TDTA strikes again
Mike Fleming
season so far when, with a red car plainly in front of a silver car on
the screen, he kept telling us that Alonso was just ahead of Massa.
Then the replay of Alonso's mistake and Massa's pass was shown, and he
seemed to think that's just happening.
Sadly, that little bit has been edited out of the highlights
programme...
--
Mike Fleming
Mike G
"Mike Fleming" <{mike}@tauzero.co.uk> wrote in message
news:9c4r63dhrf0e89f87...@4ax.com...
> That dopey twat Allen surely pulled the commentary cockup of the
> season so far when, with a red car plainly in front of a silver car on
> the screen, he kept telling us that Alonso was just ahead of Massa.
> Then the replay of Alonso's mistake and Massa's pass was shown, and he
> seemed to think that's just happening.
Obviously not a fan of J A.
Did you have the same opinion about Murray Walker?
His mistakes are legendary.
Mike.
John Briggs
His mistakes arose from becoming over-excited during his commentary. Which
was an amusing contrast to the dignified, well-informed and articulate
gentleman you saw the rest of the time. Whatever he was, he was not a
"dopey twat". In fact, for the majority of his 50-odd year commentating
"career" he was an enthusiastic amateur - he was an advertising executive
in real life (if that is indeed real life...), and only became a full-time
commentator when he retired. James Allen tries too hard to be Murray
Walker - which he isn't - and most of us begrudge the fact that he is paid
for it.
--
John Briggs
Andy
"John Briggs" <john.b...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> Walker - which he isn't - and most of us begrudge the fact that he is paid
> for it.
I've warmed to him TBH, and am now at worst at a state of indifference.
Following Murray Walker was a poisoned chalice for whoever accepted it. All
told, Allen isn't as bad as some would have you believe.
Mike G
Obviously comparisons are going to be made, but AFAIC both MB and JA have
their own commentary style, and both make mistakes.
Personally I think MB does the job better than MW did. As an ex F1 driver
himself he has a better understanding of F1 racing, cars, tracks etc.
I have no problem with JA getting paid for what he does. It's a nice job for
someone interested in F1, but why shouldn't he be paid for doing it? If he
was that bad at the job, I've no doubt ITV would replace him.
Mike.
Mike G
"Andy" <uknews...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:Cs-dnR9cOp9WT_Lb...@pipex.net...
I agree. He makes mistakes. So what? Is it a terrible crime?
MB also makes mistakes, but I don't hear complaints when he does.
IMO some just don't like JA as a person, hence they are constantly on the
lookout for mistakes in order to 'prove' to themselves that he doesn't
deserve the job.
AFAIC either MB or JA don't do a perfect job, but that is the nature of live
commentaries. My advice to the OP, would be to just watch and enjoy the
race, listen to the commentary, and not be so critical about the odd mistake
made either by JA or MB.
Mike.
Geoff Berrow
Mike G contained the following:
>> I've warmed to him TBH, and am now at worst at a state of indifference.
>> Following Murray Walker was a poisoned chalice for whoever accepted it.
>> All told, Allen isn't as bad as some would have you believe.
>
>I agree. He makes mistakes. So what? Is it a terrible crime?
>MB also makes mistakes, but I don't hear complaints when he does.
>IMO some just don't like JA as a person, hence they are constantly on the
>lookout for mistakes in order to 'prove' to themselves that he doesn't
>deserve the job.
It's not the mistakes that bother me, he's just boring. And he's taken
it on board and tried to be a little more like Murray with the shouting
and all but he just can't pull it off. It was ok when MW did it, when
JA does it, it just sounds like someone doing a MW impression. Badly.
--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/
John Briggs
> Message-ID: <46703857$1$8718$ed26...@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net> from
> Mike G contained the following:
>
>>> I've warmed to him TBH, and am now at worst at a state of
>>> indifference. Following Murray Walker was a poisoned chalice for
>>> whoever accepted it. All told, Allen isn't as bad as some would
>>> have you believe.
>>
>> I agree. He makes mistakes. So what? Is it a terrible crime?
>> MB also makes mistakes, but I don't hear complaints when he does.
>> IMO some just don't like JA as a person, hence they are constantly
>> on the lookout for mistakes in order to 'prove' to themselves that
>> he doesn't deserve the job.
>
> It's not the mistakes that bother me, he's just boring. And he's
> taken it on board and tried to be a little more like Murray with the
> shouting and all but he just can't pull it off. It was ok when MW
> did it, when JA does it, it just sounds like someone doing a MW
> impression. Badly.
Boring I could live with. (I reckon he was a good pitlane reporter.) It is
precisely his attempts to "be Murray" that I object to.
--
John Briggs
Mike G
I think the only time he could be said to be 'Murray like' during the
Canadian GP, was at the end when LH was approaching the line.
During races I hear little to suggest that he's trying to imitate MW. He'd
be making a mistake if he was, because I don't think MW was that good.
Certainly not as good as MB. I accept that MW loves motor racing and F1 in
particular, and was and is very enthusiastic about it, but it takes more
than that to make a good commentator.
Still, it wouldn't do if we all had the same opinion. There'd be nothing to
talk about.:-)
Mike.
shazzbat
"Mike G" <met...@lycos.co.uk> wrote in message
news:46703857$1$8718$ed26...@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
I'm reminded of an interview with MW I saw when he was still commentating.
He pointed out that he's got the race going on outside his commentary box
window, along with the noise, pit stops going on, several screens showing
different parts of the action at various parts of the circuit, live timings
etc coming up on other screens, the producer talking in one ear, and James
Hunt in the other one.
Presumably the same pressures, plus a few new ones apply to modern
commentators. I think we can expect a mistake now and again. I don't think
we should judge too harshly.
Steve
John Briggs
You're not comparing like with like - Martin Brundle replaced James Hunt,
not Murray Walker. James Allen is filling the Murray Walker "slot" - and
trying too hard to be the enthusiastic amateur.
--
John Briggs
Mike Fleming
"Mike G" <met...@lycos.co.uk> writes:
> "Andy" <uknews...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Cs-dnR9cOp9WT_Lb...@pipex.net...
> >
> > I've warmed to him TBH, and am now at worst at a state of indifference.
> > Following Murray Walker was a poisoned chalice for whoever accepted it.
> > All told, Allen isn't as bad as some would have you believe.
>
> I agree. He makes mistakes. So what? Is it a terrible crime?
> MB also makes mistakes, but I don't hear complaints when he does.
I've grown accustomed to JA, and he seems to have improved somewhat
over the years, but I couldn't let that one go without comment. It
wasn't as if it was a brief flash of red car in front of silver, it
was about half a lap with the camera showing both cars and even then,
it wasn't until the action replay that he caught on to a limited
extent.
--
Mike Fleming
Mike G
> Mike G wrote:
>> I think the only time he could be said to be 'Murray like' during the
>> Canadian GP, was at the end when LH was approaching the line.
>> During races I hear little to suggest that he's trying to imitate MW.
>> He'd be making a mistake if he was, because I don't think MW was that
>> good. Certainly not as good as MB. I accept that MW loves motor
>> racing and F1 in particular, and was and is very enthusiastic about
>> it, but it takes more than that to make a good commentator.
>> Still, it wouldn't do if we all had the same opinion. There'd be
>> nothing to talk about.:-)
>
> You're not comparing like with like - Martin Brundle replaced James Hunt,
> not Murray Walker.
Maybe you should check on that. I think you'll find that Jonathan Palmer
replaced James Hunt.
Martin Brundle took over from Jonathan Palmer in 1997 when F1 coverage
switched from the BBC to ITV. At the same time Allen was hired as the pit
lane reporter.
When Murray Walker started retiring in 2001, JA took his place at the GP's
that MW didn't attend, alongside MB, with Louise Goodman as the pit lane
reporter.
James Allen is filling the Murray Walker "slot" - and
> trying too hard to be the enthusiastic amateur.
You could say that JA replaced MW, but since MW retired, it seems clear that
MB is the lead commentator supported by JA.
Mike.
Colonel K
A support commentator? Surely he should shut the fuck up most of the time?