Eurosport commentary

[BlueRoads]

Easy there, Samu. The comment you quoted was meant as a joke. You know, Cofidis rarely wins, so who would know a rider? Just a lame joke is all.
Unless a commentator was assigned to a grand tour and given weeks to learn about every single rider in the peloton, I can't see why anyone should be expected to know everything about every rider. If that was a job requirement and the applicant didn't fit the bill, they wouldn't be hired.
Also, I can't see why anyone would get angry about something like this, but that's just me. Seriously, who the hell cares?
p.s. At least the comment wasn't directed toward the lovely and talented Carlton Kirby.

Of course nobody is expected to know everything about a rider. They aren't expected to identify every single rider correctly. Of course mistakes happen, of course sometimes you hardly ever heard the name yourself. But this is not what gets talked about here, right?
It's about whether it's acceptable to have a commentator commentating on many big races who lacks some basic knowledge and, since he's been in that position for years, doesn't even seem to be willing to learn much more. That's absolutely inacceptable to me. You can say, who cares, but then, well, why not make some actor or comedian do the commentary, I'm sure that's entertaining as well and they will be capable to transport some emotion and excitement.
Commentators are paid to inform us a bit. If they know less than, well, not the average viewer, but the average cycling fan, than that is really, really bad. No need to make serious insults on social media. But yes, it's very annoying, since most people do prefer to have some commentary, and it just can't be that you only have the choice to listen to nonsense all the time or tune the sound off.

But this should not just be addressed to Kirby, but to the ones who hire him and who fail to train personnel for this.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Easy there, Samu. The comment you quoted was meant as a joke. You know, Cofidis rarely wins, so who would know a rider? Just a lame joke is all.
Unless a commentator was assigned to a grand tour and given weeks to learn about every single rider in the peloton, I can't see why anyone should be expected to know everything about every rider. If that was a job requirement and the applicant didn't fit the bill, they wouldn't be hired.
Also, I can't see why anyone would get angry about something like this, but that's just me. Seriously, who the hell cares?
p.s. At least the comment wasn't directed toward the lovely and talented Carlton Kirby.

Well, I'm not really sure if you actually like him or not, because some of your defence posts can be interpreted in more ways than one.

Obviously I don't expect anyone to know everything about every single rider. But I think they should have some basic knowledge about teams and riders. Naturally a British commentator will know more about British riders than a Danish one will and vice versa. But when the Danish commentator generally speaking knows more about French riders for instance, it must be due to some level of ignorance from the other part.

I can fully enjoy Kirby's commentary, but only because I have different expectations to it than I have to almost everybody else's.
No one is better at filling dead air than him, but I don't like it, when he goes off on a tanget when something exciting is actually happening in a race. I think it's very crucial for a commentator that he/she don't think, they're more important than the race itself. And Kirby often steps over that line. He is not the only one who does it sometimes though, but when it becomes noteworthy, it's clearly a problem (for me at least).

 

[the delgados]

Samu, your comments are well taken. Thank you.
For what it's worth, I genuinely enjoy CK. Sure, he has more than one "Oh, dad. Did you really have to say that?" moment each and every race. Also, I can see instances where you might interpret him stepping over the bounds and making the race more about him, but truth be told it wouldn't take long to find examples of others who do the same thing. That's just the nature of calling a race off the top of your head.
Someone a while back suggested that forum members volunteer to take a crack at calling a race. I think that's an awesome idea.

 

[RedheadDane]

No one is better at filling dead air than him, but I don't like it, when he goes off on a tanget when something exciting is actually happening in a race. I think it's very crucial for a commentator that he/she don't think, they're more important than the race itself.

Any good commentator needs to know the art of interrupting themselves mid sentence, or at least go from "filling the air" talk to actual race commentating without missing a beat:
"And here we have the ruins of a castle from the 12th century, which during the 13th century was frequently under ATTACK BY ESTEBAN CHAVES!"

As for identifying Cofidis riders; Viviani, Martin, and Laporte. That's three! And of course Chris Anker will frequently talk about Pierre-Luc Périchon and his awesomely French name.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Any good commentator needs to know the art of interrupting themselves mid sentence, or at least go from "filling the air" talk to actual race commentating without missing a beat:
"And here we have the ruins of a castle from the 12th century, which during the 13th century was frequently under ATTACK BY ESTEBAN CHAVES!"

As for identifying Cofidis riders; Viviani, Martin, and Laporte. That's three! And of course Chris Anker will frequently talk about Pierre-Luc Périchon and his awesomely French name.

CAS has the advantage of not only being a former rider, meaning he has seen a lot of the current riders up close, but also of having ridden for a French team, where he was teammates with Périchon. I expect more from the expert commentator, who usually has held a role within the sport, than I do of the journalist in a traditional commentary pairing.

Danish Eurosport normally has a pairing of two former riders, who has been friends for years. Maybe it's because they're not classically trained journalists and due to their strong friendship, but they tend to sometimes forget that their maiin job isn't actually to entertain each other.

 

[tobydawq]

Danish Eurosport normally has a pairing of two former riders, who has been friends for years. Maybe it's because their not classically trained journalists and due to their strong friendship, but they tend to sometimes forget that their maiin job isn't actually to entertain each other.

Word! Holm is horrible at the "interrupting yourself if something important happens". And it's just getting worse and worse.

 

[hayneplane]

Kit should not be as easy to figure out which riders are each commentators favourites but with many of them in Cycling it is extremely obvious.

Sean Kelly has a weakness for his fellow Irish riders particularly Sam Bennett whilst Adam Blythe sounds like the founder member of the Ineos fan club.

Carlton Kirby wears his fandom front and centre but at least his rider infatuations are so weirdly random (Simon Clarke, Seb Reichenbach, Lenny Kamna etc) that it is generally mildly amusing rather than immensely irritating like the Phil and Paul Armstrong love in.

 

[Publiuszam]

The powers that be should experiment with names of rider in the back thing.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Kit should not be as easy to figure out which riders are each commentators favourites but with many of them in Cycling it is extremely obvious.

Sean Kelly has a weakness for his fellow Irish riders particularly Sam Bennett whilst Adam Blythe sounds like the founder member of the Ineos fan club.

Carlton Kirby wears his fandom front and centre but at least his rider infatuations are so weirdly random (Simon Clarke, Seb Reichenbach, Lenny Kamna etc) that it is generally mildly amusing rather than immensely irritating like the Phil and Paul Armstrong love in.

I am often surprised at how little apparent emotion Kelly has for Bennett, especially given that they are not only both Irish ( and that is a small enough pool for international success) but from the same small town (<6000 people). I attributed it to some sort of rivalry because they belonged to different cycling clubs (but both called Carrick Wheelers)

 

[Armchair cyclist]

The powers that be should experiment with names of rider in the back thing.

That would be good, but not much help when they have rain jackets on, and difficult to have a name big enough to read for both aerial and head on images.

I'd prefer squad numbers on the helmets. Jumbo have taken a good step in that direction with names on the aero-helmets, but the font is so wide and the kerning so narrow that it is not as helpful as it could be.

 

[BlueRoads]

Kit should not be as easy to figure out which riders are each commentators favourites but with many of them in Cycling it is extremely obvious.

Sean Kelly has a weakness for his fellow Irish riders particularly Sam Bennett whilst Adam Blythe sounds like the founder member of the Ineos fan club.

Carlton Kirby wears his fandom front and centre but at least his rider infatuations are so weirdly random (Simon Clarke, Seb Reichenbach, Lenny Kamna etc) that it is generally mildly amusing rather than immensely irritating like the Phil and Paul Armstrong love in.

Why would you call him Lenny? Anglo-Saxons...

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Why would you call him Lenny? Anglo-Saxons...

Don't you often call people named Andreas for Andi/Andy?

 

[BlueRoads]

Don't you often call people named Andreas for Andi/Andy?

Okay, I admit, Germans do that. But in English those nicknames are even a lot more common, I think.
Personally I am a total anti-abbrevation person, the only person I call by her short form is my sister... And Lenny for Lennard is really not that common! Sounds like he's an American and we can't have that.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Okay, I admit, Germans do that. But in English those nicknames are even a lot more common, I think.
Personally I am a total anti-abbrevation person, the only person I call by her short form is my sister... And Lenny for Lennard is really not that common! Sounds like he's an American and we can't have that.

I agree, it sounds stupid. So unless he wants to be called it himself, everyone should refrain from doing it. I never liked callling Andreas Birnbacher for Andi either, but at least he actually goes by it.

 

[hayneplane]

Why would you call him Lenny? Anglo-Saxons...

I did so because I was talking about Carlton Kirby and he usually calls Lennard Kamna Lenny.

 

[BlueRoads]

I did so because I was talking about Carlton Kirby and he usually calls Lennard Kamna Lenny.

Yes, I understand that now. Well, who knows, maybe Kämna calls himself that after all... then I'll be quiet.

 

[tobydawq]

Good old Lenny Kemmy.

 

[Red Rick]

Kirby's strength as a commentator is calling the finishes of races - He's just about the best in the business at this facet of commentary.

Just give him Scheldeprijs and Fleche Wallone and NOTHIGN else.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Just give him Scheldeprijs and Fleche Wallone and NOTHIGN else.

Nokere Koerse could be alright too. And the Tour de Langkawi.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Good old Lenny Kemmy.

Lenny Kemmy having a mani pedi.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Good old Lenny Kemmy.

Riding with Mani Bucky and Passy Acky for Bory Hany

 

[the delgados]

Just give him Scheldeprijs and Fleche Wallone and NOTHIGN else.

Good good! Now we're getting somewhere; we're going in the right direction.
Give it some time and before you know it the braying hounds are going to insist Kirby sits in the pilot's chair for (gulp) Paris--Roubaix or -- god forbid -- de Ronde.
Patience is key.

 

[MartinGT]

Rob Hatch was funny today. WVA goes on the attack and he says 'and guess who goes with him'

Hmmm let me think Rob. Why wouldn't MVDP go with him? Why would he just give up in a race.

The Love affair with Ineos and Blythe is starting to get boring though.

 

[the delgados]

Carlton advertizing digital platforms and talking about other on going race is a new low. For me. I would like to see the other race without knowing.

This is funny.
It's only a matter of time before someone posts a video of a heartbroken 8 year-old whimpering about Carlton Kirby running over her cat.

 

[MTV]

I deleted my post since Carlton himself said it is not ok with him too. I like to watch races before I know how they went. If there are two at the same time I really don't want information about the other in a broadcadt of the first.
Praying for the cat.