Commentary on TNT and other WB brands

[Bernie's eyesore]

I made up a Carlton Kirby drinking game sort of thing a few months back:

Very good but you forgot, 'Ryder Hesjedal is a very good time trialer'.

 

[Pricey_sky]

I made up a Carlton Kirby drinking game sort of thing a few months back:

Very good! Although if it's a shot of vodka every time he says one of those i'm not going to be able to view the end of the stage as I will have passed out!

 

[argyllflyer]

I was thinking more absinthe...

 

[LugHugger]

Very good but you forgot, 'Ryder Hesjedal is a very good time trialer'.

And "blah blah Cadel Evans blah blah"

 

[LittleJo]

I made up a Carlton Kirby drinking game sort of thing a few months back:

Very good but you forgot, 'Ryder Hesjedal is a very good time trialer'.

Haha - I like. But it should also include "in his pomp".

 

[Albert Fishwick]

Not to mention "there you go". He also seems to have adopted feisty as his word of the month and still describes difficult passages as testy (bad-tempered, irritable) when he means testing (demanding).

 

[msjett]

I think you should also add a shot for everytime he mentions Valverde with the snarky tone...wait you would all be hammered with in half an hour

 

[Stromeon]

I've noticed recently that when he spots either a contender for the stage or a GC contender near the front of the pack he describes them as being 'in a happy place' - this conjures up images of some sort of LSD-powered utopia in my head

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Free Energy - ad nauseam

 

[inthepink]

"He is a YOUNG man" aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh
(his Blanche du Bois routine)

I have news for you Carlton ...they all are ( except Horner)

 

[kingjr]

I made up a Carlton Kirby drinking game sort of thing a few months back:

Where is "The line beckons!!!?

 

[gunara]

And "blah blah Cadel Evans blah blah"

That 'great ambassador for the sport'? He uses this especially when Cadel drops rather too early (for him).

 

[argyllflyer]

Where is "The line beckons!!!?

There are so many, there's plenty of scope for a second!

 

[No_Balls]

Normal conversation in the Eurosport-studio:

CK: "We're into the climb now, Sean"
SK: "Yes..."
CK: "Here is the steepest part, Sean"
SK: "Well, yes..."
SK: "There is going to be huge gaps, Sean"
SK: "Yes, there is going to be gaps"
CK: "What a beautiful castle. Was it there when you raced, Sean?"
SK: "Well, yes..."

I like Sean Kelly. Very easy to listen to but my g-d what an odd duo they are.

 

[kingjr]

I like Sean Kelly. Very easy to listen to but my g-d what an odd duo they are.

Me too, I like SK just for the way he pronounces "third"

turd week
making the calculation they should be caught with turtythree kilometers to go.

 

[argyllflyer]

Quite often Carlton makes a comment, clearly looking for a comment and Sean ignores him. He then rephrases it, including 'Sean' in it somewhere, and he manages to stir a fairly monosyllabic response per above. I wonder if it's just Sean squinting at the screen trying to formulate an answer in his head at times.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Where is "The line beckons!!!?

And "Ohhh, this is fun!!!"

 

[inthepink]

Quite often Carlton makes a comment, clearly looking for a comment and Sean ignores him. He then rephrases it, including 'Sean' in it somewhere, and he manages to stir a fairly monosyllabic response per above. I wonder if it's just Sean squinting at the screen trying to formulate an answer in his head at times.

Sean is very very shrewd ...He knows most of what Carlton says is utter bull....Notice the pause before he replies to some of Carlton's comments ....the longer the pause the more rubbish Carlton has just said ....But poor Sean he is just doing a job and has to do his best with what he has been given

One thing they do have in common ...not sure if Carlton has influenced Sean here or visa verse ....they both like to say how difficult/brutal /terrible its going to be and they both seem to take some delight in this ....Not sure why for Carlton but I feel Sean is probaly thinking .."I had it tough and now I am glad you boys are gettiing it and not me"...but then again he could be just going along with Carlton and saying what he thinks is expected of him to add drama

 

[argyllflyer]

The updated British Eurosport commentary pairings so far in 2014:

Commentators used for .1, .HC & .WT: Declan Quigley, Carlton Kirby, Rob Hatch, Jonathan Harris-Bass, Matt Stephens, Marty MacDonald
Summarisers used for.1, .HC & .WT: Brian Smith, Matt Stephens, Sean Kelly, Magnus Backstedt, Dan Lloyd, Tony Gibb

Dubai: Quigley & Smith
Oman: Kirby (solo)
Andalucia: Hatch & Stephens
K-B-K: Hatch & Stephens
Le Samyn: Kirby & Smith
Langkawi: Hatch (first week) / Quigley (last few stages) (both solo)
Strade Bianche: Hatch & Smith
Roma Maxima: Quigley & Smith
Paris-Nice: Hatch & Kelly
Tirreno-Adriatico: Quigley & Stephens
Milan-Sanremo: Quigley & Kelly
Catalunia: Kirby & Backstedt
E3 Harelbeke: Quigley & Stephens
Criterium International: Quigley & Stephens
Three Days of De Panne: Kirby & Smith
Tour of Flanders: Kirby & Kelly
Vuelta al Pais Vasco: Kirby & Stephens
Paris-Roubaix: Kirby & Stephens
GP de Denain: Kirby & Lloyd
Tour of the Reservoir: McCrossan & Stephens
Amstel Gold Race: Kirby & Kelly
Fleche Wallonne: Kirby & Lloyd
Tour of Turkey: Kirby & Smith
Liege-Bastogne-Liege: Hatch & Kelly
4 Days of Dunkirk: Quigley & Backstedt
Tour of Azerbaijan: Hatch (solo, stage 1) / Quigley (solo, stage 2) / Harris-Bass (solo, stages 3-4) / Harris-Bass & Gibb (stage 5)
Women's Tour of Britain: Porter & Smith (syndicated - also on ITV4)
Giro d'Italia: Hatch & Kelly (with intro from Harris-Bass stage 1 and Andy Smith stages 2&3)
Wiltshire Grand Prix: McCrossan & Stephens
Tour of California: Stephens & Smith
Tour Series (all rounds): Porter & Smith (syndicated - also on ITV4)
Tour of Norway: Quigley & Backstedt
Lincoln GP: McCrossan & Stephens
World Ports Classic: MacDonald & Smith
Tour des Fjords: Stephens & Smith
Criterium du Dauphine: Kirby & Smith
Milk Race: Quigley & Tony Doyle
London Nocturne: Porter & Smith
Tour de Suisse: Quigley & Lloyd
British Road Championships: Kirby & Stephens
Tour de France: Kirby & Kelly with Harris-Bass
British Circuit Championships: Porter, Trott & Backstedt
Elite Circuit Series: McCrossan & Stephens
La Course by Le Tour: MacDonald & Ottilie Quince
Tour de Wallonnie: Stephens & Smith
Clasica San Sebastian: Quigley & Backstedt
Tour de Pologne: Kirby & Backstedt
Women's Ride London: Hatch & Smith
RideLondon-Surrey Classic: Hatch & Stephens
Eneco Tour: Kirby & Smith
Arctic Race of Norway: Hatch & Backstedt (stages 1&2) / Stephens (stages 3&4)
Circuit of the Fens: McCrossan & Stephens
USA Pro Challenge: Hatch & Backstedt
Vuelta a Espana: Kirby & Lloyd (stages 1 &2), Kelly (stages 3+)
Vattenfall Cyclassics: Quigley & Backstedt
GP Ouest-France Plouay: Quigley & Smith
Tour of Alberta: Hatch & Smith
Tour of Britain: Stephens & Backstedt

Coming Up (from @carltonkirby, @RealStephens, @robhatchtv, @BriSmithy):

GP Quebec: tbc
GP Montreal: tbc

 

[Cycle Chic]

Kirby predicting Sagan would do well in yesterday's stage, being in the breakaway - god he's an idiot.

and then predicts Degenkolb could win - poor Sean Kelly is so polite the way he says 'errrr I dont think he,ll manage the uphill finish'

He's good comedy value though.

 

[mariposa]

Another classic from CK today. Luis Leon Sanchez a good signing for Caja Rural being a part of the fallout from Euskaltel. Which Sanchez did he think he was talking about? He surely has been commentating long enough to know the difference. The silence from Sean Kelly was deafening.

 

[argyllflyer]

He also made a comment about the likelihood of the break surviving at one point, quoting the '1 minute for every 10km' adage when they had a 6 min lead or so - which has little relevance on a mountainous stage!

 

[kingjr]

Carlton changed it up a bit today: "The line does beckon".

 

[No_Balls]

Once again Carlton made it sound as if a national disaster strucked when Froome clinged onto the back, but what sounded as a irritated Kelly (hard to tell though) was quick to point out that he has managed to come back before. While of course he did, only to have Kirby moments later celebrating as if it was a national holiday.

One would love to be on Kirbys position though. Commenting cycling and are getting paid despite being wrong most of the time.

 

[mariposa]

Once again Carlton made it sound as if a national disaster strucked when Froome clinged onto the back, but what sounded as a irritated Kelly (hard to tell though) was quick to point out that he has managed to come back before. While of course he did, only to have Kirby moments later celebrating as if it was a national holiday.

One would love to be on Kirbys position though. Commenting cycling and are getting paid despite being wrong most of the time.

Kirby very irritating today but yes he is getting paid and we aren't. Suggest if you don't like that send an email to Eurosport and tell them what you think. Address as below
UKcomms@eurosport.com