Phil Liggert "Voice of Cycling" equals "Voice of Lance Armstrong"?

[Frenchfried007]

I would have liked to have seen all the Verus boys delivering an unbiased viewing of what was going on. I think FA was getting in some good jabs on Lance with the interview questions.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Who is Bobke? Fill me in please. Sounds like he would do my head in so I try to avoid him. But I can't avoid him if I don't know him.

He's the one on the left:

 

[mutschi]

lol - I take it the other one in the pic is Big LA

 

[BroDeal]

Who is Bobke? Fill me in please. Sounds like he would do my head in so I try to avoid him. But I can't avoid him if I don't know him.

Bobke is Bob Roll's nickname from when he was a pro. He is a commentator on the U.S. station Versus. I actually do not mind the guy if he can get off his Armstrong high. It would be nice if Versus let more of his true personality show through. He has gone too corporate.

It is sad to say but I think Bobke and Hummer might do a better job commentating on the race during the evening coverage. It seems more accessible to a new fan, and they take the time to answer all sorts of questions a lot of viewers probably have. Bobke just seems really happy to be there.

I got tired of Ligget and Sherwen when I realized that you could listen to four hours of them talking and not remember a single insightful thing that was said. It is just like sound that goes in one ear and out another. They have become caricatures of themselves.

 

[Hugh Januss]

It is sad to say but I think Bobke and Hummer might do a better job commentating on the race during the evening coverage. It seems more accessible to a new fan, and they take the time to answer all sorts of questions a lot of viewers probably have. Bobke just seems really happy to be there.

In person he is actually a really good guy who lives and breathes cycling and is willing to spend hours explaining it to anyone who will listen. He has a lot of knowledge, a thousand stories and unlimited energy.
I will agree he would be easier to take if he didn't have his nose so far up LA's backside.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Despite acting like an idiot half the time, and gushing over his old friend Lance, Bobke isn't dumb, at all. And I have heard he's really approachable. I just grow tired of his shtick.

I agree that if they let Hummer and Bobke just shoot the sh!t, they are more accessible to the average fan. Hummer is actually much better than Al Trautwig was, and I guess raced as an amateur.

I got tired of Ligget and Sherwen when I realized that you could listen to four hours of them talking and not remember a single insightful thing that was said...They have become caricatures of themselves.

I'm finding myself agreeing. Way too much hyperbole and exaggerations and talk about nothing. Nice accents and the friendly banter are about all that's left. And Phil can still call a sprint. Not quite the pure magic he had for so long, but he's still quite good at it. Listen to Phil (or David Duffield) call one from the early 90's. Thrilling!

 

[Mont Ventoux]

The Math adds up....

Here I was sitting, watching and having to agonize each and everytime the Versus LA fan club white washed the Tour coverage with the "Return of LA - The man, the machine...the demi-god of cycling".

It was SOOO bad for me that I finally just had to mute Liggett's voice...until of course the closing km's of a sprint finish ( I agree he does do a fine job with the mass sprints...).

I was holding off on registering as a users, BUT, when I saw THIS topic, I just had to jump into the day's break!!!

I'm also very seriously looking for an alternative coverage for next year's Tour...Can you imagine how bad this topic can get when LA returns with his own team!?!?!? Liggett better not be sporting a RadioShack golf shirt !!!!

The horrifically unbalanced coverage was a real shame to the sport and to the new comers to the sport.
Like, was Nocentini really in yellow during this Tour??? I wasn't sure...
BUT, I know LA missed it by 22/100sec, and we were well informed of that...CONSTANTLY!!!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Has phil ever said anything against lance? Maybe when phil didn't get to blow lance. high possibility

 

[BroDeal]

It was SOOO bad for me that I finally just had to mute Liggett's voice...until of course the closing km's of a sprint finish ( I agree he does do a fine job with the mass sprints...).

I think I may have only listened to Versus for a total of about an hour during this year's Tour. I often listened to eurosport while watching Versus. Sometimes I just watched Versus with no sound.

 

[gumbochaff]

Lance is a great cyclist.Unfortunately `uncle phil` is right up his backside.Its a shame we didnt get to hear much about `the walnut` in yellow.The coverage on eurosport was much better and a little less `lance` orientated.

 

[uphillstruggle]

Who was the Australian commentator? He seemed a little better, at least he would explain what was going on which is the best way to get people interested.

 

[TRDean]

Congrats. Way to welcome new posters. Nice to see how a self proclaimed older and reasonable poster acts in actual practice.

Darn Bro...I was thinking the same thing!!! Funny!

 

[El Imbatido]

Who was the Australian commentator? He seemed a little better, at least he would explain what was going on which is the best way to get people interested.

Matt Keenan. And i agree he was pretty good. Now all they need is someone who he can feed off. Maybe Phil and paul are grooming someone to take over, after they finally call it a day.

Also did WBT really get banned? he wasn't too bad. Sometimes a bit over the top but no where near the extent Jackhammer was. With jackhammer if you even smelt like dissing LA he would have a go at you.

 

[Sheltowee]

I wonder if I am the only one that gets tired of Phil Liggert's enthusiasm for LA? The man can't do nothing wrong in Phil's eyes. If he rides strongly its "the old Lance", if he cracks "he defends brilliantly", if he can't follow an attack "he is the perfect team mate", if gets a lucky break "he is so experienced."

No praise for Kloeden who pulled LA up the mountain in Verbier giving away his own podium spot. I wonder if Phil is on the Armstrong paylist? Listen all english speaking TV stations around the world: I am sick of this one-sided Armstrong commentary. Get a more balanced guy in there.

Watch out for them there double negatives. They're real *****es.

 

[BroDeal]

Matt Keenan. And i agree he was pretty good. Now all they need is someone who he can feed off. Maybe Phil and paul are grooming someone to take over, after they finally call it a day.

Is this the same guy I was listening to on video feeds from South Africa's Super Sport channel? The broadcast would start with a commentator and later switch to P&P.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Congrats. Way to welcome new posters. Nice to see how a self proclaimed older and reasonable poster acts in actual practice.

Congrats for stalking me around the forum again, trollmaster. Keep it up, that hole just keeps getting deeper.

No insult or abuse there, just statement of fact - or, as you put it, 'opinion'. The OP didn't take any offense, so I suggest you go back to whatever it is that passes for a life in your world.

 

[uphillstruggle]

Is this the same guy I was listening to on video feeds from South Africa's Super Sport channel? The broadcast would start with a commentator and later switch to P&P.

Yeah sounds like the same one. He would get to commentate on the start of the stage and do the post stage round up on the feed I was getting. Much better than P&P.

 

[BroDeal]

Yeah sounds like the same one. He would get to commentate on the start of the stage and do the post stage round up on the feed I was getting. Much better than P&P.

If it was the same guy then I liked him. He really put P&P to shame.

If it were not for their British accents, which Americans find charming, P&P would be out of a job in the U.S.

 

[Johnny Poltesco]

Old Phil has been a Lance groupie for years, and presumably it's now hardwired into the mental circuits. He has little to say about contemporary road racing, the dominance of Contador, the thuggish, snide nature of Lance Armstrong, wheedling and bullying by turns, the fact that LA went to the tour with one thing in mind, to win by whatever means, and he lost, and was humiliated. I was in the US during most of the Tour, and you can see where Phil gets his dinner money from (e.g. Versus, Cadillac). For one ascent, there were a couple of American commentators, and it was refreshing to hear an incisive commentary of the race on the screens, rather than the sad old fanstasies of the sychophantic Brits.

 

[uphillstruggle]

If it were not for their British accents, which Americans find charming, P&P would be out of a job in the U.S.

Yeah Liggets accent may have been charming to those on the other side of the pond but the guy has a little trouble with his speech for a commentator. I don't think he pronounced tyler Farrar's name correctly over three weeks.

 

[balkou]

I think it's normal that they have a "sweet tooth" for English speaking riders. I mean the German commentators do the same with german cyclists, the french with the french, the Italians... ohhh, the Italians .
Though it was sometimes a joke. In the famous 17th stage, Armstrong crossed the colombiere 2'05'' behind Schlecks and Contador. They begun "ooh, what a brilliant descent from Lance" and somehow we saw Nibali catching him. Not a word about the Italian's performance. I mean, if Lance's descent is brilliant then Nibali deserved some extra credit. Afterwards although we had time confirmation by the french television that the time was 5''-10'' more than in the summit we continued hear the same stuff and at the end there was no explanation how the hell this brilliant descent ended 13'' slower than the first's trio one...

PS Hilarious was the moment during the Mont Ventoux stage when we were shown this fire and the Canadairs flying. "We see one of the planes that broadcast the motorbike mounted camera's signal going out of the cloud" And Sherwood went immediately "Actually, this is a Canadair that tries to put away a fire and this is the smoke!"

 

[uphillstruggle]

rather than the sad old fanstasies of the sychophantic Brits.

Rather a sweeping generalisation there old boy, or were you referring to P&P as the Brits?

 

[pmcg76]

We used to get P & P this side of the pond on Channel 4 and I liked them but I am glad we now have Eurosport with Harmon & Kelly as opposed to P & P, they sound like they are awful. But Sherwan worked as PR man for Motorola for years with Lance so what do you expect.

Harmon & Kelly are neutral, except Harmon this year when Wiggins started going well but that was unexpected. They praised Lance when he went well but didnt go OTT. They certainly didnt hammer Contador for attacking when Kloeden was dropped, people dont like Kelly because of his dull matter of fact delivery, hard to understand accent but nobody calls it like he does, he is simply the best for true cycling fans. Did they think Contador was a bad team-mate, no way. What we want, unbiased media reporting.

 

[**Uru**]

Keep in mind, they are commenting on the pictures that French cameras are sending. So if anyone is over-focusing on Lance, it is the people actually filming the race. Same thing about the Giro. Phil is not very good at picking out riders--Paul has to constantly correct him. Otherwise, I find the duo far superior to Hummer and Bobke. Where Bobke gives some very interesting tidbits during the evening show, Hummer is so grating asking stupid questions that I find him impossible to listen to. I half expect a bull to come into the shot at any moment when he is talking.

I think the thing that really stands out for me is the sheer over-exposure of Garmin on the VS broadcasts. It seems after almost every commercial break we get to see a piece about Vaughters or Farrar. Wiggo did a good tour, but as far as I could tell, that is their highlight --and they did not even do any interviews with him! Hardly warrants at least an hour of exposure on a 3 hour broadcast each day.

Of course, I loath the addition of human interest segments anyway. Anything that takes away from the race is a bad thing in my opinion.

 

[Angliru]

The Versus Contador Post Race Interview??

I kept waiting for the Versus interview with the person who actually ended up winning the race and it never happened or I somehow must have missed it. Are Spanish to English translators not in the Versus budget?

How can you follow a race for 3 weeks and not take the time to interview the victor at the end?