Phil and Paul

[The Barb]

Agree that Paul has pulled Phil out of the mire a couple of times. He did so immediately on Stage 1 when Phil made his statement about the riders held up by the crash losing time.

 

[Kingsley A]

I was most amused on stage 2 when Phil noted "Andrew Talansky pulling on the front for Radioshack". Not a single Garmin rider in the shot at the time either!

 

[etymology]

QUOTE=ebandit;1278575]no way....................he just knows............doe's not even have to think

your just a jealous HATER

Mark L[/QUOTE]


paul effortlessly transcends mere "genius." he is an elite amongst the elites in the 'wile e. coyote, suuuuuuuuuuuuuuper geeeeeeenious' school of cycling commentators. it should take less than half a stage of listening to his brilliant castle and church and garrison and fortress and mountain goats and winery and pockets of snow and local culinary information for anyone who knows nothing about cycling to know they are listening to one of the all time greats.

AND...his castle and church and garrison and fortress and mountain goats and winery and pockets of snow and local culinary and narrow guage railroad knowledge - great as it is - ain't NUTHIN' compared to his encylopedic knowledge of birds, partiularly a certain species of endangered vultures in a specific mountainous locality in france. i can't wait to hear paul describe them and the carcasses the good people of this locality provide for the endangered vultures dining pleasure.

again. just as he did last year. and the year before. and the years before that.

i wholeheartedly agree with ebandit 's assessment: "no way......he just knows....doe's [sic] not even have to think."

for those not familiar with wile e. coyote, suuuuuuuuuuuuper genius:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEFmFMeXV3E


see? see? i rest my unassailable 'paul is a suuuuuuuuuper genious case.

 

[observer]

they refer to the vacansoleil jerseys as black. To me it looks blue.

 

[Big Doopie]

Its not that P and P are bad commentators who know 3 riders in the entire peloton (though all that is true). Its that Phil Ligget is a lower form of life than most people you will find in maximum security penetentiaries.

Bingo.

They should both be impoverished and in prison.

 

[TheBean]

Thats like saying (before last year) that if you don't like Armstrong having 7 tdf's you should just close your eyes when they show the TDF winners list.

Its not that P and P are bad commentators who know 3 riders in the entire peloton (though all that is true). Its that Phil Ligget is a lower form of life than most people you will find in maximum security penetentiaries.

WOW! Being a bit of a dribbling and babbling TV personality is not a crime worthy of incarceration in my town, thank goodness.

If you don't like an image, don't look at it. If you don't like the way something sounds, mute it.

If you like to know who is doing what at a point in the race, the CyclingNews Live Coverage is helpful to read as you listen to your favorite music and watch the fantastic TV coverage video.

There are some other websites that also have pretty good live read-alongs race updates.

In this day and age when the media choices with computers and TV channels are almost limitless, it seems silly to me that anyone would complain about the qualities (or lack thereof) of a TV personality.

I am doing my best to empower the complainers by letting them know they have the power of the computer and the remote control, but I fear I am not being very effective. Maybe they just enjoy complaining - for that I have no suggestions.

 

[Big Doopie]

WOW! Being a bit of a dribbling and babbling TV personality is not a crime worthy of incarceration in my town, thank goodness.

um... that's not it.

they knowingly promoted fraud and accrued huge wealth from it.

they should both rot in prison.

 

[willbick]

i really dont think its unreasonable to expect the main english-speaking commentator on the biggest bike race in the world to have a vague idea who the riders are!!

 

[zlev11]

Phil and Paul are one thing, but the Michelob Ultra commercial on NBC Sports is driving me insane. It's on at every commercial break and the volume is not set correctly on the commercial so it is about 30% louder than the rest of the programming. The song is horrible too. I remember they used Lance in this commercial over the past few years. Guess they had to find a new guy since Lance got the boot

agreed. they played that same commercial constantly last year, too. the guy in it has the most punchable face ever.

 

[valentius borealis]

To be fair to Sherwin he correctly identified the rider as Bakelants before Phil decided the computer was right and decided it was Irizar. Also he suggested today that it was a little bit closer finish between sagan and gerrans than Phil seemed to think. So, on the last two stages, I think he can be cut some slack!

Also the the stage to Ajaccio, Sylvain Chavanel was identified as Niki Terpstra, Gautier was identified as Voeckler, and Juan Antonio Flecha was identified as Thomas de Gendt. On the stage to Calvi, Phil had trouble with the Euskaltel riders a couple of times.

 

[bangnz]

I can live with phil and paul but they need to get rid of the american guy that randomly comes on mic and stating the obvious while P&P ignore him and talk overtop

 

[saneguy]

Geirant Thomas right at the back was identified as Simon Gerrans lol...

Yeah I heard that American guy as well...I think P&P dont realize that the American is talking...

 

[TheBean]

um... that's not it.

they knowingly promoted fraud and accrued huge wealth from it.

they should both rot in prison.

I agree that Armstrong was an enormous fraud. An argument could be made that pro racing, in general, was a fraud during those years - and maybe it still is.

But, to make the accusation that the commentators are somehow guilty of a crime for commentating seems a bit outlandish.

Should the execs at Vs. and NBC also be held accountable?

Should the Postmaster General of the USA be held accountable?

Should every bike shop owner who had a poster of Lance up in their shop be held accountable?

The execs at Sports Illustrated for making Lance their sportsman of the year?

The list of people who made money as a direct result of the growing popularity of cycling, and specifically the TdF is very long. But, they are not all criminals for promoting the popularity of Armstrong to increase their profits.

As a viewer of the Tour on your television, you were counted in the Nielson ratings for that program, thus you increased the value of the marketing time slots for that program leading to an increase in profits for Phil, Paul, AND Lance. Does that make you an accomplice or an accessory to a crime?

When you get right down to it, they are just a couple of guys who get paid to talk during bike races. Like Cosell, Costas, Musburger, and every other sports announcer, they are guys who have landed dream jobs - complete with front row seats, back-stage passes, paid travel to the best events, and probably some pretty good catering.

It'snot a crime for them to promote the events and the stars of those events in order to increase viewership and revenue. It's their job description.

Again, if you don't like them you can turn them off or mute them. If you turn them off, you are voting for change via your discontinued ratings support. It's that simple.

 

[Ripper]

Glad to see that these clowns could not even call the finale of today's finish.

 

[Boeing]

Fortunately, the majority of TV's have volume control and most even have a mute button. Every TV I have seen also has the aiblity to change fromone channel to another.

So, the answer to anyone complaining about Phil and Paul is very simple to understand. Either change the channel or put them on mute.

I have them on mute as I am typing this.I am enjoying the video coverage of Stage 3 while also enjoying some music on my stereo. It's awesome!

I am not a fan of Justin Beiber. I much prefer The Clash. So, when I am listening to the radio and Bieber comes on, I change the station or put in a Clash CD. It works 100% of the time.

Its that time of year again. Let the patronizing begin. 40 post benie boy has his pulse on the forum and pop culture

thanks dad

 

[Polyarmour]

1/. Phil and Paul's target market are mums and dads and for them they do a great job.
2/. Identifying cyclists is a problem for all commentators not just Phil and Paul. I'm not sure they make any more mistakes than anyone else? In one of the recent classics races, two British commentators (not Phil and Paul but can't remember who they were) who spent at least 10 minutes referring to the riders by their team names as they were unable to identify anyone.
3/. Aren't these forums full of sanctimonious armchair experts? Cycle Commentating for 5 hours and still keeping it interesting? One of the hardest jobs going.

 

[Race Radio]

I agree that Armstrong was an enormous fraud. An argument could be made that pro racing, in general, was a fraud during those years - and maybe it still is.

But, to make the accusation that the commentators are somehow guilty of a crime for commentating seems a bit outlandish.

Should the execs at Vs. and NBC also be held accountable?

Should the Postmaster General of the USA be held accountable?

Should every bike shop owner who had a poster of Lance up in their shop be held accountable?

The execs at Sports Illustrated for making Lance their sportsman of the year?

The list of people who made money as a direct result of the growing popularity of cycling, and specifically the TdF is very long. But, they are not all criminals for promoting the popularity of Armstrong to increase their profits.

As a viewer of the Tour on your television, you were counted in the Nielson ratings for that program, thus you increased the value of the marketing time slots for that program leading to an increase in profits for Phil, Paul, AND Lance. Does that make you an accomplice or an accessory to a crime?

When you get right down to it, they are just a couple of guys who get paid to talk during bike races. Like Cosell, Costas, Musburger, and every other sports announcer, they are guys who have landed dream jobs - complete with front row seats, back-stage passes, paid travel to the best events, and probably some pretty good catering.

It'snot a crime for them to promote the events and the stars of those events in order to increase viewership and revenue. It's their job description.

Again, if you don't like them you can turn them off or mute them. If you turn them off, you are voting for change via your discontinued ratings support. It's that simple.

We are not talking about a couple of clueless executives who knew nothing about the sport. We are talking about a former Pro and a guy who covered the sport for decades. They knew better, much better. In private they told people for years that Armstrong was a doper but as soon as they had a microphone in their face the lies flowed like water

 

[TheBean]

We are not talking about a couple of clueless executives who knew nothing about the sport. We are talking about a former Pro and a guy who covered the sport for decades. They knew better, much better. In private they told people for years that Armstrong was a doper but as soon as they had a microphone in their face the lies flowed like water

OK, then. They withheld information that would have turned viewers away.

Would you have preferred they opened with a comment such as:

"Welcome to our Tour coverage for today. We all know Armstrong is using illegal performance enhancing drugs as are most of his major rivals, if not all of them. We'd like to take a moment to explain how clueless our sponsors are for investing in this enormous fraud and how clueless you viewers are for believing that anything you are about to watch is even remotely possible without a sophisticated doping program complete with illegal international drug trafficking, quack doctors, incredible financial investments, and a rolling clinic for illegal transfusions. And now the lads are passing out of the neutral start, let's hope their toxic sweat doesn't eat away at the tarmac too badly as this rolling farce of a race makes fools out of you all. Better to turn off this broadcast now and save yourselves from this idiocy."

For one, I prefer their blind eye about suspected - or widely known - doping and their ramblings about local architecture, spotty accuracy about who is who, while they emphasize all that is fun and beautiful in this sport that we all clearly enjoy.

Most people, when faced with a choice of sticking to the company line and earning a godo paycheck or biting the hand that feeds would make the same decision they did, and still do.

From the posts in this thread, it is obvious that they are not so terrible that people have stopped tuning in for more.

 

[Galic Ho]

Glad to see that these clowns could not even call the finale of today's finish.

Make that two days in a row. They had no idea who Bakelants is. I have caught them make so many mistakes identifying riders this year, the simple truth is they need to go.

That's right. Can them. Hearing them prattle on about what is happening on in cycling is once giant narcissistic slap in the face. Both knew Lance was a doper, both knew the game and lapped it up for over a decade. Now this year they cannot even call the proper rider the majority of the time. It will get worse. Take them out to pasture, to gaol or simply shoot them. I say go with the first one, but many people would like the later two more.

As to the fanboys praising them...troll some more please! This thread should be in the Clinic, because of what these two helped cover up. RR is right.

Man this forum has gone crazy the last week. No wonder thehog went away. It's like the mods are on vacation. What level of insanity must be present for someone to praise and support the two P's? Oh that's right, the same level of idiocy that would claim Lemond was doing lines of coke. Heard some whoppers this week...

 

[Galic Ho]

OK, then. They withheld information that would have turned viewers away.

Would you have preferred they opened with a comment such as:

From the posts in this thread, it is obvious that they are not so terrible that people have stopped tuning in for more.

So your tune was blah blah blah, I am a fanboy, I want their number, please get it for me Race Radio?

You forgot to say please. I never thought there would be anything worse than Sky and Armstrong fanboys. I was wrong. Liggett and Sherwen supporters. The truly Lost and Damned.

 

[hfer07]

I haven't listened to them over more than 3 years, so last night I happened to watch them by accident because I was watching recaps of the TDF stages and couldn't find any available videos on youtube etc, with EU broadcasting..... Apart from the LA bias/worship/cult/partnership/whatever, I simply cannot tolerate them anymore- They always fvck up the riders names, they can't even figure out WTF is happening in the race after decades of commentating, and the never ending tendency to come up with loads of BS-just unbearable

......and I used to like them back in the late 80's to the mid 90's before the biggest fraud in cycling appeared....

 

[auscyclefan94]

Phil calls what he wants to see or what he can see, not what actually happens.

 

[bassplayer88]

I will happily pay for Eurosport and endure Carlton Kirby to avoid P&Ps mindless and awful commentary however I love ITV4's extra bits.

My GF has a fancy rewind TV box so I watch the stage on Eurosport Live then watch the magazine programme bits on the ITV4 player and fast forward through P&P bits.

Gary Imlach is an excellent anchor and I love his dry wit. Ned Boulting and Boardmans bits are also very informative and entertaining.

Please please can ITV get more rights for the rest of the season and please please can they dump P&P.

I live in hope....

 

[Alphabet]

Did I just hear Paul say that Hushovd still rides for Garmin?

 

[willbick]

Sherwin - 'average speed is 59kph, thats over 40mph'.