How can I get Mike Tucker sacked?

Yes, have heard all that over the two days; also time errors, and def adding up probs, known in the trade as 'Tucker's Maths'!!!
 
It was a good job that Ian Stark was in the commentary booth throughout the competition because everytime Mike Tucker opened his mouth he put his foot in it! There is a saying 'Better to keep your mouth shut & let people think you're a fool rather than open it & dispel all doubt!' ..... This really refers to Tucker.

As for the interviewer Rishi ?, I think he's something to do with racing? He answered the questions he was asking the riders as he asked them. He was also as negative as it was possible to be. All he focused on was either a fence down, time faults & o9ther disappointments.....he was a disgrace. He didn't clock that Zara Phillips was obviously feeling very down after her round but he just ploughed on!

The team would obviously be feeling a little down at the end as there was a possibility of individual medals for them but the got SILVER & that is a tremendous achievement.

I hope Clair Balding returns for the Dressage & Showjumping because that Rishi? individual needs ther bums rush & pronto. I suppose BBC thought that as he is something to do with horse racing that he would be able to do ther interviews.......Err No!! He was inarticulate. Come back Clair!!!!!!
 
He's absolutely useless. I have always said this, and have no idea how he's still in a job! It also irritates me that he feels the need to use a nickname for every rider, to give the impression that they are a close personal friend.

HOWEVER!

I watched the last Olympics in Australia where we got around 3 minutes per day of equestrian highlights. It was four years ago but I can still clearly remember "This is called horse skipping" (one-time changes in the dressage) and the same bloke counting the landing and takeoff as strides between show jumping fences, then proceeding to count (out loud) every single stride on every single line in the course. For every single round shown. Oh, and referring to oxers as doubles.

So, it could be worse. ;)
 
Omigod, BBH, he is too old??? Blimey, there goes my change of career to broadcasting!!!

Yes it been brought up before when people were wanting him back on the BEEB with MT.

Personally I can't see why age is an issue as they are behind camera and I would have thought verbal presentation and delivery were more important.

I do think it useful to have someone who competes at the same / similar level whoever the expert is to provide some insights into what the competitors are going through, how they will ride the courses etc etc and the challenges they face. Really age doesn't matter if you keep abreast of current thinking and analysis. For example going into an Olympics with many foreign riders how much insight will we get on them if the commentary is done by someone not on the international circuit to know them and their horses. Some of the little snippets are just as interesting as the technical insight. Course techniques change and are a lot more challenging/ technical than yesteryear so a good working knowledge of that would be interesting to hear.
 
Lol, I get a bit of a kick out of him and in fairness he is pretty self deprecating most of the time. Also love when they start snipping at each other - very entertaining.

Although I did think he was being a bit smart-arsey when suggesting that Ian was backseat judging during the dressage day and saying it would give people some laugh if they saw him sitting at C. Ian was quick enough to respond that they would get a lot more of a laugh if it was Tucker (Mike not Angela :D ) sitting there!

I thought Ian's commentary on the dressage was very good actually.

LOVE, Love, love Steve Hadley's commentary on the FEI showjumping. The man is so knowledgeable and interesting.
 
LOVE, Love, love Steve Hadley's commentary on the FEI showjumping. The man is so knowledgeable and interesting.[/QUOTE]


Know what you mean, I have FEI TV, always enjoy Steve's comments! ,

How can I find Olympic Broadcasting commentary with Steve Hadley ( not the BBC channels?)
I remember reading Steve was commentating on all 3 disciplicnes with the help of someone famous's son in pure dressage

or am I wishfull thinking?

I am not sure I can stand the BBC commentary when it comes to pure SJ !!
 
Yes - I thought that too, however family criticised my hearing and then informed me I was batty. But grey 'aint bay and a mare 'aint a 'he'......

MT did annoy me and he kept referring to 'Mrs Tucker', is that Angela, and is she still Mrs T?
 
Any mistakes MT made were dwarfed by the girl that they had doing "spectator" interviews around the arena on dressage day 2. She was totally inane. But then I was so glad to be there that nothing could spoil my day. Bring on the SJ - will be so tense with no room for error.

This ^^^^^^
She was awful. Sounded like a blue peter presenter and knew nothing about horses.
 
At least every-one on here who heard MT's nonsense knew what he was talking about. I'm not surprised that the general public think that all riders are a stuck-up, closed society of fools.
IMO all the commentators should remember that they are not just talking to the afficionados but also to the uninitiated.
I can't imagine that MT's commentary inspired any-one to ring their local RS and book a lesson.
 
What really drives me mad, is you just know that he is going to say "this is the world's best eventer and there is no doubt he is going to go clear" YOU do not put the mockers on people by doing this. Also he never never shuts up. I think that Zara Phillips and the rest of the team were brilliant, but if he had said one more time, "thats Zara moving up the list again"................
 
Oh my, I've enjoyed this thread. As an ex BSJA judge I know how difficult it is when faced with the microphone for just the announcing! But, us judges didn't get paid whereas the 'commentators' did. I have judgeed with both Mike Tucker and the late Tom Hudson and often wondered why they got paid so much. MT has been doing it so long now it would take a crowbar to dislodge him and that's how it seems to be - a bit of the Old Boys Club, so don't hold your breath for any changes soon.
 
Not in the slightest bit interested in what riders 'do'. I am only interested in their riding ability and the horse, anything else is distracting.
Well I think a lot of people WERE interested, even if you're above such trivialities :rolleyes:. Don't forget that the Olympics is one of the few occasions where eventing has a chance to reach out to a non-horsey audience, so the commentary was aimed at a general audience. Endless facts about bits and breeding would mean nothing to someone who has very little knowledge of horses, whereas finding out that a competitor is a doctor or a monk is fascinating. I thought it was incredible that the Brazilian eventer was also a doctor - and facts like that show people that eventing isn't just for millionaires.
 
Of course he would have commented if a vicar had been participating, he commented on several "day jobs" of amateurs. For those of us in the UK where most top eventers are pros it is pretty awe inspiring that the Brazilian is a doctor and runs a rubber plantation as well as being an eventer so I was glad to hear that bit of commentary. Likewise the Buddhist monk and the student.

Exactly. I personally find him and his "rapport" with IS quite amusing. Yes, he seems to live in a perpetual state of confusion, but it really isn't the end of the world, and he is limited by the information available to him at the time.

It's his job to keep talking, even if it is trivial. It isn't just hardcore eventing / riding fans who watch these sports, and they has to try and make it accessible and entertaining for other viewers. If he bothers you that much, you can always mute him and focus on their equitational skills and performance.
 
I have no idea who commentated on the dressage but my OH (whio is totally unhorsey) actually learned a lot from it, and could see from the comments, what was good and what wasn't and why. He actually became quite interested. Result!
 
Exactly. I personally find him and his "rapport" with IS quite amusing. Yes, he seems to live in a perpetual state of confusion, but it really isn't the end of the world, and he is limited by the information available to him at the time.

It's his job to keep talking, even if it is trivial. It isn't just hardcore eventing / riding fans who watch these sports, and they has to try and make it accessible and entertaining for other viewers. If he bothers you that much, you can always mute him and focus on their equitational skills and performance.
Where's the "like" button :)
 
"Ambience of the person"?! That's Tucker-worthy! :p

My hero was and always will be, The late Raymond Brookes-Ward, he was in my opinion all that was good where equestrian commentating is concerned. Of course along with the late Tom Hudson.

However when it comes to equestrian matters and the BBC, let us not forget that all racing that hitherto featured on the BBC will shortly be departing to Channel4 and one cannot help wondering why?

Channel4 always brings out the ambience and the eclecticism of a person or equine situation.
 
Not sure if I got his name right.
He interviewed Mary King and Tina Cook after the completion of the show jumping.
Mary was her usual upbeat self, very pleased for her of course!

Then the interviewer started to ask Tina Cook how she felt about not winning gold, her disappointment was obvious, so the guy then reminds everyone about the passing of Tina's father, the look on her face, how she contained her emotions at that point I'll never know.
That guy should be ashamed of himself, in future he really needs to put his brain in gear before opening his mouth!
:(
 
I don't know but if you find out let me know! I lost count of the number of riders he said were "very experienced"! Please BBC sack him and replace him with Lucinda Green, thank goodness for Ian Stark and his common sense and experience.

He is the Murray Walker of the Equestrian world, I love him just like Murray ;)
 
I thought it was funny and actually I loved him, made me laugh when he referred to 'mare' and 'he' in one sentence. Also was very interesting to hear about some of the day jobs, especially, as someone mentioned, the Dr.
Have to say tho that even my non horsey sister (who asked me if I would have to put Deano's 'hair in knots' if we went to a competition) noticed many of his errors -she was cheering for NZ and was quite upset when he confidently announced they had come fourth!
 
He is painful to listen too - he was banging on about one of the british combinations (think maybe Nicola and Buzz) being clear so far when they had clearly just knocked a pole on the first fence before Ian corrected him.

Generally I found the TV coverage quite poor - lots of sweeping views of London when there were horses on course!
 
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