How dumb are the folks at Versus/NBC?

[peacefultribe]

Bob Roll the Glen Beck of cycling? [/QUOT

+1

They trashed Alberto Contador so badly in 2009 that they will never be able to get Americans to watch him unless they make him the villain. They are assuming that all Americans are idiots who need a common enemy in order to feel validated. Versus is selling to the non cycling audience who doesn't typically follow cycling.

 

[scullster46]

on the extended nightly show they were just talking about when the race gets neautralized, and Gogo just asked bob roll a rhetorical question saying that it seemed like when the peloton was racing at full steam, that they wouldn't wait for crashes and other mishaps (such as dropped chains), but when they are already together and aren't racing for anything that they will most likely wait. Bobke never really responded to that

 

[ManInFull]

so i woke to watch the vesus coverage, at one point they cut to Bob Roll and he comes off with....
blaming every tour accident on alberto contador , seriously he states that contadors nervousness and inability to position himself in the peleton are causing further nervousness in the entire peleton thus causing all the accidents in the tour. he actually places the blame for all accidents squarely on contadors shoulders .....wow , i can understand being on the armstrong koolaide while he was racing , well at least for roll , but seriously his comments are ridiculous bordering on stupidly enraging

I was totally disgusted by his comments. And I listened to it several times just to make sure that I wasn't mistaken. He's an idiot.

 

[mewmewmew13]

I have now lost count but has anyone kept track of how many times they have replayed the Karpets/ Contador skuffle???
seriously, ridiculous...

After the last few years where they actually seemed to stifle Bob from talking so much, it's now like he is reclaiming his lost silence and just can't shut up.

FREE GOGO!!!!

 

[rides like a girl]

Bob Roll the Glen Beck of cycling?

exactly! a nut with an opinion that even people who are on his side are embarrassed by him.

So disappointed with the prime time coverage tonight. Watched to see Bob would repeat his comment about Alberto causing the crashes in the Tour. If riders make their luck with their lack of concentration as Bob and Todd are talking about, why have we not seen an entire segment dedication to Radio Shack yet? What kind of concentration problems are they having there. That is an American team and all 4 of their GC riders have crashed. Yet not one segment on those crashes and lack of concentration.

I had hopes for NBC, I can't imagine they would cover an NBA game like this, hating on the player with the most championships.

Makes me hope AC's knee isn't that bad, so he can win to get under Bob's skin and pi$$ him off more.

 

[Gingerale]

shut-up bob roll!

exactly! a nut with an opinion that even people who are on his side are embarrassed by him.

So disappointed with the prime time coverage tonight. Watched to see Bob would repeat his comment about Alberto causing the crashes in the Tour. If riders make their luck with their lack of concentration as Bob and Todd are talking about, why have we not seen an entire segment dedication to Radio Shack yet? What kind of concentration problems are they having there. That is an American team and all 4 of their GC riders have crashed. Yet not one segment on those crashes and lack of concentration.

I had hopes for NBC, I can't imagine they would cover an NBA game like this, hating on the player with the most championships.

Makes me hope AC's knee isn't that bad, so he can win to get under Bob's skin and pi$$ him off more.

+1 very well said. and you spared me from writing. thank you.

will add: bob went on about contador's team not wanting to help him. where does he get his information? did he read anything from the team?

i really can only hope contador rides and climbs giro style, wins TDF and bob is seen for the clown he is. dear god, please.

 

[etymology]

Bob Roll the Glen Beck of cycling?

nah, he is worse: bob roll is the rachael madow of cycling.

 

[Gingerale]

i'm watching/listening to this ***t now.

when bob goes on about andy schleck it makes me hate andy and i never have! i'm projecting bob on andy? i better get a drink, quick...

...and fast forward this thing through all bobisms. otherwise, he'll ruin TdF for me.

today was a tough stage with the pelaton crash, vino, VDB2, zubriske going out. hoogerland and flecha being hit by a car, and then have to listen to bob.

i love phil liggett compared to bob the clown and paul sherwen is even fine compared to bob.

bob must go away.

 

[etymology]

meanwhile, glen beck and rachael madow aside: as i do not have a television, the internet is my only choice. i paid the $30 for nbc/versus tdf coverage for reasons already mentioned: more coverage, no commericials, a feed that will not drop. additionally, i can pause live action (very handy at work!), watch on demand, and fast forward.

unfortunately for me, time warner cable often chokes the bit feed in my area to 350kbs - ouch!! the picture at this rate is poor. yes, i could watch on eurosport or rai or la gazetta, all of which have an infinitely better picture than the choked nbcsports.com/versus feed i receive.

HOWEVER: i continue to watch the lesser quality picture on nbcsports.com/versus because dang it, i PAID for it PLUS....i can be a stubborn old fart, especially when i have paid for sometihing. and yes, that *is* kind of pathetic BUT....at least i admit it!

p & p's commentary does not start until the regular versus coverage begins each day. soon as p&p start...i mute them, connect with eurosport audio, then mute that. if there is a crash or i want to know more than what is being shown at the moment, i listen to the eurosport audio for a bit. i am fine watching without commentary.

versus tdf coverage/commentary is what it is. in my *opinion*, the internet has spoiled everything for cycling coverage in the u.s.a. i remember when there was NO tdf tv coverage. i remember when abc's wide wold of sports would show part of a stage. i remember scouring the sports page of the new york times in hope of finding a summary box with the tour standings. i remember buying german, italian, or spanish newspapers and having friends of mine who spoke those languages read the tdf articles in those papers to me...in english. my *really* good friend olaf would translate/type in english many of the stage reports.

all of that said: i agree it would be best if phil and paul retired after this year....and where do i sign up for the "free gogo" phone banking??

 

[lagartija]

exactly! a nut with an opinion that even people who are on his side are embarrassed by him.

So disappointed with the prime time coverage tonight. Watched to see Bob would repeat his comment about Alberto causing the crashes in the Tour. If riders make their luck with their lack of concentration as Bob and Todd are talking about, why have we not seen an entire segment dedication to Radio Shack yet? What kind of concentration problems are they having there. That is an American team and all 4 of their GC riders have crashed. Yet not one segment on those crashes and lack of concentration.

I had hopes for NBC, I can't imagine they would cover an NBA game like this, hating on the player with the most championships.

Makes me hope AC's knee isn't that bad, so he can win to get under Bob's skin and pi$$ him off more.

exactly....i guess there crashes are not related to lack of tactical sense like berto's.......they are special

 

[MacRoadie]

Well, they fired Frankie but kept Robbie Ventura so you tell me...

 

[knewcleardaze]

I forgive Bob Roll. Stupid people don't know they're stupid.

 

[HL2037]

will add: bob went on about contador's team not wanting to help him. where does he get his information? did he read anything from the team?

Why off course Contadors team hates him. After all he ruined cycling by losing time on stage 1, right?

 

[No_Balls]

will add: bob went on about contador's team not wanting to help him. where does he get his information? did he read anything from the team.

You buy and pay your rider for what is a historical mission of doing the double (Giro/Tour) on which one has been fulfilled. Then you realise that you actually don´t like the rider who gives your Sponsors truck loads of attention/money and starting suddenly dislike him, because a guy named Bob Roll think so.

Sure, that make sense.

 

[screaming fist]

Favorite Versus broadcast of mine: Tour 2009 prologue, Bob Roll drools about Lance crushing the rest of the peloton in the time trial, because "he's the best in the business", "he's one of the best specialists in climbing and the best in time trialing" and "he's the best descender in the world". He totally freaks out about Lance's performance.
When later starters put Lance's time in perspective he quickly romanticizes about Lance's cleverness to start early and not to go all out, so he'll better recuperate than his rivals before the mountains, only to teach them all a lesson. Especially that immature Contador needs that.
Plus Bruyneel has brought the best team in the world again, to help Lance again (not that he needs it, again).

Painfully funny.

 

[dbrmuz]

Reading all these anti-Bob Roll comments almost makes me glad for SBS Australia's Mike Tomalaris.

Almost.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhsvuRKwDHg

 

[CatsNK]

One thing I didn't get that was during the Vino crash they were blathering on about Radio Shack. Um, the leader of the Astana team just broke his freaking leg and what is this about RS? Was RS even in that crash? They BARELY mentioned Vino. Really frustrating.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Favorite Versus broadcast of mine: Tour 2009 prologue, Bob Roll drools about Lance crushing the rest of the peloton in the time trial, because "he's the best in the business", "he's one of the best specialists in climbing and the best in time trialing" and "he's the best descender in the world". He totally freaks out about Lance's performance.
When later starters put Lance's time in perspective he quickly romanticizes about Lance's cleverness to start early and not to go all out, so he'll better recuperate than his rivals before the mountains, only to teach them all a lesson. Especially that immature Contador needs that.
Plus Bruyneel has brought the best team in the world again, to help Lance again (not that he needs it, again).

Painfully funny.

did he really say this crap? people in public telling so much sh*t should be put in a clinic or something

 

[Boleyn]

did he really say this crap? people in public telling so much sh*t should be put in a clinic or something

Yes, he did.

On one of the 2009 MTF stages he listed his top 7 climbers for the stage. Guess who was No.1? It was quite funny when 5 of the other 6 finished above him - only Wiggens did not.

 

[zigmeister]

I'm amazed at how much Paul and Phil can't figure out, or don't have info on. I know they are relying on remote video feeds which they are just providing English commentating on, but even then, they get so much nonsense wrong.

I like how Paul is always exaggerating how they are going 45mph, even on the flat...what nonsense. Each stage becomes more and more nonsensical.

Can't blame Versus/NBC per se, they don't own/run the cameras and video for the tour..but they do hire the people to run their version.

Lastly, it bothers me how NBC Universal charge me $34 for the Cycling season when I signed up months back...then for the Tour De France, they want another $30, or whatever to have access to the live show. What did my original annual cycling subscription pay for? The Giro and that is it?!?!

So, I go online and find it for free...morons at NBC, way to **** on people willing to pay, but not willing to get gouged for more money for something I can DVR and watch at night, but just go online and watch live daily.

 

[hfer07]

did he really say this crap? people in public telling so much sh*t should be put in a clinic or something

My exact sentiments--I find it outrageous that Bob & Co. are allowed to do this farce and not having some sort of review or censorship from the network-unless they're as stupid as Bob though....

 

[Maxiton]

You can find Bob Roll listed in Lance's phone directory under "BJ".

 

[rickibobbi]

versus versus what?

yeah, it sucks, but turn off the sound and record it, problem solved really. Roll was a bike racer, thus, guilty until proven innocent in regard to being a moron. Best proof, when LA did his bully thing to shut down Simeoni in 2004 Roll was ecstatic, "that Lance, a true peloton patron...." etc, it was a super low class move and Roll showed his true colors. Not a surprise, but all this being said, I love the pictures, yesterday when Flecha was hit by the tv car , it was spectacular as are all the aerial shots.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

is bob roll a close friend of lance?? or else it's even more pathetic

 

[Angliru]

He's still battling the fight of two years ago. He has the mindset of a lone Japanese soldier marooned on a small island.

This is classic. +10000