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How Long Before Delusional Phil Is Asked About Wonderboy

During the coverage and what do you think his response will be? Also, how long before someone asks him about his "retirement" claim he made and takes him to task on it, now that his man crush has been busted? Is this Phil's last year? I wonder if anyone will take him serious anymore now that we know what's happened, his credibility is shot. Any thoughts?
 
Oct 13, 2012
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Potomac said:
Did you miss the broadcast?

I had the "pleasure" of watching the coverage with Phil & I don't remember him mentioning his hero at all, though granted I did basically zone the bore out. I can't imagine anyone involved in the coverage will dare to bring it up, at least not during the broadcast unfortunately.
 
Alpe d'Huez said:
From what I saw, he never mentioned it.

Thread needs to avoid ending up in the Clinic, though you can discuss PL being a tool for past, even current comments, if you like.

Thanks. Yeah, didn't think it was a clinic type post. Just curious w/all that's happened and PLs past and so forth. Would like to see it stay interactive and not end up in the clinic as well.
 
forkboy84 said:
I had the "pleasure" of watching the coverage with Phil & I don't remember him mentioning his hero at all, though granted I did basically zone the bore out. I can't imagine anyone involved in the coverage will dare to bring it up, at least not during the broadcast unfortunately.

LOL, that's a shame really. His lust for Wonderboy and all the crap he's said, will go unanswered and he gets a pass. Typical PL douchiness IMO. I'm honestly surprised he's decided to show his face on TV And that he's still involved in anything related to the sport. Also surprised he wasn't dropped by all the networks considering all that's happened. He should be in a low powered shed giving coverage to 2 people, as those are probably about the last folks who'd take anything he says serious these days.
 
Jan 23, 2013
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I think people should give PL a break.

His job is to provide a live play-by-play during races. That's it. He is employed by a company that broadcasts in the USA and maybe elsewhere.

During the LA years, cycling grew in popularity in the US at an incredible rate. Like it or not, a LOT of people made a LOT of money during the LA years and LA is almost singlularly responsible for that. The entire industry prospered from his popularity.

Had PL chosen to trash-talk LA prior to the confession, he would have ****ed off a lot of people and likely been canned.

I have enjoyed PL's reporting since I first heard him in 1987's Paris-Roubaix broadcast. I still enjoy his input, though I admit is seems Sherwin does more andmore to correct him as he is nowhere near as sharp as he used to be.

No matter what he truly believes, he's a broadcasting legend in the late autumn of his career.

If someone doesn't like his take on things, they can always turn the TV to mute and find some coverage on the radio to play along with the TV coverage.
 
Jun 28, 2012
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The word Armstrong was not mentioned throughout the entire webfeed, at least (from when he took the toss from Keenan until Kittel crossed the finish line, anyway...I can't watch all of the ceremonial stuff).
 
Jan 23, 2013
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For one, I would be delighted if we could go three weeks without hearing LA's name a single time on the TV coverage. He cheated, he bullied, he gt caught, he's banned for life, and he has nothing to do with this year's race.

Good-bye and good riddance. I wish him no harm, but would rather he be forgotten than mentioned.

The commenators would be doing a disservice to the current riders to even acknowledge disgraced riders from the past, IMO.

I thought is strange that a sporting newspaper would publish a story abut an interview with LA in the days leading up to this year's race.

This race is bound to have plenty of excitement in the race for the yellow and for the green. There are new talents, established stars, and some entertaining personalities. There is also Paul's mad-lib comments about geology, architecture, and history to fill time during less eventful portions of the race.
 
Oct 13, 2012
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TheBean said:
I think people should give PL a break.

His job is to provide a live play-by-play during races. That's it. He is employed by a company that broadcasts in the USA and maybe elsewhere.

During the LA years, cycling grew in popularity in the US at an incredible rate. Like it or not, a LOT of people made a LOT of money during the LA years and LA is almost singlularly responsible for that. The entire industry prospered from his popularity.

Had PL chosen to trash-talk LA prior to the confession, he would have ****ed off a lot of people and likely been canned.

I have enjoyed PL's reporting since I first heard him in 1987's Paris-Roubaix broadcast. I still enjoy his input, though I admit is seems Sherwin does more andmore to correct him as he is nowhere near as sharp as he used to be.

No matter what he truly believes, he's a broadcasting legend in the late autumn of his career.

If someone doesn't like his take on things, they can always turn the TV to mute and find some coverage on the radio to play along with the TV coverage.
Even if we accept that he was a good commentator once upon a time (& at the very least, he's the voice of cycling in the English speaking world for the casual cycling fan), he's clearly past his best & it would be beneficial if he stepped aside.
 
Jul 17, 2009
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Have not heard the he who shalt not be named mentioned yet at all. Phil did say that Hincapie no longer holds the consecutive race lead because he was stripped of one Tour. that is actually almost journalistic of him.

Phil is ok so far. He has moments of confusion and a few times he changed subject drastically as if someone in his ear told him to stay on task. It appears NBC has limited Paul's input and from the first broad cast I can recount two spots where he appears to be cut off as if NBC has a trigger censor.

Although today Paul did just inform us that when snow melts it goes down hill and forms tiny little lakes. Interesting stuff.

As this coverage continues Phil's on road description of the climbs is totally different than the prerace profile they described. forget the exact words but the profile was said to be difficult. Now its a casual stroll.


the dude on the motorbike is so full of it. like he interviews all these race directors and riders from the back of the bike? right. and then his description of a conversation is like a high school girl at the mall describing her conversations " I was like" blah blabh blah. "and he was all? ....blah blah blah...
 
Jul 13, 2009
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He has mentioned Armstrong today. When talking about Belkin they were explaining the Belkin/Blanco/Rabobank situation and how some of the Levi Leipheimer revelations contributed to Rabo withdrawing. During it Liggett said something about Levi doping at Rabo and so he'd done it before he'd been on a team with Armstrong. Clearly the senile duffer forgot about Leipheimer riding for USP before Rabo.
 
TheBean said:
I think people should give PL a break.

His job is to provide a live play-by-play during races. That's it. He is employed by a company that broadcasts in the USA and maybe elsewhere.

I disagree totally. During a USA race last year, when his job was to commentate on the race he gave a huge harangue about how all the people that testified against Lance were paid by to do so and they were liars.

He just needs to retire!
 
Jan 23, 2013
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I didn't catch that commentary, Carol.

If what you say is correct, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then he clearly stepped out of bounds for journalistic integrity.

I guess I am just a shameless fan of Phil's. I actually enjoy his Alzheimer's moments and I also enjoy Paul's completely irrelevant comments about local history, culture, and whatever other tangents he goes off on. I also like Bob Roll's input. The two newer guys, Hummer and the kind-of-nerdy guy do a decent job of chipping in.

Listening to Phil ramble on is kind of like hearing a story being told by my grandpa.

When I watch, I do keep the CN live feed open and read as I watch and listen.

I suppose I could benefit from an improved social life!
 
Jun 18, 2012
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Carols said:
I disagree totally. During a USA race last year, when his job was to commentate on the race he gave a huge harangue about how all the people that testified against Lance were paid by to do so and they were liars.

He just needs to retire!

Was that during a race broadcast? I remember something along those lines, but in a radio interview. Either way, it was awful and he probably should have been fired. Drop the 'probably' if he said it in a race broadcast.
 
Viking said:
Was that during a race broadcast? I remember something along those lines, but in a radio interview. Either way, it was awful and he probably should have been fired. Drop the 'probably' if he said it in a race broadcast.

It was Definitely on a USA TV race broadcast while we were waiting for the podiums, I was screaming at the TV! US Pro Challenge I'm pretty sure. After all the news hit the airwaves but before the Reasoned Decision was published. Not that the RD changed his mind as he never read it. It was after Lance's confession that he finally believed, albeit reluctantly.
 
Mar 25, 2013
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Carols said:
I disagree totally. During a USA race last year, when his job was to commentate on the race he gave a huge harangue about how all the people that testified against Lance were paid by to do so and they were liars.

He just needs to retire!

It's a pity Travis didn't have to power to lifetime ban Phil.
 
Aug 3, 2009
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Thing that always gets me is on the rare occasions that you get Sherwin commentating with someone else or alone he does a half decent job. It seems that Ligget drags him down to his level.
 
i haven't really heard him mention wonderboy here on the AUS coverage, i have heard him mention "Levi Leipheimer killed Rabobank" at least 4 or 5 times though.

i've also heard him say:

"i'm not quite sure who that rider is, i think it's [insert rider name]. . . . . oh actually it's [insert other rider name], our computers told us the wrong thing"

a few times.
 
Jul 28, 2009
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Kingsley A said:
Thing that always gets me is on the rare occasions that you get Sherwin commentating with someone else or alone he does a half decent job. It seems that Ligget drags him down to his level.
I dunno about that. I had a good old laugh when Sherwin was spouting a whole lot of bollox about cadence and didn't include the usual "high cadence was invented by a certain LA" but instead went on about everyone pushing huge gears in the 70s and 80s, which is complete cr*p of course.
 
Carols said:
It was Definitely on a USA TV race broadcast while we were waiting for the podiums, I was screaming at the TV! US Pro Challenge I'm pretty sure. After all the news hit the airwaves but before the Reasoned Decision was published. Not that the RD changed his mind as he never read it. It was after Lance's confession that he finally believed, albeit reluctantly.

I'm pretty sure you're correct, I believe folks here even commented on it. I liked Phil back in the day, but his ball licking of Wonderboy was just over the top IMO. Even when it was shown that Wonderboy did all of that stuff, Phil STILL chose to hitch his wagon onto Wonderboy and make himself look like a huge tool in the process. Just my opinion.
 
Jul 17, 2009
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rata de sentina said:
I dunno about that. I had a good old laugh when Sherwin was spouting a whole lot of bollox about cadence and didn't include the usual "high cadence was invented by a certain LA" but instead went on about everyone pushing huge gears in the 70s and 80s, which is complete cr*p of course.

he talks as if he never rode a bike. Or is so elitist he feels he has to dumb-down everything.

the love freds here in the US have for them is beyond belief
 

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