Jonathan Legard

I have given Johnathon legard the benefit of the doubt over the first qtr of the season, hoping he would find his feet and respond to audience and line manager feedback. I now feel that he' got to go, he commentates like its a horse race FFS.
He lacks tech knowledge and just doesn't allow Brundell to speak, just talking rubbish all the time.(at least james allen would ask MB for clarification or explanation of something even if he knew the answer himself) JA respected MB and worked alongside him (I NOT SAYING BRING BACK ALLEN BEFORE THIS TURNS INTO A JA BASHING THREAD) i just thing JL should be replaced...

Also i don't thing MB appears to lookor sound settled at the BBC atm, and is a lot less opinionated and lets JL control the commentary.

David Croft will have the post next year. Legard will see out the 2009 season though.

gav Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> David Croft will have the post next year. Legard
> will see out the 2009 season though.

Where'd you read that?

i want ben edwards!!

---

[en-gb.facebook.com]

I've been listening to the Radio 5 Live commentary for most of the last races. It's much better in that they make the race feel much more exciting.

I've never liked Ben Edwards, though. I don't like his voice or style of commentary.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You know you want to. [judgegrudge.mybrute.com]

To be honest, at the moment I'm still finding Legard quite pleasant to listen to, for the simple reason he isn't Allen. He might make some mistakes, miss important moments in the race that should jump out of the TV screen at him and overuse the term "pushing on", but I still just need to think back for one moment to Allen's cocky cheesiness and misplaced smarmy smugness, and Legard's shortcomings suddenly seem tolerable, without fail.
Sorry Paul Boy! It's just that JA is the one F1-related subject where my dislike of the guy actually approaches Bruninho levels.

But back on topic, and I honestly don't mind if Legard stays or goes at the end of this season. He certainly hasn't done enough yet to really annoy me at any point so far.


gav Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> David Croft will have the post next year. Legard
> will see out the 2009 season though.

After watching the practice sessions for the last two GPs I have to say David Croft impresses me a lot. Very knowledgeable and into his F1, and seems not to have any annoying mannerisms etc. I think he'd be a great addition to the main commentary team.
I think they could do with making Holly Samos a main pitlane reporter too.

---

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2009 05:32PM by EC83.

Allen was enthusiastic.

Legard is well ermm boring? And imo far worse than Allen ever was.

Croft/Brundle would be awesome, but Croft/Brundle/Ant would be better!

---

"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

chet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Croft/Brundle/Ant would be better!


Exactly what I want. They make the whole thing very informal and more entertaining to watch :D

Monza972 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> gav Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > David Croft will have the post next year.
> Legard
> > will see out the 2009 season though.
>
> Where'd you read that?

It wasn't a fact - just common sense.

But then you could have said that it would have been common sense to replace James Allen after 2002... and he stayed for a further 6 years!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You know you want to. [judgegrudge.mybrute.com]

But ITV didn't have replacement in their ranks. The BBC do. If it wasn't for Croft's abysmal GP2 commentary last year, I doubt Legard would be commentating on F1 at all. Croft was being groomed for the role, but totally lost himself in GP2. Not to say that that couldn't happen again, but I think it's fair to say that Legard wasn't in the original plan.

Has to be Croft next year. Smashing job on 5 Live so far. In a sport like F1, where nothing happens for half the time, you need someone to be able to make it flow, and Legard just can't do that, his commentating is stacatto, short bursts of nothingness really. What surprises me is that Brundle has also missed out on some key moments in the races this year. Between the two of them, they've really dropped the ball a few times. It's a major disappointment, because the rest of the Beebs coverage has been staggeringly good this year.

Missing things isn't an issue. They all take time out to look at timings and discuss things off the microphone with Mark Hughes and things. In such a strategic and fast-moving sport, that's just the way things are. They're commentators, just adding to what is going on - we're watching things too, so shouldn't be missing much.

I agree with everything else though, and a really good description of Legard too. He is damn poor when there is little excitement to be found - a bit of (proper) banter wouldn't go amiss. You get the impression he wouldn't be top of the list to go down the local with.

If Brundle was choosing whether to join the BBC now, I'm not sure he'd sign again.

I think Davidson's a right mug, he speaks with a totally undeserved arrogance and croft's fine on 5 live effectively away from any real pressure but was dreadful with gp2,

Legard's done a good job, but it just doesn't work with Brundle. I don't see why we can't follow cricket and just have ex players as the com team Brundle could easily hold his own as lead com.

Sauber89 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Legard's done a good job, but it just doesn't work
> with Brundle. I don't see why we can't follow
> cricket and just have ex players as the com team
> Brundle could easily hold his own as lead com.

Because F1 drivers generally have about as much personality as a stone. The only real exceptions some latins - there are certainly few native English speakers around. Coulthard stands out in that he speaks his mind, but other than that he's hardly essential listening. We've not exactly got an abundance of old F1 racers either. Someone like Jones would have made a decent commentator in the modern day, but I'm struggling after that.

Though you could get Perry McCarthy in in some capacity. If he's even half as sharp now as he was 20 years ago, or his books are good, then he'd be a riot. He'd have been a far better choice than Eddie Jordan in the pitlane, but obviously he's not the big name. Still, they could have dressed him up as black Stig. :D

EC83 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To be honest, at the moment I'm still finding
> Legard quite pleasant to listen to, for the simple
> reason he isn't Allen. He might make some
> mistakes, miss important moments in the race that
> should jump out of the TV screen at him and
> overuse the term "pushing on", but I still just
> need to think back for one moment to Allen's cocky
> cheesiness and misplaced smarmy smugness, and
> Legard's shortcomings suddenly seem tolerable,
> without fail.

Completely agree with that, Legard still has a lot to learn, but I feel he's improving every race, and come Abu Dhabi, I think he'll be on par with what we expect from a F1 commentator.

But I have to admit, I would like Ant, Croft, and Brundle to commentate. Perfect blend of youth and experience.

---

Order a giffgaff SIM from my link and get £5 credit, free!
Season 1 and Season 3 GPGSL World Champion!
Member of CTDP - Cars Tracks Development Program - 3D Carshaper

I never saw (heard) anything wrong with Allen, I quite enjoyed his commentataries.


I do think though that Brundle doesn't seem like hes enjoying working for the BBC so much.

_______________________________________________________________________

do we remember how bad ant was at hungary '06? 'yes, yes, he's done it, i can't believe it, my first race commentating, yes, yes'

*punch, punch*

lol

now, lil ant is a great commentator! him + brundle + the bbc practice guy = win situation.

i do miss allen, and i would love it if he got even a qualy or practice job, purely for his passion and insight.

i didn't mind him, and he would certainly bring something to the new f1 fan, even if it meant bunging him in to pop up friday sessions or qualy commentary.


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it

James Allen was fine - pre Lewis Hamilton (apart from Jensons win in 06)
He was sometimes a bit of a dick, but as mentioned several times above, he has so much passion and enthusiasm. JL makes me quiet ill - he constantly repeats his descriptions. x driver is safe for now, whilst z driver is also safe for now, x driver is no longer safe for now! ARRRGGH I cant stand him.

I'll admit I was very glad to hear JA was gone, but I gues its true - "Better the devil you know"

---

2013 - Nando must come through..

casabonka Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> James Allen was fine - pre Lewis Hamilton (apart
> from Jensons win in 06)
> He was sometimes a bit of a dick, but as
> mentioned several times above, he has so much
> passion and enthusiasm.

Allen's problem was portraying that enthusiasm to the audience. He was just incapable of doing it without tempting the entire English-speaking world to stab him in the face.