Mongo was flipping through the channels on the old black and white last night when I was hit with a revelation. I finally figured out why I don't like the cycling coverage on television provided by the Versus Network.
I could spend hours breaking down what knowledgeable cycling fans already know about the shortcomings of the very limited coverage of Professional Cycling year round...but I won't. We have found other sources from around the world on the Internet to satisfy our Fleche Wallone fixes and our geek needs.
What I do want from Versus, come TDF and Giro time, is some good "couch time" with an easy listening, knowledgeable, broadcast team... giving me solid play by play and analysis.
Liggett and Sherwin are the Madden and Michaels of cycling. Old and quirky, yes...but still the best in the business. Bob Roll...what happened? You used to be fresh and irreverent, now you're stale and corny. Ventura and Andreu as field reporters are pretty solid, but they both have closets full of conflicting skeletons. This brings me to the studio host and the reason for my revelation...Craig Hummer.
As I flipped through the channels, there was Craig Hummer announcing Bull Riding...and he was doing it very well. That's the problem! He is nothing but a pretty-boy shill for the Versus network. Though extremely skilled and polished at his craft, he brings the same sterile competency to Bull Riding as he does Pro Cycling. True enthusiasts and fans can feel it even if they're not quite sure why.
I do understand that a certain style is necessary as host to engage and move a broadcast along. The thing is that Hummer has no history in cycling, and seeing him broadcast Gymnastics and Bull Riding does nothing but weaken an already weak product.
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