Sky and BBC F1 coverage

[Agasthya]

Classy.

Sky Formula One presenter Simon Lazenby provoked outrage during coverage of this afternoon's Monaco Grand Prix by making a tasteless joke about the car crash that killed Princess Grace 29 years ago.

The Princess, a former Hollywood star and mother of Monaco's current ruler Prince Albert, suffered a stroke behind the wheel and drove her car off a mountainside just outside the principality in September 1982.

Referencing the accident during his commentary of today's race, Mr Lazenby told viewers: 'Some twisty and dangerous roads above us here in Monaco, Princess Grace knows all about them.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1w6YicFbG

[Alessandra]

Sharp intake of breath when I heard that one!!

I expect to see Mr Lazenby with a large bruise on his forehead after banging it against a wall for two weeks and grovelling in the dust of the pit lane in Canada.
I know it's very difficult to manage the various instructions he's getting through his headphones, plus trying to move smoothly from various commentators' inputs, but that was really mad mistake.

[Greig]

Very poor taste will be shocked if he is not removed, depends how much public opinion is put on them as there was with Andy Gray etc.

[Tifosi]

I find it hard to believe that someone can accidentally say something like that. It's hardly a slip of the tongue is it? Maybe it was something he'd heard someone else say and before he knew it he was saying it without thinking. Whatever the reason, that is probably the most contrived way of shooting yourself in the foot and making people actively dislike you that I can think of.

[Tifosi]

Don't really see why the big fuss.

These things get blown up by the media (Daily Mail readers were incensed more than anyone else on the planet of course) but it's basically unprofessional and makes him look like he has a cruel schoolboy's sense of humour. I'm sure you might see the fuss if it was a comment about the death of Senna or Villeneuve. Bad taste is relative, but i'm sure you'd agree that saying something like that at the Monaco GP is as inappropriate and unprofessional as it gets for a Global TV Presenter

[Suzie]

These things get blown up by the media (Daily Mail readers were incensed more than anyone else on the planet of course)

Hmmm, you mean the same Daily Mail that posted an article and video yesterday about a naked man chewing another man's face off then being shot?! That's rich.

Lazenby has always come across to me as slightly uncomfortable in this role and very squirmy - maybe he just blurts stupid things out when he's nervous. Do we have a new Alan Partridge on our hands here?


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[Rob]

didnt hear him say that, i was out in kitchen. But heard him apologise, i thought someone had sworn. It silly mistake. You cannt say things like that.

[Ferrarichamp]

Lazenby = dumbass.

[Ste]

A silly mistake, nothing more. It would be pretty stupid to remove him from his position over what he immediately realised was a stupid comment. He apologised live on air, what more can he do? He knew it was wrong so it's hardly worthwhile bringing someone else in. Everyone has made mistakes, things they'd take back in a heartbeat.
I imagine it's very easy to say something when you're live on air because you've no time to think about what you're saying.

The Daily Fail twisted what he said in the headline of their article which made it immediately sound worse.

If he hadn't apologised I could possibly see the outcome being different but since he did, and obviously knew what a balls-up he made, I don't really see the point.

On his performance in general, I don't think he started naturally and he lacked some knowledge and know how with regards to difficult live coverage. I think he's improved over the past couple of races, there's a lot more rapport now, more joking rather than just thinking how to fill time which made him sound nervous. Jake wasn't great when he first started but he grew into the role just in the same way that Simon is. As people get to know him, and he gets to know them, he will be more comfortable with everything. I think he's doing a perfectly good job and I don't see anyone that would do a better job frankly.

[Greig]

Would he have said it about Princess Diana? I doubt it, get him booted I say!

[Ste]

Would he have said it about Princess Diana? I doubt it, get him booted I say!

Probably, yes. Because that's the point, he obviously didn't mean to say it. And he probably realised as it was coming out that it was a huge blunder which is why he apologised.

If everyone was sacked for making a mistake then 99.9% of the country would be un-employed.

[Greig]

He didn't mean to say it? I mean come on it's hardly something that just jumps into your head to say, much like Keys and Grey made a mistake they got the boot. A mistake would be missing his cue or something not coming out with such a poor comment.

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

Get rid, i think he looks uncomfortable in front of camera, has a less than inspiring voice and seems rather clueless when it comes to transitioning from one scene to another. Oh and he makes it rather obvious that he is being sent messages from his earpiece, which a good presenter just does not do.
As for the supposed 'joke', it's just him trying too hard to become likeable and more popular but obviously it did not work.

[Suzie]

It's as well none of the locals heard him, he wouldn't have gotten out alive. Photos of Prince Albert and the Princess everywhere here, framed pictures in shops, restaurants etc.

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[Tifosi]

I don't think he should be sacked (not when there are other more pointless members of the Sky team that should go first anyway) but there's no way it's "easy" to accidentally come out with such a bad taste comment that requires such pre-thought. It was probably the schoolboy equivalent of tourettes where his brain dared him to test the boundaries of his own behaviour and his pre-thought slipped out because it couldn't resist it.

Still highly unprofessional and pretty lame though as that pre-thought was clearly already there, regardless of how overblown the reaction to it was. Maybe he should develop the theme further and start calling George a gravel voiced short- a**e spasmodically and then immediately retract it as if it just accidentally slipped out and he'd never even noticed that she is in fact a gravel voiced short-a**e.

[Ste]

I don't think he should be sacked (not when there are other more pointless members of the Sky team that should go first anyway) but there's no way it's "easy" to accidentally come out with such a bad taste comment that requires such pre-thought. It was probably the schoolboy equivalent of tourettes where his brain dared him to test the boundaries of his own behaviour and his pre-thought slipped out because it couldn't resist it.

Still highly unprofessional and pretty lame though as that pre-thought was clearly already there, regardless of how overblown the reaction to it was. Maybe he should develop the theme further and start calling George a gravel voiced short- a**e spasmodically and then immediately retract it as if it just accidentally slipped out and he'd never even noticed that she is in fact a gravel voiced short-a**e.

Maybe you should hand in your CV to Sky and apply for his job then, Stuart. Since you are clearly far better equipped to deal with a high pressure environment and obviously extremely capable of never making a mistake while live to millions of viewers.

[Tifosi]

Maybe you should hand in your CV to Sky and apply for his job then, Stuart. Since you are clearly far better equipped to deal with a high pressure environment and obviously extremely capable of never making a mistake while live to millions of viewers.

Maybe you should realise that I am not as gung-ho to defend Sky's F1 team as you are though Stephen .

Just because I don't wish to actively support them in their chosen careers doesn't necessarily mean that I want to do their jobs for them. I did also state that I didn't think he should be sacked so it would be rather counter-productive to that thought to send in my CV in an attempt to replace him. I'm sure however that - given the job - the only "mistake" that I wouldn't make would be to accidentally say something offensive to a large percentage of the nation hosting the Grand Prix that I was actually being paid to do slinky World-wide TV links at!

The guy didn't make a mistake, he let one of his politically incorrect thoughts slip out. When you are live to millions of viewers, that's not the same as fluffing your words, it's just cocky stupidity

[Suzie]

I can't wait to see it when I get back. The 'joke' was not funny - but the fact that something so hideously inappropriate was said live on air that's made so many people go boogaloo IS.

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[Tifosi]

I can't wait to see it when I get back. The 'joke' was not funny - but the fact that something so hideously inappropriate was said live on air that's made so many people go boogaloo IS.

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Thought you might like to add this intellectual work to your literary canon Suzanne!

Slot it in between Dawkins and Hawkins so that they don't argue


The Twitter Diaries by Georgie Thompson and someone else referencing Piers Morgan. Indispensable I'm sure you will concur.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showbi...s-7757000.html

(I have to confess that the side headline (Mini-Me actor Verne Troyer gets trapped in toilet) was a little more persuasive for me)

[epiclyaddicted]

Slightly off topic, but Natalie Pinkham had her hen do last night!

(Not that I stalk her or anything... )

[Infi24r]

The sky races feel clinical and lacking in a certain soul. The commentators feel forced to speak to one another. I can't say im a particularly large fan so far.

The BBC had such charisma and the team gelled. I'm glad sky has Damon Hill but, him and brundle is what keeps it all together

[Suzie]

Slightly off topic, but Natalie Pinkham had her hen do last night!

(Not that I stalk her or anything... )

Aw, I saw her loads in Monaco, I'd have put a word in for you

[scuderiafan]

I have to say, some of sky's attempts at humour are at times are cringeworthy. Gary Anderson has begun impressing me, and he shows why things happen and explain them, rather than just making stuff up, unlike his counterpart Ted 'Down at McLaren' Kravitz.

[epiclyaddicted]

Aw, I saw her loads in Monaco, I'd have put a word in for you

Darn it, you could have got her autograph for me (read phone number).

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

I have to say, some of sky's attempts at humour are at times are cringeworthy. Gary Anderson has begun impressing me, and he shows why things happen and explain them, rather than just making stuff up, unlike his counterpart Ted 'Down at McLaren' Kravitz.

Naturally Ted is a bit speaker and better to understand, but he like many other pundits has a biased view toward teams (blaming Ferrari for the protest but it was actually McLaren). Gary is harder to understand but like you said atleast he knows what he's talking about, well...he comes across as being more credible but on the non-technical issues sometimes he does talk some drivel.

[Sianellen]

Darn it, you could have got her autograph for me (read phone number).

She was too busy taking photos of Felipe and Nando's bum.

[Suzie]

If I was purposely going to take photos of people from Ferrari's bums, it wouldn't be the drivers I'd focus on, I assure you.

[Sianellen]

If I was purposely going to take photos of people from Ferrari's bums, it wouldn't be the drivers I'd focus on, I assure you.

Rob's bum?

[Rob]

F1 ON FREE TV COULD END IN BRITAIN - ECCLESTONE
Friday 8 June at 10:35 : Jun.8 (GMM) Free-to-air television coverage of formula one could end in Britain, chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has hinted.

His comments follow the announcement that Rupert Murdoch's pay-channel Sky Italia will broadcast the sport in Italy in 2013.

A similar arrangement is already in place in Britain, where Sky shares the rights with the BBC's now limited free-to-air coverage until 2018.

The next step for Britain, Ecclestone suggested to F1 business journalist Christian Sylt, could be Sky getting the rights exclusively.

"We will never move all countries to pay-per-view only though it wouldn't make any difference here in the UK," Ecclestone told the Guardian.

The 81-year-old said Sky already reaches about 10 million of Britain's 25 million households.

"We don't get 10m on the BBC, normally about 6m or 7m," said Ecclestone.

"The thing that TV stations want to buy most is live sport. People don't want to watch delayed stuff because nowadays it's hard not to know the result if you don't want to."

He said Sky has done "a super job" so far, adding that the BBC had become complacent.

"The Beeb were sure we wouldn't be able to go anywhere else," said Ecclestone

http://www.onestopstrategy.com/daily...cclestone.html

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

Oh my god was Simon Lazenby out of his depth this weekend or what. Dire performance and made to look less significant than those around him.