New BBC cycling presenter

jim453

RichN95 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

love it when he slips into coxing mode "keep it firm and long boys" etc

You can all make up you own jokes here.

Presumably, everyone already has.

Greggyr

I think Mr Porter has had better championships. It's lucky that Mr Boardman is with him to gently correct his errors.

LeicesterLad

Really like Thorpe, think he's a top bloke and obviously knows what he's talking about. Only issue I do have is that he starts every sentence with jazz hands and the word 'Look', but i can live with that.

meggiedude

Greggyr wrote:

I think Mr Porter has had better championships. It's lucky that Mr Boardman is with him to gently correct his errors.

You're just being kind.
Mr Porter is having a mare of a competition. Its a simple case of opening mouth before engaging brain. He's frustrating the hell out of me, as he's screwed things up so many times and I just end up shouting at the telly.

Cav couldn't be any worst and, not wishing to be ageist here, it would be nice to get some more contemporary insights.

MrTapir

meggiedude wrote:

Greggyr wrote:

I think Mr Porter has had better championships. It's lucky that Mr Boardman is with him to gently correct his errors.

You're just being kind.
Mr Porter is having a mare of a competition. Its a simple case of opening mouth before engaging brain. He's frustrating the hell out of me, as he's screwed things up so many times and I just end up shouting at the telly.

Cav couldn't be any worst and, not wishing to be ageist here, it would be nice to get some more contemporary insights.

I did like Porter doing the men's team sprint final, he got so excited but the commentary held up i think.

ddraver

LeicesterLad wrote:

Really like Thorpe, think he's a top bloke and obviously knows what he's talking about. Only issue I do have is that he starts every sentence with jazz hands and the word 'Look', but i can live with that.

Look, Every Aussie seems to do that now....

(Jazz Hands is just Thorpedo tho...)

cogidubnus

Greggyr wrote:

I think Mr Porter has had better championships. It's lucky that Mr Boardman is with him to gently correct his errors.

He is better now we are back on the track and he doesn't have to think for himself and identify the cyclists. The road race was embarrassing for his lack of ability of naming riders even when the numbers were clearly in view. Time to pension him off me thinks

lostboysaint

Claire Balding stands head and shoulders above ANY of the other presenters that the Beeb have there. It's not a surprise that Thorpe has come out (oooerrrr) of his shell with her rather than that fuckwit Lineacre (good old Mick Channon!) who should be benched NOW.

Johnson, McEnroe and Thorpe have been brilliant. To get such high quality insight into not just their own sports but also the mind of an elite athlete is exceptional and the BBC must be praised. However I have grave doubts as to whether any of them really enjoy sharing a studio with Lineker, Barker and some of the other egotistical has beens. Jake Humphreys shows some promise as does Gabby. But for fuck sake promote Colin Murray. Anyone who listens to 5-live knows how much quality this bloke has and how capable he is, remember the Graeme Obree interview?

The final nail in the coffin for Lineker should have been last night when he had the rowing and judo medallists in the studio and DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEIR NAMES!!! He's had fuck all to do all day except watch the telly and make a few notes. No preparation. Truly shocking. Even Johnson and McEnroe showed more genuine interest and knowledge in OUR medallists.

ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Oh, and Cav was ok but Jamie Staff was excellent.

Greggyr

meggiedude wrote:

Greggyr wrote:

I think Mr Porter has had better championships. It's lucky that Mr Boardman is with him to gently correct his errors.

You're just being kind.
Mr Porter is having a mare of a competition. Its a simple case of opening mouth before engaging brain. He's frustrating the hell out of me, as he's screwed things up so many times and I just end up shouting at the telly.

LOL, good spot, I was just being kind...He's been very poor for me

graeme_s-2

lostboysaint wrote:

Oh, and Cav was ok but Jamie Staff was excellent.

This is the first time Cav has done this. Staff has been doing it off and on since Beijing when I think he took the Boardman seat alongside Hugh Porter after the Team Sprint was over.

meggiedude

MrTapir wrote:

meggiedude wrote:

Greggyr wrote:

I think Mr Porter has had better championships. It's lucky that Mr Boardman is with him to gently correct his errors.

You're just being kind.
Mr Porter is having a mare of a competition. Its a simple case of opening mouth before engaging brain. He's frustrating the hell out of me, as he's screwed things up so many times and I just end up shouting at the telly.

Cav couldn't be any worst and, not wishing to be ageist here, it would be nice to get some more contemporary insights.

I did like Porter doing the men's team sprint final, he got so excited but the commentary held up i think.

True, less chance of a mistakes, and its always great to get someone clearly who loves the sport and builds up the excitement with his/her dialogue. Its just the mistakes and the occasional odd comments that grate with me.
You can almost hear Boardman cringing in the background.

BTW, how they both missed that fact that Spartacus (or even the fact that it was a Swiss rider) that went down in the road race was totally beyond me.

ShavenLegs

Wish I had a £ for every time Cav said "incredible". Unlike his riding he's a bit slow to get going and get his points across, but when he does it's usually good. The real skill though is with the main presenter in getting the most out of the expert guests. Unless you've got someone asking decent questions (obviously not Lineaker) then you're not going to get much back.

jgsi

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00wwdgk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18912106

compare and contrast.
No doubt in mind who should take a bow gracefully away from commentating.
I couldnt even think that quick to process information let alone deliver it the way Simon Brotherton does.

Cleat Eastwood

The most amazing thing about Cav is how tiny he looks sitting on the couch - he's like a naughty schoolboy waiting to called into the head.

morstar

I think Boardman is brilliant. He picks up on real subtle details straight away. Genuine insight into the technicalities of the sport.

lostboysaint

morstar wrote:

I think Boardman is brilliant. He picks up on real subtle details straight away. Genuine insight into the technicalities of the sport.

Yep.

pedro118118

Porter was less than useless on the RRs. I watched the Men's RR, whilst away in Germany, without commentary. I got home and watched the last hour, which I'd recorded, and found that I had a better comprehension of what had gone on, having had to work it out for myself! Porter has gone a bit Duffield........happens to us all I guess?!

Linekar is beyond bad. Embarrassing....

Le Commentateur

lostboysaint wrote:

morstar wrote:

I think Boardman is brilliant. He picks up on real subtle details straight away. Genuine insight into the technicalities of the sport.

Yep.

He was definitely Porter's wingman in the women's race, though you could also hear the off-mike director prompting them with locations etc at times.

TommyB61

As much I admire Cav, he sounds a lot like Ted from The Fast Show as a pundit on the track cycling coverage to me....

aspender

Le Commentateur wrote:

He was definitely Porter's wingman in the women's race, though you could also hear the off-mike director prompting them with locations etc at times.

Female voice? Most likely Anita Lonsbrough - Porter's wife and GB swimming gold medallist back in the day. She assists him on his commentary duties.

Daz555

Rick Chasey wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

Sounds like the BBC responding to the critscism of their cycling coverage so far, fair enough.

Cavendish doesn't always come across as the most eloquent speaker, but if you get over the delivery then his insights are usually quite good and he can actually be quite charming and funny.

I can't remember where I heard it but I did hear some mention recently that at some point he'd like to have another crack at the Team Pursuit, with the road race in Rio 2016 likely to be too hilly for him I wonder whether he might be thinking about a return to the track for what would probably be his last crack at an Olympic gold?

That was a BBC interview.

Basically he said he'd like to do it but he'd have to skip the Tour to do it and that ain't gonna happen. IIRC

He would only need to skip the 2016 Tour and by then he may be getting a little bored of winning flat stages.

inkyfingers

Did anybody else see Cav's face last night when Jake Humphrey said as he was handing back to the main studio that he and Cav were off to get a picture with Geraint Thomas and his Gold medal, it was priceless.

carl_p

pedro118118 wrote:

Linekar is beyond bad. Embarrassing....

Not quite that bad, he's just wooden. Claire Balding has been the pick of the presenters. A very cleaver lady and comfortable talking about any sport.

oldwelshman

I like Gabby Yorath, very knowledgable about many sports and does her homework.
Can't believe some of the comments, Cav is a guest not a professional presenter but he knows his stuff.
Porter said it was "Meares in the well of the track still in the lead" just as VOP was winning the keirin.
Boardman today said Kennt may get DQ'd for getting too close to Awang after Awang came out of the sprinters lane :shock:

ms_tree

I found myself watching Dressage the other day (I know you just sucked into it all don't you) and the commentator on there is good although I don't know his name but he does have an expert with him.
Just posted this on another thread:
There was an article in the Telegraph yesterday (I think - I can't find as the pile of papers will cascade to the floor if I touch it ) and they give Claire 10/10 and Hugh Porter 9/10!! Mind you he is better on the track than the road and he does have Boardman to help. Apparently his wife (Olympic swimming gold medalist Anita Lonsborough - I did know that!) sits beside him and does the research and hands him notes. It mentions his Black Country accent as well. I quite like his use of 'a brace of riders'.

graeme_s-2

Didn't get to see any track cycling yesterday as I was at a wedding (ended up outside with 20 of us gathered round an iPhone to watch Jess and Mo win!). Cav seems much better today. Seems to have grown in confidence very quickly, fewer pauses, mumbling much less

hammerite

I think Cav's been pretty good. He's loving doing the Cav's facts bit and if you read twitter it seems he's got quite a few non cycling fans as fans because of it.

Loved his 10 to the power of 6 or whatever it was he was trying to explain, he just got confused and started laughing, going bright red and embarrassed.

mr_goo

I have really enjoyed listening to Cav and Boardman as pundits. I think that Cav has taken a couple of days to settle in, looked like little boy lost at first. I did observe as someone else has that he does look tiny. My wife's comment made me chuckle when she said he looked like a Thunderbird puppet. Also I am finding the mention of Team GB golds by Jake Humphrey very worrying as I am waiting for Cav to deck him, especially after the getting photo taken with GT remark.

Pross

I think Cav is settling in well as a pundit responding to questions about the technical and tactical aspects of it and his enthusiasm for the sport is obvious as he was trying to answer questions whilst watching the repercharge going on behind him.

mapleflot

I'd like to see Cav asking questions of riders on some angle that only he would be able to. Perhaps that is asking too much this early in his talking head' career, `you know'.

Chris Boardman is becoming really impressive.. I had thought he was a bit tense and bottled up in previous Tour de Frances but this year he seems to really have found his best verbal (and diplomatic) abilities. It might be a good career move if we start seeing `BWiggens' branded bikes soon.