Who else finds Bob Roll's commentary moronic?

Question

I find it annoying when he deliberately mispronounces "Tour de France."

Answer 1

Bob can be annoying with the Tour DAY France thing.  When Lance Armstrong decided to cycle again seriously after his medical crisis, the man he called to ride with him was Bob Roll.  He could have called any of a thousand guys, but he called Bob.  When I read about that I paid more attention to Bob, thinking there was something there I had missed, some depth or something - and I was right.  He is an extremely funny man, but you have to listen for it.  Bob is now my favorite commentator, Tour "Day"

France and all.

Answer 2

Bobkie is the best.

Answer 3

He is brilliant and adds color to the tour.

Answer 4

Bob Roll is a hoot. I love listening to him. He's the best reason to watch the Tour DAY France!

Answer 5

ok, that's FUNNY!!!  seriously i think phil ligget and paul sherwin and the others are good for like the hard facts and stuff but bob is funny!!  He had that whole commercial thing where he was like practicing how to say it because people told him he said it wrong so it's funny, it has like history!

Answer 6

Bobke is as informed as he is entertaining! he's the reason to turn up the volume on VS!

Answer 7

I got to meet Bob at a party and hear the back story on 'Tour Day France'. He just does it out of habit now but originally it was to irritate French race authorities for the way they treated him and his team. He actually speaks fluent French.

I agree that he's a goofball. He's the same in person as he is on TV. But, he was a first rate domestique in his day. He rode several Tours and spring classics, including Paris Roubaix several times. He was also on the team that guided Andy Hampsten to victory in the Giro d'Italia, to this day the only American to ever win that race.

Answer 8

Read the "Bobke" books.  they show a different side of Bob.

Yes, it took me a while to figure out the Bob is goofing on "Tour DAY France".  It got really bad a couple of years ago when Al Trautwig (may he never do another day of cycling coverage in his life!) became the lead announcer.  I nicknamed Bob "Bobke the Clown" then.  Aaaaargh.  I wanted Phil and Paul and Bob.  But we had to have the "American" side of things.  Sorry, folks, I love American cycling, but it got really over the top with all the Lance-kissing going on, and the little sideshows with Kirsten Gum et al.

When the racing is on and Bob gets into it, listen to how much better his Italian and French sound.  This man knows his stuff.

He can grate a bit, but please be patient.  Thanks.