Carlton Kirby

Bo Duke

People get real kicks ripping into Carlton Kirby, he does a first class job. He's a cycling commentator ffs, not a cycling guru. He commentated the Leman 24 hours last week and was equally knowledgeable so all credit to the guy.

emadden

i'd love if someone posted a transcript of Kirby's final KM for Bakelandts victory... it was quite funny, although not very coherent... lots of shouting, screaming and rising to a classic line when he crossed the line of "ooh this is your life !!!!" .... Another classic.

roypsb

2nd only to Harmon on ES in my opinion and certainly significantly better and more interesting than Rob Hatch or Declan Quigley.

DavidJB

+1 I like CK!

MrTapir

RichN95 wrote:

MrTapir wrote:

What about Brian Smith? He comes up with some useufl stuff. Or is he a co-commentator and not included. What does Simon Brotherton do (cycling commentary wise), I've only ever heard his football stuff?

Radio 5 Live Extra. He's also taken over from Hugh Porter for BBC TV so he'll be doing the Worlds.

Is he? what fabulous news. Is he also taking over the track cycling? Then perhaps I would find out how to pronounce, Guo Shuang's name correctly.

alan_a

yes he's doing all of BBC TV cycling.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/others ... d-men.html

shinyhelmut

Pokerface wrote:

I like Magnus B. also when he does commentary.

Seconded. He reads a race very well (called Ciolek for MSR when everyone else was going for Canc or Sagan.) he has some amusing anecdotes about his racing but doesn't let them take over his commentating.

mr_poll

CK is ok - needs to dial it back a bit and focus on calling the race in the final stages but think he is decent stand in for Harmon, prefer him in the popping up and sarcastically throwing daft facts in during slow parts of the race, always made me smile - who is the bloke doing that 3rd wheel bit in the Paris dungeon he can't hold a candle to CK in that respect.

I tried the Phil and Paul show yesterday - god awful. CK may not be your cup of tea but so much better than those guys.

salsiccia1

mr_poll wrote:

CK is ok - needs to dial it back a bit and focus on calling the race in the final stages but think he is decent stand in for Harmon, prefer him in the popping up and sarcastically throwing daft facts in during slow parts of the race, always made me smile - who is the bloke doing that 3rd wheel bit in the Paris dungeon he can't hold a candle to CK in that respect.

I tried the Phil and Paul show yesterday - god awful. CK may not be your cup of tea but so much better than those guys.

Agree on all points. Think CK is doing a decent job, and Sean Kelly's contrbutions are better too. Kelly even looks fairly comfortable in front of the camera now!

squired

The biggest test of any commentator is their ability to identify riders on screen. A lot of the less skilled commentators just name whoever they think it is likely to be (i.e. a Movistar rider jumps from the peloton on a climb, so they immediately call it as being Quintana or Valverde). One or two commentators are really good at picking the rider though, such as Dave Harmon.

emadden

Kriby's final 1.6km commentry of the Bakelandt stage win :-)

"Here come the chargers" - equivalent of commentators orgasm :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywauWeJYGkw (from 1m 57s)

1.7km
“Its now or never for Irizar, he goes, he’s gonna try and put a move on here but I don’t think he’s got the legs … It looks like he is pedaling asphalt at the moment

… oh my goodness… it is a big big day… and there is only 15 – 14 hundred meters to go right now

They look over their shoulder and here come the chargers… its anybody’s game – where is Sagan? He’s thereeeeeee towards the front not on the nose right now

Everyone said today would suit Sagan we thought with his injuries maybe the climbs might just be too much
There he is at the bad just behind a couple of Astana riders

There are some shoulders going on, a lot of busy busy work

Out in front though its still Irizar of Radioshack Leopard HE GOES UNDER THE FLAMME ROUGE…tries to hide himself around the corner. He’s gotta rely on everyone else just looking at each other.. …and he steps out of the saddle and tries to put some pace in…

The rest of the escape group are starting to look at each other

Chavanel knows its curtains And behind him here come the chargers but there is one man up the road AND Irizar will HE MAKE IT

Well I don’t think so as they come over the crest but the road is running out for them and he finds another wind here

It can happen, it can happen as he takes the right hand curve and here come the chargers and there’s Sagan uses a little bit of elbow there, says get out of my way Im coming through but it might be too late this man might well have got the drop on everybody…An absolutely superb piece of ….. He’s laying it down now … this is gonna be a huge victory for him if he gets it…

round the hoardings the last few meters … 300 to go… where’s the pack.. they are absolutely nowhere. I think He might bring this one home…The race is on the chase is on can he make it. He steps out of the saddle.. oooh they are powering away… Boasson Hagen is there so is Sagan

They’re trying to chase him down. He’s gotta find something surely

Tryyyy … tryyyyyyyyyy … go on … its yooourrrrr liffffeeeeee…. Ooooh what a win!!!

That was .. he can’t believe it, we cant believe it…

Amazing day here on the Tour de France

Turfle

Much as I think he's a bumbling, blundering, windbag, it's definitely more pleasant listening to him than to Phil & Paul.

Pokerface

You could get good and drunk if you were to play a drinking game based around Kirby saying "Oh my goodness".

magliaceleste

I've actually had to switch to watching the grainy 25 minutes of cycling/ 15 minutes of waffle/Boardman promotions that is the ITV coverage (along with 20 mins of ads) as I just can't listen to Kirby. Never thought I'd listen to Phil & Paul again after years of Eurosport.

I'll watch ES coverage for the mountain stages so I can at least see some decent HD content, but for the sprinting or time trailing stages where only 5 minutes of the stage actually matter, I don't think I can do it.

Pross

magliaceleste wrote:

I'll watch ES coverage for the mountain stages so I can at least see some decent HD content, but for the sprinting or time trailing stages where only 5 minutes of the stage actually matter, I don't think I can do it.

Why not watch it on ITV4 HD?

magliaceleste

Duh! Ta

It's a shock having to watch anything on ITV.

Turfle

Really did not enjoy him saying that Rolf Sorensen's report added nothing at all. Even though Sorensen pointing out that Kreuziger looked really strong was one of the more interesting points made all day.

greeny12

Turfle wrote:

Really did not enjoy him saying that Rolf Sorensen's report added nothing at all. Even though Sorensen pointing out that Kreuziger looked really strong was one of the more interesting points made all day.

+1

Pross

magliaceleste wrote:

Duh! Ta

It's a shock having to watch anything on ITV.

I watched their highlights last night and fancied seeing Corsica in all its glory so decided to check on the off chance there was an ITV4 HD channel and lo and behold...so that's the only reason I knew

deejay

Pokerface wrote:

You could get good and drunk if you were to play a drinking game based around Kirby saying "Oh my goodness".

Then he knows he's made a mistake and keeps chuckling about things that only he thinks is funny.

Last weekend he was doing the Le Mans 24 hour motor race and still chuckling.

dorrienmorgan7

Euro sport get rid of one idiot Harmon then the cycling public have to suffer the idiotic commentary from Carlton Kirby .. When are Eurosport going to learn ??
Watch mots of the TDF on ITV4 much better apart from their add's were too long ?

PeteinSQ

What's the problem with David Harmon? I think he knows the sport very well and does a good job.

above_the_cows

David Harmon is suffering from depression.

gsvbagpuss

ShinyHelmut wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

I like Magnus B. also when he does commentary.

Seconded. He reads a race very well (called Ciolek for MSR when everyone else was going for Canc or Sagan.) he has some amusing anecdotes about his racing but doesn't let them take over his commentating.

Agree too, I hope they increase his exposure.

I've said this before but why do the commentators have to do all day? On Test Match Special, they do 20 minute slots then handover. I appreciate this is for radio but cycling can be a very long day of talking. Just having a break and being able to think / research a little has to help. I don't envy the commentatots to speak for that long when there is little to describe but I do think it could be improved.

ddraver

GSVBagpuss wrote:

ShinyHelmut wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

I like Magnus B. also when he does commentary.

Seconded. He reads a race very well (called Ciolek for MSR when everyone else was going for Canc or Sagan.) he has some amusing anecdotes about his racing but doesn't let them take over his commentating.

Agree too, I hope they increase his exposure.

I've said this before but why do the commentators have to do all day? On Test Match Special, they do 20 minute slots then handover. I appreciate this is for radio but cycling can be a very long day of talking. Just having a break and being able to think / research a little has to help. I don't envy the commentators to speak for that long when there is little to describe but I do think it could be improved.

The obvious answer is that you have to pay 4 commentators not 2...I think TMS is a very very special case as it is sold worldwide by the BBC

Kirby was a vast improvement on Declan I thought so meh. A Harmon, Kelly/Backstead trio would be my ideal pick but I don't let something like this wind me up like some of you do though...

Tom Butcher

I don't think Carlton has had a bad Tour. Sure he makes some gaffes, the one where he was laughing at the TdF director receiving a bunch of flowers when a second later it turned out to be a wreath for the Casartelli memorial sticks in mind, but he's likeable and brings the right tone to the racing, the right mix of fun and seriousness.

I can't listen to Ligget, i know his paymasters were American but as an Armstrong apologist he went beyond the call of duty, plus he's dull as ditchwater these days.

PeteinSQ

Above The Cows wrote:

David Harmon is suffering from depression.

I know that. I was asking the previous poster who referred to him as an "idiot".

gsvbagpuss

ddraver wrote:

The obvious answer is that you have to pay 4 commentators not 2...I think TMS is a very very special case as it is sold worldwide by the BBC

TMS is not that special in numbers terms; Five Live swap commentators halfway through each half, and the horse racing has loads of speakers. Two more commentators doesn't sound like a massive increase in costs to me but I'm no expert. I suppose you could argue that why spend more when we watch Eurosport anyway, there is no alterntaive so why offer a gold-plated service.

Mikey23

And passion from 10k out is an incredible feat of endurance ... Could he be doping?

disgruntledgoat

I just think he needs to learn that he dpoesn't have to be talking all the time. There's nothing wrong with letting the pictures do the talking.