Phil and Paul

[Maxiton]

Stage 2 special moments

Paul: "That man has got a high speed wheelchair trying to keep up with the action"
Phil: "That's a recumbent Paul"

Paul: "Big George Hincapie, riding like a man possessed"

Paul is obsessed with 'touching your brakes' "Don't even dream about it mate. If you touch your brakes, you will be gone."

OMG, did Paul really say that? Kidding, maybe? How could he not know about recumbents?

Anyway, P&P aren't as sharp as they used to be, that's for sure, and though they try to give a good show, neither of them evinces quite the enthusiasm and passion they did years ago. Still, I don't really mind them. It can't be easy to get excited, or even look excited, all these years into a career. (Especially when you've seen as much as these two, and reached so often into the suitcase of compromises.)

I like Sean Kelly, too. Probably the commentators I've enjoyed most, though, were Marty McCrossan and Magnus Backstedt on Cycling.tv. What Marty lacked in knowledge of the sport's finer points he more than made up for in enthusiasm and energy, while Magnus spoke from authority and was no slouch in the enthusiasm department himself. A great pairing, those two. Too bad cycling.tv is such a complete ripoff.

 

[element]

Then, Phil in the last 200 metres: "This is the win of a lifetime - Pablo Urtasun is coming up to the line!!!" Literally a few short seconds later Urtasun is overtaken and spat back to 25th.

PLEASE, Paul and Phil, tell us what is happening (preferably with a little insight) but don't tell us what will happen when you plainly have no idea whatsoever.

It worked really well as commentary though, because Urtasun kicked a lot harder than expected, and it did look for a second like it might come off. Phil got into the moment, and it drags you into it with him - you start to believe the underdog can steal a victory from the big guns. If he was being very cautious and saying "this might come off, but he'll probably get caught in a minute", that's a lot less exciting, especially to the casual viewer who doesn't know much about cycling yet. It's that all or nothing, cruel, tense, edge of the seat stuff that makes cycling what it is, and as a commentator, you need to dramatise it a bit. Phil and Paul might make mistakes, but they are very good at communicating the emotion of the sport, which is the important part (for me at least).

 

[webbie146]

Stage 2 special moments

Paul: "That man has got a high speed wheelchair trying to keep up with the action"
Phil: "That's a recumbent Paul"

Paul: "Big George Hincapie, riding like a man possessed"

Paul is obsessed with 'touching your brakes' "Don't even dream about it mate. If you touch your brakes, you will be gone."

lol that's there favorite sentence/word right 'possessed'

Every rider that attacks or rides at the front is "a man possessed"

 

[Hammerhed]

Magnus and Marty

Ah, those two were my favorite also, and of course they are still around: Martin is better than ever and still with CTV, while Maggie is with EuroSport I think. You know, I've heard so much negative comment about CTV, and, YES, they had a really rough period a few years ago, but they have always been up front with me and refunded my money or gave me another year for free or somehow made good their promises. I still watch them for every race they broadcast, mostly because they don't have commercials and their commentators are great!

 

[*Falze*]

PLEASE, Paul and Phil, tell us what is happening (preferably with a little insight) but don't tell us what will happen when you plainly have no idea whatsoever.

Agreed +1.

Forgot to records Eurosport whilst at work and got left with P&P on ITV4.

I dont mind the rest of ITV, but P&P ignore the crap outta me.

Eurosport isn't great, esp James Richardson before the race, but i love big magnus and sean kelly. Harmons ok, but i think i prefer kirby.

 

[Machu Picchu]

Both Harmon and Kirby are really annoying and now with twitter you get a whole new level of drivel on the commentary, I’m still waiting for the moment when the screams start as they realise that Sean Kelly has cut his own wrists cause he couldn’t make it through another stage...

 

[Michele]

Stage 2 special moments

Paul: "That man has got a high speed wheelchair trying to keep up with the action"
Phil: "That's a recumbent Paul"

Paul: "Big George Hincapie, riding like a man possessed"

Paul is obsessed with 'touching your brakes' "Don't even dream about it mate. If you touch your brakes, you will be gone."

I love this topic

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Well I thought the last guy from the break was a chance when Phil called 150 to go but then when Goss came past at full gas thought it was his.

Then I saw the 400 sign.

 

[rickshaw]

Anyway, P&P aren't as sharp as they used to be, that's for sure, and though they try to give a good show, neither of them evinces quite the enthusiasm and passion they did years ago. Still, I don't really mind them. .

Too True: There must be others out there old enough to remember the 33rpm records? Sounded great the first dozen times, then the stylus wear, dust dirt grime, scratches, hiss and pop. Time takes its toll and the you put the old thing away, wondering how you could ever have enjoyed it.....

Sad to see PnP relegated to the status of clowns.

 

[SetonHallPirate]

BTW, Phil Liggett mentioned the cows again, earlier, and also mentioned a word that can't be repeated here when he saw that Frank Schleck was caught in the wreck with roughly 25 km to go.

 

[BigRingAbuse]

Phil, stage 6, The breakaway: "They are dangling a carrot in front of the donkey that is the peloton"

 

[Boeing]

Phil, stage 6, The breakaway: "They are dangling a carrot in front of the donkey that is the peloton"

today

"the big ones crossed swords today" is that anything like a Freudian slip?

 

[BigRingAbuse]

today

"the big ones crossed swords today" is that anything like a Freudian slip?

I have noticed that the more excited Paul gets, the more violent the imagery he uses to describe the action.

Yesterday we got: "For these six riders, this climb must feel like being hit in the face with a hammer"

He does this a lot "If you want to beat me Mr [insert rider name] I am going to throw my biggest gear at you" etc.

Do you think he was bullied at school?

 

[Cycle Chic]

and I thought Eurosport was bad with Kirby and Carlton. ITV4 is terrible...and the advert breaks and rider interviews - you only see 10 mins of the race...poor non-eurosport folk.

 

[movingtarget]

Too True: There must be others out there old enough to remember the 33rpm records? Sounded great the first dozen times, then the stylus wear, dust dirt grime, scratches, hiss and pop. Time takes its toll and the you put the old thing away, wondering how you could ever have enjoyed it.....

Sad to see PnP relegated to the status of clowns.

Ya gotta admit that Paul does well on the French history before Phil makes an error on another finish. Still I think their enthusiasm overcomes the errors.

 

[Normandy]

and I thought Eurosport was bad with Kirby and Carlton. ITV4 is terrible...and the advert breaks and rider interviews - you only see 10 mins of the race...poor non-eurosport folk.

Eurosport is bad.

Out of interest I just did some channel hopping. About 5 minutes ago Carlton Kirby stated that Bradley Wiggins getting the yellow jersey would be a more unique win than Andy Murray winning Wimbledon and it should perhaps be Sir Bradley. Harmon and Kelly agreeing. What planet are they on! Have Phil and Paul matched that?

Anyone got a sick bucket. I will now go back to FI/Wimbledon and maybe wach Tdf higlights later for a laugh.

 

[Richeypen]

Eurosport is bad.

Out of interest I just did some channel hopping. About 5 minutes ago Carlton Kirby stated that Bradley Wiggins getting the yellow jersey would be a more unique win than Andy Murray winning Wimbledon and it should perhaps be Sir Bradley. Harmon and Kelly agreeing. What planet are they on! Have Phil and Paul matched that?

Anyone got a sick bucket. I will now go back to FI/Wimbledon and maybe wach Tdf higlights later for a laugh.

What is inaccurate with that? A brit has never won the Tour. If Wiggins were to win he would almost certainly be knighted.

 

[Normandy]

What is inaccurate with that? A brit has never won the Tour. If Wiggins were to win he would almost certainly be knighted.

Well Murdoch does already have the British Government in his pocket, so it would not surprise me if Rupert has already sdone the deal.

 

[Richeypen]

Well Murdoch does already have the British Government in his pocket, so it would not surprise me if Rupert has already sdone the deal.

You never answered the question. How is a brit winning Wimbledon (which has been done before, along with tons of semi finals etc) more unique than a brit winning the Tour (which has never been done before)?

And given the amount of OBEs, MBEs, CBEs and KBEs currently present in British Cycling, how is it worth criticising a commentator suggesting that Wiggins (already a CBE) may be knighted if he were to win?

 

[gog...]

phil just called evans Canadian

 

[Anonymous]

They were in hyper-complete bollox mode today. Quite possibly the worst commentators to grace any sport and may be the prime reason that the 'mute' button was added to TV remote controls.

 

[Caruut]

If a track cyclist can get it after winning 3 Olympics golds in Beijing, a road cyclist should for winning the Tour de France. I disagree with the entire honours system, but knighting a winner of one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world is entirely consistent with the way it has been applied in the past.

 

[Carlo Algatrensig]

A few Ligget and Sherwinisms that I've decided to send to the commentatorballs section of private eye so far are

Sherwen: "They've just gone under the one kilometre to go banner which means there are one thousand yards left"

Liggett: "this climb is an average of 14% and at points it increases to 11%"

 

[joe_papp]

itv4

and I thought Eurosport was bad with Kirby and Carlton. ITV4 is terrible...and the advert breaks and rider interviews - you only see 10 mins of the race...poor non-eurosport folk.

What do you find so disagreeable about ITV4's coverage? I've never listened/watched their live coverage, but two of my friends do a podcast for them during the Tour along w/ Boardman and others, and I've always found them to be enjoyable to listen to, except when they're bashing Vino.

Phil and Paul are truly terrible - but are you ranking the ITV4 crew as equally-bad?

Note: I'm not trying to de-legitimize your complaint, but rather, seek to understand what offends your tastes so...

 

[Swifty's Cakes]

What do you find so disagreeable about ITV4's coverage? I've never listened/watched their live coverage, but two of my friends do a podcast for them during the Tour along w/ Boardman and others, and I've always found them to be enjoyable to listen to, except when they're bashing Vino.

Phil and Paul are truly terrible - but are you ranking the ITV4 crew as equally-bad?

agree, Ned Boutling and Gary Imlach are great.