The Athletics Thread (... but predominantly about Bolt)

[Craig_H]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011...eley-channel-4

[kingfunk]

"We have a glorious sunny day here in the......studio...eerrm
We seen some action this morning....aswell.....Jesica Ennis...... Goodnight".

lmfao

[Craig_H]

[Shaggy]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/8733703/Ortis-Deleys-demotion-from-Channel-4s-athetics-coverage-for-classic-gaffes-will-leave-a-void.html

Ortis Deley's demotion from Channel 4's athetics coverage for classic gaffes will leave a void

One of the great myths of television is that anyone can do it. It is a myth that Channel 4 have spent the last few days testing to the point of destruction.

By Jonathan Liew8:24PM BST 31 Aug 20117 Comments

The World Athletics Championships in Daegu is the broadcaster’s first venture into athletics broadcasting, and its struggles thus far have proved largely analogous to someone with no running experience taking on David Rudisha in the 800 metres final.

Already we have seen the first casualty. Ortis Deley, a former children’s TV presenter parachuted in from Channel 5's The Gadget Show, has been dropped from Channel 4’s live coverage after attempting to look likeable and competent, and failing abjectly on both counts.

Nevertheless, Deley’s demotion should dismay any viewer who demands to be entertained. Some of Deley’s infelicities were so uproarious they could never have been scripted — ironic, given that a script was one of the many things he appeared to be lacking.

When he was not making up new events (the men’s 100 metre hurdles, anyone?), missing links, forgetting to go to a commercial break or asking Michael Johnson whether he had done the pole vault, he was turning simple words of English into golden nuggets of comedy.

“We’re going to start this morning’s action with the men’s 400 metre hurdles first round. And history in the making as Oscar Pistorius from South Africa makes history.”

“We’ll be talking to the hottest athlete of the moment: the Honourable Leo Usain Bolt. It’s Leo St Leo Usain Bolt.”

By this stage Johnson, sitting opposite him, was not even bothering to conceal his giggles. It is actually Usain St Leo Bolt, and Pistorius runs in the 400m flat, but who’s checking?

Of course Deley was hugely out of his depth, but you would surely rather watch him stumbling over his half-sentences than his replacement, a coiffured tower of void called Rick Edwards.

Edwards has also been drawn from the ranks of kids’ television, where the use of as few and as short words as possible is not only tolerated, but positively encouraged.

In just a few days, Channel 4 have managed to infantilise athletics broadcasting, cleaving stubbornly to the idea that anyone can be trained up and stuck in front of a camera, just as long as their face fits.

They did it to a certain extent with cricket, too, but that was a game drowning in jargon, crying out for demystification.

Athletics demands not a simpler understanding, but a deeper one. We can see who is winning; what we want to know is why.

Instead we get gems like this from Deley, which also doubles up as a neat sign-off for this article: “So we have a gloriously sunny day here in the studio. We’ve seen some action this morning as well. Jessica Ennis. Good night.”

[Pablo]

Still in tears laughing at this

[Gaz]

How in any way is it going to leave a void

[Shaggy]

Channel 4 partners rage at Deley debacle as companies distance themselves from hiring

By CHARLES SALE
Last updated at 2:28 AM on 1st September 2011

The two TV sports production companies employed by Channel 4 for the World Athletics Championships have distanced themselves from the shambles surrounding inept lead presenter Ortis Deley being ditched.

IMG Sports Media and Sunset+Vine, who have excellent reputations to protect, pleaded with C4 to appoint a seasoned professional as host rather than the hapless Deley, who was replaced after three days of gaffes.

But C4, who say it’s part of their mandate to give opportunities to new presenters, ignored the advice. The station admitted they had got it wrong with Gadget Show host Deley anchoring the live coverage, but still intend to look for fresh talent to help present the London 2012 Paralympics.

A C4 spokesperson said: ‘We accept the position we put Ortis in was exposed but we have moved swiftly to change things. We are still committed to finding new broadcasting faces for the Paralympics.’

However, it’s not just over the host presenter that production teams have their differences with C4, who have TV rights to the 2013 World Championships as well.

They are also complaining about C4 deciding to bail out of the men’s pole vault final with two rounds remaining - ‘Imagine the BBC doing that,’ said a high-level source - and budget restrictions meaning a cheap-looking highlights programme has to show the events in chronological order.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/art...y-debacle.html

[Shaggy]

DyvdMysn David Mason
Gig tonight in Balham, at the Bedford. Tankus The Henge. I'll be there with my good mate Ortis Deley, who's been drunk for 36 hours. #sorrows

[Shaggy]

Worth posting again

Ch4 keep removing it from YouTube

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6o52kZxvtg"]Ortis Deley presenting masterclass - YouTube[/ame]

[Neil Young]

F*ck, he makes Scott Minto look competent.

[Pablo]

Still laughing at the "fastest man on no legs" comment

[Pablo]

When his voice breaks when introducing Michael Johnson and Tyson Gay

This is the gift that just keeps on giving

[Gaz]

I notice he's been quiet on twitter for a few days, should make for interesting reading when he finally surfaces

https://twitter.com/#!/ortisdeley

Very disappointed none of his fellow Gadget Show presenters have been taking the piss

[Gaz]

StephenMangan Stephen Mangan
Presenting is hard but it's not this hard. Ortis Deley, come on down. youtu.be/A6o52kZxvtg

[Liverpool]

OrtisDeley Ortis Deley
Great start for @C4Athletics. Positive feedback so far and we're only gonna get better #Daegu2011
27 Aug