Silly Question maybe

Ben said:

Excuse my possible stupid question, but how the hell do the commentators
know each rider as they approach the finish line at warp speed.

1) Well, only a few riders in each colour are *likely* to be crossing a line at the same time, ie; they have different roles. Plus there is a few hours for them to work out which rider is where in the stage.

2) The riders *look* different, really.

3) They get them wrong as well, somehow they got magnus backstedt mixed up in stage 7 (95kgs & the biggest rider in the tour???) and last nite they thought that another fdj rider was bradley mcgee.

till

Ben said:

Excuse my possible stupid question, but how the hell do the commentators
know each rider as they approach the finish line at warp speed.

I mean they pick out riders in that huge peleton of fancy colored jerseys.

Surly they cannot be watching the TV telecast , or are the in a broadcast
booth near the finish line.

Sorry for such a silly question, but it really has me thinking.

Cheers

Yes, they are watching a/more than one telecast/s and yes, they are in a broadcast booth at the finish.

Ben said:

Excuse my possible stupid question, but how the hell do the
commentators know each rider as they approach the finish line at warp
speed.

I mean they pick out riders in that huge peleton of fancy colored
jerseys.

Because it's their job. How do AFL commentators know which player is which.
Half the people on the ground are wearing the same jumper? Because it's
their job. Did you think Phil Ligget does this part-time? He RODE in a Tour
before he got into commentating and has been doing his job for at least 20
years. Unlike some people, I think he does an excellent job.

Theo

Theo Bekkers said:

Did you think Phil Ligget does this part-time? He RODE in a Tour
before he got into commentating and has been doing his job for at least 20
years. Unlike some people, I think he does an excellent job.

Theo

I think Phil Ligget is the HG Nelson, where's Paul Sherwin is the Roy Slayven, if you get my meaning........

Marx SS said:

Theo Bekkers said:

Did you think Phil Ligget does this part-time? He RODE in a Tour
before he got into commentating and has been doing his job for at
least 20
years. Unlike some people, I think he does an excellent job.

Quoted message said:

I think Phil Ligget is the -HG Nelson-, where's Paul Sherwin is the
-Roy Slayven-, if you get my meaning........

No, I don't. You think they're trying to be comedians?

Theo

Theo Bekkers said:

their job. Did you think Phil Ligget does this part-time? He RODE in a Tour
before he got into commentating and has been doing his job for at least 20
years. Unlike some people, I think he does an excellent job.

So do I, Theo, but they're funny by accident sometime too 🙂
Liggett didn't ride a tour, that was Sherwin, but Liggett did
race in Europe as one of the pioneering English riders way
back when Campag was the stuff to have and everyone's
bikes were made of rustquickium.

Theo Bekkers said:

No, I don't. You think they're trying to be comedians?

Theo

Nah, just that it seems that well respected sports commentators fall into that chiche'ed combo of a dueo - the professional commentator with the retried competitor-turned commentator enlightening us on his prev racing exp.

I think they do a grand job. Although during the live telecasts I've noticed how they repeat themselves sometimes & quite a bit on occasion (ie: the reference to the storks in Karlsrule).

Carl Brewer said:

Theo Bekkers said:

their job. Did you think Phil Ligget does this part-time? He RODE in
a Tour before he got into commentating and has been doing his job
for at least 20 years. Unlike some people, I think he does an
excellent job.

So do I, Theo, but they're funny by accident sometime too 🙂
Liggett didn't ride a tour, that was Sherwin, but Liggett did
race in Europe as one of the pioneering English riders way
back when Campag was the stuff to have and everyone's
bikes were made of rustquickium.

I thought he did but:-
PL - This is a complicated trail without a guide. I started out as a zoo
keeper in Chester Zoo and an ambition to be a zoologist. This failed,
largely trough parental lack of funds, and I took up accountancy for three
years. I always rode a bike (to go fishing) and wanted to be a professional
after I moved into touring riding. I always talked a lot (so I was told) and
had a great imagination â?" all good for a writer and commentator. I started
to race when almost 18 and quickly became a 1st category rider. I went to
Belgium in 1966 to be a pro and got a contract for 1967. However, I had also
applied for a job in London as a trainee journalist with Cycling Magazine. I
didnâ?Tt get the job first time around, but was offered it later and took it
, so no pro contract and I had made the hardest decision of my life. I raced
for about 8 years as a reasonably good amateur after this and lost so much
weight trying to do two jobs, I retired. My path took me to organising the
Milk Race for 22 years and during this time I fell into radio, writing and
eventually TV commentating. I am the luckiest person in the world because I
never asked for any of the jobs, and still donâ?Tt. Everywhere I worked,
other networks offered me jobs like CBS and NBC in the US, and C7, 9 and 10
and SBS, in Australia. I have always followed my nose and so far, it has not
let me down.

Phil does have a (fairly dry) sense of humour.

Theo

Theo quoth forth

Quoted message said:

I thought he did but:-
PL - This is a complicated trail without a guide. I started out as a zoo
keeper in Chester Zoo and an ambition to be a zoologist. This failed,
largely trough parental lack of funds, and I took up accountancy for three

I always wanted to be a zookeeper (ob goodies reference)
Steven

Theo, I think AFL is more easy as they are closer, and have binoculars, but
a bunch sprint to the line is another thing.
Anyway, no one really answered the question, are the commentators at the
finish in some booth, or do they rely from TV broadcast ?

Obviously no one here knows the answer, so I will have to keep wondering ?
"Gumby" <s.mckiernan@_digit_.ecu.edu.a_eeeeu_oooo_> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Theo quoth forth

Quoted message said:

I thought he did but:-
PL - This is a complicated trail without a guide. I started out as a zoo
keeper in Chester Zoo and an ambition to be a zoologist. This failed,
largely trough parental lack of funds, and I took up accountancy for

three

Quoted message said:

I always wanted to be a zookeeper (ob goodies reference)
Steven

When I was at the final stage of the 2003 event, I noticed that Phil & Paul's commentry position (along with 20 other commentators) were located about 5 mts from the finish line, in a raised convertable building overlooking the finish line.
They all had TV footage but you could see them look out as the riders did their ride by the finish line ( last day included 10x laps of a circuit in central Paris).

Although the TV footage was be far the best way to distingish the riders as the camera pans with the approaching riders where in real life the riders are real small & get bigger as they get closer. Binoculars didn't seemed to be used unless you were a spectator over the age of 45.

just my 2cents.

Gumby said:

I always wanted to be a zookeeper (ob goodies reference)
Steven

i used to work with a woman who was a zoo director. Years ago she married the then director of the SanDiego Zoo (she was still working her way up to be one at that stage) but it killed their marriage cos you can only have one Zoo director in a city so they find being married to each other rather impractical

bit like Dr Evil trying to marry Blofeld, I mean who gets to keep the cat?

Ben said:

Theo, I think AFL is more easy as they are closer, and have
binoculars, but a bunch sprint to the line is another thing.
Anyway, no one really answered the question, are the commentators at
the finish in some booth, or do they rely from TV broadcast ?

Sorry maybe I wasn't being very clear, or a little facetious, or both.
There is a huge contingent of reporters and they are near the finish but
have no direct view of the finish line. So no, they are not standing on the
finish line, nor are they in the helicopters, or even on the motorbikes.
They are watching it on TV. Part of their job is to recognise most of the
riders and certainly all of the major players, same as those guys reporting
the AFL. And yes, they are quite good at it.

Theo

I wish I was as cool as you Theo . . . talk about straying from the topic!

Jimbo Jones said:

I wish I was as cool as you Theo . . . talk about straying from the
topic!

If only I had some idea which of my posts you were replying to. This is
usenet, straying from the topic is compulsory.

Theo

Theo Bekkers said:

Ben said:

Theo, I think AFL is more easy as they are closer, and have
binoculars, but a bunch sprint to the line is another thing.
Anyway, no one really answered the question, are the commentators at
the finish in some booth, or do they rely from TV broadcast ?

Sorry maybe I wasn't being very clear, or a little facetious, or both.
There is a huge contingent of reporters and they are near the finish but
have no direct view of the finish line. So no, they are not standing on the
finish line, nor are they in the helicopters, or even on the motorbikes.
They are watching it on TV. Part of their job is to recognise most of the
riders and certainly all of the major players, same as those guys reporting
the AFL. And yes, they are quite good at it.

Theo

I quite enjoyed the scene in Hoellentour where a Spanish commentator is
recording his comments into a digi recorder while watching a large
screen tv, sitting on a milk crate. He makes a mistake, starts again.
I suppose if all you do is watch cycling on tv you pick up certain gait
characteristics, pedalling style, add to that the jerseys and the likely
competitors in a sprint or climb.
Not a bad gig if you can grab it.
Steven

Near miss on the way home. Moron in pulsar overtakes.. turns left
instantly... Stops halfway around corner.. coblestoned corner) I lock
up back wheel scare myself silly.

His story.. Sorry but you shouldnt have been going so fast.

WTF??? are these morons on?