How dumb are the folks at Versus/NBC?

[Alpe d'Huez]

Last month, Neil Browne had an interesting blog about this very topic.

As I mentioned before, I think the problem isn't just that, it's that P&P, and especially Roll gives misleading information on the sport. If you didn't know much about cycling and tuned it to Roll you would NOT be educated to how the sport works with any certiude at all. You'd walk away after the watching the race more confused than before.

 

[ggusta]

They (P&P) just said what a great job French TV did on the tour. Didn't they have a major role in crashing into Flecha and Hoogerland ???

Not so great, imo, if that is the case...

 

[davestoller]

I was hanging out in the team bus area in Nevada City at this year's Tour of California and I saw Bob Roll walking around doing interviews. The fans loved him. He drew as big of a crowd as any of the riders did. I'm not sure if people just go nuts over anybody they see on TV or if people really do enjoy him on TV.

Meanwhile, I walked by the Leopard bus and Nygaard was out there in plain sight and nobody seemed to know who he was.

Bob Roll was on the first US team to go the TOur de France. The iconic 7-Eleven team, with Eric Heiden, Davis Phinney and other greats of cycling.

He rode and didnt do so badly in a number of hard core races, finished Paris ROubaix and other monuments. Did you know he finished top twenty in Leige? Nah, didnt think so.

He is a funny person and in person, a highly intelligent human being. He plays the clown as schtick.


He went on to have not a shabby career in mountain biking.

Bob Roll played a starring best supporting role in getting Lance Armstrong back into cycling after cancer, riding with Lance in Boone N.C.

WHo, exactly, is Brian Nygaard and why the hell would anyone at California give a rats a##? He was like, what, a press agent for Riis and CSC and then SKy--he left Sky to set up Team Schleck. WHoopty doo.

 

[mastersracer]

Phil called Evans a Canadian while he was on the podium...

 

[Epicycle]

I don't think it's possible to create new fans with all the commercials. Really makes it tough to watch. It's amazing how many more commercials Versus has than Eurosport. I appreciate being able to buy the commercial-free online broadcast, they had a very high quality stream this year. But the television broadcast is almost unwatchable live with all the commercials.

 

[davestoller]

I don't think it's possible to create new fans with all the commercials. Really makes it tough to watch. It's amazing how many more commercials Versus has than Eurosport. I appreciate being able to buy the commercial-free online broadcast, they had a very high quality stream this year. But the television broadcast is almost unwatchable live with all the commercials.

YES

and the fact that it is the same three over and over and over

every year I am scarred for life by the jingles getting stuck in my head

 

[The Gnome]

Via Versus, which is now owned by Universal sports...and this is just an aside but I am afraid bodes badly via the BS maybe coming...so Universal sports had a beginning of the season deal...buy the "whole" season, the "season pass for all universal coverage" for 35 bucks...reasonable..so I sign up and give them the 35 bucks...during the TDF Versus advertizes online tdf coverage for 30 bucks...yet, you have to go to Universals page, since they own them, to pay...and you deal with universal via credit card ect...so I notice that universal wants 30 more bucks for TDF coverage thru them! and you even watch the coverage on the universal sports site!So I write them and say what the h#ll...I paid for a whole season pass right? They send me some letter saying, well...because the TDF is on Versus...it wasn't covered in your Universal season pass! I wrote back and said "yeah, but you own versus now...so I mean come on...this is shady"....to the sounds of crickets of course...this sorta hair splitting BS is so common now I guess...but still leaves a bad taste in your mouth...

 

[Granville57]

It wouldn't be a proper Tour recap without revisiting this thread.

During this morning's live broadcast, Sherwen and Liggett went to great length to explain the moment of silence at the start-line as being a tribute to Laurent Fignon. But other forum members assured me that French TV was saying it was for the victims in Norway, and that it came at the request of Thor.

That was actually for Norway... French TV saying this minute of silence was asked for by Thor Hushovd.

P&P mentioned nothing of Norway, and for the evening recap they skipped over that part of the commentary completely. Now I don't who is providing who with information over at Versus but if they got this one so wrong, I would say that is pretty f'ing dumb...among other things.

 

[Granville57]

The big cycling news today?

Cadel Evans finally won the Tour de France!

However, in the Twilight Zone that is Paul Sherwen's world, this was what really needed to be mentioned:

ON THIS DAY: In 2005 Lance Armstrong wins a record 7th Tour de France and retires from cycling
http://twitter.com/#!/PaulSherwen/status/95051592004411392

As if.

Besides being factually incomplete, one really has to wonder as to the size of the payroll for every mention.

Now, I realize that Twitter is different from Versus, but is there is obviously no separating Paul from Lance.

 

[Scansorial]

Bob Roll was on the first US team to go the TOur de France. The iconic 7-Eleven team, with Eric Heiden, Davis Phinney and other greats of cycling.

He rode and didnt do so badly in a number of hard core races, finished Paris ROubaix and other monuments. Did you know he finished top twenty in Leige? Nah, didnt think so.

He is a funny person and in person, a highly intelligent human being. He plays the clown as schtick.


He went on to have not a shabby career in mountain biking.

Bob Roll played a starring best supporting role in getting Lance Armstrong back into cycling after cancer, riding with Lance in Boone N.C.

WHo, exactly, is Brian Nygaard and why the hell would anyone at California give a rats a##? He was like, what, a press agent for Riis and CSC and then SKy--he left Sky to set up Team Schleck. WHoopty doo.

I'm aware of Bob's career. I've read his books and they are entertaining, even if many of his stories seem embellished a bit.

His act gets old real quick on TV. We've seen fans turn on plenty of athletes who turned out to be crappy announcers. Joe Morgan comes to mind, as does Joe Theismann.

 

[Granville57]

What's fair is fair.

To show that I'm not simply a hater...

In contrast to the usual idiocy, there were a few things I thought they did quite well in the primetime show this evening.

There was a nice recap of both Garmin's successful Tour and Radio Shack's abysmal Tour. Seriously.

They had a touching feature on Johnny Hoogerland. Well done.

There was also a nice piece on Thomas Voeckler.

But the most interesting bit was part of the "Ask Bobke" segment.

Remarking on the carnage suffered by team Radio Shack this year, Bob Roll told a very compelling story about the Italian team Supermercati Brianzoli from the '80s. One year, they started the Tour with ten riders, were soon down to eight, and eventually ended up with only two riders on the team! The support staff was sent home less one mechanic and one soigneur. He spoke of two lonely riders sitting at dinner by themselves just trying to get through the Tour. Very poignant story.

This type of firsthand insight is welcome. I wish there was more of it and less of the typical BS and pandering that goes on.

 

[this_is_edie]

To show that I'm not simply a hater...

In contrast to the usual idiocy, there were a few things I thought they did quite well in the primetime show this evening.

There was a nice recap of both Garmin's successful Tour and Radio Shack's abysmal Tour. Seriously.

They had a touching feature on Johnny Hoogerland. Well done.

There was also a nice piece on Thomas Voeckler.

But the most interesting bit was part of the "Ask Bobke" segment.

Remarking on the carnage suffered by team Radio Shack this year, Bob Roll told a very compelling story about the Italian team Supermercati Brianzoli from the '80s. One year, they started the Tour with ten riders, were soon down to eight, and eventually ended up with only two riders on the team! The support staff was sent home less one mechanic and one soigneur. He spoke of two lonely riders sitting at dinner by themselves just trying to get through the Tour. Very poignant story.

This type of firsthand insight is welcome. I wish there was more of it and less of the typical BS and pandering that goes on.

that does sound good. But because they were so bad in the other primetime show and because of the huge number of ads, well I didn't watch the primetime or any other versus show. Yep, french feed for me once again.

 

[GWAR79]

Im sick of the izod commercials

 

[Boleyn]

Im sick of the izod commercials

And the one with the dog. And the Mario/Dario/whatever IZOD race trailer.

 

[Boleyn]

To show that I'm not simply a hater...

In contrast to the usual idiocy, there were a few things I thought they did quite well in the primetime show this evening.

There was a nice recap of both Garmin's successful Tour and Radio Shack's abysmal Tour. Seriously.

They had a touching feature on Johnny Hoogerland. Well done.

There was also a nice piece on Thomas Voeckler.

But the most interesting bit was part of the "Ask Bobke" segment.

Remarking on the carnage suffered by team Radio Shack this year, Bob Roll told a very compelling story about the Italian team Supermercati Brianzoli from the '80s. One year, they started the Tour with ten riders, were soon down to eight, and eventually ended up with only two riders on the team! The support staff was sent home less one mechanic and one soigneur. He spoke of two lonely riders sitting at dinner by themselves just trying to get through the Tour. Very poignant story.

This type of firsthand insight is welcome. I wish there was more of it and less of the typical BS and pandering that goes on.

Probably the best Primetime show of the TdF.

 

[davestoller]

It wouldn't be a proper Tour recap without revisiting this thread.

During this morning's live broadcast, Sherwen and Liggett went to great length to explain the moment of silence at the start-line as being a tribute to Laurent Fignon. But other forum members assured me that French TV was saying it was for the victims in Norway, and that it came at the request of Thor.


P&P mentioned nothing of Norway, and for the evening recap they skipped over that part of the commentary completely. Now I don't who is providing who with information over at Versus but if they got this one so wrong, I would say that is pretty f'ing dumb...among other things.

The entire stage was designed around the tribute to Laurent Fignon.
He rode the famous junior and amateur squad that ran out of Cretain, under Cyril Guimard, that dominated French cycling and produced many great riders. SO, yes, the organizers CHOSE Cretain as the village du depart as the tribute and arranged a ceremony there--which happened . Look it up in L'Equipe and other places

There was a memorial dedicated to Fignon at the beginning of the stage.

If French TV also mentioned the tragedy in Norway, Paul and Phil would have heard that as well. Paul is absolutely 100% fluent in French with no accent and Phil understands it completely. Both mentioned the tragedy in Norway numerous times throughout the broadcast, and

EVEN DID AN ENTIRE SEGMENT ON THE NORWEGIAN TV COMMENTATORS calling the wins of THir and Boassen Hagen.

THe best line after a screaming 1000 word tribute in excited Norwegian as B-H crosses the line:

EDDIE THE BOSS!!!!!!!!!

If there are legit criticisms of the Paul and Phil team, this is not one of them.

 

[Dedelou]

The entire stage was designed around the tribute to Laurent Fignon.
He rode the famous junior and amateur squad that ran out of Cretain, under Cyril Guimard, that dominated French cycling and produced many great riders. SO, yes, the organizers CHOSE Cretain as the village du depart as the tribute and arranged a ceremony there--which happened . Look it up in L'Equipe and other places

There was a memorial dedicated to Fignon at the beginning of the stage.

If French TV also mentioned the tragedy in Norway, Paul and Phil would have heard that as well. Paul is absolutely 100% fluent in French with no accent and Phil understands it completely. Both mentioned the tragedy in Norway numerous times throughout the broadcast, and

EVEN DID AN ENTIRE SEGMENT ON THE NORWEGIAN TV COMMENTATORS calling the wins of THir and Boassen Hagen.

THe best line after a screaming 1000 word tribute in excited Norwegian as B-H crosses the line:

EDDIE THE BOSS!!!!!!!!!

If there are legit criticisms of the Paul and Phil team, this is not one of them.

Plus one on that Davestoller.

 

[Gingerale]

this TdF i've found i miss "segments" 'cos i'm fast forwarding through the commercials and don't stop until i see it's racing or something other than bobke. or i go away and do something else, come back and rewind. i finally did catch the segment of the norwegian commentators - that was great. there isn't enough of that imo and way too much bob roll.

bob roll may be popular at ToC and maybe he's a great guy and funny in person but he's awful on TV. his fireside stories, attempts at comedy, his nervous laugh, the lance love...really makes me cringe x 3 years now.

as i said before, maybe they could give him a year off and he can comeback when the dust has settled, so to speak. ask him to watch himself until he gets it.

the same fast forwarding over bobke was required as the most grating and annoying commercial: izod, travelers ins, ultra beer life/crowd. it all reached the level of a smoke detector alarm needing attention and silencing.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

this TdF i've found i miss "segments" 'cos i'm fast forwarding through the commercials and don't stop until i see it's racing or something other than bobke. or i go away and do something else, come back and rewind. i finally did catch the segment of the norwegian commentators - that was great. there isn't enough of that imo and way too much bob roll.

bob roll may be popular at ToC and maybe he's a great guy and funny in person but he's awful on TV. his fireside stories, attempts at comedy, his nervous laugh, the lance love...really makes me cringe x 3 years now.

as i said before, maybe they could give him a year off and he can comeback when the dust has settled, so to speak. ask him to watch himself until he gets it.

the same fast forwarding over bobke was required as the most grating and annoying commercial: izod, travelers ins, ultra beer life/crowd. it all reached the level of a smoke detector alarm needing attention and silencing.

I do not think there is any helping Roll. It would be like rehabbing an Alzheimer patient to their former coherence. I never have seen it occur but hope springs eternal. Research may one day give us this dream.

The most disappointing - well - that right there is a lie, how can any broadcast filled with this degree of disappointments POSSIBLY contain anything that would be its MOST disappointing anything? - but I hated the evening wrapup being devoid of Gogulski. The only guy that had a clue is not allowed on the set. Somehow very fitting for versus. Whoa whoa WHOOOAA...he has an iq above his shoe size, get him off the set!!! And the never ending AC bashing, even when it was a compliment, it had to result in a 'left handed' compliment. 'Oh look, he didn't crash today.' The epitome was Tuesday's attack (the final Tuesday) where they credited it to Evans and even Hincapie when interviewed made no reference to Evans attacking but merely mentioned Evans being able to keep up with Contador and making up the time on the descent (and then some). It's like they aren't even watching. Pathetic? Not a strong enough word.

How Roll and Sherwen stay on the payroll is a mystery that someone with inside knowledge of how the industry works may be able to solve. Liggett at times is lucid when he has a second to gather his thoughts. But he needs to consider retirement.

 

[Granville57]

If there are legit criticisms of the Paul and Phil team, this is not one of them.

Thanks for that clarification, that's why I put it out there. I was aware of the Fignon memorial but the silence from P&P regarding Norway at that point in the broadcast, compared with what others were saying, left me confused.

EVEN DID AN ENTIRE SEGMENT ON THE NORWEGIAN TV COMMENTATORS calling the wins of Thor and Boassen Hagen.

Yes, that was awesome footage and I was glad to see it. I meant to include that in my "compliments" a few posts back. They showed that during the live broadcast as well.

I was hoping to see those clips of the Norwegian commentators. Classic!
Good to see them in happier times.

 

[maltiv]

The entire stage was designed around the tribute to Laurent Fignon.
He rode the famous junior and amateur squad that ran out of Cretain, under Cyril Guimard, that dominated French cycling and produced many great riders. SO, yes, the organizers CHOSE Cretain as the village du depart as the tribute and arranged a ceremony there--which happened . Look it up in L'Equipe and other places

There was a memorial dedicated to Fignon at the beginning of the stage.

If French TV also mentioned the tragedy in Norway, Paul and Phil would have heard that as well. Paul is absolutely 100% fluent in French with no accent and Phil understands it completely. Both mentioned the tragedy in Norway numerous times throughout the broadcast, and

EVEN DID AN ENTIRE SEGMENT ON THE NORWEGIAN TV COMMENTATORS calling the wins of THir and Boassen Hagen.

THe best line after a screaming 1000 word tribute in excited Norwegian as B-H crosses the line:

EDDIE THE BOSS!!!!!!!!!

If there are legit criticisms of the Paul and Phil team, this is not one of them.

Well you are wrong though (if I understand your post correctly) because the minute of silence at the start of the stage was because of the tragedy in Norway. That's why Hushovd and EBH were standing in front of the peloton...

 

[No_Balls]

Well you are wrong though (if I understand your post correctly) because the minute of silence at the start of the stage was because of the tragedy in Norway. That's why Hushovd and EBH were standing in front of the peloton...

Yes, it was due to the massacre/bomb in Norway. A shame ending for a very successful, norwegian Tour.

 

[rides like a girl]

Well you are wrong though (if I understand your post correctly) because the minute of silence at the start of the stage was because of the tragedy in Norway. That's why Hushovd and EBH were standing in front of the peloton...

It did seem to confuse phil and Paul why Thor and Eddie were in front with the other jersey holders if as they said it was a moment of silence for Laurent. It wasn't a moment of silence for him, they missed the reason for the moment of silence. The tribute to Laurent was overshadowed by the tragedy in Norway.

 

[CatsNK]

+1. And ROFLMAO. Was Gogo even really in evidence at all during their broadcasts? I saw very little of the coverage and what I did see had no Gogo, sadly.

I do not think there is any helping Roll. It would be like rehabbing an Alzheimer patient to their former coherence. I never have seen it occur but hope springs eternal. Research may one day give us this dream.

The most disappointing - well - that right there is a lie, how can any broadcast filled with this degree of disappointments POSSIBLY contain anything that would be its MOST disappointing anything? - but I hated the evening wrapup being devoid of Gogulski. The only guy that had a clue is not allowed on the set. Somehow very fitting for versus. Whoa whoa WHOOOAA...he has an iq above his shoe size, get him off the set!!! And the never ending AC bashing, even when it was a compliment, it had to result in a 'left handed' compliment. 'Oh look, he didn't crash today.' The epitome was Tuesday's attack (the final Tuesday) where they credited it to Evans and even Hincapie when interviewed made no reference to Evans attacking but merely mentioned Evans being able to keep up with Contador and making up the time on the descent (and then some). It's like they aren't even watching. Pathetic? Not a strong enough word.

How Roll and Sherwen stay on the payroll is a mystery that someone with inside knowledge of how the industry works may be able to solve. Liggett at times is lucid when he has a second to gather his thoughts. But he needs to consider retirement.

 

[davestoller]

Well you are wrong though (if I understand your post correctly) because the minute of silence at the start of the stage was because of the tragedy in Norway. That's why Hushovd and EBH were standing in front of the peloton...

No, I am not wrong.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fignon-memorial-unveiled-at-tour-de-france

"At the start of the final stage of the 2011 Tour de France in Créteil, a memorial to the late Laurent Fignon was unveiled.

Just prior to the neutralized start of the last run into Paris, the memorial was inaugurated in the presence of Fignon's family and unveiled by his former teammates. Fignon started his career at the US Créteil cycling club in 1980 and 1981 before becoming a pro with Cyrille Guimard and his Renault-Elf team."

If there was another ADDITIONAL moment of silence to honor Norway, that's appropriate.
It would have been more appropriate for ASO/TdF to let all the international broadcasters know--since what they had in front of them was the announcement of the Fignon memorial.

There is no room for criticism of Paul and Phil--which is what I was responding to.