Professional Cycling For the Fans - Outst Kirsten Gum

She's a partier, If she keeps on drinking with the Cutters, One of 'ems going to bang her!

I think Kirsten is hot, but she also looks like she'd gain 80lbs. after bearing her first child.

I had read that she was pregnant earlier this year.......

What about Lisa Guerrero, Melissa Stark, Dennis Miller (not T&A for him, but to inject "humor"). I don't think they were there for their vast knowledge of football. I can't speak about the other sports, since I don't watch them.

For every one of those how many REAL commentators, former athletes and analysists are there? The % of dumb-factor is much higher with that mental midget Gum. Once cycling has 10 P&P's, I won't mind a Gum around.

I think Kirsten is hot, but she also looks like she'd gain 80lbs. after bearing her first child.

She definitely has junk in the trunk!

I dont know if it's been said before because I skipped page two, but I feel even as an avid cyclist that she brings something to the tour that is needed. She asks the stupid questions I guess is what I am trying to say. She isn't into cycling like Bob, and she doesn't have to cool accent either... Either way though she is a normal joe smoe- or joanna smoes, in her case. Many people that watch OLN and the tour are normal Joe smoes that don't know what is going on, all they know is an American has been kicking ass there and they want to watch it.

We all were there some time, asking stupid questions, and there are many people out there that need those stupid questions asked. Until we all know how many stages are in every tour across the world, what all the jersey colors mean, and the grade of every hill in every stage..... than maybe we can be basically downing this girl.

So, why is she really there?

Because OLN, like just about every other TV network and movie studio, is pandering to us stupid Americans. They firmly believe we won't tune in or ante up at the box office unless the cuts are fast, the music is loud, and we've got a nice set of t*ts to look at.

Did anyone catch the pre-race show?


Could you jump me right now?


Yes... and the only thing I've seen that was as funny during a segment with Kirsten was on the 2nd "Road to the Tour" episode -- the one that sealed the deal on Ms Gum's "Mother Jugs" moniker -- when Bobke grabbed his own chest with two hands during one of his highly animated commentaries. I believe it was a non-verbal Freudian slip...

Gum is a hottie. Keep her around! Makes us look like we attract "lookers" w/ our shaved legs :D

I used to have the URL to her mug shot when she got a DUI in Charlotte. I'll post it if I can find it.

I dont know if it's been said before because I skipped page two, but I feel even as an avid cyclist that she brings something to the tour that is needed. She asks the stupid questions I guess is what I am trying to say. She isn't into cycling like Bob, and she doesn't have to cool accent either... Either way though she is a normal joe smoe- or joanna smoes, in her case. Many people that watch OLN and the tour are normal Joe smoes that don't know what is going on, all they know is an American has been kicking ass there and they want to watch it.

We all were there some time, asking stupid questions, and there are many people out there that need those stupid questions asked. Until we all know how many stages are in every tour across the world, what all the jersey colors mean, and the grade of every hill in every stage..... than maybe we can be basically downing this girl.

^This is probably dumber than OLN paying for Gum to be on tv. Not only does OLN think the cycling fans are 2 yr. olds, here is "Arsbars" proving them right. :rolleyes:

Yeah, let's treat cycling fans like *******- that's sure to bring in more fans! Woohoo! That'll make cycling look like a real sport! Because they talk down to every other sport right? Oh wait, not football, not baseball, baseball, soccer, NASCAR, not golf, tennis...oh wait, they do that in the Olympics right? Oh no, not even then. How about...horseracing? Oh they gotta do that in the X-Games right? How about triathlons?
Seems like professionalism is the standard, with comical lightweights as a little levity on the side in every other venue. For some reason, cycling fans are a step below because spinning pedals must make them dumb. People are incapable of grasping knowledge from professional broadcasters and cycling pros (even though they have no problem doing this in every other sport televised).
Yes, cycling needs t&a mental lightweights with their finger in their mouth saying, "Gee, what's that? Green jersey? What dat mean?" Yeah because cycling fans can't understand anything more that that and new cycling fans will take it much more seriously and think it's a "real" sport. Yeah, that's the way.

OLN strategy:
a) Hire good broadcasters, introduce features and insights into teams and riders, intergrate technical innovations in broadcasting like other sports, invest in their own video crews to shoot in a new, more fan-friendly manner.

b) hire a ****** to wear tight shirts and ask stupid questions.

Yeah, "b" would be the way I would go too
:rolleyes:

People,people,people! Just count the growing # of responses to this thread! If Ms. Gum
were to depart I'm sure you'd find something else to ***** about. You don't like listening to her...use the frickin' MUTE button on your remote for crying out loud.

People,people,people! Just count the growing # of responses to this thread! If Ms. Gum
were to depart I'm sure you'd find something else to ***** about.

Yeah maybe we could actually enjoy the racing! Is that too much to ask for?

OUST KIRSTEN GUM!

Yeah maybe we could actually enjoy the racing! Is that too much to ask for?

OUST KIRSTEN GUM!

Being a lazy sod I resort to the use of a little button on my remote control which can raise and lower the sounds emanating from the loudspeakers (my telly is stereo :D) on my television set...

Isn't science a blast? :rolleyes:

I'm not saying we are fat *******. I'm saying that there are tons of people watching OLN that aren't cyclists. And I think she is being as professional as she can when she knows nothing about the sport. There is a fine line between a professional sport and a snobby sport, this post alone is dancing on that line.

OLN doesn't think cycling fans are *******. ******* don't make enough money to buy Subarus and Bowflex machines. Surely you don't think OLN puts racing on TV because they respect you, and know you love the Tour? It's about what sells - and T & A sells best. Just look at this thread, and compare it to the one with today's Stage results. Where's all action at?

Three pages into this thread, and you still haven't caught on. She's the HOST! Kristen Gum is there for the uninitiated, to keep the show moving, and to give respect where it's due, by introducing all the folks Racer mentions in part A of his OLN strategy.

Good broadcasters: Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, Bob Roll

Insights into teams and riders: Frankie Andreu, Chris Carmichael, among others

Technical innovations/more video crews: How many more cameras would you like to see on the road? Enough so that a rider gets clipped every day? I believe the UCI regulates how many motorbikes can be out on a race course at one time.

:rolleyes: Indeed.

And I think she is being as professional as she can when she knows nothing about the sport.

Uh yeah... that's exactly what you want in a professional: someone that has no clue.
:rolleyes:

Yeah turn down the volume and accept mediocrity in a sport you love, that's the ticket to higher quality broadcasting!

OLN doesn't think cycling fans are *******. ******* don't make enough money to buy Subarus and Bowflex machines. Surely you don't think OLN puts racing on TV because they know you love it? It's about what sells - and T & A sells best.

Sure they do. If t&a is acceptable to cycling fans, yup they think we're *******. Football fans are about the dumbest and even they realize the play-by-play and commentator duties are best left to intelligent, entertaining professionals. T&A? Sure, that's what the ads are for.


Just look at this thread, and compare it to the one with today's Stage results. Where's all action at?

cyclingnews.com and eurosport.com where live reports are at, and OLN's coverage.



Three pages into this thread, and you still haven't caught on. She's the HOST! Kristen Gum is there for the uninitiated, to keep the show moving, and to give respect where it's due, by introducing all the folks Racer mentions in part A of his OLN strategy.

Good broadcasters: Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, Bob Roll

Insights into teams and riders: Frankie Andreu, Chris Carmichael, among others

Technical innovations/more video crews: How many more cameras would you like to see on the road? Enough so that a rider gets clipped every day? I believe the UCI regulates how many motorbikes can be out on a race course at one time.

:rolleyes: Indeed.

And yet it doesn't sink in that her brand of crap wouldn't fly in any other sport than cycling. Defend mediocrity, that's the ticket.
As for technical innovations- who said more cameras on the road? Look at the innovations in technical formats for football and even hockey that makes the sport much more fan friendly. Real-time graphics, player stats, interviews and info that actually ENRICH the fan experience... gee, what a novel concept!

What about an intelligent professional as "host"? Wow, earth-shattering concept.

In case none of you whinners noticed, Kirsten has been replaced by Al Trautwig for the pre race. Unless you try, you shouldn't see her t**s for more than 5 minutes a day.

I think some of you need to live through the 1/2 hour of ESPN coverage with Adrian Karsten again :p

-murray

RacerX I dont know what you are so bent out of shape about for all this. Give the chick a break, I dont see you on tv being a host.

Hey, look at the title of the thread. Given the choice, I want quality from OLN. The only way to get it is to say, "Hey, respect the sport and put some value into it instead of being lazy."
That's going to attract more fans and new fans than t&a. That's proven 100x's over in every other televised sport.
Excuse me for expecting more as a cycling fan.

I don't have any problems with Kirsten Gum. She is enthusiastic, and she definitely likes the sport and shows her enjoyment of it. She is much more knowlegable about it than last year, as has made good use of her experience.

For those hard-core roadies who blow their noses at anyone who isn't an experienced veteran, I don't really know what to say. If we hope to expand the viewership of this great race, and the participation of this nation in road cycling, then Kirsten Gum is a much better ambassador for the sport than some female pro with no commentator's skills. People need someone who asks the questions they were thinking of, and who can provide information in layman's terms. This is not an uncommon practice. Remember Hannah Storm as anchor of the NBC Sportsdesk?

I agree with some other folks that Trautwig will be far more irritating than Gum. He doesn't appear to know much either, although he may have more experience in general.

On a sidenote, I enjoyed Kirsten Gum's little piece on Belgian Beer. As a brewer and drinker, I am soooo jealous!

I think some of you need to live through the 1/2 hour of ESPN coverage with Adrian Karsten again :p

-murray

Oh snap!
:roflmao:

Remember Hannah Storm as anchor of the NBC Sportsdesk?



You dare compare Gum to Hannah Storm?! Oh man, wtf

You dare compare Gum to Hannah Storm?! Oh man, wtf

I can only guess, from your posts in this threads, that you are a roadie with an "us against the world" attitude?

I would rather educate the masses, and have them join us in our weekly group rides, then scream at them when they make left turns in front of us in their SUVs.

After all, how is trashing the Kirsten Gums of the world different than trashing the new guy in the group who still wears tightie whities under his biking shorts?

I can only guess, from your posts in this threads, that you are a roadie with an "us against the world" attitude?

I would rather educate the masses, and have them join us in our weekly group rides, then scream at them when they make left turns in front of us in their SUVs.

I race road, track, XC and CX. I do regular trail maintence, support junior development and help host multiple cycling events throughout the year. I'm involved in amateur as well as DIV III cycling and do CX clinics for free. I also enjoy non-racing cycling events when time permits.


After all, how is trashing the Kirsten Gums of the world different than trashing the new guy in the group who still wears tightie whities under his biking shorts?

Professionals get paid to do a job. Fine by you if your employer hired someone to do the same job as you for the same pay- except they had no skills whatsoever?
In fact, lets get just anyone to ride in the pro peloton- no skill or talent required. Same pay, same gear, but have them ride with all the other pros that worked their arse off for the privlige to lead Pettachi out. Yeah, lets get half of the US Postal team from cat 4 amateurs. Nothing wrong with that right? Lance wouldn't mind.

Trash talk the "Kirsten Gums" of the world? All day long.

Trash talk the "Kirsten Gums" of the world? All day long.

I feel all this is coming from jealousy

While I certainly understand the need to appeal to wider audience, I also think it would be bad to alienate the current ones. I generally tune Kirsten Gum out whenever she appears for more than five minutes at a time. Admittedly, she's doing a little better job than she did last year but perhaps that's because they've repositioned her. As far as T&A goes, I never really found her all that attractive and if I wanted to see that, all I have to do is go riding. There's plenty of nice looking women out on bikes around here.

I race road, track, XC and CX. I do regular trail maintence, support junior development and help host multiple cycling events throughout the year. I'm involved in amateur as well as DIV III cycling and do CX clinics for free. I also enjoy non-racing cycling events when time permits.

Glad to hear it. In fact, I have a lot of respect for someone who clearly loves and promotes the sport as you do. Peace.

However, in the world of broadcasting, we're rarely treated to a world-class commentator who has experience in the sport. Bob Costas, who was the studio voice of NBA basketball (as well as Olympics, etc.) for NBC, was a baseball man originally. Let's give Kirsten Gum a chance.

DUI Charge For Kirsten Gum Kirsten Gum, the local anchorwoman turned Fox NASCAR reporter, has a
tentative court date in August following her arrest for driving while impaired the night before the
Coca-Cola 600 race. Police said Gum was pulled over in the 1600 block of East Seventh Street,
Charlotte, about 1:45 a.m. May 27, 16 hours before the start of the race she helped cover for Fox
Sports. Gum, 29, said Monday she could not comment on the case. The arresting officer, R.C. Gormican
of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, said in a report that Gum was stopped near Hawthorne Lane after
her 1997 Mazda 626 was seen speeding and following an SUV too closely.Gum later failed field
sobriety tests and took a breath test that showed her blood alcohol content was 0.11 percent, court
documents said. North Carolina's threshold for intoxication is 0.08percent.Gum was released on
$1,000 bond later that morning.(That's Racin')(6-7-01)

Bob Costas was (is) a great commentator, interviewer and sports afficianado.
Gum is a moron whose chance has come and gone.

After all, how is trashing the Kirsten Gums of the world different than trashing the new guy in the group who still wears tightie whities under his biking shorts?

Kirsten Gum is pretty, enthusiastic and personable. She is not a font of knowledge about cycling, but she has a place in our sport.

Underwear is ugly, noxious and reprehensible. It has no place in our sport.

All in all, Kirsten Gum is fair less injurious to cycling than whitey tighties.

Underwear Nazi
More Gum. Less BVDs.

All in all, Kirsten Gum is fair less injurious to cycling than whitey tighties.
.

What about Kirsten Gum cycling in whitey tighties?

If t&a is acceptable to cycling fans, yup they think we're *******. Football fans are about the dumbest and even they realize the play-by-play and commentator duties are best left to intelligent, entertaining professionals. T&A? Sure, that's what the ads are for.
I'll bring out the FLASHCARDS again.

Gum is NOT responsible for play-by-play and commentary. She's the HOST. Anyone qualified to do play by play and commentary would be OVERQUALIFIED for the position of HOST. OLN does, indeed, leave those duties to the qualified - these men are called PHIL, PAUL, and BOB. They have lots of smart REPORTERS, too. Your rants would be insulting to these men.



And yet it doesn't sink in that her brand of crap wouldn't fly in any other sport than cycling. Defend mediocrity, that's the ticket.
As for technical innovations- who said more cameras on the road? Look at the innovations in technical formats for football and even hockey that makes the sport much more fan friendly. Real-time graphics, player stats, interviews and info that actually ENRICH the fan experience... gee, what a novel concept!

You cannot compare cycling coverage in America to the coverage for football and hockey.

You cannot compare cycling coverage in America to the coverage for football and hockey.

exactly.

Kirsten seams to love the Belgium Beer ... and hanging out with the rowdies ...

Looked a bit tipsy on here little segment Saturday. Not playing the "master host" these days. Party on young lady.

What about Kirsten Gum cycling in whitey tighties?

Laggard:

You have provided us with a truly disturbing glimpse into the inner workings of your perverse soul.

Underwear Nazi
Dare to dream.

She's not too good. I've tuned her butt out, but at the same time, I wish they had someone with more marbles going on upstairs. If you want to get a chick to even out the show, that's all good, but why not reach out and get a female cyclist? I'm sure there are PLENTY of female cyclists out there that have retired, or even semi retired ones or amateur ones they could have looked to. Instead, they got some bimbo and tossed her in front of the television without bothering to update her on the sport of cycling. Even if she took the time to learn everything now, she lost her crediblility in the first season when she was clearly showing her cluelessness for the sport. OLN could have done much better. I don't think there's a place for her in the sport. However, there is a place for a highly talented former racing female to become part of the team. There are plenty of hot chicks out there that fit the bill. Why not go to them instead?

There is clearly something wrong with the idiots over at OLN. When it comes to coverage, they always look to the most clueless females for commenting on the sport. Mabye they truly think that females just have no opinion, so they don't bother to try to find someone that can really contribute, or just just think females are stupid, so just take anyone with ta-ta's and throw them in front of the television. I have to say, I was truly disgusted when at the end of today's stage, they had SHERYL CROW on OLN commenting on the race. What the crap does she know about the sport, what do we gain by having her on OLN sitting with the commentators, and why is her opinion relevant? It's 1000% clear she hasn't a clue about anything in particular, yet she's invited into the box. What, if I screw a rider do I get to be on television too so I can talk about my "perspective" of the sport? Seriously, the only reason why she's on that screen is because at night, Lance jumps on top of her and gets to screw her stupid, so suddenly, because of that, she's on my screen giving her "perspective" of the race. I find that ridiculous. Clearly, there's something insane going on at OLN, and when it comes to coverage where the women are to comment, they get some left field fools to trot in front of the screen. If they think by bringing these women out they are trying to get women viewership, they are sadly mistaken. They just alienate us. So they must be there for the T & A factor for the men, since they clearly aren't there to draw in more women viewers. Quite the contrary, when Kristin or Sheryl come on television, I turn it to ER and watch the reruns on TNT. I prefer that over clueless empty headed commentators anyday.

I'm sure the commentators can dumb down the talk enough so that if you haven't a clue about the Tour, you can easily figure it out. They already do a good job of explaining a lot of the stuff, so if they're bringing in the women to dumb it down, they are sadly mistaken, and if I were one of these women, I'd truly be insulted. I'd want to be taken seriously for my knowledge, and I'd be mortified to be on international television if I appeared to be anything less than that.

OLN, if you are reading, X-nay on the Sheryl at the very least- she does nothing to peak my interest or contribute to the sport, and if you can drop Kristin, even better. Get a female from the retired rank of professional cycling like you did for the men and stop making women (in general) look like a bunch of empty headed fools who are there for the T & A factor!

Koffee

Clearly, OLN thinks that real roadies (and other folks with cycling knowlege) make up the minority of the viewership during this time of the year. Who knows? They might be right. I'd be interested to see some stats.

But let's face it - those of us who are most irritated by Kirsten Gum's lack of cycling knowlege are those of us who are most likely to watch anyway. So OLN wins either way.

I would drink a pint in Belgium anyday with KG. I just wouldn't talk about cycling. She's cool as hell bar none. Still, to this day, the tour is confusing to me on many levels. The more I learn the better. Just wanna hear it from the best.

i think al is more of a problem than kirsten. Al Sux

i think al is more of a problem than kirsten. Al Sux

oh, come on! three years ago the only 'problem' people could complain
about would be the size of the VHS box photo in Colorado Cyclist!!

Ya know what my complaint is, i caught part of it this morning--saw there was a crash
that put what will soon be known as Lucky Boy-not- Leipheimer in a bad place, had to do
stuff so then caught the afternoon replay--but had to run out for something--came back
and the 5-ish rerun was on but 'chores' took me away, Evening falls and i'm nessled in for
the 8:00 p.m. show and...frig' if i don't haave to run out again!! Mind you--none of these
missed opportunities were taped, PVR'd etc.. this is OLN's typical TDF broadcast schedule!

Yeah, lets ***** to 'em...having to wade through ALL those hours and hours of Rodeo and
Fishing and hunting programing--which BTW still have events of their own going on--during
the biggest road bike race in the world--oh, wait, that's not why i'm presenting
myself as a thankless viewer to OLN, it's because Bob Roll has a gap in teeth, and Kurstin isn't
my ideal biker chick..and what about Al T's thin hair! I just don't like it...


"my work here is done"-TT--well sort of...