IMSA Race 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona(IMSA @ Daytona) - Jan 25-28

[Matt]

I quite enjoyed how every time another commentator made reference to how good the DPi cars would be at Le Mans, JH ether flat out told them no, or immediately changed the subject to something else, instead of continuing on a subject he doesn't like.

Not to mention all the plugs for Bathurst this coming weekend instead of talking about other IMSA races.

[fieldodreams79]

IMHO, great commentators died with Chris Economaki, Larry Munson and Barney Hall. There are still many good ones out there and I used to think Hindy was one. I don't dislike his commentating, but I used to enjoy it so much more.

And MRN covering sportscars was like an American Football Broadcast team trying to cover Rugby. I'd cut them some slack, but it was a complete goat show. Their coverage of nascar is tops in all of motor racing, but sadly, I don't enjoy the product they cover any more.

To get this back to the race, IMSA Radio Le Mans and a 720p video with no commercial was much better than 1080p / FOX / constant ads with "the scroll"

[Nick Woodbury]

Originally Posted by Matt

MRN

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Matt

I quite enjoyed how every time another commentator made reference to how good the DPi cars would be at Le Mans, JH ether flat out told them no, or immediately changed the subject to something else, instead of continuing on a subject he doesn't like.

Not to mention all the plugs for Bathurst this coming weekend instead of talking about other IMSA races.

To be fair, they plug IMSA during Creventic and ELMS Races too. It's just forward advertising of the events, not a criticism of IMSA.

I understand why some don't like JH, I personally love him. I have noticed RLM missing things in the booth at times over the last year, so maybe it just needs more attention on the screens rather than social media. However I still think it's the best coverage out there, and without them we'd have either worse coverage, or no coverage of many series.

IMSA for me was absolutely unwatchable without IMSA Radio. Just my 2 cents - not saying anyone is right or wrong.

Oh, and Nick Damans grid walks and pit reporting at Dubai were some of the most entertaining pit reporting I've ever heard, in 25 years of watching motorsport. It made me a huge Nick Daman fan.

[Mike Bell]

I think we get that you're not a fan. Doesn't appear to be a universal view, but we all have likes and dislikes.....

Originally Posted by Matt

Also, after listening to them all weekend trackside - Hindahugh and Marriott need to go. Marriott is just pretty bad to listen to. Cringe worthy questions all the time.

Originally Posted by Matt

Watching the race on IMSA's YouTube account now with RLM commentary - Hindy is unaware of what the Trueman/Akin award is. This is the man getting paid to commentate the series. Yikes.

Originally Posted by Matt

So you're totally okay with sub-par commentary. Got it.

Originally Posted by Matt

I quite enjoyed how every time another commentator made reference to how good the DPi cars would be at Le Mans, JH ether flat out told them no, or immediately changed the subject to something else, instead of continuing on a subject he doesn't like.

Not to mention all the plugs for Bathurst this coming weekend instead of talking about other IMSA races.

[AFC-911]

I remember when ALMS was first bought out by GA and there was no Hindy...That really sucked.

[justracing]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

It's not what Hindy says, it's the way he says it that makes him so popular.

Agreed, he's very prone to doing a "Muddy Talker" but perversely that's all part of the attraction, we all forgave Murray for his bloomers and Hindy's done a great deal to bring the sportscar racing alive to a wider audience. I have a great deal of admiration for Jeremy Shaw but at the end of the day he cannot hold a running commentary. The best commentary by far at the weekend came from Johnnie Mowlem which I alluded to during the race.

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

And MRN covering sportscars was like an American Football Broadcast team trying to cover Rugby. I'd cut them some slack, but it was a complete goat show.

Don't cut them any slack. People don't deserve slack for lack of preparation.

If you know you are going to be paid to cover D24 sportscars, then you prepare!

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by AFC-911

I remember when ALMS was first bought out by GA and there was no Hindy...That really sucked.

He deserves a lot of credit for being a driving force in keeping RLM going and then expanding to cover many areas of our sport. If it wasn’t for him (and a few others) we wouldn’t have this luxury.

Undoubtedly we have it good and the alternatives fall a long way short.

The long features with sponsors? I can’t be doing with them either, but they pay for it, so let’s be careful here! One thing I would encourage is that Hindy does the sponsor interview as this basically signals “advertising feature” to us all. I laugh when it claims to be no adverts, but ultimately the approach they have is good here. At the level they have it the bit of “product placement” is harmless. It’s free for us. We should be thankful that this is achieved relatively unobtrusively.

How can I put this? I do find I prefer it when the others are sat in the commentary seats. It’s not the mistakes, in live broadcasting it happens. Not that I find it endearing! The thing I find a turn off is the driving the agenda so forcefully it stifles interest and the brooking no alternative view. Ironically this comes across as a style I see in the odd post on this topic! It can get close to ranting.

I agree with a couple of points above. A little more paying attention to the action would help and less social media would be nice. Use it when it adds value, of course.

Basically we are well off. It’s all generally good, but as with many things there are somethings that sometimes annoy some people.

[ATLFalconsFAN]

LONG LIVE HINDY!!!

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I think we get that you're not a fan. Doesn't appear to be a universal view, but we all have likes and dislikes.....

I'm legitimately a fan of everyone else on the crew aside from him. Shaw is absolutely incredible.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by justracing

Agreed, he's very prone to doing a "Muddy Talker" but perversely that's all part of the attraction, we all forgave Murray for his bloomers and Hindy's done a great deal to bring the sportscar racing alive to a wider audience. I have a great deal of admiration for Jeremy Shaw but at the end of the day he cannot hold a running commentary. The best commentary by far at the weekend came from Johnnie Mowlem which I alluded to during the race.

Yes! Mowlem was absolutely fantastic.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by skycafe

Don't cut them any slack. People don't deserve slack for lack of preparation.

If you know you are going to be paid to cover D24 sportscars, then you prepare!

Zing! Fair points!

[RWill2073]

I also agree that mowlem was great, but part of what made it so good was the booth he was in, the chemistry with the others and comments generating conversation and allowing it to go places others may not.

For instance, if mowlem was put in the fox booth, I doubt he would have been so good. Or allowed to speak his mind as much. Or even had the same conversations begun in a way to bring so much out of him. Some of that is a credit to the rlm broadcast and it's atmosphere, of which hindy has a lot to do with.

Try imagining mowlem joining the fox booth and asked generic former driver questions, and questions intended to mention sponsors, or just the formulaic question answer style, and then he's gone as opposed to the free flowing nature of the rlm appearance. We wouldn't be as impressed with mowlem imo, but not due to mowlem doing anything wrong.

[Accident]

Not that it matters, but Hindy is getting kinda old for me too. I mean he seems like a great guy to sit down and watch a race with where he doesn't need to do the "commentary" gig, but his commentary is becoming more annoying than positive, which is a shame because I like everyone else on RLM.

The bias he shows does grow old sometimes, I've noticed it in the past with some things and I feel like it shuts down what he is actually good at, which is the sort of "fans discussing a race" thing. When a topic comes up and he basically says "no" and goes back to commentary it robs us of that discussion.

I get tired of the screaming out the wrong car thing. I mean I get it, some of the teams have cars that look nearly identical... But when you have yelled the wrong car number the last 6 times, maybe check this time before screaming? Then when someone corrects him he asks them if they are sure or starts to disagree... You don't have the right to question others and get combative over it if you have been wrong on 90% of your car identifications over the last several years.

As for the "how he says it is more important" thing... I dunno, I can't really agree that I enjoy listening to someone make incorrect calls and bias commentary as long as they are screaming it.

It's not that I'm sick of the guy or something, as I said he seems like a great guy and he is certainly an enthusiastic fan... But there are plenty of those out there, it doesn't mean they are great at commentary. Unfortunately, I feel like he has gotten worse over the years I've been watching rather than better, so I don't have much hope for him toning things down a bit.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Adam43

The thing I find a turn off is the driving the agenda so forcefully it stifles interest and the brooking no alternative view.

This is what I find the most annoying but as you also pointed out with this thread, it's par for the course these days. I'd like to follow a race, enjoy a concert or have a nice meal without hearing someone's opinion touted as fact...

Basically we are well off. It’s all generally good, but as with many things there are somethings that sometimes annoy some people.

Agreed, but it certainly pushes a convo more to find fault over praise these days.

[Dyson Mazda]

Can anyone else not stand Shea Adam? I thought I was just annoyed with her after the Amazon Le Mans Series but yeah I cringed a lot when she came on the radio during the Rolex 24.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Dyson Mazda

Can anyone else not stand Shea Adam? I thought I was just annoyed with her after the Amazon Le Mans Series but yeah I cringed a lot when she came on the radio during the Rolex 24.

She's alright.

Not a fan of her, or any American using the term "drinks bottle" though, but that's just an annoyance of the British English language.

[fieldodreams79]

"Drinks bottle" drives me mad, too.

Shea seemed uncomfortable in her first stints, but she's improved greatly over the years and her enthusiasm helps.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by justracing

The best commentary by far at the weekend came from Johnnie Mowlem which I alluded to during the race.

Originally Posted by RWill2073

I also agree that mowlem was great, but part of what made it so good was the booth he was in, the chemistry with the others and comments generating conversation and allowing it to go places others may not.

Yes, those were my thoughts at the time. I did wonder how many of the worldwide audience would know who Reading Town FC were, though....

All this talk about the commentary- obviously FCYs and BOPs less contentious this year!

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by Dyson Mazda

Can anyone else not stand Shea Adam? I thought I was just annoyed with her after the Amazon Le Mans Series but yeah I cringed a lot when she came on the radio during the Rolex 24.

Thems fightin words right there.

[JLGarcia]

Originally Posted by justracing

Agreed, he's very prone to doing a "Muddy Talker" but perversely that's all part of the attraction, we all forgave Murray for his bloomers

Who's we? The best thing I can say about Murray Walker is that he's not John Watson.

I have a great deal of admiration for Jeremy Shaw but at the end of the day he cannot hold a running commentary.

"Cannot get more than a sentence in between his cohort's scenery-chewing" is not the same as "cannot hold a running commentary"

[Maelochs]

Originally Posted by ATLFalconsFAN

LONG LIVE HINDY!!!

Nobody was suggesting he should die, just that he should study Andy Blackmore's spotter guide

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by Accident

..........
As for the "how he says it is more important" thing... .........

where are you quoting this from?
It certainly was not what I said .

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Dyson Mazda

Can anyone else not stand Shea Adam? I thought I was just annoyed with her after the Amazon Le Mans Series but yeah I cringed a lot when she came on the radio during the Rolex 24.

I didn't at first, but she's improved so much.

I guess I have lower standards because I didn't mind the Fox coverage and I like Hindy too. Sure he screws up stuff, but so do they all - If someone ran the board for them, I bet the whole call would improve.