- This topic has 70 replies, 30 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 11 months ago by
.
- Posts
The most alarming 5 minutes for racing on TV today was on RUK when James Willoughby and Angus McNae provided a comedy special with the help of racegoers. If you saw it, you know what I mean.
For those who didn’t get the chance to see this can you elaborate a little? Sounds like a treat. Is McNae just as funny out of the studio?
No doubt we will get a few murmurings from Balding about the coverage but lets face it like most presenters she would cover a game of dominoes if they paid enough.
The only guy i’d even less like to hear the word ‘millinery’ from is the other complete tit that covers fashion at Royal Ascot. He is a complete
pompous
tit.
That would be Pinza
http://thm-a02.yimg.com/nimage/d001ec620ca9a2a2
I quite like him especially when he rolls he eyes and sticks his nose in the air as some chubby sort waddles past having squeezed herself into a size 8 frock
- Total Posts 17716
The picture’s certainly not
Pompete
, whose idea of sophistication is probably whippet and chips from Nando’s topped off with an antifreeze chaser.
I am glad to say that my refined aesthetic leaves no room either for the frivolous vagaries of High Fashion, or the lumpen Low Humour of
Pompete
.
No doubt we will get a few murmurings from Balding about the coverage but lets face it like most presenters she would cover a game of dominoes if they paid enough.
A ruthless, self-interested careerist, stilvi. I remember when everyone was up in arms about the implosion in the BBC’s racing coverage; Ms Balding not only justified it, but seemed to support the move. I’ve never taken any of her opinions on horse racing seriously since. As you say, she’d appear in the Geordie Shores hot tub if she thought it would give the Balding brand TV exposure.
- Total Posts 17716
A ruthless, self-interested careerist, stilvi. I remember when everyone was up in arms about the implosion in the BBC’s racing coverage; Ms Balding not only justified it, but seemed to support the move.
Max
, my voices tell me that Balding put forward a
very
different case to her masters behind the scenes, in private. The words
toys
,
out
and
pram
occur in no particular order.
Ambition is by definition about self-interest, but it also means an increased attention to high standards, integrity and sheer hard work. Having this very morning had my cherubic slumbers broken by one of her superb
Ramblings
programmes (6:30 on R4), I found myself admiring the no-nonsense ease of her broadcasting once again – but that is not achieved without some personal cost.
I am glad to say that my refined aesthetic leaves no room either for the frivolous vagaries of High Fashion, or the lumpen Low Humour of
Pompete
.
http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-BZ236_waugh__20080804201330.jpg
Feel better now?
- Total Posts 17716
Soothed beyond belief, Drone!
No doubt we will get a few murmurings from Balding about the coverage but lets face it like most presenters she would cover a game of dominoes if they paid enough.
A ruthless, self-interested careerist, stilvi. I remember when everyone was up in arms about the implosion in the BBC’s racing coverage; Ms Balding not only justified it, but seemed to support the move. I’ve never taken any of her opinions on horse racing seriously since. As you say, she’d appear in the Geordie Shores hot tub if she thought it would give the Balding brand TV exposure.
I think that is a little harsh Max.
"Don’t bite the hand that feeds you" comes to mind.
I really think she is one of the better employees that the BBC has – very, versatile and professional.
For, a woman to be a "lead presenter" and be respected in the world of rugby league is some achievement.
Good luck to her.
Regards
Pinza, Matron, maybe I am being a bit harsh on her – purely because I expected more when the axe struck. She’s a good presenter, from a legendary racing family, who cut her teeth on outside racing broadcasts. She had clout.
Racing needed a friend in those dark days when then Head of Sport Roger Mosey was committing every spare penny of the BBC sports budget to Formula One – agreeing an astronomical price, without consultation, and knowing no other major channel (ITV, SKY) wanted it – with our sport the chief sufferer.
She could have offered criticism of the decision. She never did.
And whatever she said behind the scenes, it needed saying on screen. (Rishi Persad, too.)
Now we’re in a situation where sports such as Rugby league, tennis and athletics, and bemusing pastimes such as snooker and darts get plenty of publicly funded coverage and racing gets hardly any.
For years, I vividly remember the BBC covering the John of Gaunt meeting at Haydock. Now they don’t touch Haydock at all.
Ms Balding could have stood up for the sport. She didn’t do so. She could have made a difference.
And what about that time last season when the BBC did deign to send a spare camera somewhere for a Group One event and instead of fronting the show, Ms Balding covered something else. Tennis, I think. Again, she was unapologetic when confronted, saying that she was an all round presenter, not just a racing one.
Sorry, she’s not my favourite person.
British television needs more of Ted Walsh telling it like it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydWM7PB2u5s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DQGNQqX5eo&NR=1
We don’t know what Clare Balding has said behind the scenes. Sometimes you can change more with a quiet word than in public.
No doubt she has a very good contract which makes her pretty much number 1 BBC Sports Presenter these days. With any contract / job, there are good things you might like about it and some you don’t. Just ask Kieren Fallon.
Am sure she’d rather be at the racecourse instead of a Rugby match, but to have one of the best jobs in BBC Sport, needs must.Value Is EverythingUnless things have changed since I last heard, Clare lost her contract with the BBC and now works as a freelance [the stress of which, she felt, may have contributed towards her illness the other year]. As such, she may not be as free to voice an opinion these days; she needs to work that is made available to her. A top class presenter imo and a nice person to boot. Won’t hear a word against her. I would imagine she was furious about what happened yesterday.
I have to agree with Moehat.
Balding is an intelligent, hard-working and very able presenter, but probably doesn’t have as much clout over how racing, or any other sport for that matter, is covered by the BBC as she’d like.
It’s basically up to the sport to so present itself to the public and to the media in such a way that it’s able to command better coverage on the vital free-to-air broadcasting platforms.
It’s no good people moaning, or sneering at other sports like F1, golf, tennis etc, saying they’re boring – that may or may not be true – but I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that.
For those who didn’t get the chance to see this can you elaborate a little? Sounds like a treat. Is McNae just as funny out of the studio?
Willoughby and McNae interviewed racegoers at the gates asking them who they thought would win the Oaks. I think Willoughby said something about disproving the idea that racegoers don’t know their racing.
Either way, they both knew what to expect and it made for brilliant TV as they talked us through the experience of the "experiment."
The answers ranged from "Blue, er" to those who had absolutely no idea, didn’t know what the Investec Oaks was, and were almost puzzled they were being asked about a horse race. One man replied that he liked Havant because someone in the Racing Post tipped it. That was as good as it got.
Willoughby’s Twitter page reveals more of his thoughts.
Am sure she’d rather be at the racecourse instead of a Rugby match, but to have one of the best jobs in BBC Sport, needs must.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.