sport next to football - they dont struggle for professional sports commentators.

Kirby has been ricocheting from sport to sport - i.e. motor racing where he couldnt be tolerated by motorsports fans. I suspect Eurosport have tied their necks up in a contract with him - and we are suffering !

If everyone starts twittering to him it cant be ignored. COME ON YOU LOT - TWEET TOMORROW DURING THE DAUPHINE AND EUROSPORT WILL TAKE NOTE !!
 
Feb 25, 2010
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Ryo Hazuki said:
with a good equally passionate partner I could easily talk 1-5 hours without talking horsesh*t and lies or downright stupid things. I live and breathe cycling so I know all about it and really all about it. not a rider in the peloton that I don;'t know. inside story's, everything. it's not hard at all but these guys are just in the wrong position

I'm your man, but don't ask me to talk abou Colombians cause I know jack **** about them :p

EDIT: maybe you can educate me about Colombians, Venezuelans and South-Americans in a whole first: p
 
Sep 1, 2010
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Wow, all this over a commentator, so Kirby sees a Quickstep rider and mistakes it for Voeckler - that's funny, it's engaging! :p

I wish I lead the stress free lives that you live to get so worked up over so little :rolleyes:
 
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Cycle Chic said:
You are as ill informed as Kirby.

you are right, I am ill informed. I know nothing about the sport or the broadcasting history of it. I have only been watching it since 1983, nearly 30 years, so since before you were born im guessing.

I would be careful suggesting the tweeting eurosport to get him fired. Im pretty sure thats against the forums terms and conditions. you might get in trouble.

Discussing his failings and eurosports commentary will be fine, but trying to get together an organised twitter campaign will probably get you in trouble round here.

thanks for putting spaces in your posts now. much helpful to me.
 
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Anonymous

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And to be honest, most of us are scared of losing Carlton Kirkby in case Ant McCrossan takes his place. :D
 
hatcher - are you Harmon's mum? You only need to listen to him to get that he has no time for Johnny Foreigner.

I don't doubt that Harmon 'loves' the riders he knows and that is the ****ing problem. I don't want to know about Harmon's mancrushes, I want the race called fairly, accurately, honestly and without bias. Funny how other non-english speaking commentary teams on ES can manage it isn't it.

Harmon and Kirby seem to think that it is just enough to come along and emote and cheerlead for the nearest english speaker. It isn't and we deserve better as fans.
 
Nov 30, 2010
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Carlton's voice is familiar to fans of Motorsports and Cycling both on British Television and throughout the world.

For over 20 years, be it the Tour de France, Olympic Games, Monte Carlo Rally or Le Mans 24 Hours, his easy-going manner coupled with incisive commentary and a dramatic edge has made him an audience favourite.

His style combines a great depth of knowledge with a warm sense of humour and the sharpest of reactions to make an occasion of any sporting event.
 

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