BBC Coverage

Regarding Jim following Al Eile, that was fair enough since firstly, he was going for an historic 4th win, and seocndly he was travelling very well for most of the race aznd looking like the winner (yes I did back him LOL Shame they couldn't get a prep race into him).

Regarding Mick Fitz, I think you have to understand how tremendously well liked he is by people in the sport, and how keenly they feel for him that HE CAN NEVER RIDE A HORSE AGAIN.

I'm sure that giving him so much work is a wish to try to help him adjust to that fact, by keeping him as busy as possible... All the other ex-jocks, Francome and co, ride out regularly and are still involved with horses in a very physical way. To be forbidden to ride again could easily plunge a man who has done nothing else (and at top level) into a deep depression - it was a terrible 'cold turkey' for him to face. Sitting around at hime all day would be awful for such an acrtive man used to filling eveyr hour of the day.

I think as time goes on they will all stop 'keeping him busy' in quite such a non-stop manner!
 
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bbc coverage

Was it just me or was the BBC coverage at all levels inferior to that of RUK this year more so than ever. I dont want it to switch to CH4 because with 2 false starts they would have thrown in 20 more add breaks. The BBC do try and build it up but it just didnt work for me this year.
 
I thought the coverage was a lot better this year.

They left out the celebrity angle, which was a big relief, and didn't bring in any outside presenters a la Sue Barker to turn the whole thing into a spin the wheel game show. They attempted to give some insights about what jockeys in particular are faced with and the team were careful not to use too much racing jargon. And in fairness to Mr McGrath he gave us a pretty detailed run down of Liam Treadwell's career to date straight after the race.

That said there's still plenty wrong with the coverage and I agree with most of the criticisms made here, especially about the lack of attention to the other races on the card. It's one day of the year when I miss not having RUK.
 
Well anyone listening to their radio coverage (Radio 5live, the home of live news, and live sport - in case you hadn't realised by now) could be forgiven for thinking that the second most important race of the week was the 'peoples race' such was the coverage it kept receiving
 
Grey said:
I thought the coverage was a lot better this year.


That said there's still plenty wrong with the coverage and I agree with most of the criticisms made here, especially about the lack of attention to the other races on the card. It's one day of the year when I miss not having RUK.
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I only have terrestial TV. So I don't care about who said what who did or did not turn up etc. The race is the most important thing and I thought it as good as ever.
 
bbc coverage

Sorry to disagree saw earlier RUK coverage and post race interview by Lydia Hislop left Clare Balding miles behind. Lydia was far more interested in the ride / emotions of the jockey than Clare main question "CAN WE SEE YOUR TEETH NOW YOU CAN AFFORD TO GET THEM FIXED" crap.
 
Grey said:
That said there's still plenty wrong with the coverage and I agree with most of the criticisms made here, especially about the lack of attention to the other races on the card. It's one day of the year when I miss not having RUK.
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Today`s coverage isn`t really aimed at the racing fan so I think we should be a little more tolerant. I just tune out when the boring bits are on.
 
jairducochetfan said:
Gary Wiltshire has been saying ad nauseum that Butlers Cabin will definitely start fav, changed to My Will now...
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Gary Witlshire is a bookmaker he thinks like a bookmaker he wants mug money in the hod,
The BBC do what they do they camra work was 2nd to none, this was aimed at the massess people who have a flutter on the Nat. not ie hards you stck to your Racing uk but for playing in running let me watch the BBC and rooll on the GP :p

As for JP lighton up he's funny

Clair could have done better and the comentry can be turned down he is normly good but did have a bit of an off day but was that his spotters letting him down. :confused:
 
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The GN is a national event but I don't think the BBC should be pandering to the masses. Their job is to educate and inform as well as entertain and the prime aim of filming the race should have been to cover the action, which they did well on the whole but could have done much better. They cut away from the finish far too early. We really only saw the first five home before they cut away to LT's celebrations while JMcG was still calling the finishers - fair play to him - but the idiot they have in charge of sport at the corporation will ensure that they will always fall short on quality.
 
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Originally Posted by Grey

That said there's still plenty wrong with the coverage and I agree with most of the criticisms made here, especially about the lack of attention to the other races on the card. It's one day of the year when I miss not having RUK.


Today`s coverage isn`t really aimed at the racing fan so I think we should be a little more tolerant. I just tune out when the boring bits are on.
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That was my point too, if you read the full of what I had to say rather than the parts so selectively quoted by Tetley that they give the opposite impression.

The BBC did a better job than in previous years, I thought, in particular by dropping all the celebrity nonsense. However, as a racing fan rather than a once a year viewer I still would have chosen to watch on RUK if I had it available.
 
Clare was terrible at this meeting - granted I only saw BBC coverage for the National but I couldn't escape her 'welcoming' the winners back into the winner's enclosure for every BBC race - it was gushing and over the top. Did nobody else pick up on the 'Musica Bella - ridden by Pau..Phillip Carberry' in the parade for the National? How much more basic a mistake would you like to make?

Rishi was his usual cringeworthy self before the National - all that shit where he was speculating on possible problems with Cloudy Lane since Jason Maguire got off him at the start; it was obvious to a blind man that he was only taking the weight off his back but he had to make a big deal out of it and suggest there was something wrong with the horse. The sooner the BBC get shot of him the better.
 
Oh and as an aside, it is very often blatantly obvious which horse a commentator has backed when listening to their commentary; it happens every day at even the small meetings!
 
Shadow Leader said:
Did nobody else pick up on the 'Musica Bella - ridden by Pau..Phillip Carberry' in the parade for the National? How much more basic a mistake would you like to make?
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Thats pretty pedantic :p

But I agree she was well off colour at this meeting as usually she does an alright job of balancing the task of presenting the sport to the wider public, though clearly she'd be thoroughly exposed if she filled in for Lydia on RUK.
 
It's really not pedantic - it's called accuracy, Jairducochetfan. If any presenter doesn't know the difference between the two they shouldn't be doing their job in the first place.
 
Who said she should be hung out to dry? On the other hand, it doesn't mean that criticism of her basic balls up shouldn't be allowed. It was amateur in the extreme.
 
Don't see what the problem is if she actually corrected herself. Sports presenters and commentators, good and bad, do it all the time, right across the board.
 
Shadow Leader said:
Who said she should be hung out to dry? On the other hand, it doesn't mean that criticism of her basic balls up shouldn't be allowed. It was amateur in the extreme.
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It was a figure of speech, Shadow Leader.

I just think for all the productions faults, it seems a bit ridiculous that was what got you going the most!

We aren't yet in the position where we can hire Robo-Balding to present the days coverage :lol:
 
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