Not liking this Hummer guy. What happened to Trautwig? I know I am probably in the minority but I liked Al, deep voice and all. This Hummer kid doesn't really fit in with the older commentators although Phil probably likes him, notice how they keep him as far away as possible;)

Well you would, indeed, be in the minority (as would I). Al, to me at least, seemed kind of like the everyman in the triumverate and I liked that about him. I am just waiting to see what all of the whiners about Al. It almost makes me wonder if VS. read the coments in here, most of which were unduly harsh. I wonder how many of us could do what Al did. I love cycling as much as anyone in the forums but I do not know if I could ever be a commentator...of any sort.

Cheers,

Brian

Word on the net is that Al's in Olympic mode this year. Good for the Olympics, bad for Versus. I think Al's biggest fault was being paired with Rolle for Extended coverage. That was always a train wreck- Al can't play by play a cycling event and Bob is a sub par color man. But during the intros and other production, it was always obvious that Al was the only professional broadcaster on the team.

But I'll give Hummer a fair shake.

Word on the net is that Al's in Olympic mode this year. Good for the Olympics, bad for Versus. I think Al's biggest fault was being paired with Rolle for Extended coverage. That was always a train wreck- Al can't play by play a cycling event and Bob is a sub par color man. But during the intros and other production, it was always obvious that Al was the only professional broadcaster on the team.

But I'll give Hummer a fair shake.


Word!!!

Someone needs to track how many times Bob says "Tour Day France". That's gotta kill the Francophiles.

Al Trautwig rates up there with Brent Musburger, complete Hack. They should just have Phil, Paul and Mr. Tour Da France, Bob Roll.

Al goes the way of Kristen Gump and the Cutters.

His words here will be little noted nor long remembered (to borrow a phrase) except for the gaffs.

Someone needs to track how many times Bob says "Tour Day France". That's gotta kill the Francophiles.

Yep, and from what I've read about the way the 7-11 team was treated when they first went to the Tour, I can understand the deliberate provocation in the pronunciation. Let's just say that the Americans weren't too welcome when they first showed up.

After watching the Tour of Pennsylvania, I shall never again complain about Versus' coverage of the TdF!

I'm thinking that Al is not here because it is an Olympic year. Bejing starts too soon after TdF. I didn't like the evening coverage- you're missing out on Phil saying the wrong thing and Paul subtely correcting him. Or Paul repeating exactly what Phil just said, as if he wasn't listening. Plus, Phil & Paul Bingo is too fun.

Yes you're right, Hummer sucks - I'd much prefer a John Tesh wannabe uber-dork who knows absolutely nothing about the sport he comments on. Good grief.

Al is missed IMHO. He added legitimacy to newcomers and passers by in so much that most sports people sure as heck know who Al is. Only Hummer's mom might know who he is. If I were go sports fan that happen to stumble up in the low 600's on directv and I saw Al, I might figure this is actually real sports event. Same person this year would pass by.

Yes you're right, Hummer sucks - .

Other than making a stupid pick for the stage one winner, I haven't heard him say in anything outrageously stupid yet. So he's already ahead of Al.

Yes you're right, Hummer sucks - I'd much prefer a John Tesh wannabe uber-dork who knows absolutely nothing about the sport he comments on. Good grief.

hummer was marginal on americas up coverage too but not as bad as tucker thompson and andy green who provided color

Yeh, Hummer needs to get some dental work so he looks like Bob Roll! :)

I had forgotten about Al Trautwig completely. This Hummer kid is irritating, but nowhere near as bad as Al.

After watching the Tour of Pennsylvania, I shall never again complain about Versus' coverage of the TdF!

Your lucky, you got to see the Tour of Pennsylvania coverage. Due to some problems with the Virginia State Police and my Harley, I didn't get home until long after the show was over.

At least I was at the first KOM point during the Bedford-Latrobe stage on Friday - an excellent morning. Television coverage doesn't do justice to what's really going on.

Al Trautwig is serving a 2-year TDF ban.

He was caught being, well, a dope.

Not that I ever really minded. As long as the English boys are there, and Bobke, they could have a sock puppet and I wouldn't care.

Al Trautwig is pretty good at NHL commentary. I think that's his specialty and he has to find other work during the NHL off-season (summer).

Hummer is a former swimmer and lifeguard. He is younger and better looking then the other. Ask a marketing Major why he is there. I read that he has been learning more about cycling since he interviewed Lance in 2006. Let him to the do the touristy stuff like the women they have had before. I'll cut him some slack for this year.

I miss Trautwig. I think he brought in an air of professionalism and sport sophistication. At least as a talking head/pre-game kind of guy. I wasn't that wild about his race play-by-play. There was something 'big' about the broadcasts when he was there. Now it's gotten to feeling a bit sad, empty and low budget. Something is definitely missing this year.

Now that said, I am finding it harder and harder to bear Phil and Paul. I used to love hearing these guys call the races. But both have become enamored with their own old, stale cliches. They are too often now at a loss for words when things get dramatic and tense...they fall back to the same old stock phrases.

I guess Al is busy with the Olympics. Hey did you hear about the 18 Chinese swimmers getting kicked out of the Olympics, in ahem, China, for doping?

I think this will be the best TdF ever, because of the zero-tolerance doping policy, even with the Hum-meister. Dopers suck - and I don't care if a doper reads this. Win the race on your own, mom-given talent, and leave the drug$ to baseball players.

And hey, what's up with the Hummer-ino wearing a different color of shirt than Bobke and the brits? Did Al ever do that?

Al Trautwig is serving a 2-year TDF ban.

He was caught being, well, a dope.

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_11_6.gif

Al Trautwig is serving a 2-year TDF ban.

He was caught being, well, a dope.

Not that I ever really minded. As long as the English boys are there, and Bobke, they could have a sock puppet and I wouldn't care.


^^^^^^ :roflmao2: My vote for a top 10 post of the year.

BTW, watch out what you wish for, or they might bring back Sam Posey and John Tesh.

yeah, Hummer's not too bad, that is if you think one of the tour favourites from italy
is Damian Cuno, and his compatriot Ricky Riccardo.
Every year it just gets worse. I'm at a point where big Al sounded good, at least he
got the names somewhat right and seemed interested.

Someone needs to track how many times Bob says "Tour Day France". That's gotta kill the Francophiles.

I'm of the belief that once you ride and finish it, you can pronounce it how ever you want.

hummer was marginal on americas up coverage too but not as bad as tucker thompson and andy green who provided color

+1

The AC coverage was the usual mish-mash but, Hummer plugged away, read his lines right, stayed out of the way on analysis and, kissed butt repeatedly to Peter and the rest. The company guy.

Bottom line for me is that he seems to enjoy what he's doing and damn if I can figure out if he's ever raced a Star boat or done 50k. on a Colnago.

Why the hell does versus use Roll and Hummer for their taped versions anyway? I'm no huge fan of Phil and Paul, but I'll take their live commentary over the other two anyday.

(on a side note, at least Hummer doesn't find every opportunity to mention LA like Trautcrap did.)

I miss Al, I always tried to watch the pre race coverage with him Paul and Phil. Now i could care less. Not a huge fan of this new kid, but that is just my 2 cents....

i thought trautwig was a professional, but he just never seemed to understand what he was covering. he just never caught on to what he was talking about

this hummer kid is getting to me already. he's just trying to be too cute. i really don't think the broadcast team needs this fourth person. phil, paul, and bobke are good enough for me. i think they cover things well. if the network feels it just has to put a company man on the set with them, why can't they get an intelligent, matter-of-fact, no-nonsense person that understands the sport he's talking about?

My preference would be Eurosport, in French, because they really get into it.

Barring that, I'm happy I can watch Phil and Paul during the day since I work from home (but can they please lose the off-pinkish shirts!?). I've watched a bit of the primetime coverage, and I find Hummer to be solid. Bobke goofy, but that's what they pay him for.

i thought trautwig was a professional, but he just never seemed to understand what he was covering. he just never caught on to what he was talking about

this hummer kid is getting to me already. he's just trying to be too cute. i really don't think the broadcast team needs this fourth person. phil, paul, and bobke are good enough for me. i think they cover things well. if the network feels it just has to put a company man on the set with them, why can't they get an intelligent, matter-of-fact, no-nonsense person that understands the sport he's talking about?

AMEN!!!!!!!!!

Bobke still manages to mangle French a bit, but they musta given him lessons because he's a whole lot better than previous years.

^^^^^^* :roflmao2: My vote for a top 10 post of the year.Danke, ladies.* I'll be here all ze veek.* Try der schnitzel.:p

Al goes the way of Kristen Gump and the Cutters.

His words here will be little noted nor long remembered...

Does anyone remember Kristen for her words?? Not I. :love:

Does anyone remember Kristen for her words?? Not I. :love:

i was the same way until i saw her mug shot after being arrested for DUI or whatever it was. how can someone so cute look so bad? :lol:

Every time Craig Hummer pronounces his name that way I cringe. I'm really not liking Hummer.

i agree. it's not like george is a new name in the sport. didn't he ride with that erm-strung guy?

...can go DIAF.

I can't watch the "primetime" rolling-hummer coverage... it's just horrible.

I really, really, really, fail to see what all the fuss is about with Hummer. I am not expecting any in-depth analysis from him, and realize that I am watching the tour in a non-cycling inspired country.

I am beginning to think the anti-Hummer rant is just the latest cool-kid emotion, Kinda like hipsters and fixed gears.

Perhaps so....how do you like the Pista? :)

Michael

...can go DIAF.

I can't watch the "primetime" rolling-hummer coverage... it's just horrible.

dont watch him, tivo it in the morning and you can also blow through commercials..today i started watching at 10 am and didnt watch any commercials or human interest stories...btw, liggett makes a ton of mistakes whn annopucing, i know he is a legend but sherwin corrects him alot

he's fine. maybe you should write Versus and offer your services.

how do you like the Pista? :)

Michael

It did not get me in the cool kid hipster club, which is why I hate hipster cool kids now, and know not what to do with my chrome messenger bag:thumb:

I Tivo'ed the morning on one day, the primetime on the other, not realizing that the usual suspects only did the morning coverage...

I'm (of course) not saying who would do a better job, though it certainly isn't me... so squash that asinine implication.

The simple fact is I don't understand why versus chooses to use a swimmer/lifeguard/bullriding commentator to work the TdF. I can't imagine that there is a dearth of retired cyclists who would happily jump at the opportunity. It's a bit like Bob "Never Played the Game" Costas doing MLB broadcasts...

I think it takes a very unusual person who is a former athlete in a particular sport to become an announcer in that sport. And no matter whom they pick, there is going to be someone who doesn't like him/her. Johnny Miller in golf, John Davidson in hockey, Tim McCarver in baseball...honestly, to me, I get pretty wrapped up in the cycling and the announcer is just sort of "filler" and I'm less interested in who it actually is. I've watch web streaming coverage of the tour and have endured the dialog in Norwegian, Russian, and Italian and been perfectly happy.

Any coverage beats no coverage, hands down. I'm going with that! :)

+1.

I'm beginning to wonder if anyone on this board actually has time to watch the race, as they're spending so much time and effort being offended by the announcers, commercials, etc. ;)

I'm happy just to see decently intelligent coverage. And if I need a counterpoint, the local fishwrap finally did an article on the Tour this morning in the sports section . . . . . .

. . . . . . on the doping bust. Nothing written on the race itself, of course. They drop in a two column in note (synopsis) from the AP in a back corner every day as their 'coverage'. The bust, however, made the back page of the section, second in importance to the front page.

Don't nitpick too much - at least we're getting level coverage.

+1.

I'm beginning to wonder if anyone on this board actually has time to watch the race, as they're spending so much time and effort being offended by the announcers, commercials, etc. ;)

I'm happy just to see decently intelligent coverage. And if I need a counterpoint, the local fishwrap finally did an article on the Tour this morning in the sports section . . . . . .

. . . . . . on the doping bust. Nothing written on the race itself, of course. They drop in a two column in note (synopsis) from the AP in a back corner every day as their 'coverage'. The bust, however, made the back page of the section, second in importance to the front page.

Don't nitpick too much - at least we're getting level coverage.

wonder no more...i tivo it then about an hour after it starts i start watching and blow through the commercials and finishup about the same time as the coverage so no spoiler happens, no commercials happen(remeber the ones last year for canon that ran on every break) and liggett and sherwin do fine except liggett cant see but either could harry carey and i listened to him

Merged various Craig Hummer threads

I think it takes a very unusual person who is a former athlete in a particular sport to become an announcer in that sport.

Is it easier for someone who never was involved in the sport to be an announcer?