What makes a great ...
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

[Closed] What makes a great cycling TV commentator?

19 Posts
20 Users
0 Reactions
79 Views
Posts: 91
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Watching ITV4's coverage and the commentating is utterly banal and unengaging, Watson sounds as though he gargling too.

Sherwen and Ligget are so repetitive and cliché ridden.

What or who would make the ideal commentator?


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 6:16 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

A mute?


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 6:18 pm
Posts: 12329
Full Member
 

Samuri.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 6:18 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

-this

...4:14 that was uglier than a bag of mashed up arseholes
im mean, where else would you hear that?


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 6:35 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Hugh porter and david millar last years worlds were good.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 6:41 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I quite like Sherwen and Ligget.
I know they talk drivel quite often, but that pair doing the Vuelta just now remind me of the sort of commentary you used to get on Grandstand when they'd run out of money for proper sports and could only cover some mid-winter cyclocross race in Norfolk.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 7:03 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Talking constantly about a race for 4-6 hours is pretty difficult, and doing it over 1-3 weeks is even harder. They shouldn't try and fill every second.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 7:11 pm
Posts: 0
Full Member
 

Hugh Porter - isn't he the one who refers to Cavendish as the Manx Express


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 7:14 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I like it when Sean Kelly says [i]Scarponi[/i] and [i]general classification[/i]


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 7:15 pm
Posts: 39449
Free Member
 

any one that isnt south african

i have given up watching the vuelta already as i only have access to supersport over here and its like watching nails dragging down a blackboard repetitively!


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 7:26 pm
 Crag
Posts: 890
Free Member
 

Get Warner in.

Anyone that's slips "releasing chocolate hostages" into commentary gets my vote


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 7:43 pm
Posts: 0
Full Member
 

David Harman & Sean Kelly.

They make a great team..


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 8:26 pm
Posts: 25815
Full Member
 

I like it when Sean Kelly says "making the calculation" and "general [s]classification[/s] classement" (repeatedly)

Actually, I don't but I like Magnus Backstedt and I quite like a bit of David Harmon too

Warner's good fun but a teeny tiny bit wearing IMO


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 8:34 pm
Posts: 12072
Full Member
 

The Spanish commentators are excellent, a professional journalist (Carlos de Andres) and Perico Delgado.

What makes them great? Knowledge, a good rapport, they know when to talk about the race and when to talk crap about the chateaux they're showing on the helicopter TV feed.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 8:38 pm
Posts: 3
Free Member
 

Duffield could be entertaining but often not in a good way, too many left field anecdotes and bizarre trivia about french cheese but on occasion I do miss his inane ramblings.However Harmon (+ Kelly or Backstead) is excellent IMO a real enthusiast which is what makes a good commentator.Hopefully he will get better soon and be back instead of the cretinous Carlton Kirby.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 8:51 pm
Posts: 1732
Free Member
 

I just watched yesterdays time trial, man alive! why don't they just drag Mick Mcarthy in and have done with it....

I'm hoping Miller gets a gig commentating when he retires.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 8:52 pm
Posts: 3747
Free Member
 

Agree about the Spanish RTVE commentators. Perico's calls are usually spot on (though so are Kelly's), and when they have to waffle about some village or Chateau they don't pretend that they actually know the place intimately and they're not really reading it off a sheet 😉


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 9:00 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Simple.

Just combine all the qualities of Liggett, Sherwen and Carlton Kirby. And then take the opposite.

I hate Phil & Paul. But mostly because of their stance on doping rather than their rubbish commentary.

As others have said, Dave Harmon is good. Sadly he's been sidelined by ill health. I generally enjoy him and Kelly.

The best ones you don't notice.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 9:02 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Scrathchy throat man makes me want to tear my ears off.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 9:12 pm
Posts: 11381
Free Member
 

You know the monotone, rip your cock off and stab yourself in the ears so you burst your ear drums so you no longer can hear and Fekkin god awful boring fwkking word that comes out of his irish mouth bloke on eurosport?

Not him.


 
Posted : 25/08/2013 9:13 pm

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!