Paul Sherwen is generally seen as Phil Liggett’s counter-point, dutifully keeping the iconic duo’s race commentary on course, helping to convey to the English-speaking world the sport of Professional Cycling. Liggett, of course, has undeniably helped shape this great sport for Anglophones across the globe, having been the English voice of this sport since before I was born – and for that I’m eternally grateful to him; merely the sound of his voice warms the cockles of my cold, black heart. But as much as he is inextricably bound to the sport, the last time he got a fact right must have also been before I was born, if he ever has.
The balance Liggett’s special breed of factual rigor is Paul Sherwen. Not only does he have the insight of an ex-pro with which to season his commentary, he has several other highly technical analytical tools at his disposal, such as actually watching the race. Furthermore, Paul is able to counter Uncle Phil’s constitution under pressure – which resembles that of a knock-kneed Rhode Island Red in a washing machine on a delicates/knits cycle – with his Sprinter’s Cool. Whereas Phil can be heard squawking and clucking incomprehensibly with excitement as a race unfolds, Paul peppers the commentary with self-deprecating jokes about his own career and adds a Swahili proverb or two that might be helpful for the riders, were they only able to hear him.
In this current role of his, as the commentary equivalent of Autocorrect on Liggett’s iPhone, it is easy to forget that Paul was among the most respected riders of his day. Seen here stringing out a bunch (in complete Rule Compliance, I might add) reminds me of the various tales of tenacity that earned him the respect not only of his fellow riders, but of race organizers.
One such example is of the 1985 Tour de France when Sherwen, a domestique with no chance at the overall, crashed in the opening kilometers of a Pyrenean stage and was left to fend for himself while Bernard Hinault raced for the win at the front, making small children of grown men. Refusing to give up, Sherwen limped through the stage alone, accompanied only by a single Gendarme’s motorcycle. More than an hour after the stage winner and well outside the time limit, he finished the stage. The race jury, moved by his resolve to finish the stage, reinstated him and allowed him to continue on in the Tour. In a word, respect.
I think of all the people in the cycling world I most admire, it has to be Paul Sherwen.
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Great pic and story about Sherwen - never heard the '85 Tour story. For me, Ligget and Sherwen are the voice of pro cycling.
Verses (NBC Sports) should can all the other commentators they mix in, and have Phil and Paul do the entire coverage. Leave Bob Roll of course, but allow him more room to show off his Tour knowledge and experience - and his whacked out sense of humor.
One more Jens thing. This is cheesy, but fun, and besides, it's only a buck (that's like .62Euro, or 1.28NZD). And let's face it, dollars alone are worth nothing except at a strip club.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jens-voigt-soundboard-pro/id451025107?ls=1&mt=8
Great guy to highlight, Frank. I know it's truly cycling season when I can hear Paul and Phil talk about cycling - it's just not the same to watch some Flemish feed I can't understand.
Timely post frank after a lot of us having listened to Aunty Phil and Uncle Paul during the Tour. Even when hearing his anecdotes and insider's knowledge during their commentary, it's easy to overlook the fact that the bloke was brimming with the V.
@Mikael Liddy
Only a non-Australian could think that we would give a fuck how people's names are spelt.
Have you not yet learnt that we are the country of alternative-name spelling bogans?! A few examples
Bylynda, Tyfeney, Shayne, Jayke, Mikhayla, just to name a few. For a few more examples, go here.
Mikael - that spelling would just have people thinking you were another Aussie bogan.
@Marcus
Then he would have been called "Mikko", and you would be "Mazza".
Dan O would be "Danno"
Scaler 911 would be "Scazza" and
mouse would be "dickhead"
@mouse
No mate - you don't geddit. Shortening names and adding a vowel is old school bogan. New school bogan is an olternatyv fonetik spellyng of the full nayme.
@frank
The balance Ligget's special breed of factual rigor is Paul Sherwen. Not only does he have the insight of a seasoned ex-pro with which to season his commentary, he has several other highly technical analytical tools at his disposal, such as actually watching the race
truly magnificent Fronk, I must confess I have just had to wipe my coffee off my keyboard and screen - I sense you are coming close to penning your second book shortly (after the Prologian "Book of American English Common Phrase and Neologisms") - comedic prose is a natural talent, and I think you should consider cashing in on your greatest talent (a complement indeed, after your recent belittling of the Volcano)
@Marcus
how very Australian of you - what TF is a bogan?
@mouse
unnecessarily self deprecating
Is Buck's avatar actually a picture of Paul Sherwin? Something about that picture makes me a little uneasy, I have to remind myself the guy has actually just laid down the V and has finished a bike race, and there is no other cause for his expression - forgive me, I need therapy
@Dr C
Or is Buck Rodgers ACTUALLY Paul? You never know who might be lurking behind their screen name.
@Dr C
A bogan is the Aussie equivalent of a US redneck or a British chav. However, Australia being the great bastion of equality that it is, bogans are not identified by socio-economic status. There are plenty of "rich bogans" in Australia.
And if they ride bikes, they ride Treks. Coz Lance does.
See here for more edification (the use of that word is a half-arsed attempt to mark myself as a non-bogan - but I really am).