Leigh Diffey

Broadcasting peaked a decade ago with the UK Arenacross series.
-Camera close enough to see the track and riders (no drone shots watching ants scurry about)
-Can hear the bikes
-Announcers are excited and discuss what's happening on the track. Minimal side stories, no split screens, matching the intensity and excitement of the event; This isn't golf.

If you keep it simple, it isnt hard, just easy to get wrong. 

But when you have so many people in the mix, and too many people in your ear , it gets real difficult. 

Weege and Stew are way better for the core fan. 

But NBC pay Diffey a ton of money,he is their main guy, and he wont be sat at home doing nothing , ever. 

Yeah it's definitely the accent, has nothing to do with his (lack of) skill............

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/08/leigh-diffey-botched-call-noah-lyles-kishane-thomspon-mens-100m-olympics/

I’m usually a don’t pay attention to the announcing if it annoys me kind of person but this last race Leigh was saying so much fluff it felt like he was talking just to hear himself talk, and stumbling over his words in the process. It was unavoidable. In 450 heat 1 he kept saying “this is the first heat race of the 2026” while trying to say Justin Cooper was getting his first heat win of the year, not a big mistake but when you do it 3 times in a 6 minute race that’s rookie numbers. Fuck you NBC

That’s exactly what I mean about no dead air. She seems like she has to fill every waking moment with some dialogue and it’s unnecessary.

Who is your guys dream duo in the booth? Can be any guys from any era, any sport, and they dont need to be from the same era.

Mine is Don Cherry and Bruce Buffer.

Or the 2 guys from most extreme elimination challenge.

“ the two guys from extreme elimination challenge” HELL YES!! freaking love that show. Right you are Kenny.😂😂😂 and now let’s go to Guy LaDouche!

Tbh never had an issue with the broadcast as a whole. But all the bitching you guys do on here, well some of it is legit and now it makes it much harder to watch. 

GOATS! a lot of goat love  - he has a hard drive full of em - just plug in a official* goat fucker... At least he's not trans      yet

Well Bruce Jenner used to do sideline reporting in supercross

And he sucked at it! See what I did there?😆

My little kid brain remembers Art being awesome. But rewatching old races he made a lot of mistakes, on a recording to boot. RIP.

But it was different back then.  some class about him that no one has today. Same with David.

Ralph Sheheen and Leigh Diffy in the booth with Rutledge Wood on the floor.

In the real world, I think JT does a good job and is always improving. It’s really noticeable watching old races and hearing how much better he’s gotten, and he’s his own worst critic in most areas and it’s apparent he takes the job seriously. I like James in the booth occasionally, but I don’t think he would wear well over a whole season. I honestly loved Weege and GL in the booth, at the time I didn’t realize how good we had it. Weege is still great, but I just wish he would tone down some of the yelling. It feels a little Monster Jammish sometimes. 

Lol. Ralph, Leigh, and Rutledge. Wil can keep her job as well.

At least this place would be entertaining.

It almost seems counter intuitive but I want my play-by-play guy to have a moto background. I don't care so much about all the years of experience he/she might have calling other sports. I don't know if Larry Maiers ever swung a leg over a motocross bike but the dude was core moto anyway and he could shoot the shit with Hannah one day and Lechein the next. 

Meanwhile when it comes to the color/analyst guy, needs to be able to string together a sentence or two in addition to whatever moto-credentials he might have. Case in point....JT$ "only" has a German SX championship to his credit but I could totally see him in the booth. Ping would make a good analyst as well. I don't care how many championships you've got, if you're dumb as an ox, you have no business fumbling through an explanation of something that just happened on the track. 

Nothing beats Jackie Stewart doing Superbikers from Carlsbad. 

philG : "But NBC pay Diffey a ton of money, he is their main guy, and he wont be sat at home doing nothing , ever." 

I gather he does a Lot of NBCs Motorsports, and other Sports - it's a formula that's been used by so many Broadcasters etc, for decades now. Have the one ( or a small group of guys / girls) person that the average, fairly disinterested viewer can relate to / become accustomed to.

Me? :  when Diffey was here in OZ, I didn't really care for him, nor did I 'hatez' him. We've had so many commentators like him - one,Darryl Eastlake, was around for so many years, being a Bit of a Goose, but, people seemed to love him - not I though.

So, we've a 'favoured by the big wigs' bloke that now many don't like. When enough of the (far vaster) non enthusiasts bitch about him, he'll be gone.

I don't take much notice of the commentary - my 'inner voice' is far louder than them............... 😁

And, I've said a few times - Diffeys accent: people are specifically complaining about it?   F**k me, he is barely recognizable as an Ozzie, he sounds more Yank to me now, and doesn't  even sound like a Horrible, Strange Sounding Bloody Kiwi! ( That can happen to we Magnificent Aussies, if we deteriorate through dotage into being Bounders and Cads! Now They, Kiwis, are damned near unintelligible !

(We Luvs Yuz, Cuzzie Bros)

Just say no to Weege

While I agree about the complicated split screen and non racing related cometary. This is not a sport to Feld. They own monster truck and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Our  “Athletes” are performers who fulfill the needs of Feld’s show. The announcers provide the comentary to the screens selected by the producers. I wonder how much freedom to what is said resides with those we blame for the actual words. 

DONT GET ELMINIATED!!!

Love that show 

I just feel like Leigh can’t wait for the race to be over.. long pauses after Ricky says something, he can’t piggy back off Ricky or even come up with valuable input..

This felt as if we’re sitting at the bar having a pint and you’re goin’ off over a subject we’ve all been laughin’ about.

“Footie Club Humor”

Classic. 🤣

Bring in the big dogs. Rutledge and DV would be the new Art and DB. 

Im glad they say wheel before she gets a chance to start blabbing for 10 minutes. Gives me time to snag the remote and hit mute. 

Go back and watch Dave Despain and Larry Maiers announce supercross. Larry would get so many riders names wrong or mixed up back then. And I'm pretty sure they said Nick Nack instead of Nac Nac a few times.

Art Eckman and David Bailey are all time legends!

I just don’t understand who they’re pandering to. 

99% of paying viewers are involved in this sport either as a fan or enthusiast or both. Anyone who isn’t is watching because their friend or husband or family member etc. is watching. 

My GF who doesn’t follow this sport at all watches with me and Im constantly saying RC’s observations before he even starts the sentence and she’ll frequently say “you could announce better than this this bozo.” I have to remind her that he is the GOAT but this is such an eye opener that the broadcast really is so watered down. 

I get annoyed when the commentators are always talking to the people who just arrived on earth and are watching for the first time.

Art was awesome, never much cared for Baileys style. 

Kenny Blankenship and Vic Romano….. 2 of the very best in the booth!!  And your Guy reference had me laughing.  Such great memories

Sorry,  back on topic now.