Duffield: I've had enough

Chips Lovell

Anyone else interested in launching a letter writing campaign to Eurosport to try and get rid of David Duffield? I had to turn the sound down last night, he was so bad.

TinyExplosions

el tonto wrote: »

Anyone else interested in launching a letter writing campaign to Eurosport to try and get rid of David Duffield? I had to turn the sound down last night, he was so bad.

Sorry, but I find him quite amusing

Junior

el tonto wrote: »

Anyone else interested in launching a letter writing campaign to Eurosport to try and get rid of David Duffield? I had to turn the sound down last night, he was so bad.

Sure just do up a template, I've a couple of domains I can get it sent from

Chips Lovell

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Sorry, but I find him quite amusing

This chap would do a better job and be more amusing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BKRZTalEys

Muller_1

he's a legend

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

Anyone else interested in launching a letter writing campaign to Eurosport to try and get rid of David Duffield? I had to turn the sound down last night, he was so bad.

Was it really that bad? To be honest, I fell asleep at the start of the highlights after waiting up to see them so I missed whatever gems he came out with.

That said, on Tuesday he started waffling on about some museum or something and giving out holiday advice. I remember him saying once that he does that because he tries to tailor the commentary for people who don't know anything about cycling. Or something like that.

smithslist

Raam wrote: »

That said, on Tuesday he started waffling on about some museum or something and giving out holiday advice. I remember him saying once that he does that because he tries to tailor the commentary for people who don't know anything about cycling.

Typical Duffield, he's a legend. Leave him be.

I remember many times in the TDF during the 90's when attacks will be happening in the mountain stages, in critical parts of stages and he be waffling about some random stuff and his co-commentary partner (Roche\Kelly) will be trying to stop him and tell him to keep watching the race.

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

Was it really that bad?

It's bad enough calling the wrong rider and team names, it's gotten to the stage where he speaks in sentences that make no grammatical sense. Aside from the fact that you can't understand what he's trying to say half the time, he obviously does zero research for his job.

rflynnr

There are some forms of commentary where waffling is almost a prerequisite: BBC Radio 4's cricket commentary scarcely refers to the match but is hugely entertaining.

I suppose the problem with Duffield is that for people like me, it's not always obvious what's going on during a race and I need a bit of a steer. It's only very recently that it has occurred to me that professional cyclists actually employ strategy: breakaways* excepted, to a layperson's eye it might appear that all they do is go as fast as possible all the time. Duffield's commentary doesn't really elucidate what happening before you.

(*"Breakaways" isn't the term is it? What do you call it when a guy sprints away from the pack?)

lukester

I'd sign this petition. Last night as I watched two days highlights, I glazed over each time he spoke. From what I can remember he said " blah blah sausages, blah blah museum, blah blah camper-vans". His co-commentator pretty much cut-off his rambling stream of consciousness a few times as it lapsed into profound absurdity.

He's cycling commentary's Alan Partridge.

The Guardian is a fan too:

"Do bear with me" is one of Duffield's catchphrases, and you know that when he craves forbearance in this way he is about to come out with an absolute pip and it is time to reach for the notepad and pen. Obviously this applies particularly if you are charged with producing a semi-humorous column about sport on TV but is also worth noting if you are one of those people collecting Duffieldisms for one of the various websites dedicated to them.

"Rough end of a ragman's trumpet" and "blast on the old banjo" are Duffield favourites apparently but I never heard them on that afternoon. Maybe he is saving it all for the Tour de France. "Ooh, steady the bus," as the riders rounded a bend, is the best I can contribute to this valuable internet resource.

scottreynolds

Would anyone be interested in signing a petition for el Tonto to commentate on Eurosport?

Raam

scottreynolds wrote: »

Would anyone be interested in signing a petition for el Tonto to commentate on Eurosport?

I've heard this tonto lad on the radio. He's a dream to listen to :pac:

Malari

el tonto wrote: »

Anyone else interested in launching a letter writing campaign to Eurosport to try and get rid of David Duffield? I had to turn the sound down last night, he was so bad.

He was a legend, but I think to preserve and possibly improve his legend status he needs to be retired. The man rarely finishes a word anymore, let alone a sentence.

He caters far too much for the "if you've just come in from cutting the grass/ironing the shirts and are watching cycling for the first time" crowd, which probably make up about 1.2% of the viewership, especially for races like the Dauphine.

Harmon & Kelly all the way. :pac:

Caroline_ie

Lots of them on that page

"Its about as useful as a chocolate chainring" --> Its not very useful at all.

TinyExplosions

Raam wrote: »

I've heard this tonto lad on the radio. He's a dream to listen to :pac:

He'd be better as a studio analyst -he's just too pretty not to look at

Chips Lovell

Malari wrote: »

He caters far too much for the "if you've just come in from cutting the grass/ironing the shirts and are watching cycling for the first time" crowd, which probably make up about 1.2% of the viewership, especially for races like the Dauphine.

And he probably leaves those people utterly confused.

Chips Lovell

And I know it's probably way down the order of priorities, such as getting to speak in proper English, but someone really should introduce him to the metric system.

Malari

el tonto wrote: »

And I know it's probably way down the order of priorities, such as getting to speak in proper English, but someone really should introduce him to the metric system.

Not only that, he converts from the metric system to "English money"!

L'Enfer du Nord

Spare a thought for non-irish, non-irish resident people. I think Sean Kelly is a great commentator, plus he's improved a lot since he started. My mother comes from the same part of the country so I've never had trouble understanding him but I'm told Americans and others find him hard to understand. - Can't stand one guy(Duffer) can't understand the other (Kelly).

Chips Lovell

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

Spare a thought for non-irish, non-irish resident people. I think Sean Kelly is a great commentator, plus he's improved a lot since he started. My mother comes from the same part of the country so I've never had trouble understanding him but I'm told Americans and others find him hard to understand. - Can't stand one guy(Duffer) can't understand the other (Kelly).

Well it's British Eurosport, so it's only people in the UK and Ireland watching it really. Americans would be watching Versus or whatever.

TimHanley

I like old duffers. A chance from these squeaky voiced people.

Caroline_ie

Sean Kelly is not hard to understand at all - once you get used to the Kelly-sisms, especially the one that goes '...' when being asked a question and he's nothing to say.

Chips Lovell

I think Kelly has improved a lot of the years. He seems a bit more relaxed in the job now and less awkward. He's never going to be a motormouth, but everything he does say is useful. And I kind of respect that fact that he prefers to say nothing at times rather than fill the air with mindless rambling.

I'd love to see him paired with Duffield some day and find out whether Kelly's cool would crack. Even the tame and innocous Carlton Kirby last night was beginning to sound totally exasperated with Duffers.

Raam

I like Carlton. He has a nice mellow voice. I think he does some of the motor cycling races also. When Kelly is talking we know that what he is going to say is usually meaningful, interesting and somehow related to cycling.

lukester

Kelly is a master of understatement, especially when he has something non-positive to express. He gives you no doubt about what he really thinks without actually saying anything nasty.

Harmon asked him early on in the Giro if he liked the colours of Lance's new bike. There was the customary pause and some comment like "No, I don't really think so"

Caroline_ie

Duffers *Hearts* Boards

L'Enfer du Nord

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Sean Kelly is not hard to understand at all - once you get used to the Kelly-sisms, especially the one that goes '...' when being asked a question and he's nothing to say.

I agree,

However others differ
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=%22sean+kelly%22+hard+to+understand+eurosport&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi

Caroline_ie

I want to hear kelly speak French ...

L'Enfer du Nord

Caroline_ie wrote: »

I want to hear kelly speak French ...

Viola!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x30lnv_jeanfrancois-bernard-sean-kelly_sport

http://www.wat.tv/video/sean-kelly-bbk7_a1a7_.html (talking about racing against Eddy Merckx)

Caroline_ie

Kelly mumbles surprisingly good French! i am impressed!

Raam

While we are talking about Sean, I just found this...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/jul/13/smalltalk.sportinterviews

Chips Lovell

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Kelly mumbles surprisingly good French! i am impressed!

Is it just me, or does he seem far more expressive when speaking French?

TinyExplosions

The best bit from that interview:

You've said you're into hurling. But what would it take to persuade you to go to a camogie match?
[Almost uncontrollable laughter] Camogie ... ha ha ha ha!

Not a fan then?
Camogie ... ha ha ha ha! [Finally regains his composure] In fairness, I wouldn't say I'm a follower of that.

What a hero!

Raam

My fav bit...

Finally then, Seán, can you tell us a joke?

[Laughs] No.

Caroline_ie

el tonto wrote: »

Is it just me, or does he seem far more expressive when speaking French?

Slightly yes, but slightly is a lot in Kelly talk scale.

lukester

I thought he was a little bit more expressive too. And now we know his pronunciation of 'classement' on TV is for the benefit of non-French speakers out there.

The man truly is a legend.

Chips Lovell

I want to see him speak Flemish now.

Junior

el tonto wrote: »

I want to see him speak Flemish now.

You should hear his Spanish ..

Chips Lovell

Junior wrote: »

You should hear his Spanish ..

Is it any cop? He had a Spanish sponsor for years.

DrGroove

I think that listening to Carlton Kirby attempting to keep Duffield on track - is amusing. He so regularly wanders off into a crazy little world that it is surprising to look up and see cycling on the Telly and not some fecking travel program for boring old codgers on trikes in Provence.

Anyway - so far this Dauphine was that the pace would hot up as the peleton
got closer to Djion. 'Get it' he said delighted with himself for this tame joke.

Carlton Kirby responded with the SK silence '...':pac:

DirkVoodoo

Ah he's alright...

Listening to him now and I just find it really hard to understand him!

Junior

el tonto wrote: »

Is it any cop? He had a Spanish sponsor for years.

Yah very good cop.

Listening to duffers there now, your right he doesn't finish sentences, tails off in the middle, seems to blurt out stuff as it comes to mind rather than constructing a monologue or commentary...

Diarmuid

have to agree. Listening to the ES audio and watching the France3 feed. Duffield seems to run out of interest in what he is saying before he even finishes. Brutal.

EDIT: Enough of that sh1t. Back to French commentary. The babbling about Valverde was embarrassing especially after the recent news

Junior

Diarmuid wrote: »

have to agree. Listening to the ES audio and watching the France3 feed. Duffield seems to run out of interest in what he is saying before he even finishes. Brutal.

EDIT: Enough of that sh1t. Back to French commentary. The babbling about Valverde was embarrassing especially after the recent news

I was waiting for him to say something about Tommy Simpson, I wasn't disappointed either !

niceonetom

Duffield has got to go. I'm cringing. I bet he smells of pee.


Found this interesting

Guardian:
Who'd win a fight between a lion and a tiger, with or without drugs?
Kelly:
I think the fight would go on for quite a while but ultimately the lion would be able to take more punishment so he'd win.

I think that's an insight in Kelly's psychology - the person who wins a fight isn't the strongest, or the most vicious or powerful, it's the one take the most punishment. What a man.

Junior

niceonetom wrote: »

I think that's an insight in Kelly's psychology - the person who wins a fight isn't the strongest, or the most vicious or powerful, it's the one take the most punishment. What a man.

I think I posted this old story on Kelly before ..

When he was with PDM they did a VO2 Max test and Kelly was one of the worst of the team, he had the VO2 Max of an average Pro. They asked him was there something wrong, Kelly replied does that thing measure pain, the reply was no. Kelly walked off at this point, within a couple of weeks he'd won another classic.

ROK ON

I love the way Kelly speaks. The South Tipp/Waterford accent has to be one of the most interesting in the country, and it sounds even better with that bit of a continental accent that Kelly has (interestingly the chef Kevin Thornton sort of sounds like that also).

A mate of mine does a brilliant Kelly impression, particularly with the pronunciation of his old colleage Adri van de Poel. the man is pure class.

Lucy11

I am on a mission - to get this bafoon off Eurosport.
The Dauphine Libere is being ruined by this twerp. The Giro d'Italia was absolutely fantastic and I was glued to the tv for 3 weeks...with Duffield still commentating I am having to mute the sound !

http://uk.messages.eurosport.yahoo.com/Cycling/threadview?m=tm&bn=UKS-CY-general&tid=3069&mid=3113&tof=3&rt=1&frt=1&off=1

Read this by another viewer it sums up his incompetence fantastically.

I have already written on the Eurosport message board about Wednesdays stage commentary and lots of other viewers complained also. David Duffield and Carlton Kirby made so many mistakes it really must be a sackable offence ! Carlton Kirby was replaced yesterday by Anthony Mccrossan thank goodness !! Its good to know that Eurosport took note and got rid of him.

Lets get Duffield off Eurosport. Yesterdays commentary (Thursday) was slightly better because Mccrossan was there to give us race commentary but the FOOL was still blithering on about anything other than the race. How annoying is it to be listening to Duffield describing the "twists and turns" and "Valverde is waiting, waiting, waiting...for tomorrow" type comments when on screen you can see theres important riding goin on !!
PLEASE COMPLAIN TO EUROSPORT AND HE WILL HAVE TO GO!

Funkyzeit

Duffers is a legend - and for stage racing like the D-L he's fine to listen to for an hour a day kinda like the Jimmy McGee of cycling - fine in small doses

In saying that I'll be glad to have Harmon/Kelly back for the Tour

Kirby is not great - trying to tell us that Szymd purposely slipped a gear before overtaking Valverde on Ventoux

IM0

watching the Giro I was thinking "who is this guy" (kinda crap) - bring back Duffield (note its be yeeeeeaaaaaaarrrs since Ive been able to watch Eurosport )

So then the Dauphine and Im thinking ok actually bring back the guy who did the Giro, he's deffinately the lesser of two evils
the man was a bit of a leggend, but he's Waaaay past it now clearly.

RapidResults

Try it in the original French (via France 2)...it's the best.