Just Roll with it

This is what I have to wake up to every morning in July.

For an American watching the race on TV, the Tour de France is much more than a hundred some-odd guys with foreign-sounding last names flying across France on two wheels at 30 mph. It's much, MUCH more than that, especially when Bob Roll is doing the color commentary.

First of all, in this country it's the Toor Day Frantz. The name of the race, as well as the names of the riders contesting it, are interpreted as widely as the gap between Bobby boy's two front teeth.

Even more entertaining, perhaps, is the commentary that whistles its way through that very same gap and eventually emanates from the Versus microphones. Keeping in mind the non-continuous nature of his pearly whites, Roll's words are priceless. Here are a couple gems from yesterday's fourth stage coverage.

"Someone tries to break away and the peloton puts the hammer down in the gutter."

and my personal, as well as obvious, favorite...

"The Spanish rider Freire is trying to close the gap down at the end of the stage."

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. So for the next couple weeks you can be sure that I'll be watching Versus' coverage of Le Tour with notebook and pen firmly in hand, for my own amusement if no one else's. Hey, it's not just sports anymore, it's sports entertainment.

Quote of the day:

"I wouldn’t be afraid of anybody in the race. Maybe I might not win, but I’m going to go down swimming."
- James Carney