2012 Tour de France TV coverage on NBC Sports

17 Comments

1. The Tour de France has become a true FRENCH FARCE ! Bring back the old format and make them really race. The reliance of a very few riders on “domestiques,” making up the bulk of each team, is not racing. Show the scenery then report the results in a two minute summary. Once someone gets a few minute lead, in the early stages, the race is virtually over

2. bring back AL TTRAUTWIG!!!

3. Why is it that all of the comments above are right on, but NBC can’t see it? Why have they messed with a good thing? The first half hour with Bob, Paul, and Phil was the perfect combination of information, insight, and wit. Craig actually wasn’t too bad, compared to Liam McHugh – a guy who doesn’t seem to understand a thing about the race. And now they’ve added ridiculous interludes with Steve Porino?! Those are embarrassing! Just stick with what has worked and not try desperate tactics to try to draw in new viewers. It doesn’t work and it alienates serious viewers, the only ones that stick faithfully through 3 weeks of racing.

4. liam mcsnooze and scott monotone – GOTTA GO!!!!!!!!

   why are they there? nbc – PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE bring back phil and paul interacting with bobke! why on earth would nbc prevent their traditional banter? half the fun of watching the tour is to see their reactions to each other’s comments. please fix this!

5. NBC has RUINED Tour de France with commercial breaks every 4-5 minutes! NBC do not know how to air sports events. I remember during the last summer olympics they has commercial breaks during a soccer match..LOL!!! I’ve NEVER seen that before..a shock to say the least.
   IDIOTS!!!

6. At first I did not like Liam, now I feel sorry for him. On another note, I hate how Phil, Paul, and Bobke have not defended Lance a all. When Phil was naming the greatest Tour riders of all time he did not mention Armstrong.

7. NBC WAKE UP. I swear to goodness, it feels like Jack from 30 Rock has put Liam McCugh in the Tour de France host slot in a scheme to drive the show into the ground to get a tax break for NBC. Is anyone from their network watching or are they just too stupid to realize what a horrible mistake they are making??? He is as dull as can be and manages to look supercilious at the same time. Embarrassing. Beginning to feel sorry for the guy. Please just let Bob, Phil, Paul do what they do best.

8. I couldnt agree more.. ok its America’idea of Cycling. Phil and Paul are along for the salary seems no one broadcast company can give Pro cycling its fair shake..
   So what I do is tune into Steephill.tv
   stream French TV 2 listen to the broadcast in Francais. tune into NBC on the big lcd. turn down the volume.. up the volume on the stream..
   OH and hey NBC its free on French TV so whats up with the Live stream digital/ $29.99 give me a break or brake!! its all about money..I did the same for the Giro.Gazzetta streamed it for FRee!!
   Or conversely even Cycling TV with the Brits are more endeared to cycling than Football commentators Liam or Al and a hell of alot more enthusiastic than Scott oh man.. he looks tired,out of shape.. pale ..come on dude get outside get some cycling tan lines.get a clean hair cut.. looks like a middle aged man who just came back from the Car dealership..after a bad day of sales..
   The whole NBC idea of Cycling is just way off course.. please NBC consult with the Brits, the Italians, the French, the Belgians.. go take a Holiday ..learn how its done across the pond before you embarrass yourselves next year.. if that even happens..yikes!

9. I wish they the whole race was broadcast over the air. Come on NBC do it, you have the extra channels.

10. The WORST commentators EVER!!!! Liam McHugh??? Get rid of him. Horrible. More Bob Roll!

11. Where does Paul go off to during the end of the stages? The combination of Phil and Paul making the call is sorely missed.

12. For the love of God, get rid of Liam McHugh! How can he possibly still be holding this job? He’s like the Ann Curry of sportscasting, and completely over his head when it comes to Tour de France coverage. Craig Hummer was much better. Phil, Paul, and Bob are gold, as always — the best commentators for any sport. Maybe Liam’s married to the head of NBC’s daughter or something. No idea why he’s even involved in the Tour. I fast forward through the first half hour now!

13. This yr, NBC really screwed up the host selection. Scott Moninger may have been a great US Pro racer, but he is awful as a broadcaster. He sounds like he’s half asleep. And why is Liam McHugh still there? He’s a football sportscaster. It’s like a replay of the ESPN yrs during Miguel Indurain’s reign when Adrian Karsten was there with Phil. I wasn’t sure if Wisconsin football was coming on next. Liam sounds like he doesn’t even want to be there with all his sighing. At first, I wasn’t sure of Craig Hummer, but now I realize he was pretty good, simply because he actually has an interest in cycling, even if he didn’t formally compete. I can see Bob trying to make it fun this yr, but the joyous chemistry that was there when Craig, Phil and Paul were at the primetime desk just isn’t there when he’s surrounded by 2 duds. Gugolski from universal sports last yr was too enthusiastic to the point of strange. Al Trautwig, who was there briefly recently and who covered the Tour with Phil back in 1989 with ABC was very professional, but I don’t know why he ends up with such short stints. The only money folks are Phil (of course, who’s been doing this since the beg of time), Paul, and Bob. I think Phil and Paul wants to just call the race bec it is a lot on their plate to also do a booth broadcast each day, esp with all the daily travel in traffic. I’d say get Craig and Bob in the booth. That’s all they need there.

14. Please, please, please… Dump Liam and Scott from the pre-race show and go back to the Hummer, Roll, Liggett, Sherwin pre-race line up. Liam and Scott are painfully boring. For those of us in the U.S. that have been watching the tour for the last decade on Outdoor and then Versus, the chemistry between Roll, Liggett, Sherwin and, eventually Hummer is a definitive part of our TDF experience.

15. NBC ruined the coverage last year when they overturned the Versus format that had started each show with Craig,Bob,Phil,and Paul in a very entertaining and informative segment – especially their yellow jersey picks. At that time this new NBC format was exhaustively criticized on this forum.

    Regretably this year that horrible decision stays in place, with Craig Hummer banished to the wasteland of ‘field reporter’, and Bob Roll joined by Liam McHugh and Scott Moninger – the pair of whom contribute nothing at all – in fact they seem to have wandered into the wrong studio. Bob seems unhappy surrounded by those two no-names, and the whole 25 minute opening segment is like watching paint dry, it’s that painful. I no longer watch the live morning show – I just record the 2 hour version later in the day where we get down to business and don’t have to put up with the boredom.

16. Once again, I raise the question: Why Craig Hummer?
    Has he on been grandfathered in since the network change? Not only is there too many people “in the booth”, but also no room for someone who can merely claim to know the sport. Enough already, cut the cord.
    I could care less what Craig Hummer thinks or says, and can’t stand it when he is on the broadcast.
    TO THE POINT: THIS IS NOT HIS CALLING PERIOD.
    PLEASE, NEVER AGAIN!
    Thank you,
    DH
    (I now anxiously await your response)

    • Daniel —
      Craig is better than Liam McHugh or Scott Moninger!! It took me a couple of years to warm up to Craig — but, Liam and Scott ?? Please!!!

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