[sporter92]

I may be in the minority but for what its worth I am enjoying every presenter on BBC One from Bill & Hazel in the morning to Gary Lineker and Dan Walker at night. Mishal Hussain has also been really good as has Manish Bhasin on BBC Three, Sonali Shah should really just be a reporter but I can live with her but all in all the BBC coverage has been excellent

[dogheadhunter]

Originally Posted by sanfran1

I must admit I'm starting to get used to Ian Thorpe now but I did find hime quite arrogant to start with - he seemed to have a habit of starting his replies with "Look..." which I found a tad condescending.
Mind you, I can't stand Gary Lineker and felt sorry for Thorpe having to listen to his drivel - especially the supid 'joke' about the Germans
I do think that Clare Balding and Hazel Irvine are excellent and I quite like Sue Barker too.

Starting a sentence with "Look..." is an Australian mannerism. Just listen to any Australian sportsmen/women, particularly the cricketers, and they all do it. Don't know why they do it, but it can sound condescending. I've got a feeling that Tony Blair started doing it towards the end of his period as Prime Minister as well?

[Meldrewman]

Originally Posted by dogheadhunter

Starting a sentence with "Look..." is an Australian mannerism. Just listen to any Australian sportsmen/women, particularly the cricketers, and they all do it. Don't know why they do it, but it can sound condescending. I've got a feeling that Tony Blair started doing it towards the end of his period as Prime Minister as well?

Yes, Tony Blair did - and it came across as very condescending!

[Charenton]

This has been the most amusing BBC interview for me so far:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXv3yA5k3i4

[Mark F]

Originally Posted by Charenton

This has been the most amusing BBC interview for me so far:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXv3yA5k3i4

Yes..I don't think he was too chuffed with having to answer such questions straight after a disappointing defeat...which is probably a good thing in a sense as he cares about wanting to do well

Where others seem happen just to get into a final.

[franchise]

Clare Balding is as close to Des Lynam was we have these days. The rest of the 'anchors' I've seen have just been bland. Like the identikit men on Sky Sports they've had doing the football after the demise of Richard Keys. Autocue readers with little personality.

[Doghouse Riley]

I'm no fan of Clare Balding, but she's streets ahead of Des Lynam, He liked to play the "laid back" presenter, but to me appeared almost comatose.

This was his best work, (though close to comatose again).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2igaDUrdv0

Digressing, anyone missing Lynam, Rider, or Chiles from BBC sports coverage?

No I'm not either.

[footygirl]

Originally Posted by redvers36

Who is the woman anchoring the BBC3 coverage this afternoon? She is giving a very convincing impersonation of an airhead so far.

Originally Posted by wasa5livefan

That's Sonali Shah, usually a roving reporter in the Helen Skelton mould. I'm not sure she's quite ready for the studio just yet. As you might have guessed she's also ex childrens TV.

seems to be a haven for dippy presenters - Persad is there too Shah is terrible and Persad is awful too. Don't know why they were both selected. Mishal Husain is a good news reader/journalist but her apparent lack of sporting knowledge is visable here

[apaul]

Originally Posted by franchise

Clare Balding is as close to Des Lynam was we have these days. The rest of the 'anchors' I've seen have just been bland. Like the identikit men on Sky Sports they've had doing the football after the demise of Richard Keys. Autocue readers with little personality.

Tell you what, Des was rather bland himself. Not too bad as a boxing commentator, but Harry Carpenter was better at the boxing and much better as an anchorman.

[footygirl]

Originally Posted by apaul

Tell you what, Des was rather bland himself. Not too bad as a boxing commentator, but Harry Carpenter was better at the boxing and much better as an anchorman.

Why do they persist in using Persad though

[Doghouse Riley]

We'll be subjected to "the three stooges" next week, Cram, Foster and Edwards, with their continued rabbit through every event they cover.

Then of course there'll be

Paul Dickenson, Colin Jackson,, Phil Jones, Denise Lewis, Steve Trew, brought on as substitutes at any time.

The only one I've any time for, is Michael Johnson.

I really miss Ron Pickering.

[footygirl]

Originally Posted by Doghouse Riley

We'll be subjected to "the three stooges" next week, Cram, Foster and Edwards, with their continued rabbit through every event they cover.

Then of course there'll be

Paul Dickenson, Colin Jackson,, Phil Jones, Denise Lewis, Steve Trew, brought on as substitutes at any time.

The only one I've any time for, is Michael Johnson.

I really miss Ron Pickering.

I miss Des and Steve Ryder - why they use Lineker I have no idea

[Doghouse Riley]

I'm sure a lot of people like the constant droning of commentators, but when you think about it, I and I'm sure many, have been to a lot of sports events where you can't see everything that happens due to the restraints caused by your viewing position. (no instant replays). Yet you manage to enjoy it, despite not having someone in the next seat constantly bending your ear.
So why do the BBC and other networks think you need a constant stream of a verbal assault, with a lot of repetitions to keep the stream of information going, when you've an excellent view of what's going on?.

It's like endless episodes of the radio panel game "Just a minute" where the contestants have to talk about a subject for a minute without pauses.

I'm sure they're under instructions from the producer, as the BBC think with a few seconds silence, the viewers might lose interest and switch to a different channel.

[wasa5livefan]

Originally Posted by Charenton

This has been the most amusing BBC interview for me so far:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXv3yA5k3i4

Yes, these Olympics have not been David Bond's finest hour. Maybe it's time he was replaced by Joe "Mr Bean" Wilson.

[Nesta Robbins]

Not presenters exactly, but I've been loving the informality and enthusiasm of the commentators who seem to be real fans and experts in their respective sport.

[Belligerence]

Originally Posted by DODS11

Clare Balding has been brilliant. She talks to the viewer as if they're actually there and it works.

She is one for keeps. Hosted a very interesting documentary series on Radio 4 about the origins of sport, well spoken and articulated.

[AnthonyC]

Personally I'm fed up with seeing Mark Foster. Hangs about at my gym for hours and then have to see his mug on the telly at night.

[Martin Phillp]

Originally Posted by footygirl

seems to be a haven for dippy presenters - Persad is there too Shah is terrible and Persad is awful too. Don't know why they were both selected.

Shah and Persad were probably chosen to relate to BBC Three's younger demographic.

Also you may notice Jake Humphrey's delivery changes on Three compared to BBC One.

[TheAuburnEnigma]

Originally Posted by footygirl

seems to be a haven for dippy presenters - Persad is there too Shah is terrible and Persad is awful too. Don't know why they were both selected. Mishal Husain is a good news reader/journalist but her apparent lack of sporting knowledge is visable here

*puts cynical and un-PC hat on*

What do they have in common besides them not being good presenters? (although MH doesn't seem to be as bad as the other 2)

*takes cynical and un-PC hat off*

^^ What I'm getting at there is not my own opinion, but may well have been part of the thinking at the Beeb for all we know.

[Prince Monalulu]

Originally Posted by TheAuburnEnigma

*puts cynical and un-PC hat on*

What do they have in common besides them not being good presenters? (although MH doesn't seem to be as bad as the other 2)

*takes cynical and un-PC hat off*

^^ What I'm getting at there is not my own opinion, but may well have been part of the thinking at the Beeb for all we know.

Is this actually based on anything factual, like white presenters never moving from say News presenting/youth program presenting to something else?

Has it never happened before or something?
Oh if you're going to say something just come out with it, type 4 lines of text when a couple of words would have done FGS.
Oh so subtle and clever, give me peace...

[ftv]

Originally Posted by wasa5livefan

Yes, these Olympics have not been David Bond's finest hour. Maybe it's time he was replaced by Joe "Mr Bean" Wilson.

The BBC have not been very lucky recently with their sports editors.Bond's predecessor Mihir Bhose was a disaster as he didn't seem to realise television is all about pictures not his waffle.

[wasa5livefan]

Originally Posted by Martin Phillp

Shah and Persad were probably chosen to relate to BBC Three's younger demographic.

Also you may notice Jake Humphrey's delivery changes on Three compared to BBC One.

I didn't realise BBC Three was the yoof Olympic channel. I thought it was just being used for additional coverage.

[RedSnapper]

Originally Posted by Doghouse Riley

The problem is that they are covering so many sports and it's the director's choice where they go next.
So although there should be a planned sequence, it could change at any moment due to unexpected circumstances.

The situation shows how crap some are at the job without an auto-cue to give them every word they speak.

In other words the BBC have very few presenters these days that are actually truly professional and able to think for themselves - I agree.

[i4u]

Why is Johnathan Edwards at the canoe slalom if as he repeatedly says has no interest in the event?

Something I find annoying are presenters who direct the cameras on-air....'look over their'.....'if the camera pans left''..'if the camera zooms in you can see...' turning what should be a professional presentation into something that looks like something record on a mobile phone waving all about.

[ftv]

Originally Posted by i4u

Why is Johnathan Edwards at the canoe slalom if as he repeatedly says has no interest in the event?

Something I find annoying are presenters who direct the cameras on-air....'look over their'.....'if the camera pans left''..'if the camera zooms in you can see...' turning what should be a professional presentation into something that looks like something record on a mobile phone waving all about.

I suspect they were all trained by David Coleman