Craig Doyle and that Tennis Player (Hosts of Grandstand/Olympics)

Elmo

Craig Doyle is being called a HIMBO. I personnel agree that he has very little to say about sport on Grandstand (I am not a fan of sport but I could do a better job, I know I know so why do you you spa)

And as for that Sue??? wan? you know the tennis player host Wimbilton (sp?) She is highly annoying as well.

Just wonder what your thoughts where on the Brits attacking one of us Paddy, For once I would agree with them lol.

mike65

Craig Doyle, why? He has the presence of "a very small thing that is'nt easy to see". Sue Barker may be a bit jolly hockey sticks or tennis rackets but is quite professional now. Certainly beats Clare Balding and her deadly double act with that jockey the name of whom has escaped me*.

Mike.

*Willie Carson.

Dr. Dre

mike65 wrote:

Willie Carson.

*Shudders*
Odious little man.

I haven't watched the Olympics, but I know Doyle is getting slated for not being very interesting.

Meh, whatcha'-gonna-do.

Houllio

Craig Doyle, probably the worst sports presenter in the world. I dont think the beeb know what to do with him he seems to be on everything, they havn't found anything he's good at presenting yet!

Pigman II

I've heard they've started calling Claire Balding a himbo too.

DMC

There are reasons why they might call Claire a himbo, but that's for another forum....

But watching their "double act" in the Olympics showed up the fact that Doyle should go back to the beaches and sip sangria from where he came. He came out with a gem when Cian O'Connor won gold... went something like... "Ah it's great we won gold... but.. erm... its great that we Brits are winning so many!"

Claire is a very good broadcaster, I feel. But whoever decided that he was better than John Inverdale... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Point is, he didn't fuck up once, he fucked an awful lot over the 16 days. Embarrassing.

DMC

He gets the "backing" of his boss anyway...

Salmon leaps to Doyle's defence
Dominic Timms
Monday September 6, 2004
http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1298232,00.html

The BBC's head of sport has leapt to the defence of embattled sports presenter Craig Doyle, after his role as one of BBC's Olympics anchors drew criticism from viewers and sports commentators.

Peter Salmon was forced to defend the 33-year-old former Holiday presenter after he was vilified by some viewers as a "moron" and a "himbo," who looked the part but knew "nothing" about Olympic sports.

Mr Salmon admitted the BBC had received complaints from viewers about the Irishman"s presenting style but said ratings for its Olympic coverage showed he was "one of the BBC's most popular presenters" on the sports roster.

"On some evenings up to 11 million people were watching the Olympics on the BBC but we received only a dozen complaints about Craig's presenting style during the whole of the games," Mr Salmon wrote in a letter to the Sunday Independent in Ireland.

Mr Salmon wrote the letter after the paper published a front page article headlined "Craig Doyle 'hated' in Britain".

In the article journalist Lara Bradley interviewed the presenter's parents, who spoke of their "hurt" over a "vitriolic" campaign against Doyle, whose Olympic performance was widely slated.

Despite a CV that includes presenting BBC rugby, golf, horseracing, tennis and super bike racing, viewers said the Irishman lacked sufficient sports knowledge for the role.

"Why Craig Doyle? Is this just because he is the best-looking man the BBC could come up with?" Labour MP Chris Bryant said halfway through the games.

On the BBC's own bulletin boards, Olympics fans were less kind. One called the 33-year-old Irishman a "buffoon," while another said his knowledge of sport would "just about cover the back of a postage stamp".

"Absolutely agree about appalling decision to let Doyle loose on sports commentary - he knows NOTHING!! And please keep him away from the Travel programme too!" wrote another.

"His naivety and condescending manner have stopped our family watching what was once an enjoyable programme."

Sir Paul Fox, a former BBC TV boss and now sports columnist at the Daily Telegraph, was also unforgiving.

"With the best will in the world, I find Craig Doyle unsuitable as a sports broadcaster. He has the looks, he has the Irish charm, but he has no feel for sport and at the Olympics he was out of his depth," he said.

But Mr Salmon claimed that far from being "hated", Doyle was one of the BBC's emerging sports stars.

"Craig joined the BBC Sport presenting team relatively recently and we are pleased with his progress," he said.

"The BBC has every confidence Craig will continue to be one of our most popular presenters."

threebeards

Houllio wrote:

Craig Doyle, probably the worst sports presenter in the world.

Packie Bonner? Pat Spillane? Trevor Walsh (sp)?