Carlton Kirby

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  • bradsbeard
    bradsbeard Posts: 210
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:
    In his defence, he doesn't have an easy job filling all that air time.

    Maybe he should try shutting up for a while every now and then. Win win. Makes his job easier, and our listening pleasure better.

    Not paid to stay silent though is he?

    All TVs come with a mute button for a reason.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,297
    bradsbeard wrote:
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:
    In his defence, he doesn't have an easy job filling all that air time.

    Maybe he should try shutting up for a while every now and then. Win win. Makes his job easier, and our listening pleasure better.

    Not paid to stay silent though is he?

    All TVs come with a mute button for a reason.

    Ever heard of Richie Benaud?
  • bradsbeard
    bradsbeard Posts: 210
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    bradsbeard wrote:
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:
    In his defence, he doesn't have an easy job filling all that air time.

    Maybe he should try shutting up for a while every now and then. Win win. Makes his job easier, and our listening pleasure better.

    Not paid to stay silent though is he?

    All TVs come with a mute button for a reason.

    Ever heard of Richie Benaud?

    Know the name never heard him as I hate cricket!!! :lol:
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,792
    Same can be said for Ned, who's fine but his style can get quite wearing over the course of the stage.

    Have always vouched hard for commentators who's tone can accurately reflect the state of play. Nothing happening? Let's keep the chat very tranquilo.

    An interesting but not game changing attack? A mild raise of the voice, perhaps a little intrigue.

    Race is on but static? let's keep it calm but more information heavy.

    Monster Cancellara attack? let the enthusiasm take over

    etc etc, you get the idea.

    Carlton can't differentiate on screen from a guy moving up the group to a barnstorming once-in-every-100-races-attack, and Ned starts off at 80% already so doesn't have much room when it gets exciting.
    _
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,828
    Sometimes, when I first switch on Sporza, I think they have had a technical problem and lost sound.
    Just sayin'.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,159
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Same can be said for Ned, who's fine but his style can get quite wearing over the course of the stage.

    Have always vouched hard for commentators who's tone can accurately reflect the state of play. Nothing happening? Let's keep the chat very tranquilo.

    An interesting but not game changing attack? A mild raise of the voice, perhaps a little intrigue.

    Race is on but static? let's keep it calm but more information heavy.

    Monster Cancellara attack? let the enthusiasm take over

    etc etc, you get the idea.

    Carlton can't differentiate on screen from a guy moving up the group to a barnstorming once-in-every-100-races-attack, and Ned starts off at 80% already so doesn't have much room when it gets exciting.
    I think the problem that a lot of commentators have is they just naturally talk quickly. I'm not sure they have a tranquillo setting. They are doing radio commentary for TV. They need to slow it down. Embrace pauses. Cricket has always done this very well.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,297
    RichN95 wrote:
    They are doing radio commentary for TV. They need to slow it down. Embrace pauses. Cricket has always done this very well.


    That's it exactly.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,623
    I like Ned but he constantly sounds like he's trying to speak in a way that will allow the footage and commentary to be easily cut and pasted together for the highlights package.
  • poweredbyidris
    poweredbyidris Posts: 848
    MrB123 wrote:
    I like Ned but he constantly sounds like he's trying to speak in a way that will allow the footage and commentary to be easily cut and pasted together for the highlights package.

    Modern commentator's curse now. See Miles "and IS THAT THE MOMENT...." Harrison doing rugby
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    Kirby just referred to Australian Nick Schultz as ‘Nico’. Just randomly changing riders names all in a day’s work for this idiot.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,652
    Credit where credit's due, I can't remember which race it was in the World Championships, but he came out with a great line.

    It was a race run off in sunshine and showers (hence why I can't pinpoint the race!) and he said "There's a rainbow in the sky and there'll be a rainbow on their shoulders by the finish line"

    I know a stopped clock is right twice a day, but I thought that was a nice piece of commentary
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,946
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    They are doing radio commentary for TV. They need to slow it down. Embrace pauses. Cricket has always done this very well.


    That's it exactly.

    But isn't a lot of cricket just one long pause?
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,297
    Dorset Boy wrote:
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    They are doing radio commentary for TV. They need to slow it down. Embrace pauses. Cricket has always done this very well.


    That's it exactly.

    But isn't a lot of cricket just one long pause?

    Nice pause before that reply.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,344
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    Credit where credit's due, I can't remember which race it was in the World Championships, but he came out with a great line.

    It was a race run off in sunshine and showers (hence why I can't pinpoint the race!) and he said "There's a rainbow in the sky and there'll be a rainbow on their shoulders by the finish line"

    I know a stopped clock is right twice a day, but I thought that was a nice piece of commentary
    Only if he doesn't repeat it next year or for every world championships.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,828
    Twice in one day and my ears are bleeding. Had to give up watching Valencia. Poor Simon Gerrans appeared dumbfounded.
    I'm not going to comment about his latest gem of wisdom, but let others do it:

    https://forum.cyclingnews.com/threads/eurosport-commentary.14489/page-163
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,471
    Does anyone know if Tsgabu Grmay was actually wearing arm warmers?
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,792
    edited February 2020
    F*ck me I caught some of his commentary for the first time this season, this time with Gerrans.

    He is absolutely one of the main reasons I've ended up watching a lot less cycling. It's quite a faff trying to dig out smaller races without his commentary.

    Turned it off. Awful.
    _
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,903
    none of them bothers me that much tbh. CK is a poor read of a race (thou he is better at recognising the riders these days) frankly that's all I need to know. I put my own spin on it.
    "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
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,344
    Isn't there already a massive petition against him on Eurosport? Doubt it is possible to get rid of him. There is no hope. None.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    rick_chasey said:

    F*ck me I caught some of his commentary for the first time this season, this time with Gerrans.

    He is absolutely one of the main reasons I've ended up watching a lot less cycling. It's quite a faff trying to dig out smaller races without his commentary.

    Turned it off. Awful.

    Saw Blythe posted on Instagram about presenting with Kirby. Considered asking how he managed to put up with Kirby's drivel for that long, but thought better of it.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,792
    Yeah, it's bad enough doing it on here but Carlton will certainly actually read it if you stick it up on twitter or insta.

    The guy's just doing his job - i just don't like the output.
    _
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    m.r.m. said:

    Isn't there already a massive petition against him on Eurosport? Doubt it is possible to get rid of him. There is no hope. None.

    You mean by Eurosport employees or do they have a forum ?

    He's not great but dont think he should be hounded out of his job. Would just prefer Eurosport used him on some other sports, although not motor racing as I watch that too
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    rick_chasey said:

    Yeah, it's bad enough doing it on here but Carlton will certainly actually read it if you stick it up on twitter or insta.

    The guy's just doing his job - i just don't like the output.

    I'm not really sure that someone doing their job that badly is excusable just because it's their job... If I was that bad at my job I'd have been sacked a long time ago.

    I agree that hounding him on social media would be in poor taste though.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,746
    He's not that bad and as long as Ned Boulting is in a commentary job he isn't even the worst. Actually thought Gerrans was the weak link of the pairing but he gets a pass for being new to it.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,792
    I guess the point is, in cycling you have it on for a long time and for large parts you're not eyeballing the screen intently; you have it on in the background for a lot of the time, untill things really kick off.

    As such, the noise coming out of it is fairly critical, and the non-stop nonsense being spouted I find enormously grating.

    Generally, all UK commentators could do with talking less. If you listen to French or Belgian coverage, they are comfortable with some pauses, and when they do talk when SFA is happening, it's very much on the gentle side.

    They're in the living room with you; you don't want some guy barking at you all day, especially when it's nonsense to the point of irritation.....
    _
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,297
    In stage races, it needs test cricket commentary for long stretches, then usually half an hour of horse racing commentary.
  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,474
    They could just play records, turn it into a full on radio show with less chat, and then drop the music whenever something actually interesting happens.
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  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,297
    No.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,792
    larkim said:

    They could just play records, turn it into a full on radio show with less chat, and then drop the music whenever something actually interesting happens.

    This is what Dutch radio 1 turns into during the Tour.

    Final Kilometre is always signalled with this tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5c4Pf--55s
    _
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    DeVlaeminck said:

    He's not that bad and as long as Ned Boulting is in a commentary job he isn't even the worst. Actually thought Gerrans was the weak link of the pairing but he gets a pass for being new to it.

    Hmm, don't really agree there. But Boulting is less ever-present if you watch a lot of Eurosport so maybe he's just not got to me yet.

    I find Kirby very grating - I'm just waiting for his next mistake every time he says anything. He can't identify the riders, which wouldn't be such a problem if he didn't keep misidentifying them, and he can't call a race for toffee. If he left some of the heavy lifting on the racing front to his co-commentator, and didn't apparently feel the need to fill every second of the broadcast with noise, he might be alright.

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