Great moments in cycling commentating

[Captain_Cavman]

...Not everyone will agree, but in the UK the word 'coloured' may be a little quaint, but it sure as hell isn't the 'N' bomb.

And of course the 'N' bomb does not appear to be considered offensive if used by black people. So we have a group of words that are offensive or not depending on who's uttering them and the context.

Luckily it's only a very small minority who could possibly get worked up about a geriatric British cycling commentator using a term in a non-derogatory way that is not currently politically correct in each and every broadcast area.

 

[Sylvester]

I watched the stage on Eurosport, but caught a few minutes of the Phil showwhen I watched video of the finish. I rolled with it when he said the number was miles to go (instead of kilometers), but when they showed Contador with Porte and two Euskaltel riders, he said:

Contador has got his whole team working for him

Well, on that occasion Michel Wuyts managed to put that "Euskaltel are paying the debts for Nieve's stage win in the Giro, the Spanish Armada always works together" without noticing Samuel Sanchez was in the Contador group. It's a hell of a job!

 

[Carlo Algatrensig]

omg...that is shocking!

It certainly is. We all know it should be spelt coloUred

 

[oldcrank]

Anyone remember Boobke squealing like a girl (no offense meant to girls)
and playing the race card when Zabriske crashed in the team time trial
while wearing Yellow and his team left him behind: "They would never
do that if he was European, it's only because he's an American! You
never, ever leave the Yellow Jersey behind!" (Or words to that effect.)

When Zabriskie dropped out a couple of days later, it showed it was the
right decision, but Boobke never retracted his words.

 

[Fus087]

In which case the more accurate term in my book (and we are basically waving books at each other) would be Afro-Caribbean. Many places in Europe distinguish Afro-American (from the continental mainland where they constitute a minority) from Afro-Caribbean (from the islands where they constitute a majority) for cultural reasons.

It doesn't matter. Phil Liggett is from another generation and using terminology that is not loaded where he comes from but loaded elsewhere, and they've heard it and been offended by it and he didn't realise he was being offensive. It wouldn't be the first time controversy is sparked that way, and it won't be the last either.

You have a good book.
Afro-Caribbean was the term I was looking for, I just couldn't remember it.
Let's end this with a last friendly wave from our respective books.

Guadeloupe is as much a part of France as Hawaii is of the US.

Don't let anyone tell you that Corsica is the only département that has never hosted the Tour: it is also true of Guadeloupe, Mayotte, Réunion, Martinique and French Guiana.

Totally off-topic, but a Grand Départ in Guadeloupe would be awesome.

 

[Chuffy]

Well, it means they work for Versus here and they were commentating for the audience here.

...and working for ITV here. We all get the same commentary and different to camera bits. You don't have exclusive rights to them.

I'd like to see where I called him a racist first considering you threw out the accusation. In fact, I specifically did not call him a racist because I thing he was being an idiot to not know his audience. Note below, it is considered antiquated for a reason: It was offensive, so not only did he say something idiotic for his US viewers, he said something idiotic for his UK viewers also.

*sigh*
You were arguing that what he said was offensive. Other people have called it racist and you were joining in with the mob.

Yea, first it wasn't offensive, then to some it is offensive, you can't even keep your story straight. Seems this was more about you taking a jab at me than it was about reality. Go figure.

Keep what story straight? What are you on about?
Having a jab at you? Yup, you got me bang to rights. For some reason, posters like you, who jump in boots first with anyone who takes an opposing view irritate me. You are stroppy, bad tempered, unpleasant and I don't like you. Wind your neck in little man and learn some manners.[/quote]

Toodles!

And toodles to you to. Straight to my Ignore list.

 

[Anonymous]

...and working for ITV here. We all get the same commentary and different to camera bits. You don't have exclusive rights to them.

Regardless, its offensive on both continents.

*sigh*
You were arguing that what he said was offensive. Other people have called it racist and you were joining in with the mob.

No, I started the discussion about this, others jumped in after that. I guess the don't teach reading where you live?

Keep what story straight? What are you on about?
Having a jab at you? Yup, you got me bang to rights. For some reason, posters like you, who jump in boots first with anyone who takes an opposing view irritate me. You are stroppy, bad tempered, unpleasant and I don't like you. Wind your neck in little man and learn some manners.


And toodles to you to. Straight to my Ignore list.

I will alert my my ego, I am sure he will be crushed. Idiot.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Regardless, its offensive on both continents.

You've been told several times that it is not considered offensive in the UK, or in the speaker's homeland. On the basis of what information do you assert otherwise?

And what is the etymological difference between "coloured people" and "people of colour" anyway?

It was probably inappropriate, but not grounds to make an accusation of racism against the man.

 

[M Sport]

It's not offensive on either continent, dated yes but offensive no way. FFS NAACP use it in their organisation title and have been on record nearly every month defending it's use for the last ten fkn years when some loony wants to bag someone in the public arena for using it trying to imply they're racist.

 

[Martin318is]

Okay - Given it has reached continuous loop status with a few people and only has capacity to get one or more people in trouble, I am drawing a line through the Liggett "Coloured People" discussion.

Please move on. there is plenty of other commentary to discuss this week

 

[Mambo95]

Phil is now cycling's version of Murray Walker.

Phil will be happy to hear it. Everyone in sports TV in Britain and Formula 1 considers Murray Walker as one of the very, very best.

 

[Anonymous]

You've been told several times that it is not considered offensive in the UK, or in the speaker's homeland. On the basis of what information do you assert otherwise?

And what is the etymological difference between "coloured people" and "people of colour" anyway?

It was probably inappropriate, but not grounds to make an accusation of racism against the man.

I have been told several times by Brits on Niel Browne's tour chat that it is offensive. And once again, I DIDN"T SAY HE WAS RACIST. I said he is an idiot for not knowing his audience. If you would bother to actually READ instead of posting without doing so, you wouldn't look so foolish.

 

[Anonymous]

It's not offensive on either continent, dated yes but offensive no way. FFS NAACP use it in their organisation title and have been on record nearly every month defending it's use for the last ten fkn years when some loony wants to bag someone in the public arena for using it trying to imply they're racist.

Okay, you don't know what you are talking about. Come here to NC and go up to some African American dude and call him colored, and see if you aren't speaking with an Australian accent through wired jaws pretty quickly.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay - Given it has reached continuous loop status with a few people and only has capacity to get one or more people in trouble, I am drawing a line through the Liggett "Coloured People" discussion.

Please move on. there is plenty of other commentary to discuss this week

Sorry, just saw this, but my comments were warranted.

 

[M Sport]

Okay, you don't know what you are talking about. Come here to NC and go up to some African American dude and call him colored, and see if you aren't speaking with an Australian accent through wired jaws pretty quickly.

I'm not Australian. The rest of your post isn't worth responding to except to say you are even further off base than your initial *** factually incorrect comments.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not Australian. The rest of your post isn't worth responding to except to say you are even further off base than your initial *** factually incorrect comments.

Really, I invite you here to test your little theory that it isn't offensive here. In fact, please go anywhere you want in the US and call a bunch of people "colored" and see if keep all your teeth. I am guessing you don't have the testicular fortitude to test your claim.

 

[180mmCrank]

Okay - Given it has reached continuous loop status with a few people and only has capacity to get one or more people in trouble, I am drawing a line through the Liggett "Coloured People" discussion.

Please move on. there is plenty of other commentary to discuss this week

I think that's enough about this as per Martin's comment above.

Terry

 

[Barracuda]

Phil Ligget - Stage 2 - 2011 TdF

" And Saxo Bank have just posted the fastest time through the 3rd time check "

WOW Phil ..... suprising considering they were the first ones on the road !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RedheadDane]

LoL!

R. Sørensen: (as the Euskatel start list came up on the screen during yesterday's stage) Try reading this starting list out loud.

 

[greenedge]

Love how this thread has become about bashing Ligget.

 

[RedheadDane]

Two words: Norwegian commentators!
They're hilarious! On Danish TV you could actually hear them over the Danish commentators.

 

[RedheadDane]

Yeah. I know I'm double-posting. This thread just seems to keep dying!

(Background: On Danish TV2 there's a Tour Studie during which various people are brought in to ride simulation bikes, this year on the World Championship route in Copenhagen (it's mostly been famous climbs). Except today it was the hosts!)

Rolf: *As the younger of the two is fighting for the last metres* I have to say, Thomas, it's not a study of style a la Zabriskie.
Ritter: Who can it be compared to?
Rolf: Gerdeman, on a really bad day!

 

[RedheadDane]

Am I really the only one posting in this thread?

Here are some great quotes regarding the "Scandinavian War"

Ritter: (When Hushovd was on his way to his first win) If he wins this one I'm going to ask ASO for a new box. Can't sit next to those Norwegians! He didn't succeed!

Ritter: We need to beat them [Norway] in football soccer if you're American, because we can't beat them at cycling!

Ritter: (As EBH attacks) I wanna be Norwegian too!

And of course the Open Norwegian Championships.

 

[neineinei]

Tour of Poland 2010
Danish commentators on Eurosport:

"One of the Sky riders is on the front of the peloton now....... it is Petter Northug."

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Haha, that's great - I've made the mistake myself, talking about the Nordic Worlds on this forum I forgot to disengage cycling brain, and talked of "Lars" Petter Northug...