Liggett and Sherwinisms TdF 2012

[robgul]

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed the coverage from ITV4 and credit to Phil and Paul for the job they did.  Yes they have their moments, but overall their knowledge of the sport is good and IMO do a good job considering the conditions they operate under.

Of course, many will pick on the mistakes they make and presumably post them to show how smart they are in noticing it.  Perhaps they have not discovered the volume control on the TV or perhaps they have nothing better in life to do than criticise others.

Let us hope ITV4 continue to follow cycling and I for one will be quite happy to hear Phil and Paul commentate on events.

Agreed that they do a great job ... the comments here are all, I'm sure, meant to amuse the parishioners rather than ridicule and be critical of Phil & Paul.   

One thing that I wonder - they are seeing everything on-screen from the same cameras ... BUT are they seeing it slightly ahead of the broadcast feed to the viewers? -  a few times they seem to mention things that we viewers have yet to see, it's only momentary - but there does seem to be a delay.   That would obviously make it, slightly, easier to be up to speed with facts etc.

[I know that years ago Ross McWhirter was commentating on the Olympics (must have been 1968 ... was that Mexico?) in front of a big screen in London and the  broadcast was about 45 seconds behind his view.]

Rob

[Cudzoziemiec]

Phil and Paul's gaffs, goofs, insights, off-sights and witticisms add to the experience. I enjoy them.

[Deano]

Yeah, I really enjoy their commentary (much better than Eurosport even when that's an option). Gaffes and all. They're the Aggers and Blowers of cycling.

On a related note, I'm sure I heard Cameron describe Wiggins as "the first person" to win the Tour. Possibly a tribute to Liggett and Sherwin?

[Kim]

One thing that I wonder - they are seeing everything on-screen from the same cameras ... BUT are they seeing it slightly ahead of the broadcast feed to the viewers? -  a few times they seem to mention things that we viewers have yet to see, it's only momentary - but there does seem to be a delay.   That would obviously make it, slightly, easier to be up to speed with facts etc.

It's entirely possible for video to lag audio by a second or two if nobody's considered the synchronisation to be critical enough to add appropriate audio delays.  Digital video processing takes time, and I wouldn't be surprised if the signal paths were different (satellite vs ISDN or some such) for sports commentary.

[mcshroom]

Cav did hold up "four hands" as he crossed the line though.

[citoyen]

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed the coverage from ITV4 and credit to Phil and Paul for the job they did.  Yes they have their moments, but overall their knowledge of the sport is good and IMO do a good job considering the conditions they operate under.

Of course, many will pick on the mistakes they make and presumably post them to show how smart they are in noticing it.  Perhaps they have not discovered the volume control on the TV or perhaps they have nothing better in life to do than criticise others.

For the most part, the ribbing is meant affectionately. I don't think anyone really questions the expert knowledge of the sport of Phil Liggett but they do come out with some hilarious lines.

For what it's worth, I found myself irresistibly drawn to the ITV coverage of the final stage rather than Eurosport. One thing in particular struck me - the breakaway on the Champs-Élysées never succeeds. Never. And yet year after year, Phil Liggett plays along with it and gets all excited as if maybe this year, just maybe... to the point where with 3km to go and a lead of 15 seconds and tumbling, I was beginning to wonder if perhaps Jensie might just do it.

I strongly recommend listening to Ned Boulting's take on Phil'n'Paul (as well as lots of other matters relating to the Tour) from the 30th June edition of the Bike Show:
http://thebikeshow.net/how-ned-boulting-stopped-worrying-and-learned-to-love-the-tour-de-france/

d.

[Biggsy]

Phil and Paul create excitement even when nothing's happening at all, which is nice.   The bunch left it rather late to catch the breakaway, though.  I was getting worried!

I've run out of coal so didn't fire up my analogue satellite receiver this year.  Probably Eurosport International is still broadcasting free-to-air on analogue.  I wish I British Eurosport would get a non-pay channel on terrestrial Freeview.

[Exit Stage Left]

Phil used to be responsible for designing the Milk Race course, so he's well placed to comment on the precise nature of the TdF course. An interesting aspect of Phil and Paul is the African connection. Paul was brought up in Kenya, and lives in Uganda, where he has interests in a Gold mine. Phil lives in South Africa, it would have been nice to have had more about that, possibly involving Chris Froome.

[citoyen]

Paul has an African connection? Well I never, sounds interesting - he should talk about it more.

[Exit Stage Left]

They did actually tighten their commentary up towards the end of the Tour. They are broadcast in a lot of English-speaking markets, and their commentary was at risk of being a bit jingoistic, but they pulled it back and were noticeably more balanced over the weekend.

[robgul]

Phil used to be responsible for designing the Milk Race course, so he's well placed to comment on the precise nature of the TdF course. An interesting aspect of Phil and Paul is the African connection. Paul was brought up in Kenya, and lives in Uganda, where he has interests in a Gold mine. Phil lives in South Africa, it would have been nice to have had more about that, possibly involving Chris Froome.

... I think you'll find that Phil lives only part of the time in South Africa ... I've met him several times at the coffee stops on Pickwick Bicycle Club rides in Hertfordshire ... he's just been there at the garden centre cafe with his wife - out for a spin on the bikes.

Rob

[bobb]

I think you mean "In the continent of Africa" 

I like Phil and Paul. They never run out of anything to say even when there's fuck all happening.

Paul's translation of French interviews is pretty good too...

[peliroja]

Paul's translation of French interviews is pretty good too...

Yes, that is impressive. He also listens to the French and Italian of the race radio and translates it before Phil has had a chance to comment on the English version.

And Thing 1 does a good impression of them both. 

[Ewan Houzami]

Let us hope ITV4 continue to follow cycling'

+1

Let us hope $ky don't get it 

ITV has it until 2015, then it's up for grabs. It's good advertising for Murdoch when you think about (at a cost of £10 million), but it's more than possible they'll make an offer when ITV's contract expires. It's also possible that the numbers (i.e. viewing figures) don't quite stack up for Sky at the moment.