Yep....you read that right.
The big brains at NBCSports made the change to Peacock for the cycling pass for this year. No biggee...in fact, that was going to be WAY cheaper as I could subscribe for just the month of July...SWEET!!
Turns out that I can ONLY watch the NBCSN broadcast (you know, the one with Phil/Bobke and the rest of the gang) LIVE! Only you know, I have a freaking JOB and can't do that. Last year I was able to watch the replays whenever I wanted. Only on Peacock, the only replay I can get is the Peacock version that has Gugliani or whatever his name is doing the commentary.
Uhm...yea....I'd rather slit my wrists with a piece of torn off cardboard. So I canceled my Peacock subscription and will have nothing.
I did see the big pileup on Stage 1 (on replay...on my CELL PHONE of all things). I have to admit, I was surprised by the early start date. WHEN has the Tour EVER started in June?? Not since I've been watching...it never occurred to me until I saw the notice on my phone about a big crash on Stage 1...and I thought WTH? Are they showing repeats from some prior year? So I watched the horrid video (what an ENORMOUS DUMB-ASS standing there watching the cameras in the FREAKING ROAD WITH HIS FREAKING SIGN!)...and said to myself: "that's not a replay...that was NOW!" . And sure enough...the Tour had begun without me even knowing about it!
Not that it matters...I hope NBCSports takes a BATH in DIRTY WATER for their stupid change to the Gold cycling pass...I'm quite ticked. I wasn't worried as I was sure that I could watch the replays and catch up...you know, like EVERY OTHER YEAR? But no...somehow taking away the ability to watch the replay of their A team broadcast somehow makes sense to the suits. I can't even find a place to bitch about this to them! (you know, the "Contact Us" links that are on pretty much every other website in the free world?)
Well...I hope you all are able to watch it.
It's not like I don't have a lot to do...but not watching le Tour? Man, that's a seriously bad precedent. I guess I"ll just have to ride my bike(s) all thru July instead of a ton of couch/computer-chair time...and keep my fitness instead of watching it slip away as I watch Tour video replays every day.
So, it's not all bad. I've worked pretty hard to get where I am now (fitness wise). And I'll use my anger to work on that. I should be able to hit the end of July in about the best shape I've ever been in after le Tour is over. So there is a silver lining.
But I'm still ROYALLY PISSED OFF!
(I remember hearing right here on the Asylum about the change, I just forgot about it). I wasn't worried as I knew that once I subscribed to the new plan I'd get the replays and the world would go on. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd no longer have access to THE BROADCAST. So in the big scheme nothing was changed by my last-moment hail-Mary subscription-change to the new plan, as it didn't help, and I wouldn't have found out about that until the tour was actually happening.
Have you ever listened to an entire stage with Todd doing the commentating? If bad-guys were torturing me to give ultra-sensitive information vital to the safety of the planet, I can think of no finer method to get me to sing-like-a-bird than to tie me down and play his coverage stage after stage after stage...if you gave me an ice pick and untied one hand, I'd stab my ear drums out to stop the pain!
By the way, Y'all can still talk about the race here, I'll live vicariously thru your comments!
OK then.
So.
Damn. Back to work.
Is it too soon to give a hardy "Bah Humbug!"?
Oh hey...Happy Monday!
I agree, although I don't mind Ant McCrossan quite as much as you do - but IMO Simon Gerrans isn't adding much to the commentary. I am commenting on the NBCSports FB page though - seems to be the only place to register my disappointment. I don't understand why they are using the international feed on Peacock for the no commercial feed - NBCSports did this so well in the past with TourTracker - I guess they just aren't allocating budget to cycling anymore! I hope this all doesn't mean that the USA commentary team will be axed entirely when they shut down NBCSports later this year.
ReplyDeleteI thought you had the ability to DVR with your satellite service? or is NBCSports not available there?
So far it is looking a bit like Sagan is not in form this year - but how many years now has he been the top man - can't last forever I guess - perhaps his bout with Covid in February is still affecting him...
But Cav is make a good show so far! Hah, I never liked him personally even while respecting his ability, but now (as I tend to do ) I want to see him succeed!
I also want to see Alaphillipe do well! I was thrilled with the way he won stage 1, but deflated when he just didn't have the legs to feature in stage 2.
Watching stage 3 now, will comment about it later
Hey Rae...I COULD up our satellite subscription (I think it's multi-month requirement, can't remember for sure)...but it's not cheap...and the problem is that leaves me watching it ONLY on the TV, and Jeannie HATES cycling (or more importantly, the very voices of cycling that I lov...Phil and now Bobke). Actually she hates that I can sit and watch it every day for 23 days for hours each day. So that just doesn't work...the NBCSportsGold thing was fantastic...I could watch it on the TV via the app if she was gone or in bed, or on my desktop (27" screen, so that wasn't bad) OR if I was on travel on my laptop! It was the perfect solution! I know if I were to pay to up the sat package it would cause friction with me wanting to watch the stages...so I won't do that. Damn those suits and NBC! How do they think Peacock is better?? Thanks for letting me know about the NBC Facebook page...I will go there tonight and rant.
DeleteMaybe try this? Cyclingfans says that FUBOtv has the NBCSports cast of the Tour AND DVR with a 30 day free trial (it is shockingly expensive after the trial - I set reminders on my computer to cancel trials before I get charged). I may do it, because I will be missing parts of and entire days of the broadcast - more and it's more interesting than Ant's commentary. If I wait until next week, then I might have a week of the Olympics too.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...will consider it (still I miss "the boys" NBCSN commentary team...they are the gold standard and the ONLY voices of cycling IMO). I see that Cav FINALLY won another stage today, good for him! How many does that make now, and how close is he to the record? I had written him off as 'done', but he shows that's not true. I'm hoping Sagan can pull a stage too, maybe one of those iron-man stages too hard for the true sprinters but not hard enough for the true climbers / GC guys to come out and fight it out. Keeping my fingers crossed. And how did Jumbo Vismo fair after Stage 1's total team crash from that idiot? I haven't head anything (haven't really even had time to look...now that I can't watch it I'm keeping quite occupied elsewhere).
ReplyDeleteGreat news, Matt! I tuned in just now (on Peacock) to see the TT highlights, and discovered that they have added the NBCSports cast to the replays! So I am watching Phil, Bob et al! Yay! I guess they listened to all of the unhappiness on their FB page...You still paid for this month, right? So you can go back in and at least watch the highlights (those have the team also) of the stages you missed.
ReplyDeleteHey Rae, thanks so much for the news...HOORAY!!! I'm watching todays TT right now...woo-HOO!! (I NEVER would have come back to look if you hadn't said something)...YIPPEE!! I just can't figure what the suits (the decision makers) were thinking, makes no sense NOT letting paying subscribers have access to the replays. DUMB DUMB DUMB!! But hey...it's fixed now (I still can't get stages 1 thru 4...but better late than never). Thanks again, I owe you a beer! (or whatever you drink)
ReplyDeleteHey, I know so few other cycling fans, I couldn't let you stay hung out to dry!
ReplyDeleteSo Cav won AGAIN yesterday, good for him! Now he's only 2 wins away from tying Eddy Merckx's record...wouldn't THAT be something if he made it? And I'd like Sagan to win at least one. I didn't get to see the whole race (gosh, how on earth did I watch entire stages in past years? I seem to have SO little spare time right now).
ReplyDeleteSusie, where are you? Sure hope you're ok...we haven't heard from you in a while. Maybe you are completely intoxicated with TV-sports-coverage?? (I'd think you'd be woozy just from the Olympic trials alone, let-alone the TDF...gosh there was a LOT!) How about that rough night Dominic Dawes had this past week...that was something. but if there's one thing we know about her, she will use that as fuel and will just DESTROY the competition in the Olympics...she is beyond amazing! And our swimmers? Gads, I think the ol' US of A will be smoking (again) in these Olympics! Prepare for a LOT of the Star Spangled Banner at medal ceremonies. And the athletes better stand at attention and not disgrace the flag! I freaking HATE THAT!
OK...gotta get back to work...just about to start the Holiday weekend...woo-HOO! Have a great 4th of July and be safe!
Cheers!
Hmm...so after Rae gave me the good news that the brains at NBC fixed the colossal screw-up (where-in the Peacock pay-ees couldn't see the NBCSN crewed replay, only the euro one) I changed the title of this post...and just realized that now the first paragraph doesn't make sense (my rant)...oh well...NOT going to fix that. I actually tried to do a "Strikethru" of the "NOT" but blogger doesn't let me have that option...so I just deleted it an thus the title and 1st paragraph are a paradox.
ReplyDeleteOK...NOW I need to get back to work (do you by chance get the impression that I'm trying very hard NOT to go back to work? That would be the case in fact).
Stage 7...longest stage in the race this year, and what a stage...devastation for some, riders all over the place, Pogacar and UAE DOESN'T chase the enormous break, lose tons of time to the yellow! What else, Roglic cracks, also loses tons of time...any chance to win this year just evaporated. Nibili...WTH?? How is that man still riding, and today a HUGE day for him, moved up to SIXTH overall!! Todays winner Mahoric on UAE...wow! Took the KOM jersey, and they showed a pic of his crash (last year?) in the Giro...landing on his HEAD, insane photo. Uhm..oh, from the othe rday, Richie Porte is with INEOS now?? I can't keep track of that guy...he's talented, just apparently not GC guy (or maybe he's never really had the team to give that a go). I'll never forget his horrid crash a few years back on that high speed turn...
ReplyDeleteSo..the Yellow stays the same, and gains time on most everybody who matters. HUGE effort on his part...thought he was going to pass out at the finish line...we'll see how that goes the next 2 days in the Alps...did he go TOO deep today? We will know soon enough.
OK...all I can say is "aahhhhhhhh! Tour time! And the A-team commentating...YES!"
OK...sleepy time, I"m beat, been trying to catch up a bit the last few days now that I can get the A team replays. Good night.