Brian smith

Turfle

Good for Larsson. George Atkins too:

George Atkins ‏@georgeatkins5
I genuinely think that anyone who thinks that Armstrong shouldn't get done is a bellend.

giropaul

Firstly, how can someone like Brian Smith be uninformed? There are very few UK ex-riders with real continental Grand Tour team experience. People like Brian speak from a "been there, got the T-shirt" basis. How many critics on here have ridden at thet level (or even raced!)?

Secondly, he's there to commentate on the race, not to give opinions on something entirely disassociated with the race. How many golf commentatators got into the intricate details of Tiger Woods issues whilst commentating on a contest he wasn't even at?

Thirdly, it's professional to keep some distance on discussions about teams and people the commentator might know or have worked with. The process with Armstrong is ongoing, some people may even yet be called as witnesses, so it's entirely right that they keep comments general

dave_1

dave milne wrote:

Ha - for what it's worth I usually find scottish accents pretty annoying but I don't mind Brian Smith's at all

decent commentator

Where you from Dave Milne?

oneof1982

giropaul wrote:

Secondly, he's there to commentate on the race, not to give opinions on something entirely disassociated with the race. How many golf commentatators got into the intricate details of Tiger Woods issues whilst commentating on a contest he wasn't even at?

Brian Smith was on Sky Sports News specifically to comment on the Lance Armstrong case, as indeed he says above. In that context I would have liked a bit more from him.

dave milne

Dave_1 wrote:

dave milne wrote:

Ha - for what it's worth I usually find scottish accents pretty annoying but I don't mind Brian Smith's at all

decent commentator

Where you from Dave Milne?

London

dave_1

dave milne wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

dave milne wrote:

Ha - for what it's worth I usually find scottish accents pretty annoying but I don't mind Brian Smith's at all

decent commentator

Where you from Dave Milne?

London

If you met a Scottish person would you say that to their face?

Gazzetta67

Dave_1 wrote:

dave milne wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

dave milne wrote:

Ha - for what it's worth I usually find scottish accents pretty annoying but I don't mind Brian Smith's at all

decent commentator

Where you from Dave Milne?

London

If you met a Scottish person would you say that to their face?

I usually find London accents really annoying for what it's worth....even the geordies,scousers,brummies cant stand London folk.

No_Ta_Doctor

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

dave milne wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

dave milne wrote:

Ha - for what it's worth I usually find scottish accents pretty annoying but I don't mind Brian Smith's at all

decent commentator

Where you from Dave Milne?

London

If you met a Scottish person would you say that to their face?

I usually find London accents really annoying for what it's worth....even the geordies,scousers,brummies cant stand London folk.

Bit of a long jump from not liking an accent to not liking people, isn't it?

This thread has some of the most amazing caricatures of "chippy Scots" on it I've ever seen. Incredible stuff.

For the record: I'm from London, live in Denmark, my grandmother was a scot, I've lived in Edinburgh and have spent a fair amount of time travelling up to Scotland to hike.

Some of you remind just a touch of McGlashan...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaJPOVGlEPs

No_Ta_Doctor

BrianS wrote:

Thanks for comments....good and bad (in a whiney voice)

My comments have been on SSN all day. If you heard them you will realise i'm not in any way defending LA. We have some of the best cyclists in the World in the UK at the moment and i would like to talk more about them than the murky past. How far back do we go.....How long will cycling be dragged into the gutter....we need to inspire our youth and look to the clean future.....

I can't comment on your comments as I've not heard them, as I live in Denmark.

In general though, and this is a comment on how the news has been met by cycling as a whole, it's difficult to distinguish between quietness driven by omerta and quietness driven by wanting to talk about the future. Unless we hear cycling come out and condemn, in the strongest possibly terms, openly and loudly then it just ends up sounding like doping is the embarrassing uncle that no-one likes to talk about, the one who has always been a bit too friendly with the kids but the family can't quite bring itself to completely disown.

The general public already thinks that pro cyclists are all dopers. They certainly don't believe it's a problem that belongs in the past and that there's been a big improvement. The reluctant "do we have to talk about this, can't we just move on" line sounds to them more like cycling doesn't give a shit.

dave milne

Dave_1 wrote:

dave milne wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

dave milne wrote:

Ha - for what it's worth I usually find scottish accents pretty annoying but I don't mind Brian Smith's at all

decent commentator

Where you from Dave Milne?

London

If you met a Scottish person would you say that to their face?

no because that would be pretty rude unless they're a mate in which case anything goes. this is not some sort of regional xenophobia I'm displaying here just that actually I find a lot of accents irritating. including my own if I have the misfortune to hear my recorded voice

disgruntledgoat

Brian's a former Johnstone Wheeler and, as such, ok by me.

hammerite

Here's the thing. Brian Smith, Roger Hammond and Sean Kelly all have jobs as commentators/pundits to varying degrees. They each also have a hand in running teams and generally earning a living out of cycling.

Whilst it's easy to condemn a young, stupid rider with little influence like say..... Ricardo Ricco. It's probably a lot less easy to do the same of someone you know, someone with a fair amount of influence etc..... Who know's who LA has as a mate/ally/fan and all of a sudden you don't get a call about some work doing X, your team doesn't get offered a ride at X race, your team doesn't get a sponsor, doesn't get a kit supplier.

So I imagine they have to pick their words wisely.

LeicesterLad

hammerite wrote:

Here's the thing. Brian Smith, Roger Hammond and Sean Kelly all have jobs as commentators/pundits to varying degrees. They each also have a hand in running teams and generally earning a living out of cycling.

Whilst it's easy to condemn a young, stupid rider with little influence like say..... Ricardo Ricco. It's probably a lot less easy to do the same of someone you know, someone with a fair amount of influence etc..... Who know's who LA has as a mate/ally/fan and all of a sudden you don't get a call about some work doing X, your team doesn't get offered a ride at X race, your team doesn't get a sponsor, doesn't get a kit supplier.

So I imagine they have to pick their words wisely.

Then they probably shouldn't pass judgement on Ricco either - rather than be biased and protecting their pockets.

andrewjoseph

LeicesterLad wrote:

hammerite wrote:

Here's the thing. Brian Smith, Roger Hammond and Sean Kelly all have jobs as commentators/pundits to varying degrees. They each also have a hand in running teams and generally earning a living out of cycling.

Whilst it's easy to condemn a young, stupid rider with little influence like say..... Ricardo Ricco. It's probably a lot less easy to do the same of someone you know, someone with a fair amount of influence etc..... Who know's who LA has as a mate/ally/fan and all of a sudden you don't get a call about some work doing X, your team doesn't get offered a ride at X race, your team doesn't get a sponsor, doesn't get a kit supplier.

So I imagine they have to pick their words wisely.

Then they probably shouldn't pass judgement on Ricco either - rather than be biased and protecting their pockets.

It's not just their pockets, (smith, kelly et al), it's the staff and riders of their teams/organisation.

It might be biased, it's also prudent.

inkyfingers

We must also remember that both Brian Smith and Roger Hammond are former team mates of Armstrong.

LeicesterLad

inkyfingers wrote:

We must also remember that both Brian Smith and Roger Hammond are former team mates of Armstrong.

So were Landis and Hamilton - they speak quite openly about LA being a scumbag.

inkyfingers

LeicesterLad wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

We must also remember that both Brian Smith and Roger Hammond are former team mates of Armstrong.

So were Landis and Hamilton - they speak quite openly about LA being a scumbag.

Indeed. But they also don't have good reputations to uphold and are not currently earning a wage from mainstreamm pro cycling.

hammerite

LeicesterLad wrote:

Then they probably shouldn't pass judgement on Ricco either - rather than be biased and protecting their pockets.

Fortunately I don't have a job where hundred/thousands of people listen to what I say or do. Even then I do not always say exactly what I think in all scenarios. I tend to find this helps pay the bills, provide food for the family etc...

Brian and the others do have a job where hundreds/thousands listen to what they say and do. Doesn't mean they don't have to worry about paying the bills and providing food for their families and those of the teams they work for/run as andrewjoseph points out.

I suppose to a degree the same can be said about some commentators/reporters. Imagine if Ned Boulting (I'm only using Ned as an example!) goes running after every cyclist to talk to after a race and very few want to talk to him. Not sure how much longer ITV will be keeping him employed.

I'm not saying that there's this big conspiracy where everyone is on LAs side in cycling, and will gang up on everyone with an anti LA opinion, but there are things that help, and things that wouldn't help.

lostboysaint

BrianS wrote:

Thanks for comments....good and bad (in a whiney voice)

My comments have been on SSN all day. If you heard them you will realise i'm not in any way defending LA. We have some of the best cyclists in the World in the UK at the moment and i would like to talk more about them than the murky past. How far back do we go.....How long will cycling be dragged into the gutter....we need to inspire our youth and look to the clean future.....

Amen.

rick_chasey

BrianS wrote:

Thanks for comments....good and bad (in a whiney voice)

My comments have been on SSN all day. If you heard them you will realise i'm not in any way defending LA. We have some of the best cyclists in the World in the UK at the moment and i would like to talk more about them than the murky past. How far back do we go.....How long will cycling be dragged into the gutter....we need to inspire our youth and look to the clean future.....

Hats off for responding.

I know if I actually did something worthwhile like you I wouldn't be getting grubby with internet forum people.

Just make sure when you inspire the youth you don't send the message that if you get away with it for long enough you can get away with it forever because it's 'in the past'.