NBC Cycling Coverage Must Change!

[perico]

Hmm, How about: Phinney/Hampsten/Bauer/Steida/LeMond

If you were around in the early days of OLN, before they became VS/NBC and before they had the broadcast rights for the Tour de France (basically the pre-lance OLN era), it was Phil, Paul and Davis Phinney. Phinney left the network around 1999 so that he could focus on his battle with Parkinson's Disease. His illness likely would prevent him from live stage coverage. Those were the days with the best coverage we'll ever get, television wise, with great coverage of the Giro. We had minimal amt of commercials: there was basically a loop of fishing bait, Ginzu knives and a creepy dude with a moustache (who I would never let near my child) that finds his wife a ring with a metal detector.

I love Greg LeMond, but the man is as ADHD as they come. He is suited doing what he does now, a wrap up style analysis. 4 hours of "LeMond Unplugged" would be a television producer's worst nightmare. His brain works at a speed that most of us can't fathom (scatterbrained).

Hampsten lives in Italy and manufactures his brand of bikes and guiding tours. He and Bauer would be the best at commentary, but I doubt Andy would be interested in the gig. Bauer would be your best bet, as he is still involved with the sport. Don't know what Steida is up to these days.

 

[RiccoDinko]

Phil and Paul drinking game will get you smashed. Every time they make a mistake, you drink, it's constant drinking.

 

[red_flanders]

I'm really enjoying VdV being on the team. Brings a real sense of how the riders feel, and seems to know his stuff. Darn good delivery for a first-time announcer at this race.

Huge upgrade to the commentary, and you could easily see them phasing out Phil and Paul. Bobke and VdV are pretty good and only going to get better.

Sorry, I just can't wig out about the fact that Bobke (and Phil and Paul) were prime pushers of the Armstrong lie. I was ****ed about their nonsense for a decade. I'm over it.

VdV is a great addition.

 

[Carols]

I'm really enjoying VdV being on the team. Brings a real sense of how the riders feel, and seems to know his stuff. Darn good delivery for a first-time announcer at this race.

VdV is a great addition.

I agree 100%. I'm enjoying VdV. P&P seem to be bothering me less this year even though they stink.

 

[perico]

I'll never be anti-Phil. I could never bring myself to it, no matter how much nonsense he brought to the Armstrong stuff. I remember the dark days of American coverage, post-LeMond until OLN formed, where I would listen to the man commentating on pigeon watching if it was broadcast in the states. The thing about Liggett is that he was always ab "innocent until proven guilty" POV regarding clinic discussion, long before Armstrong. It's now obvious that he had his head under the pillow, but that's the way he's always been.

 

[zlev11]

I'm really enjoying VdV being on the team. Brings a real sense of how the riders feel, and seems to know his stuff. Darn good delivery for a first-time announcer at this race.

Huge upgrade to the commentary, and you could easily see them phasing out Phil and Paul. Bobke and VdV are pretty good and only going to get better.

Sorry, I just can't wig out about the fact that Bobke (and Phil and Paul) were prime pushers of the Armstrong lie. I was ****ed about their nonsense for a decade. I'm over it.

VdV is a great addition.

yeah i think VdV and Roll have been really good this year. they seem to repeat themselves a lot but they've kinda run out of things to talk about. VdV is way better than Moninger was the last two years.

 

[avanti]

It seems to me that Paul and Phil commentary is less than it used to be. Maybe they are being phased out.