Blair Europeans Mike tucker needs to retire!

[colouredcob]

He is driving me nuts with the constant errors he keeps making, saying someone is clear when they have faults, getting riders names wrong saying they are from the wrong countries! The other commentators are constantly correcting him. If this was any other sport he would be sacked. Imagine saying the wrong horse had won a race or the wrong footballer had scored a goal. I have turned the volume down which is a shame as Tina is very good. Rant over lol

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Loving Tina and Harry, would be odd having an event without Mikes voice but agree today he's being very annoying getting so much wrong!

 

[cbmcts]

In our house he's known as Mike Tucker, Silly (Rhymes with Tucker, starts with F)

 

[marmalade76]

Aww! Why are you all so mean to Mike?!? He has commentated for as long as I can remember watching horsey stuff on TV and I love his voice despite the errors! Poor Mike!

 

[Hexx]

NO NO NO! I love Mike Tucker! He is hilarious! I have grown up with him commentating on all things horsey.

He and Ian Stark together are so funny - I think it was last year at Badminton when their commentating desk collapsed, all they could do was laugh for about 10 minutes - it was so funny!

 

[Pen]

His commentating infuriates me too. Harry Meade's insights are so interesting and educational and likewise Tina Cook's. It's the same when Mike is commentating on dressage or showjumping, I just want to hear what the experts say, not him. Time to pension him off I think or at least restrict him to historical snippets.

 

[glamourpuss]

He is wonderful! L

 

[glamourpuss]

He is wonderful! A real institution, the voice of equestrianism & his gaffs are funny....
In all seriousness though commentating is really difficult, he will be trying to watch the action, have information to read from & have an ear piece telling which horse is next up/what faults people have had. No wonder he makes the odd mistake.
It's not like he's committed murder!

I think people need to lighten up a bit & listen to the absolute passion for the sport that he has, he is so enthusiastic. Harry & Tina were great & very informative but it wouldn't be the same without without Tucker gasping, squeaking & gushing about how wonderful a horse & rider are (usually just before they get eliminate) 😂😂

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

My vote is to keep Mike Tucker. For me, he is the equine equivalent of Murray Walker for F1. His enthusiasm is boundless and his mistakes just make the expert he is with look that much better. What's not to love?

 

[Mooseontheloose]

Tina and Harry were not commentating, they were commenting on the action. Mike would have had to be listening to stuff on headphones, watching, reading, and generally having to keep in touch with it all.
It's not easy to keep it up for several hours. You try it, I have! Of course he makes mistakes, but it's not the end of the world and at least he laughs at himself.
Harry would get quite boring if it was nothing but him being sensible all the time! He's very knowledgeable and his information is very good and useful but it's all a bit monotone!

 

[Micky]

Just the one day and y'all attack...we all have off days.....

 

[Mooseontheloose]

It wasn't really even one of his 'off' days - there was a lot of stopping and starting and obviously bad connections due to the weather, hence our tv screens freezing quite a lot. If they were also having those technical difficulties I would think it was hell in the commentary box. Of course he can make some bloopers, but at least he loves the sport and is genuinely enthusiastic about it all. The course was held on at least three occasions and horses being taken off the course. If they're not commenting from the xc control box it could be quite difficult to have known what was going on sometimes.

 

[Auslander]

It does make me sad when he gets slated. He's a true horseman, who has achieved more in his life than most of us can dream of - http://www.rau.ac.uk/the-rau/governance-finance/governance-membership/mr-michael-tucker. Sure, his gaffes are legendary, but I find it quite amusing/appealing. He is what he is - and he's a lovely bloke.

 

[rara007]

I love him! Brings back so many exciting memories.

 

[MyBoyChe]

Yes he does make mistakes, but its hardly a hanging offence is it! I agree that he is a real enthusiast, obviously loves horses and horse sport, is actually very knowledgable, knows his stuff and I think, would be a real loss. The mix of Mike and the various riders who join him and who all have lots of different insights to add, makes for a good, informative and entertaining mix. Leave Mike alone!

 

[{97702}]

He drives me absolutely insane and I live for the day that the BBC finally sack him And it certainly isn't 'one day', he is consistently appalling whenever he commentates!

 

[TelH]

My vote is to keep Mike Tucker. For me, he is the equine equivalent of Murray Walker

This ^^^

It will be a sad day for equestrian sport when he does eventually retire from commentating!

 

[bongo-girl]

What I loved about Harry and Tina was that they brought insight into what we were actually watching. It brought a more layered and comprehensive commentary to proceedings, when in the past it has been largely about the horses bloodlines or whether the rider comes from an illustrious equestrian background 'good hunting family'. Also it was nice to hear comment that wasn't every other rider being described as 'the great' and facts that aren't obviously being prefixed with 'of course'.

Commentary is infinitely more difficult that many would believe, and no, I couldn't do better myself. But that fact doesn't mean that objective (or is it subjective?) critique can't be given.

Yep, Mike is a character, and has a great broadcast voice, but today sounded fresh, exciting and I learned LOADS!

 

[janietee_5]

Think Mike Tucker is great. Would be a sad day they got rid of him.

 

[HashRouge]

What I loved about Harry and Tina was that they brought insight into what we were actually watching. It brought a more layered and comprehensive commentary to proceedings, when in the past it has been largely about the horses bloodlines or whether the rider comes from an illustrious equestrian background 'good hunting family'. Also it was nice to hear comment that wasn't every other rider being described as 'the great' and facts that aren't obviously being prefixed with 'of course'.

Commentary is infinitely more difficult that many would believe, and no, I couldn't do better myself. But that fact doesn't mean that objective (or is it subjective?) critique can't be given.

Yep, Mike is a character, and has a great broadcast voice, but today sounded fresh, exciting and I learned LOADS!

While I agree that it is great to get a professional's insight, you still need someone like Mike Tucker who makes it entertaining for any non-horsey viewers out there.

 

[bongo-girl]

While I agree that it is great to get a professional's insight, you still need someone like Mike Tucker who makes it entertaining for any non-horsey viewers out there.

Ah, now that IS interesting...my totally non-horsey other half really enjoyed today as he said he learned stuff about how and why mistakes or decisions were made and that it sounded to him less of an insider's club with what he described as less of the 'assumed knowledge'.

Quite literally horses for courses!

 

[Honey08]

He's marmite!

I find him quite entertaining now and again, but really annoying when watching the Olympics or team competitions. He seems to witter more when it's a team competition.

 

[Orangehorse]

Well, I really missed his commentary when watching Burghley TV last week. I can see how important it is to make watching sport entertaining. The Guest commentators only have to make comments, they don't have as much going on to keep track of and can go out and have swop, like at Badminton. Mike has to keep going. He and Ian are really funny together, gets quite spiky at times. We will miss him when he goes, but I hope that is not for a long time yet.

 

[hobo]

I am a fan he gave talk at our holstein club and is an interesting and funny guy. I would miss a big televised horse event without him.

 

[madmav]

Leave him alone! He is Alan Partridge of the horse world and that is not a bad thing. Always entertaining.

 

[hcm88]

Although he is frustrating at times (especially when I, at home watching the same feed, seem to have more of a clue of what's going on than he does), his mistakes are getting to become somewhat legendary and he would be greatly missed if he were to retire, his voice is synonymous with eventing. I do try to laugh them off, especially when he called Arctic Soul a stallion when I'm sure the facts were probably right in front of him!

Harry and Tina gave great insight today but their words didn't replace Mike's, more added to them and gave a technical view of what had happened.

 

[Chiffy]

hcm88, I have a printout of the start times, under the horse's name it has their breeding, sex owners etc, all the first few say gelding and then number 11 says Arctic Soul, stallion. I heard Mike say stallion, checked my sheet and thought 'really!'
I do agree he made a lot of mistakes yesterday but he is needed as Harry likes to be very technical and serious.

 

[Luci07]

I tend to switch off a little and don't listen to his "technical " commentary as he gets a lot wrong but he is funny and he is passionate! He has an unerring knack of saying a horse is doing well just before it all goes wrong as well which is funny. However, taking the errors out of it, you have to give him credit for the fact that he does not waver, back off or lose his energy.

 

[Count Oggy]

Tina and Harry were very good yesterday but this isn't always the case. Apologies if I'm wrong, but I'm sure it was Jeanette Brakewell who was invited into the commentary box a few years ago. She found it very difficult to talk on the subject and react to the action meaning there were some very long pauses as she gathered her thoughts. Without someone like Tucker to interject this can be a disaster.

And if you think Mike can waffle, listen to the cricket on long wave! ;-)

 

[Wishful]

I can tolerate him but my OH (horsey but not obsessive) can't stand him so won't watch things he otherwise would.

Suspect he does put a few people off.

He's more tolerable eventing than SJ but really annoying for dressage. Kind of likje the Bruce Forsyth of eventing for me...