Carlton Kirby

yorkshireraw

RichN95. said:

narbs said:

RichN95. said:

blazing_saddles said:

Commentary in almost all sports just ain't what it used to be, it's just with cycling, the problem seems more acute.

I think for many sports that's just nostalgia talking. But for cycling there are clear better options available

I watch three sports - cycling, rugby and cricket. All three suffer from the opposite of anti-nostalgia, with people keeping their places on comms teams for years after they provide any value.

What I was getting at thought was some voices are from when we young and first engaging with the sport we just associate with their sport and think they were better. So for example with rugby it's either Nigel Starmer-Smith or Bill McLaren. But Andrew Cotter is just as good, sure Eddie Butler has delusions of grandeur. Many of those earlier names set the templates that others use, that much is true.

Cotter is excellent on Athletics as well. Doesn't come with any baggage or conflict of interest either like Cram (my boyhood hero) sadly does. BBC did well getting in Backley and Toni Minicello as well for the field events, and binning off the old guard.

Hannah England was great on the recent Euro Indoors - hopefully they will use her instead of Radcliffe from now on, but suspect not.

Lanterne_Rogue

Amusingly, and perhaps mercifully, Eurosport cut their clip on Twitter of [redacted for spoileriness] winning so that it starts thirty milliseconds after Kirby's confident claim that" [unnamed rider X] is out of it, I'm afraid"...

ddraver

I did notice that too... 🙄

bobmcstuff

Lanterne_Rogue said:

Amusingly, and perhaps mercifully, Eurosport cut their clip on Twitter of [redacted for spoileriness] winning so that it starts thirty milliseconds after Kirby's confident claim that" [unnamed rider X] is out of it, I'm afraid"...

Lol. If anything proved how rubbish he is.

shirley_basso

Don't read the comments below...there may be some disappointment

https://twitter.com/carltonkirby/status/1381603036670361600?s=20

roypsb

Absolutely love Carlton’s commentary. The best in the business IMO.

rick_chasey

roypsb said:

Absolutely love Carlton’s commentary. The best in the business IMO.

blazing_saddles

roypsb said:

Absolutely love Carlton’s commentary. The best in the business IMO.

In that case, I hope you enjoy Eurosport's Ruta del Sol coverage in May. Brian Smith let slip that your Carlton is on the comms for that race.

Which means the rest of us get to enjoy the Giro.

daniel_b

Stephens and Lloyd were excellent yesterday I thought.

No puns, bidon tooting or riders in their pomp that I heard, and all the better for it.

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

Which race were Stephebs and Lloyd commentating on?
I don't mind Carlton too much and the contrast with Brian Smith as the dour scot can be quite entertaining.
Must be quite hard commentating on a long stage where not much is happening for several hours and you just have a remote race feed!

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

Somebody mention Nigel Starmer-Smith? He was dreadful talked a load of drivel, rarely about the actual game taking place!

Mad_Malx

vincesummerskRoxcBTr said:

Which race were Stephebs and Lloyd commentating on?
!

Brabantse Pijl

mrb123

Pretty happy with any combination of Stephens, Lloyd and Blythe TBH.

Lanterne_Rogue

If anyone wants to search the internet for the world's most alarming cycling-based slashfic, today's horrific commentary moment was Kirby reminiscing about a snowball fight in which he and Brian Smith were wearing only T-shirts. It wasn't an image I needed.

daniel_b

"Cavendish has won both stages 2, 3 & 4"

"...him of the ginger beard........other drinks are available....."

orraloon

daniel_b said:

"...him of the ginger beard........other drinks are available....."

Heard that one. Think he wants to be a Tim Vine-alike? Puns on puns on puns. Not buying tickets for that show.

DeVlaeminck

I'm just catching up on the Tour of Valencia. Do people really prefer Jose Bean to Carlton? Christ she's just not got the voice for sports commentary - she may be a good journalist but her stilted monotone just isn't suited to broadcast media. Her tendency to...take several seconds gap...in the middle of...sentences just winds me up.

She brings out Big Maggy's worst traits to overdo the bike racing for dummies type explanations too rather than him giving his reading of the race.

blazing_saddles

DeVlaeminck said:

I'm just catching up on the Tour of Valencia. Do people really prefer Jose Bean to Carlton? Christ she's just not got the voice for sports commentary - she may be a good journalist but her stilted monotone just isn't suited to broadcast media. Her tendency to...take several seconds gap...in the middle of...sentences just winds me up.

She brings out Big Maggy's worst traits to overdo the bike racing for dummies type explanations too rather than him giving his reading of the race.

She also pulled a classic Carlton move yesterday, talking about some completely irrelevant subject, just as the critical attack started.
Poor Magnus tried to point out what was happening on screen, but she still felt the need to finish her ramble.

Pross

DeVlaeminck said:

I'm just catching up on the Tour of Valencia. Do people really prefer Jose Bean to Carlton? Christ she's just not got the voice for sports commentary - she may be a good journalist but her stilted monotone just isn't suited to broadcast media. Her tendency to...take several seconds gap...in the middle of...sentences just winds me up.

She brings out Big Maggy's worst traits to overdo the bike racing for dummies type explanations too rather than him giving his reading of the race.

I prefer her to Carlton as she at least knows her stuff but would rather have neither of them.

blazing_saddles

What on earth was he wittering on about today?
Races getting cancelled when wind gusts reach 45kph?

I guess they didn’t get the memo in Flanders, Carlton.

RichN95.

blazing_saddles said:

She also pulled a classic Carlton move yesterday, talking about some completely irrelevant subject, just as the critical attack started.
Poor Magnus tried to point out what was happening on screen, but she still felt the need to finish her ramble.

Her commentary style seems to be 'I've done my research and written my notes, so I'm going to use them regardless as to whether they are relevant'

I also invented the Jose Been drinking game. Drink ever time she directly engages her commentator. Your liver will thank you for the break.

bobmcstuff

I've not really listened to her much to know really. Has she been on the cycling podcast a few times or am I thinking of someone else?

RichN95.

bobmcstuff said:

I've not really listened to her much to know really. Has she been on the cycling podcast a few times or am I thinking of someone else?

No, that's Orla Chennouai. Jose Been is Dutch

bobmcstuff

RichN95. said:

bobmcstuff said:

I've not really listened to her much to know really. Has she been on the cycling podcast a few times or am I thinking of someone else?

No, that's Orla Chennouai. Jose Been is Dutch

Ja, I know Orla - she did one of the live shows I went to as well.

Just trying to work out if I've ever really listened to Jose. But I think on balance I'd take not being factually incorrect ten times per race over Kirby, even if they were quite boring.

Pross

orraloon said:

daniel_b said:

"...him of the ginger beard........other drinks are available....."

Heard that one. Think he wants to be a Tim Vine-alike? Puns on puns on puns. Not buying tickets for that show.

The one just now started off with some mention of mash in the riders head, through a potato dish but I'd gone through the WTF stage by then and can't recall the 'punchline'

blazing_saddles

Rapidly going off Jose Been.
She too eager to blow her own trumpet.
Yesterday she confidently gave out completely duff information about Primoz Roglic. She announced AGR was his last race until the Tour.
Given he rides for a Dutch team she should know that he’s riding Ardennes week and is the LBL defending champ.

daniel_b

Great pairing of Lloyd and Stephens on the Tour of the Alpes I thought for stage 1.

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

Jose Been is a bit dull to listen to , except for her brilliant and presumably correct pronunciations of rider and town name!
Agree re the Tour of the Alps commentators.

yorkshireraw

blazing_saddles said:

Rapidly going off Jose Been.
She too eager to blow her own trumpet.
Yesterday she confidently gave out completely duff information about Primoz Roglic. She announced AGR was his last race until the Tour.
Given he rides for a Dutch team she should know that he’s riding Ardennes week and is the LBL defending champ.

Just because someone has knowledge / access and has worked as a press officer doesn't make them suitable as a broadcast commentator. Her delivery is dull.

It's great they are trying to be more diverse in their team but whoever is on there needs to be able to do the job either with insight (i.e. ex racer) or with entertainment / building (appropriate) excitement. Not getting either from JB I'm afraid. Should try Rowsell (who has been great on track stuff) or Dani Rowe (King) who does some of the women's races.

Pross

yorkshireraw said:

blazing_saddles said:

Rapidly going off Jose Been.
She too eager to blow her own trumpet.
Yesterday she confidently gave out completely duff information about Primoz Roglic. She announced AGR was his last race until the Tour.
Given he rides for a Dutch team she should know that he’s riding Ardennes week and is the LBL defending champ.

Just because someone has knowledge / access and has worked as a press officer doesn't make them suitable as a broadcast commentator. Her delivery is dull.

It's great they are trying to be more diverse in their team but whoever is on there needs to be able to do the job either with insight (i.e. ex racer) or with entertainment / building (appropriate) excitement. Not getting either from JB I'm afraid. Should try Rowsell (who has been great on track stuff) or Dani Rowe (King) who does some of the women's races.

I was thinking that if they want a frontline female commentator then Dani would be my first choice.