Brian Smith commentary

campagchris
campagchris Posts: 773
edited February 2009 in Pro race
What a nice refreshing change to listen to the commentary on TOC.I think Brian has done a great job.Maybe with big Magnus onboard as well duffers might be pensioned off :roll:
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Comments

  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    He blew it for me when he referred to "Big" Jens Voigt. Paul Sherwen has a lot to answer for.
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    He's really grown on me and often has a lot of good facts at his fingertips - makes a nice change.

    I'm vaguely related to him too - pretty sure he's my cousin's cousin.
    I'm left handed, if that matters.
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,132
    Bronzie wrote:
    He blew it for me when he referred to "Big" Jens Voigt. Paul Sherwen has a lot to answer for.

    Isn't George Hincapie the only rider who is "Big"?
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Well, before his retirement, Magnus Backstedt was "Big Magnus", and quite rightly so.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    Brian S's former co-commentator on the dreadful cycling.tv often pointed out that Ben Greenwood's first name was actually "Young"
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    Can't stand the TOC commentary.
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • claudb
    claudb Posts: 212
    Brian Smith and David Harmon are my favourite commentary team now. I hope they can keep them together on Eurosport. Anyway, having listened to the US commentators via the TOC WebSite, we are well off for cycling commentators in the UK !!!
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    Ive been quite impressed with Brian this week has a lot of insight into whats going on and reads a race well .Unfairly he was being called a w*nker in here a few days ago.


    MG
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • a_n_t
    a_n_t Posts: 2,011
    k-dog wrote:
    I'm vaguely related to him too - pretty sure he's my cousin's cousin.

    So you're Brian Smith?? :)
    Manchester wheelers

    PB's
    10m 20:21 2014
    25m 53:18 20:13
    50m 1:57:12 2013
    100m Yeah right.
  • BrianS
    BrianS Posts: 112
    Thanks for all comments guys.

    We can't please everyone. We would be fooling ourselves if we thought we could.

    Cousin's cousin? curious....
    www.braveheartfund.com
  • campagchris
    campagchris Posts: 773
    Credit where credit's due Brian.Have they got you down for anymore commentary? :wink:
  • SCR Pedro
    SCR Pedro Posts: 912
    Ooh, a celebrity on our forum. How cool.

    Eurosport is always top-notch. It's the only reason we have Sky in our house.

    Has Sean Kelly retired from commentary though? It took me a while, but I eventually warmed up to his commentary. It would be missed.

    Pedro
    Giant TCR Advanced II - Reviewed on my homepage
    Giant TCR Alliance Zero
    BMC teammachineSLR03
    The Departed
    Giant SCR2
    Canyon Roadlite
    Specialized Allez
    Some other junk...
  • stagehopper
    stagehopper Posts: 1,593
    Really enjoying the commentary - think they're doing a superb job given the limitations of the host ToC camera work/non-camera work. How can such a big race have so many fundamental technical problems? It's amateurish.
    @stagehopper
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    BrianS wrote:
    Thanks for all comments guys.

    We can't please everyone. We would be fooling ourselves if we thought we could.

    Cousin's cousin? curious....

    I've been enjoying the commentary Brian, especially all the "have you ridden?" conversations :lol:
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    hammerite wrote:

    I've been enjoying the commentary Brian, especially all the "have you ridden?" conversations :lol:

    What!?!
    :shock:

    (Reminds me of the famous quote from jockey turned racing commentator, Ted Walsh:, "This is a really lovely horse, I once rode her mother"
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • Moomaloid
    Moomaloid Posts: 2,040
    Somebody please tell me i wasn't the only person to see that fan waving his small, nappy wearing child in the riders facers on the climb :shock: tonight??!!
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    I'd like to see Brian and Sean Kelly given a go in partnership - I'm a Harmon fan (well OK not a fan as such, I don' t have pictures of him on my walls, but I think he's a good commentator) but it'd be good to see mix the team up a bit sometimes and I reckon Brian could do the Harmon role.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,439
    I've enjoyed Brian's commentary - possibley because the wife thinks he sounds like Frankie Boyle and I keep expecting him to say something reall innapropriate. Oh well maybe next time eh? :D
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • Mattinthezie
    Mattinthezie Posts: 52
    Moomaloid wrote:
    Somebody please tell me i wasn't the only person to see that fan waving his small, nappy wearing child in the riders facers on the climb :shock: tonight??!!


    You weren't the only one - he was definitely waving his small, nappy wearing child in the riders faces.Total nutter.
  • Moomaloid
    Moomaloid Posts: 2,040
    Thank god! LOL.. and only in America can they take the whole 'I'm gonna dress like an idiot and try and get camera time' run to a whole new level. These idiots need a good thrashing!
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Bronzie wrote:
    He blew it for me when he referred to "Big" Jens Voigt. Paul Sherwen has a lot to answer for.
    I'll let him off for that one indiscretion. :wink:

    His commentary on stage 8 was spot on, especially with regard to the disappointing lack of action from the likes of Danielson. An opportunity to blew the race wide open was lost there I think.
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • kourou
    kourou Posts: 40
    DaveyL wrote:
    Well, before his retirement, Magnus Backstedt was "Big Magnus", and quite rightly so.

    Doesn't Magnus already mean great/big - from the Latin?
  • markwalker
    markwalker Posts: 953
    Moomaloid wrote:
    Somebody please tell me i wasn't the only person to see that fan waving his small, nappy wearing child in the riders facers on the climb :shock: tonight??!!

    I saw him too, It must be a michael jackson thing.

    Huge self restraint here not to be the one that starts the string of Michael Jackson jokes
    :shock:
  • Harp
    Harp Posts: 79
    Another thumbs up for the commentary team on the ToC :D

    I particularly found it interesting when Brian described why riders were helping out other teams and the general tactics employed.
    I think commentators should follow this lead and give an insight into not only what is happening but WHY it is happening.
    Sean Kelly is another good example of this - once you get over the subtleties of the accent !
  • dreamlx10
    dreamlx10 Posts: 235
    Did anyone else get fed up with Brian Smith saying "deescent" instead of "descent" ? Or how many times did he say that he had been "for a few beers" with someone famous ?
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,860
    BrianS wrote:
    Thanks for all comments guys.

    We can't please everyone. We would be fooling ourselves if we thought we could.

    Cousin's cousin? curious....

    i thought your commentary was quite good...

    I remember Roche commentating on the tour for the first year or so was good as well but after a while the sheer hours of sitting in the booth leads to verbal drift...

    3 years in he was talking the same drivel about hotels and car journeys that befalls them all...

    they should rotate the supporting commentators so they don't become jaded
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • micron
    micron Posts: 1,843
    He said waht needed to be said on the occasions when Harmon was too timid - like the blatant QS/Astana collusion, and his friendship for Armstrong didn't stop him saying he thought he should have stayed retired for the good of the new stars in the sport. I thought he was going to be more of the same old obsequious gush like Harmon whenever Armstrong hove into view but he was refreshingly objective - let us know where he stood but didn't let it colour his commentary. Harmon came across as a bossy, unclued up buffoon in comparison. Would definitely like to hear more of Mr Smith on ES.
  • Moomaloid
    Moomaloid Posts: 2,040
    Yeah i thought BS (ha!) was great, and it couldn't've been an easy job with the shocking coverage from the US. Got a bit tired of them mentioning the fact he once rode for Discovery all the time, but loved the stories so we'll let him off that. I love Harmon's commentary, and with BS and the Kelly think we've got a great team for this year on ES.
  • camerone
    camerone Posts: 1,232
    I am looking forward to more Brian and David from now on. However to ensure Sean's accent isnt missed can you please refer to Rabobank as Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabobank.
    I particularly enjoy the in depth bicycle conversations - my wife couldnt believe how geeky it was. big thumbs up.
  • Coyote
    Coyote Posts: 212
    +1 in favour of more BS on Eurosport! :lol:

    I thought the two of them did a great job given the circumstances and a big thumbs up to British Eurosport for showing the race in the first place cos I enjoyed most of it. Sure the schedules jumped around a bit but between the HD channel and ES2 we got most of the action.

    More Smith please!

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