Duffield put out to pasture?

hammerite

I know last year there were plenty of calls on here for Eurosport to stop using David Duffield as he does nothing but ramble about his trips to various towns and what sausages he ate there......

Have Eurosport stopped using him? Over the last few days there have been loads of references to Duffers on coverage of Paris - Nice and Tirreno - Adriatico. From things like "David Duffield told me he fancied Lovkvist to perform well", to "as my old friend David Duffield would say, Chapeau!"

I'm wondering if it's a subtle dig from the other commentators to the producers if he's been dropped.

Or perhaps I'm just full of conspiracy theories!

jimmythecuckoo

I think the racism story from the Tour of Poland probably sealed his fate.

Kléber

What story was that? I admit to not watching the Tour of Poland. :oops:

iainf72

He's there today, isn't he?

Yeah, but what's that story? Do tell!

afx237vi

It wasn't exactly racist - just an old guy using an old-fashioned phrase that is now deemed unacceptable (and rightly so). He said something about one of the teams "playing n-gger in the woodpile" and had to apologise on air the next day.

hammerite

iainf72 wrote:

He's there today, isn't he?

Yeah, but what's that story? Do tell!

Is he, well that blows my theory out of the water I'm +ing todays coverage and will watch when I get home.

Now cycling has it's own Ron Atkinson too!!

jimmythecuckoo

I heard the apology...

"My words have no place in a modern society"

To be fair using the N-word is pretty inexcusable in this day and age.

Bronzie

Maybe they'll make Carlton Kirby disappear for a while now..............I think I actually prefer Duffers to him :x

Who was the guy that did commentary for the first day or so of Tirrenno? He was ok for the brief bit I got to hear.

afx237vi

Anthony McCrossan, the guy who usually does cycling.tv commentary. I agree with you about Kirby - he's awful.

lucybears

We Love David Duffield
http://www.addiscombe.org/features/duff ... ffield.htm

claudb

Having just watched the Tirreno-Adriatico coverage this afternoon then, I'm afraid to say, Duffers is still a embarassment at commentary or co-commentary or at whatever role he was supposed to be fulfilling. Carlton Kirby was the worst I've ever heard him - possibly dragged down by Duffers ---- Terrible !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

afx237vi

Surely it can't be worse than last year's coverage of T-A when they got confused about how many laps were left of the Montelupone circuit... J-Rod crossed the line, arms aloft, stopped riding, did the whole hugging-the-soigneur thing and Kirby was convinced the race still had a lap to go. It took him about 10 minutes to realise the race had finished.

claudb

Maybe not but It's a close call. They were both merrilly sounding off (for at least 40 minutes) about Lovkvist being missing from the main group containing containing Kloden when we had seen several clear shots of him AND the screen captions had listed him also.
Ridiculous ranting from DD when ("his favourite rider") Nibali attacked to try to catch Egoi Martinez but after he blew up DD noticed that Nibali was carrying too much weight and must have been eating "too many sausages". I could go on but do not have the will ................
I can hardly believe it's only a few weeks since so many were posting about how good Brian Smith was at the 'TOC' co-commentary role and now we're back to this crap again.

campagchris

They were both an embarrasment to listen too.They couldn't spot riders and duffield said "Forget about this guy in no mans land" twice,when they showed pictures of Martinez leading by 2-30 :roll: He then said that he thought nibali had bonked like a cyclist in paris-nice but couldn't remember the name of that rider :shock: They spoilt the coverage for me and in the end turned the sound off.
I wish they had kept Brian Smith on.

stagehopper

claudb wrote:

Maybe not but It's a close call. They were both merrilly sounding off (for at least 40 minutes) about Lovkvist being missing from the main group containing containing Kloden when we had seen several clear shots of him AND the screen captions had listed him also.

To be fair Lokvist wasn't in the Kloden group for quite some time but caught up on one of the late descents, and the first we knew of it was when one of those captions popped up which they clearly missed.

disquieting_museeuws

Lovquist was definitely there at the top of the big climb, a few lengths ahead of Kloeden I think, and on the subsequent descent. Listening to those two today put me in mind of the tramps from 'Waiting For Godot', but without Beckett's jokes! One doesn't like to criticise but they are pro commentators after all.

teagar

The worst Duffield moment I ever experienced was the 2007 Milan - San Remo where the entire way up the Poggio he was telling us about the '92 Milan - San Remo descent by Sean Kelly, while Ricco (:roll:) and Gilbert were launching possibly the most exciting attack in the whole bloody race!

I was foaming at the mouth with rage.

Cycling Dave

Yeah, I dont' watch Eusoport that much, but I've watched their tour coverage on occasion and found it to be amateurish.

I know a lot of folk aren't huge fans of Ligget and Sherwen, but compared with Duffield, Kelly (I can never understand what he's saying) et al they're doyens of the commentary world.

Hell, even without the Eurosport comparison, Ligg, Sherwen and Imlach are fantastic.

skavanagh.bikeradar

Uh-oh, you've mentioned Sherwen and Liggett.............did you know they don't actually exist and it is a computer programme of cliches and well-worn phrases that does their commentary for them?

calvjones

Yup, he really had to dig deep into his suitcase of courage to bring that pair up...

disgruntledgoat

I like how they have a new phrase they do to death every year

"The heads of state of the Tour De France" being the 2008 vintage.

vermooten

I like Carlton Kirby. Brian Smith was ace in ToC.

Duffield must go, yes - didn't realise he was an old-school racist, what a twat. He must have some incriminating pictures of the bosses of Europort in a safe somewhere.

afx237vi

I'm no fan of Duffers, but calling him "an old-school racist" is a bit harsh. Yes he said something which is unacceptable in modern society, but old people quite often say old-fashioned things without a hint of malice. How old is he? Gotta be approaching 80?!

robmanic1

+1 I doubt he offended anyone with this, somewhat different league to Mr Atkinson I reckon.

vermooten

I suspect Duffers does his commentary for free which is why they keep him on.

(NB not suggesting that DD supports the BNP etc)

teagar

afx237vi wrote:

I'm no fan of Duffers, but calling him "an old-school racist" is a bit harsh. Yes he said something which is unacceptable in modern society, but old people quite often say old-fashioned things without a hint of malice. How old is he? Gotta be approaching 80?!

At risk of turning this thread off topic just because he says something "old-fashioned" without malice, whatever his age, doesn't mitigate the problem.

The problem is that it is "old-fashioned" to be racist - with malice or without, whether conscience of it or not. That's why rascist terminology is "old-fashioned".

deejay

afx237vi wrote:

Anthony McCrossan, the guy who usually does cycling.tv commentary.

Not a bad team with Brian Smith

I agree with you about Kirby - he's awful.

Can somebody explain his commentary of a "Hillete".???????
It seems to be a hill of some kind.

Chaa006

teagar wrote:

The problem is that it is "old-fashioned" to be racist - with malice or without, whether conscience of it or not. That's why rascist terminology is "old-fashioned".

Yes, if David were a racist, then there might be a problem. But he's not : he simply used the same word as Agatha Christie : http://tinyurl.com/TenLN

Neither of them meant any harm by it, and David had the good grace to apologise the next day.

deejay

teagar wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

I'm no fan of Duffers, but calling him "an old-school racist" is a bit harsh. Yes he said something which is unacceptable in modern society, but old people quite often say old-fashioned things without a hint of malice. How old is he? Gotta be approaching 80?!

At risk of turning this thread off topic just because he says something "old-fashioned" without malice, whatever his age, doesn't mitigate the problem.

The problem is that it is "old-fashioned" to be racist - with malice or without, whether conscience of it or not. That's why rascist terminology is "old-fashioned".

My family fought in 2 european wars, to preserve the right of "FREE SPEECH"

Duffield was conscripted into the Military and as he tells it, then sent to Trieste. (probably as part of an occupying force) and was in a position if required to Risk his Life for King & Country and the right for "FREE SPEECH".

I am not condoning anything here but as a child I was taught that the "Only Good German, was a Dead German" and yes I've worked in Germany and got on well with them. (so much that they took me to a couple of football matches and beer Keller's)

My point here is that,.. you have been brought up with the new attitude to Foreigners and now accept their cultures and think it is part of your Heritage.

Duffield is Older than me, but as a child I was taught about 5th columnists and do not pick up a box of matches or toys (or similar) because of booby traps.
Now we cannot relax for fear of letting an old acceptable common expression slip from our mouths and we have to lean over backwards to keep the Foreigners happy.
A lot has changed in the last 50 years when at Waterloo Station you could see the Steam Train arrivals of people off the Banana Boats and that is not so long ago.
You wait (it won't be long) until you look back over 50 years and how quick it goes and I hope for your sake there are not as many changes for you to remember.
Just a little bit of give and take and yes he knows he slipped up and it has no need for people to be so Pompous about it.
That's why the OZ call you "Poms". :!: :!:

teagar

deejay wrote:

teagar wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

I'm no fan of Duffers, but calling him "an old-school racist" is a bit harsh. Yes he said something which is unacceptable in modern society, but old people quite often say old-fashioned things without a hint of malice. How old is he? Gotta be approaching 80?!

At risk of turning this thread off topic just because he says something "old-fashioned" without malice, whatever his age, doesn't mitigate the problem.

The problem is that it is "old-fashioned" to be racist - with malice or without, whether conscience of it or not. That's why rascist terminology is "old-fashioned".

My family fought in 2 european wars, to preserve the right of "FREE SPEECH"

Duffield was conscripted into the Military and as he tells it, then sent to Trieste. (probably as part of an occupying force) and was in a position if required to Risk his Life for King & Country and the right for "FREE SPEECH".

I am not condoning anything here but as a child I was taught that the "Only Good German, was a Dead German" and yes I've worked in Germany and got on well with them. (so much that they took me to a couple of football matches and beer Keller's)

My point here is that,.. you have been brought up with the new attitude to Foreigners and now accept their cultures and think it is part of your Heritage.

Duffield is Older than me, but as a child I was taught about 5th columnists and do not pick up a box of matches or toys (or similar) because of booby traps.
Now we cannot relax for fear of letting an old acceptable common expression slip from our mouths and we have to lean over backwards to keep the Foreigners happy.
A lot has changed in the last 50 years when at Waterloo Station you could see the Steam Train arrivals of people off the Banana Boats and that is not so long ago.
You wait (it won't be long) until you look back over 50 years and how quick it goes and I hope for your sake there are not as many changes for you to remember.
Just a little bit of give and take and yes he knows he slipped up and it has no need for people to be so Pompous about it.
That's why the OZ call you "Poms". :!: :!:

I'm not sure you quite understood.

I havn't said anything about free speech? He can say whatever he likes, racist or not, but he should live with the consequences of what he says!

I'm saying that what he said was rascist, regardless of whether it was meant with malice intent or whatever. You can say "he's racist because he's old" and fine, so be it, but that doesn't mitigate the fact that he is.

You could argue he is just a victim of a different way of thinking, and that is also fine, but that way of thinking is still racist, whether meant with malice or not.

Similarly when I do research on colonialists in the 19th Century who refer to Africans as "uncivilised barbaric evil savages", who believe that they are inferior as a race , i also call them racist, since they discriminate on the basis of race or nationality


That you "other" people by creating a distinction between British and non British in fact creates the epistomological space in which negative discrimination can intellectually exist. You create your other, the dominated subject, in this case, the "foreigner" as you so carefuly put it. This violent binary is exactly what causes so many problems.

I think your real objection is that you associate with Duffield and don't like the connotations that come with the accusation because you feel they also apply to you. In which case, I probably do think you discriminate against either race or nationality, and to be honest, if you look hard at what you wrote, it would be difficult to argue against it. Whether you meant malice or not is quite frankly beside the point.

The reason language like the language Duffield used (and indeed you to be quite honest) is frowned upon is exactly because they carry with them these negative, discriminatory connotations. Language is not objective. It is extremely subjective and politicised.

And who said I was British anyway? :roll:

stagehopper

Duffield clearly isn't a racist - in fact he may be one of the only commentators I've heard who has extolled "non-traditional" races and riders to a great extent.

What he said was an out-dated expression which was in common usage for the first 50-odd years of his life and given he's 78 this year was a more than unfortunate slip of the tongue. The only people you hear using it these days aren't unreconstituted racists but merely old duffers (how appropriate) suffering the odd memory relapse. Slag him off for his commentary by all means, but ripping into him for this seems a tad cheap.