Carlton Kirby

Pross

womack said:

Pross said:

womack said:

blazing_saddles said:

womack said:

Pross said:

womack said:

To be fair whatever CK says some on here are going to find fault.

If Rhwob Atch makes a gaff it never gets mentioned.

He tends to correct himself when he makes one and makes far fewer to start with. If Hatch is guilty of anything it is hyperbole, last year's Giro had 3 or 4 consecutive stages that he called the ride of the century and plenty on here criticised it. Everyone makes errors but CK doesn't seem bothered when he makes one. The level of difference in professionalism between him and all the other GCN / ES commentary team is palpable.

As I may have mentioned before out of the lot of them I personally prefer Quigley.

To be honest there is not much value in either Kirby and his nonsense and Hatch and his constant audition for a part in the remake of Allo, Allo.

If Hatch gets up your nose for pronouncing names correctly, you'll just love Jose Been.

Last time I heard her (can't remember the race) she was really struggling with Owain.

Obviously as a Welsh speaker this is evident to me, but to many non Welsh speakers they may think she is pronouncing it correctly and be badly directed.

This was the point I was making about Hatch, a lot of people who are impressed with his "linguistic skills" may not know any better.

Anyway, bring back Quigley and his dossard!

I'm pretty confident that he is correct in Spanish, Italian and French. I think he's fluent in all of them and has lived in both Italy and Spain. Rick (as a Dutch speaker) has previously said that he gets the Dutch / Flemish pronunciations correct too.

As a Welsh speaker you'll appreciate that there can also be regional variations in pronuciations. I started learning Welsh in South Wales but with a North Wallian teacher who had to keep correcting himself as he was supposed to be teaching us the South Wallian pronunciations. Only a couple of days ago I heard two different Welsh speaking BBC Wales presenters pronounce Pendine differently (the first said Pen-deen and the other Pend-eye-n) so there's always likely to be some discrepancies in any language.

ti'n dal yn ddysgu Pross?

You still learning Pross?

No, gave up years ago. It was too much of a struggle doing it through evening classes and the standard was so mixed we were constantly held back by the slowest. It's one of those things that I'm always thinking I ought to do again but I've never been great picking up languages. I sing in a male voice choir so it would help learn stuff if I could actually understand what I was singing to get the context!

orraloon

Are you like thon total k-nob Redwood miming the anthem when sec of state for Wales?

shipley

On a long, uneventful stage Kirby’s waffling and silly jokes are great. I love it.

Yes, he goes a bit “Duffield” at times but I couldn’t waffle/commentate for that long and personally think Eurosport are doing a fabulous job.

“The Breakaway” and “Brad on a bike” are also wonderful additions.

m.r.m.

Lanterne_Rogue said:

With regards to Kirby, I think it's wrong to claim he's not professional - you don't keep a gig for so long without being a pro,

I think this is a fallacy. There are plenty of people in all walks of life who are utterly zoned out and/or incompetent and yet maintain their jobs.

womack

m.r.m. said:

Lanterne_Rogue said:

With regards to Kirby, I think it's wrong to claim he's not professional - you don't keep a gig for so long without being a pro,

I think this is a fallacy. There are plenty of people in all walks of life who are utterly zoned out and/or incompetent and yet maintain their jobs.

I would imagine there are some on here 😉

kingstongraham

One thing he is not, is zoned out. He prepares for the big races, and is very skilled at keeping talking for hours on end without leaving any dead air.

rick_chasey

kingstongraham said:

One thing he is not, is zoned out. He prepares for the big races, and is very skilled at keeping talking for hours on end without leaving any dead air.

Is dead air so bad? As long as it's not for minutes at a time.

kingstongraham

rick_chasey said:

kingstongraham said:

One thing he is not, is zoned out. He prepares for the big races, and is very skilled at keeping talking for hours on end without leaving any dead air.

Is dead air so bad? As long as it's not for minutes at a time.

Oh, his skills are absolutely not what's needed for TV commentary on cycle racing.

DeVlaeminck

RichN95. said:

One of Hatch’s main selling points was that he isn’t Kirby. But now there’s Dan Lloyd who also isn’t Kirby so I feel his stock has fallen a bit.

Not for me. Dan Lloyd comes across as a very pleasant chap but his commentary is too low key and characterless. Pair him with someone like Adam Blythe and it's ok but he's not in the same league as Hatch, I prefer Kirby to Lloyd tbh.

I mean I wouldn't say he spoils the race - only Been and Boulting manage to do that - but he's not a natural commentator.

daniel_b

rick_chasey said:

kingstongraham said:

One thing he is not, is zoned out. He prepares for the big races, and is very skilled at keeping talking for hours on end without leaving any dead air.

Is dead air so bad? As long as it's not for minutes at a time.

This was one of the things I put in my feedback e-mail to eurosport - silence can and does add to the atmosphere, much more than constant inane ramblings about aqueducts, olive oil, roundabouts or riders in their pomp/tooting from a bidon might do.

I personally really like Hatch as the 'main' commentator, but I think on his own it would not work, but with the inciteful and humourous input from Lloyd, Kelly and especially Blythe, as that team - I presonally thought it worked exceedingly well.

At no point when they were changing commentators did my heart sink as to what was to come.

I think Lloyd will get better as a potential 'main' commentator, though of course he is also an ex pro.
I personally rather like Stephens as well, and suspect Magnus B would come out of his shell a bit more in the right pairing.
Blythe is awesome, such good insight, easy going, great humour (imho) makes mistakes, and admits them, and corrects them.
I think he was the magic ingredient in the Giro coverage for me.

Pross

orraloon said:

Are you like thon total k-nob Redwood miming the anthem when sec of state for Wales?

Ha no, I know the words and how to pronounce them. I can sing them with gusto and passion (there's a film coming out tomorrow in which I have a scene blasting it out in a pub assuming it isn't lying on some cutting room floor and I've done it on the pitch before a 6 Nations crowd). I just don't understand much of what I'm saying

blazing_saddles

Pross said:

orraloon said:

Are you like thon total k-nob Redwood miming the anthem when sec of state for Wales?

Ha no, I know the words and how to pronounce them. I can sing them with gusto and passion (there's a film coming out tomorrow in which I have a scene blasting it out in a pub assuming it isn't lying on some cutting room floor and I've done it on the pitch before a 6 Nations crowd). I just don't understand much of what I'm saying

So, you have something in common with Kirby.

Pross

blazing_saddles said:

Pross said:

orraloon said:

Are you like thon total k-nob Redwood miming the anthem when sec of state for Wales?

Ha no, I know the words and how to pronounce them. I can sing them with gusto and passion (there's a film coming out tomorrow in which I have a scene blasting it out in a pub assuming it isn't lying on some cutting room floor and I've done it on the pitch before a 6 Nations crowd). I just don't understand much of what I'm saying

So, you have something in common with Kirby.

No, he understands himself perfectly it's just that no-one else does!

ddraver

Caught up on the dolphin today in French and, in view of the posts above, the Eurosport Pair on comms have significantly improved. Tao Geoghan Hart was pronounced really very well and Gerraint is now 'Geir-ain't' - which is a mistake most English BBC Sports Personality Presenters still make.

Chapeau les francaise!

womack

ddraver said:

Caught up on the dolphin today in French and, in view of the posts above, the Eurosport Pair on comms have significantly improved. Tao Geoghan Hart was pronounced really very well and class="Italic">Gerraint is now 'Geir-ain't' - which is a mistake most English BBC Sports Personality Presenters still make.

Chapeau les francaise!

There is only one R in his name.

daniel_b

Just watching the last stage of the Dauphine.

I have to paraphrase but this piece of horrendous punnery stood out, whilst he was commentating on Mark Padun's riding style, as he was out in front on his own.

"It's not pretty to watch to be honest, but neither is Eton Mess, and that's really tasty, and this man is going to have his cake and eat it"

Really???

What does that add - that's right, the opposite, it detracts.

Pross

daniel_b said:

Just watching the last stage of the Dauphine.

I have to paraphrase but this piece of horrendous punnery stood out, whilst he was commentating on Mark Padun's riding style, as he was out in front on his own.

"It's not pretty to watch to be honest, but neither is Eton Mess, and that's really tasty, and this man is going to have his cake and eat it"

Really???

What does that add - that's right, the opposite, it detracts.

I'm convinced he's trolling the likes of us. I can imagine him looking at cycling forums every night after he's commentated and having a chuckle that he's been so annoying.

daniel_b

Pross said:

daniel_b said:

Just watching the last stage of the Dauphine.

I have to paraphrase but this piece of horrendous punnery stood out, whilst he was commentating on Mark Padun's riding style, as he was out in front on his own.

"It's not pretty to watch to be honest, but neither is Eton Mess, and that's really tasty, and this man is going to have his cake and eat it"

Really???

What does that add - that's right, the opposite, it detracts.

I'm convinced he's trolling the likes of us. I can imagine him looking at cycling forums every night after he's commentated and having a chuckle that he's been so annoying.

I wouldn't put it past him - it was clearly written in advance, and he was desperate to get it out, the way it was delivered made it seem like he was really proud of his witticisms though - which I personally find rather ironic.

That kind of garbled messed up approach, just makes me think of this bloke and his mate

womack

Smith came out with a good one today but I can't remember it!!!

It had CK chuckling.

poweredbyidris

Well CK actually managed it on Friday - I couldn't face up to having the Dauphine on and therefore having to listen to him. I need the comms on while working so that I don't have to watch every minute of the race itself, but the thought of having to listen to a constant stream of nonsense was just too much

kingstongraham

poweredbyidris said:

Well CK actually managed it on Friday - I couldn't face up to having the Dauphine on and therefore having to listen to him. I need the comms on while working so that I don't have to watch every minute of the race itself, but the thought of having to listen to a constant stream of nonsense was just too much

Can you go for a language you don't understand - so you can get the change in tone to know if something is actually happening? And maybe some correct rider IDs.

Dorset_Boy

Smith on Saturday came out with "this means only one thing" whilst talking about Movistar's tactics, and then continue with "either a or b....."

Anyway, one for the Carlton fans, or an opportunity to assasinate him on 24th June:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/radiodaysevents/357615?fbclid=IwAR1RmN2KQd9BqqFiU_nPwTbm9r9sOPCT5-KgAXQj0753ZbPAKl2fHIo6QIo

rick_chasey

poweredbyidris said:

Well CK actually managed it on Friday - I couldn't face up to having the Dauphine on and therefore having to listen to him. I need the comms on while working so that I don't have to watch every minute of the race itself, but the thought of having to listen to a constant stream of nonsense was just too much

Welcome to the party.

I decided to not watch any coverage with him on the call, and to be honest, it's an improvement.

Not ideal - I definitely miss some of the races as a result - but it is preferable to the frustration of trying to watch the thing and being irritated by it.

kingstongraham

rick_chasey said:

poweredbyidris said:

Well CK actually managed it on Friday - I couldn't face up to having the Dauphine on and therefore having to listen to him. I need the comms on while working so that I don't have to watch every minute of the race itself, but the thought of having to listen to a constant stream of nonsense was just too much

Welcome to the party.

I decided to not watch any coverage with him on the call, and to be honest, it's an improvement.

Not ideal - I definitely miss some of the races as a result - but it is preferable to the frustration of trying to watch the thing and being irritated by it.

Are you watching on the Eurosport player? If so...

rick_chasey

No. TV.

I would settle for a feed with race radio.

daniel_b

kingstongraham said:

rick_chasey said:

poweredbyidris said:

Well CK actually managed it on Friday - I couldn't face up to having the Dauphine on and therefore having to listen to him. I need the comms on while working so that I don't have to watch every minute of the race itself, but the thought of having to listen to a constant stream of nonsense was just too much

Welcome to the party.

I decided to not watch any coverage with him on the call, and to be honest, it's an improvement.

Not ideal - I definitely miss some of the races as a result - but it is preferable to the frustration of trying to watch the thing and being irritated by it.

Are you watching on the Eurosport player? If so...

Yep that works a treat, also available on the near identical GCN+ I think.

Pross

kingstongraham said:

rick_chasey said:

poweredbyidris said:

Well CK actually managed it on Friday - I couldn't face up to having the Dauphine on and therefore having to listen to him. I need the comms on while working so that I don't have to watch every minute of the race itself, but the thought of having to listen to a constant stream of nonsense was just too much

Welcome to the party.

I decided to not watch any coverage with him on the call, and to be honest, it's an improvement.

Not ideal - I definitely miss some of the races as a result - but it is preferable to the frustration of trying to watch the thing and being irritated by it.

Are you watching on the Eurosport player? If so...

I somehow ended up with that as default yesterday. I thought I'd clicked on ad free but maybe selected commentary free. It did mean I had to have a quick look around to work out the state of play but after that it was a joy.

blazing_saddles

rick_chasey said:

No. TV.

I would settle for a feed with race radio.

I would have thought that a man of your wealth could easily have forked out an extra £19-99, to get last week's offer.
That was a steal for the benefit of Dutch commentary, the convenience of no ad breaks and the sheer joy of no Kirby.

rick_chasey

blazing_saddles said:

rick_chasey said:

No. TV.

I would settle for a feed with race radio.

I would have thought that a man of your wealth could easily have forked out an extra £19-99, to get last week's offer.
That was a steal for the benefit of Dutch commentary, the convenience of no ad breaks and the sheer joy of no Kirby.

I need to cancel the existing tv package before I do that tbf. That is really what I should do.

jimmythecuckoo

The bingo card might need updating... he is coming up with a few new 'uns.

I am invested in the knolls and knarly kickers.

I was watching Limburg and laughing out loud as he literally couldn't help himself when this lad was in the break..

https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/sven-burger

Even Brian Smith tried to get the sentance about him relishing being in the breakaway out quicker than CK...