Phil Liggett Re-Recording History

[TMJ]

If anybody looks up youtube footage of Greg LeMond clinching the 1989 Tour de France you will hear Phil Liggett correctly announcing Laurent Fignon has lost the lead as he finishes the Paris time-trial.

This commentary was re-recorded after Phil completely blew the original and while in a confused meltdown awarded the race to Fignon.

That fact is burned in my memory from the time of the original live broadcast.

Now to prove it we need to find somebody with an original video recording, which includes Phil's initial commentary, which was so bad he had to go away and re-write history with what we now hear whenever that time-trial is broadcast.

Even in the youtube comments Phil is showered with praise for his 'expert' commentary.

Anyone else remember this?

 

[Frosty]

Not sure, don't remember that myself but have heard a few errors over the years on live coverage that have disappeared when i have watched the highlights. Mistakes are made on live TV though. Bit of an embarassing error at about 6 minutes on the below link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OindJEa98Qw

On the other hand, the commentary from 1987 La Plagne stage is fantastic

 

[staubsauger]

So he got away with it for 10, 20 years? Nobody can have that much luck. It's impossible. No way!

 

[willbick]

If anybody looks up youtube footage of Greg LeMond clinching the 1989 Tour de France you will hear Phil Liggett correctly announcing Laurent Fignon has lost the lead as he finishes the Paris time-trial.

This commentary was re-recorded after Phil completely blew the original and while in a confused meltdown awarded the race to Fignon.

That fact is burned in my memory from the time of the original live broadcast.

Now to prove it we need to find somebody with an original video recording, which includes Phil's initial commentary, which was so bad he had to go away and re-write history with what we now hear whenever that time-trial is broadcast.

Even in the youtube comments Phil is showered with praise for his 'expert' commentary.

Anyone else remember this?

Watching the link posted above it seems yr memory betrays you. The mistake Phil made was getting the timing confused (one of only 3,687 times hes done this in his career!) as Fignon was about 1 min from the finish, causing him to prematurely award the race to Lemond. It seems like Lemond, or someone near Lemond, was listening to Phil's commentary at the time because Lemond gives a sort of bemused cheer just after Phil's blunder, and then of course there's confusion shortly after when they realise Phil cocked up!

 

[argyllflyer]

He re-did Bakelandt's win in the 2013 tour as well. Did the TV pics not label him as Irizar at the time?

 

[Richeypen]

He has done it many times. Its a real shame because ITV have some top quality pundits but they back up worse than dogshite commentators. Didnt Liggest promise never to commentate again if LA was ever caught doping ?

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Not sure, don't remember that myself but have heard a few errors over the years on live coverage that have disappeared when i have watched the highlights. Mistakes are made on live TV though. Bit of an embarassing error at about 6 minutes on the below link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OindJEa98Qw

On the other hand, the commentary from 1987 La Plagne stage is fantastic

Enjoyed watching that again. Thanks for posting

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Re:

He has done it many times. Its a real shame because ITV have some top quality pundits but they back up worse than dogshite commentators. Didnt Liggest promise never to commentate again if LA was ever caught doping ?

I can't watch ITV because the adverts are too long. Liggett is Murray Walker. Yeh Boardman, Miller and I think Immelt (is that right ex American Football Channel 4 guy) is brill.

But Eurosport I love the Kelly/Kirby duo although Hitch hates em

 

[ice&fire]

26 years is beyond the SOL to punish him for that

 

[Swifty's Cakes]

Re: Re:

He has done it many times. Its a real shame because ITV have some top quality pundits but they back up worse than dogshite commentators. Didnt Liggest promise never to commentate again if LA was ever caught doping ?

I can't watch ITV because the adverts are too long. Liggett is Murray Walker. Yeh Boardman, Miller and I think Immelt (is that right ex American Football Channel 4 guy) is brill.

But Eurosport I love the Kelly/Kirby duo although Hitch hates em

Immlach is excellent as host and for footy fans his book about his old fella is a brilliant unsentimental read about a period before money ruled everything.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Has Phil ever commentate on The Giro or for that matter him and pawl ever done Giro?

 

[djpbaltimore]

I seem to remember them doing the Giro and Vuelta back when OLN aired both of those races in the USA.

 

[willbick]

Though one instinctively feels Boardman should be good and know his stuff I find he mainly talks a load of guff

 

[staubsauger]

Re:

Has Phil ever commentate on The Giro or for that matter him and pawl ever done Giro?

He did in 1999 when Pantani was thrown out of the race. Also in 1998. At least he's the commentator on the official highlight tape one can watch on YouTube.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Same happened this TDF on the Dutch channel. I think it was stage 15 (not 100% sure, it was the one Greipel won) Stybar attacked and one of the commentators said "It's Trentin again!" They showed him close up and you could just feel they then realized it probably wasn't Trentin, but they didn't know who it was "Yes that's..... that is him" ( )
Anyway, later that evening during highlights, the commentary had been changed to "It's Stybar again!"

 

[Pricey_sky]

Pretty sure Phil had to voice over a piece of commentary from a stage a couple of years ago for the ITV highlights, it could well have been stage 3 where Gerrans just pipped Sagan yet Phil kept calling Sagan the winner.

 

[TMJ]

Good ol' Phil is still at it now in 2015.

At the conclusion of today's stage at the top of Alpe d'Huez he announced Nairo Quintana had won the King of the Mountains jersey.

Keep up the good work Phil. I'm glad to hear you are still on song!

 

[TomLPC]

Re:

Good ol' Phil is still at it now in 2015.

At the conclusion of today's stage at the top of Alpe d'Huez he announced Nairo Quintana had won the King of the Mountains jersey.

Keep up the good work Phil. I'm glad to hear you are still on song!

Richie Froome will be furious!