Carlton Kirby

pinno

"..in the land of fine Italian dining, it's a Big Mac that wins..."

HyperHatchbolebollox, May 2023.

blazing_saddles

pinno said:

"..in the land of fine Italian dining, it's a Big Mac that wins..."

HyperHatchbolebollox, May 2023.

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was a quote straight out of Kirby’s book of puns and word plays.
It’s so him it’s scary.

orraloon

blazing_saddles said:

pinno said:

"..in the land of fine Italian dining, it's a Big Mac that wins..."

HyperHatchbolebollox, May 2023.

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was a quote straight out of Kirby’s book of puns and word plays.
It’s so him it’s scary.

You do know he's just having fun?

pinno

orraloon said:

blazing_saddles said:

pinno said:

"..in the land of fine Italian dining, it's a Big Mac that wins..."

HyperHatchbolebollox, May 2023.

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was a quote straight out of Kirby’s book of puns and word plays.
It’s so him it’s scary.

You do know he's just having fun?

Is that what you call it?

...and [on the subject of Frigo, 4.1 km to go] "...the Italian flag flies for him...". Uh? You mean the guy waited until he heard that Frigo was about to go past and then quickly pulled out the Italian flag - just for him and not all the Italians in the race?

3.8km to go: "...now they go, now they go and it's no surprise to see Healy making his move... ... it's the flying Irish man who's distancing the rest though...".
Err, no: McNulty is stuck to his back wheel.

webboo

How many times did he say “ This has been a hard race” . That when he’s not banging about 3 jumper days playing cricket in Lancashire.

DeVlaeminck

I think he's a good commentator - the best of the current bunch.

pinno

DeVlaeminck said:

I think he's a good commentator - the best of the current bunch.

I think he could do 80% of the stage and then hand it over to someone else who's not going to go into hyper Mode: ON, Epic prose Mode: ON, repeat/underline Mode: ON, and OTT Mode: ON, for the last fifth.

poweredbyidris

I see this as 'They think it's all over' syndrome

Now that there are highlights packages, and numerous daily clips on social media, commentators (or the producers in their ears) seem to think that anything of note needs to be accompanied by a grandiose statement or hyperbole.

See it in many sports (the one that springs to mind is rugby with Miles '...and is THAT the moment...' Harrison)

DeVlaeminck

But when we see the reaction of the riders when they win or if we listen to audio from the team car we realise these are hugely dramatic moments for those involved so why would we want a commentator who down plays the moment ? If we see it in many sports maybe that's because that is what the majority want from commentary.

Yes when say Carlton starts speculating whether someone who has gone to the front of the bunch 2km out to keep the pace high is launching their own bid for victory it's a bit silly but that isn't a fault I could pin on Hatch.

rick_chasey

pinno said:

orraloon said:

blazing_saddles said:

pinno said:

"..in the land of fine Italian dining, it's a Big Mac that wins..."

HyperHatchbolebollox, May 2023.

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was a quote straight out of Kirby’s book of puns and word plays.
It’s so him it’s scary.

You do know he's just having fun?

Is that what you call it?

...and [on the subject of Frigo, 4.1 km to go] "...the Italian flag flies for him...". Uh? You mean the guy waited until he heard that Frigo was about to go past and then quickly pulled out the Italian flag - just for him and not all the Italians in the race?

3.8km to go: "...now they go, now they go and it's no surprise to see Healy making his move... ... it's the flying Irish man who's distancing the rest though...".
Err, no: McNulty is stuck to his back wheel.

I don't really understand that if this irritates you then Carlton doesn't.

I mean, Carlton does the same, just half of it is imaginary.

bobmcstuff

DeVlaeminck said:

Yes when say Carlton starts speculating whether someone who has gone to the front of the bunch 2km out to keep the pace high is launching their own bid for victory it's a bit silly but that isn't a fault I could pin on Hatch.

Indeed - I'll take hyperbole over imaginary.

pinno

DeVlaeminck said:

But when we see the reaction of the riders when they win or if we listen to audio from the team car we realise these are hugely dramatic moments for those involved so why would we want a commentator who down plays the moment ?

The pictures tend to speak for themselves.
The audio from team cars sum those moments up.

gethinceri

I'm not looking forward to Blythe referencing a motorbike ride every time he opens his mouth this week.
Shame, he addds a lot, but I fear he'll be just playing the kiddie.

pinno

Hatch would be first class if he would tote on some weed, dial it down a few notches and refrain from trying to make everything critical and epic.
He is informative, he spots riders quickly and does all the functional stuff really well. He even joins in the banter.
But the hyperbole grates, nauseates and is unnecessary.

I don't know what the commentary from the motorbikes actually brings to us as viewers.
I would far rather see Wiggins, Blythe, Gilbert and Voigt in the studio commentating. It's a massive waste of resources and experience.

blazing_saddles

gethinceri said:

I'm not looking forward to Blythe referencing a motorbike ride every time he opens his mouth this week.
Shame, he addds a lot, but I fear he'll be just playing the kiddie.

He was quite restrained and informative with his first two reports from the bike.

andyrr

blazing_saddles said:

gethinceri said:

I'm not looking forward to Blythe referencing a motorbike ride every time he opens his mouth this week.
Shame, he addds a lot, but I fear he'll be just playing the kiddie.

He was quite restrained and informative with his first two reports from the bike.

I think that once he gets over his initial excitement he refocuses on adding colour and his knowledge to the coverage.

gethinceri

blazing_saddles said:

gethinceri said:

I'm not looking forward to Blythe referencing a motorbike ride every time he opens his mouth this week.
Shame, he addds a lot, but I fear he'll be just playing the kiddie.

He was quite restrained and informative with his first two reports from the bike.

Agreed, long may it continue

rick_chasey

pinno said:

Hatch would be first class if he would tote on some weed, dial it down a few notches and refrain from trying to make everything critical and epic.
He is informative, he spots riders quickly and does all the functional stuff really well. He even joins in the banter.
But the hyperbole grates, nauseates and is unnecessary.

I don't know what the commentary from the motorbikes actually brings to us as viewers.
I would far rather see Wiggins, Blythe, Gilbert and Voigt in the studio commentating. It's a massive waste of resources and experience.

I still maintain this is a response to the adulation Carlton gets; he was much more restrained when he first started.

Indeed if you look at the Eurosport coverage in general, including the pundits, they're in sell mode.

I watched the stage 15 highlights and they were saying how exciting the whole GT has been; let's be honest, so far this Giro has been a stinker.

I get it, they're in the sales business so no-one is gonna keep tuning in if they're told what they're watching is boring.

daniel_b

I've nothing to base this on, but I think someone at one point suggested that ES might be asking him to be 'more like kirby' - happily to my mind he is nowhere near that standard of commentary, but I will concur that he does seem to have changed a bit.

He's still my favourite lead non expert commentator for road cycling (Not MTB, that was painful) by a good margin.
Shame there is not much more strength and depth within the ES ranks.
I'd like to see Lloyd given some lead commentator responsibilities personally, I think he has some real potential to excel. I like his calm delivery, as well as his undoubted knowledge and passion for the sport.

Jez Hunt had a promising start, but he seems to have gone down the kirby route as well, which is disappointing, and much as I find Matt Stephens entertaining, he's also gone a bit kirbyesque as well

I'd like to see them take a gamble and give someone like Lloyd lead commentator role for the Vuelta for example, though I think that might be Hatch who has that one possibly, with Lloyd in attendance.

Pross

rick_chasey said:

pinno said:

Hatch would be first class if he would tote on some weed, dial it down a few notches and refrain from trying to make everything critical and epic.
He is informative, he spots riders quickly and does all the functional stuff really well. He even joins in the banter.
But the hyperbole grates, nauseates and is unnecessary.

I don't know what the commentary from the motorbikes actually brings to us as viewers.
I would far rather see Wiggins, Blythe, Gilbert and Voigt in the studio commentating. It's a massive waste of resources and experience.

I still maintain this is a response to the adulation Carlton gets; he was much more restrained when he first started.

Indeed if you look at the Eurosport coverage in general, including the pundits, they're in sell mode.

I watched the stage 15 highlights and they were saying how exciting the whole GT has been; let's be honest, so far this Giro has been a stinker.

I get it, they're in the sales business so no-one is gonna keep tuning in if they're told what they're watching is boring.

I’ve heard them (Lloyd in particular) calling various stages for the borefest they have been.

mrb123

Lloyd has been superb this Giro both on comms and on The Breakaway.

pinno

This years Giro has been tragic comic operetta with many breakaways succeeding which is far better than the race being controlled on the flat stages by the sprinter teams and the borefest that is a bunch sprint. Pity De Ghent and Fred Wright aren't there.
It's turned into a battle of survival given the conditions, the crashes and abandonments.

Far better than the TdF.

I wonder if Remco is going to have a go at the TdF. That would be interesting.
His departure did put a huge dampener on this final week but the terrain and conditions have meant that the peloton has had little or no control nor appetite from the big teams.

Chaos - long may it reign.

I have no idea why Cav is riding it. It's far too lumpy.

As you were...

jdee84

daniel_b said:

Jez Hunt had a promising start, but he seems to have gone down the kirby route as well, which is disappointing, and much as I find Matt Stephens entertaining, he's also gone a bit kirbyesque as well

Used to find Stephens good value on GCN several years ago but the last few years he seems to be increasingly becoming a parody of a Hipster.

stage_hunter

daniel_b said:

I've nothing to base this on, but I think someone at one point suggested that ES might be asking him to be 'more like kirby' - happily to my mind he is nowhere near that standard of commentary, but I will concur that he does seem to have changed a bit.

He's still my favourite lead non expert commentator for road cycling (Not MTB, that was painful) by a good margin.
Shame there is not much more strength and depth within the ES ranks.
I'd like to see Lloyd given some lead commentator responsibilities personally, I think he has some real potential to excel. I like his calm delivery, as well as his undoubted knowledge and passion for the sport.

Jez Hunt had a promising start, but he seems to have gone down the kirby route as well, which is disappointing, and much as I find Matt Stephens entertaining, he's also gone a bit kirbyesque as well

I'd like to see them take a gamble and give someone like Lloyd lead commentator role for the Vuelta for example, though I think that might be Hatch who has that one possibly, with Lloyd in attendance.

I think that first point is probably spot on. I think their boss is Simon Reed. Brother of deceased “Bon viveur” Oliver Reed

pinno

According to Hatch, Cavendish "...can sniff an opportunity and he can smell an opportunity...".

Lanterne_Rogue

Going back to Sean Kelly sounding like he's enjoying himself more these days, I suspect this moment encapsulates why - having pros from different eras around means that they can compare experiences more naturally to what's happening on the road. I don't think all the commentary team need to have ridden professionally, but having more than one in the box does make this sort of interesting exchange more likely than a commentator saying "tell us how it was in your day, Sean".

Pross said:

The other thing that came up in commentary today that Kelly and McEwan agreed was that the early TV coverage in big races now makes them harder from the gun which is not something you ever hear the likes of Merckx and co discussing when telling everyone how soft today’s riders are.

takethehighroad

Need to add it here too

GCN got the highlights spot on today, the right commentary at the right time.

When you watch live you wonder why Hatch says certain things but it's because he's being told by his producer

And said producer clearly likes the Kirby style of hyperbole

webboo

Todays Hatch highlight was “ It’s the G Girooo” as Thomas attacked.

bobmcstuff

Wrong thread, phone

blazing_saddles

Kirby demoted to covering today's smallest race.
Sad.