Time for Kelly to go from Eurosport?

High Nellie

Given the sentiment amongst CI members shown in today's EGM - especially amongst the newer generation by all accounts - I'm wondering what people think about Kelly on Eurosport.

I always loved his authenticity - his cycling record and knowledge, his accent, etc - but I've become a bit disillusioned in recent years.

Even though he's commented on a lot of 'incredible' performances I've never heard him bring up the issue of possible doping. He is one of the insiders and you would think he had an idea of what was going on. Therefore, was he like the rest of establishment - keeping us, the cycling public, in the dark?

And of course he was caught doping. While that was a long time ago, he has never addressed it in public the way others have and is this good enough for a commentator? Ok, some will say 'they were all at it', but the point is 'they all' aren't doing analysis for us.

This is just a feeling I've had for a couple of years now - 'there's another story here but we are not being told it, or it's not even being raised for discussion'. And I've felt a little let down - like I've been taken for a bit of a fool.

Am I alone in this?

petethedrummer

I haven't read your post but the answer is NO.

mikehammer67

no

i like the guy on eurosport like


he not the only doper in cycling like.....

mikehammer67

and he knows his stuff.....

letape

Simple answer - no

Inquitus

Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater!

AstraMonti

It's true that he general avoids talking about doping, but it's a such a huge subject which would probably be against eurosport's policy to expand on it. He is good at what he does, so I don't see any reason why he has to go. If he supports or not McQuaid it's his personal choice and since it's not affecting his job I can't see how it's relevant.

petethedrummer

Too many commentators talk too bloody much. Sean is an oasis of calm.

Brian?

He's paid to give his opinion on cycling. He does this very well.

What do you want from him? He's not in a position of authority in the sport, he's a commentator.

brasshead

No!

Brads locks

You are loosing the run of yourself now.

victorcarrera

Not in so many words but he does actually communicate it live and usually two weeks before anyone else knows about it. Have you not noticed how he clams up and is unable to comment when a nobody rides away from the group to win on a mountain top finish. The other commentator is then left to finish the program on his own.:D He knows the game so well he knows who is on the soup. This is just his way of communicating it.

AIR-AUSSIE

I see no reason for him to leave, although I'd prefer If he stopped saying "making the cal-cu-laation" so often.

RobFowl

Christ no......

MPFG

NO!!!
I love Sean ...he is a shrewd man

However I also quite like Brain Smith and Magnus Backsted...both very knowledgeable but there is no one like Sean ....

Now Carlon Kirby ...that is another matter altogether and he is doing the Tour with Sean....so it looks like Phil Ligget and horror of horrors Paul Sherwn for me :eek:

elduggo

no

trad

WE have enough unemployed ex pro cyclists.

Harrybelafonte

High Nellie wrote: »

Given the sentiment amongst CI members shown in today's EGM - especially amongst the newer generation by all accounts - I'm wondering what people think about Kelly on Eurosport.

I always loved his authenticity - his cycling record and knowledge, his accent, etc - but I've become a bit disillusioned in recent years.

Even though he's commented on a lot of 'incredible' performances I've never heard him bring up the issue of possible doping. He is one of the insiders and you would think he had an idea of what was going on. Therefore, was he like the rest of establishment - keeping us, the cycling public, in the dark?

And of course he was caught doping. While that was a long time ago, he has never addressed it in public the way others have and is this good enough for a commentator? Ok, some will say 'they were all at it', but the point is 'they all' aren't doing analysis for us.

This is just a feeling I've had for a couple of years now - 'there's another story here but we are not being told it, or it's not even being raised for discussion'. And I've felt a little let down - like I've been taken for a bit of a fool.

Am I alone in this?

I don't know man, I've always been surprised at what the viewing public demand of TV commentators. Phil became a pain becasue he was so supportive of Armstrong, blindingly so. I'm fine with all the guys on Eurosport, Sean keeps quiet and when he speaks it's always insightful, but he's a sidekick, the others have to keep talking, even if it means they say something stupid every so often. Do we want silence? As for his opinions on things or staying quiet, who cares? He's not in a poltical show and I don't want my races to be filled with crap about doping. As for his comments on McQuaid, are we going to have a purge now with all McQuaid's supporters chucked out of positions of power? Surely that'd be a dangerous turn.

luapenak

High Nellie wrote: »

.

I always loved his authenticity - his cycling record and knowledge, his accent, etc

Exactly, couldn't give a sh&t about the rest if sitting down to watch ~3hours of cycling a day for 3 weeks.

High Nellie wrote: »

.
Am I alone in this?

Yes

12 sprocket

High Nellie wrote: »

Given the sentiment amongst CI members shown in today's EGM - especially amongst the newer generation by all accounts - I'm wondering what people think about Kelly on Eurosport.

I always loved his authenticity - his cycling record and knowledge, his accent, etc - but I've become a bit disillusioned in recent years.

Even though he's commented on a lot of 'incredible' performances I've never heard him bring up the issue of possible doping. He is one of the insiders and you would think he had an idea of what was going on. Therefore, was he like the rest of establishment - keeping us, the cycling public, in the dark?

And of course he was caught doping. While that was a long time ago, he has never addressed it in public the way others have and is this good enough for a commentator? Ok, some will say 'they were all at it', but the point is 'they all' aren't doing analysis for us.

This is just a feeling I've had for a couple of years now - 'there's another story here but we are not being told it, or it's not even being raised for discussion'. And I've felt a little let down - like I've been taken for a bit of a fool.

Am I alone in this?

Not at all high nellie,
lets get kelly then we wiill get any one else that we think are different or don't agree with us.... then we will get the old lad who does the timekeeping for the vets time trials and that old guy who has stood on the corner of the local race for the last thirty or more years........and when we get all them we will go after everyone with blue eyes!
Some rare ones posting on this boards!

pelevin

petethedrummer wrote: »

Too many commentators talk too bloody much. Sean is an oasis of calm.

Share that sentiment. For me he's not trying to be anything but who he is - a soft-spoken very hard man from the wilds of Ireland & long may he stay with Eurosport.

letape

12 sprocket wrote: »

Not at all high nellie,
lets get kelly then we wiill get any one else that we think are different or don't agree with us.... then we will get the old lad who does the timekeeping for the vets time trials and that old guy who has stood on the corner of the local race for the last thirty or more years........and when we get all them we will go after everyone with blue eyes!
Some rare ones posting on this boards!

Good post - I felt the same way when I read the OP's post! Sounded a bit like a call for a lynch mob!

ROK ON

Nuts.

Best cycling analyst commentating on an TV channel that I have seen. The man's insights are the stuff of legend.

This is beyond nuts.

Guybrush T

12 sprocket wrote: »

Not at all high nellie,
lets get kelly then we wiill get any one else that we think are different or don't agree with us.... then we will get the old lad who does the timekeeping for the vets time trials and that old guy who has stood on the corner of the local race for the last thirty or more years........and when we get all them we will go after everyone with blue eyes!
Some rare ones posting on this boards!

Great post, only slightly spoiled by the fact that almost every response to the OP has been no:rolleyes:. I think you should throw out those grapes, they seem to have gone sour since yesterday.

Sean makes the Eurosport commentary for me, I hope he continues for years yet.

Beasty

I suspect High Nellie is in fact Sean Kelly and is looking for an enhanced redundancy/early retirement package ....:D

MPFG

Beasty wrote: »

I suspect High Nellie is in fact Sean Kelly and is looking for an enhanced redundancy/early retirement package ....:D

Of course Neille / Kelly .....so obvious now

Nothing gets past you Beasty

GetWithIt

I'm sure Eurosport are reading this thread with interest and "doing the calculation".

Kieran81

Its ridiculous that he is on tv , it's like having Ben Johnson in a studio during the Olympics. Kelly cheated , never shows any sorrow/regret for it , dominated cycling in a dirty era and every time I hear him on air it reminds me of all that's wrong with cycling . If he wasn't Irish he wouldn't be getting all this support .

Lumen

letape wrote: »

Good post - I felt the same way when I read the OP's post! Sounded a bit like a call for a lynch mob!

IMO the lynch mob is more like the rest of the thread.

Can someone not air an opinion and invite discussion without a mass pile-on?

victorcarrera

12 sprocket wrote: »

...the old lad who does the timekeeping for the vets time trials and that old guy who has stood on the corner of the local race for the last thirty or more years........and when we get all them we will go after everyone with blue eyes!
Some rare ones posting on this boards!

To equate these with a proven multiple time unrepentant doper is a bad calculation.

DirkVoodoo

Another "NO!"

Sean's job is to comment on the race at hand, not turn every single event into a doping witch-hunt or excuse to berate cyclists who have been let back into the fold.

He is there to talk about the parcours, the guys "feeling real good" and of course "making the calculation".

It's the UCI's (supposed) job to root out doping in the sport and assign bans, not Kelly's. He supported Pat's bid, that's fair enough, I would hazard there is a bit of personal sentiment between old cycling friends there, nothing wrong with that. It doesn't change my opinion of the man, he is still an Irish cycling legend and while some may argue he has unanswered questions, I believe that most guys in that era probably do as they were more a product of the culture at that time.

If every tour became a "Sean, who do you think is doping?" conversation for 4 hours, I think we would all give up on the sport.

mikehammer67

Kieran81 wrote: »

Its ridiculous that he is on tv , it's like having Ben Johnson in a studio during the Olympics. Kelly cheated , never shows any sorrow/regret for it , dominated cycling in a dirty era and every time I hear him on air it reminds me of all that's wrong with cycling . If he wasn't Irish he wouldn't be getting all this support .

think you're getting your eras mixed up there buddy

the dirty era was when cyclists started taking epo

the cream usually rose to the top before then

Kieran81

mikehammer67 wrote: »

think you're getting your eras mixed up there buddy

the dirty era was when cyclists started taking epo

the cream usually rose to the top before then

Lmao , if epo was around it would have been taken too , just like everything else was

mikehammer67

Kieran81 wrote: »

Lmao , if epo was around it would have been taken too , just like everything else was

except it wasn't around buddy

keep laughing

Kieran81

mikehammer67 wrote: »

except it wasn't around buddy

keep laughing

I don't know what point you're trying to make , Kelly is an unrepentant doper , he was at the very top for a long time where drug abuse was rampant and deserves no place on tv
how the "epo era" is dirtier than his is not even relevant , do you think if epo was there in Kelly's time he wouldn't have used that too !

victorcarrera

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

...If every tour became a "Sean, who do you think is doping?" conversation for 4 hours, I think we would all give up on the sport.

But telling us a few stories during the long flat stages about doping and swapping urine samples back in the 80's would be much more interesting than toe clips and wool jerseys.

Captain Havoc

Kieran81 wrote: »

Lmao , if epo was around it would have been taken too , just like everything else was

If, is not an argument. If my aunty had balls she'd be my uncle.

victorcarrera

Captain Havoc wrote: »

If, is not an argument. If my aunty had balls she'd be my uncle.

In logic, If (has balls) is a statement that tests the truth of one argument if true (uncle) and the other if not (auntie). Physics however does not always obey the laws of logic. This is why big fat Belgians and Danes can fly up mountains and skinny climbers can win Time Trials.

manwithaplan

Lumen wrote: »

IMO the lynch mob is more like the rest of the thread.

Can someone not air an opinion and invite discussion without a mass pile-on?

Not on Kelly. Roche gets an absolute kicking on twitter for supporting McQuaid but Kelly can do no wrong.

Having said that, his position with Eurosport is neither here nor there.

dermur

Would be majorly difficult to get a replacement as insightful as Kelly. :pac:

Brian?

Kieran81 wrote: »

Lmao , if epo was around it would have been taken too , just like everything else was

Kelly tested positive for a stimulant and later for codeine. There is no proof that he took anything else.


The problem with EPO, as stated earlier, was that it could make a throught bred from a cart horse. No drugs around during Kellys career had as dramatic an effect as EPO.

winterwarden

"It's difficult to say" - Sean Kelly

Kieran81

Brian? wrote: »

Kelly tested positive for a stimulant and later for codeine. There is no proof that he took anything else.


The problem with EPO, as stated earlier, was that it could make a throught bred from a cart horse. No drugs around during Kellys career had as dramatic an effect as EPO.

The point is he is a proven doper , as to how good he was compared to the rest as say compared to induran to his rivals , its impossible to answer and it's impossible to say he would have been the best if they were all clean , they robbed everyone of that answer by doping . It's still ridiculous that he is on tv , you don't see Marion jones , Michelle smith , Ben Johnson in a similar spot on athletics or swimming shows

mikehammer67

Kieran81 wrote: »

The point is he is a proven doper , as to how good he was compared to the rest as say compared to induran to his rivals , its impossible to answer and it's impossible to say he would have been the best if they were all clean , they robbed everyone of that answer by doping . It's still ridiculous that he is on tv , you don't see Marion jones , Michelle smith , Ben Johnson in a similar spot on athletics or swimming shows

you seem to be one of these people who watches tv and believes there's only a few bad apples
spoiling it for everybody

and it's only the big names like jones and johnson who made the headlines
that were doing the doping

that isn't how it works buddy
only a few get caught

Kieran81

mikehammer67 wrote: »

you seem to be one of these people who watches tv and believes there's only a few bad apples
spoiling it for everybody

and it's only the big names like jones and johnson who made the headlines
that were doing the doping

that isn't how it works buddy
only a few get caught

There's nowhere in anything I wrote that suggests I think it's just a few spoiling it for everybody , I'm well aware that large numbers get away with it and many more are also caught but don't make the headlines . But the "everybody was at it " argument isn't justification for it in my book

elduggo

Kieran81 wrote: »

Its ridiculous that he is on tv , it's like having Ben Johnson in a studio during the Olympics.

or Richard Virenque or Laurent Jalabert on French TV

oh wait..

IM0

jesus did someone just say carlton is doing the tour? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, get quigley he gets the best out of sean and the pair of them work very well together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWjDYz2ldN0

Fr D Maugire

So are we suggesting that commentators now have to pass a drug test for the role. How exactly do we know that Brian Smith, Magnus Backstedt, Dan Lloyd or Paul Sherwan never took drugs either. This goes down the road of who can they get that they definitely know never took drugs?? Impossible to answer.

Maybe Paul Kimmage should not be allowed to comment on cycling either cos you know he took drugs as well and was at times an accomplice in what was going on.

Silly thread.

letape

Is it too late to include a poll on this thread?!

johnk123

Would not like to see him go. I found his insights really bridged a gap for me when I was getting into cycling in the last few years, particularly things about the peleton. Simple things that others might find silly or stupid, but I found interesting... Like how the pro's do X, Y or Z... or why they wear certain things... I don't know, hard to describe now and I guess GCN videos on youtube do this just as well, but I found his insights great for the things I wanted to know but felt stupid wondering about as they weren't the 'reason' I was watching it.


I hope he stays. I prefer listening to an Irish accent than the endless English commentary out there for every other sport... Same with EJ on the formula 1... Nice to hear an Irish accent every now and then!

happytramp

It's probably worth noting that although he has a huge amount of support here, due to his being something of a hero to many of us, he is also very popular elsewhere. If you frequent any major cycling forums there's usually a thread talking about the Eurosport commentators and the general consensus seems to be that is that Kelly is by far the most well liked.