Does ANYBODY like Jenkins? [Archive]

Andrew Longman

04-22-04, 04:48 PM

Great feedback thread for the Champcar folks to chew on. Perhaps they'll listen. I'll bet they do all they can.

Granted we're a pretty biased group here, but the bashing of Jenkins is deafening. How can that be ignored?

Repeatedly mispronouncing the names of half the drivers, including the co-host wife of one of the drivers, is inexcusable by anybody's measure. Seeming bored and uninformed is as well. Even the casual viewer will pick that up.

The complaints are so many and so severe I almost feel sorry for the guy.

So, here's your chance to stick up for him, but somehow I think with will be a short thread.

Spicoli

04-22-04, 04:58 PM

Jenkins is a tool.

mueber

04-22-04, 04:59 PM

mexican

04-22-04, 05:02 PM

I'd rather listen to the announcers for TV Azteca, and I think they are terrible

Go back to Indy, Bob. Do us all a HUGE favor

skidmarks

04-22-04, 05:11 PM

...he's a professional; ...

If you were going to be announcing a race, and your primary responsibility was to tell the home audience what driver, and what team they were looking at, wouldn't the FIRST thing you would do would be to learn those things?

Other than the Coyne drivers, how long were all the other teams announced?

Jenkins had plenty of time to prepare, was he doing ANYTHING else? Anyone see him doing any other broadcasts? He had to know coming in he would be under the microscope the least he could have done would be to get the names right.

Turn7

04-22-04, 05:15 PM

Jenkins style is ok, his voice is ok and his ability to fill the airwaves with chatter is ok.

He needs to learn the cars, drivers and pronunciation of their names if he is going to do the job. If he had ample time to prepare for this past weekend, a reprimand needs to take place, if he wasn't given ample time, then he gets a pass.

Dave99

04-22-04, 05:25 PM

The “find fault at all costs” group has out done themselves this time.
I don't think we're being critical just for the sake of being critical. I think we all just want to see a quality broadcast. One that reflects well on the series and one that reflects well on the people who put the show on the air.

rabbit

04-22-04, 05:46 PM

I certainly don't think he was near as bad as everyone here has made him out to be. I thought he did a decent job, considering he was working with a crew that had never done a Champ Car race before. Should he have learned how to pronounce the names correctly beore he grabbed a mic? Absolutely. But I don't think it's reason enough to string him up. Let's give him and the whole Spike crew a couple more races before we do that.

Personally, I thought some of the stuff that Jenkins said in the past was, well, damed stupid. But if I run into him in the paddock, I'm going to smile and say hello and congrats and good luck on the new gig. Being an @$$ towards him would be counter-productive.

Jag_Warrior

04-22-04, 05:49 PM

When I used to watch Indy, I always thought he had a good TV voice. Ya know, like some disc jockeys have good radio voices. But as any mention of Indy began to sour my stomach, and Jenkins became "The Voice of the IRL"... I could really have done without him doing CCWS broadcasts this year. When I first saw it posted here, I figured it was somebody's idea of a sick joke.

I don't know how many times he f'ed up. I tried to ignore him as much as possible. But as soon as I heard him pronounce Tarso's last name as "Marquis", I knew it was on. :thumdown: But who knows, maybe it'll stick. Maybe some of those porno people can sponsor him as the Marques de Sade

Of all people, why did they pick someone that the loyal fans would probably object to most, even if he was good... which he's NOT???

Ed_Severson

04-22-04, 05:51 PM

My only thought on the matter is this ...

It's a damn good thing I'm smart enough to figure out what's going on during the race on my own. Otherwise, I'd be really upset about having to watch with no sound.

Madmaxfan2

04-22-04, 06:15 PM

Jenkin's biggest problem here is he shilled for the IRL. As for the mistakes and driver mispronucations, I can let that slide for a short time. However, it is his IRL connections that make him unacceptable to many. He chose a side and now works for the other side. Such shifting of loyalites do not play well here.

tantra

04-22-04, 06:38 PM

I believe Mr. Jenkins made little or no effort to prepare for his on-air work at the LBGP. If I am incorect in my belief, then his on-air performance indicated to me that he either doesn't care about the work he is contracted to do, or that he is not mentally capable of learning even the basic facts necessary to perform his duties at work.

Fortunately for Mr. Jenkins, he doesn't work for me, for if he did, we would have had a very emotional 'after action de-brief' first thing Monday morning.

One good thing could come out of his poor performance. I am now more committed to find the funds to get to more of the races. There I wouldn't hear Jenkins.

devilmaster

04-22-04, 06:49 PM

Jenkins has never done much for me, but he did all right. The “find fault at all costs” group has out done themselves this time. It’s the first broadcast on a new network of the first race of a new series. Whatever faults it may have, it beats not have a broadcast, series and race to complain about. Jenkins has to eat, and he's a professional; he’ll get better, and as far as mispronouncing the names, I giggled once or twice, but I don’t really care.

Well, this apparent charter member of the "find fault at all costs" group is going to respectfully disagree with the "sorrowful apologetic to Jenkins" group.

I'm quite sure if Bob did a decent job on the weekend, the cries wouldn't be so loud.

But they are.

Are there instances that people can point to, that shows why they are complaining? Absolutely. And it isn't just mis-pronouncing of names(which is just plain shocking considering that he's been around OW for so long), but he stuttered over himself, described the team cars in a way which confused me more, and just looked and acted like he was totally unprepared. I find that inexcusable as he is supposedly a professional, starting a job in which i'm sure he knew would be somewhat of a hostile territory. If you were Bob, wouldn't you want to make sure you did your best and ensure you don't become cannon fodder?

I don't accept the new producing team excuse because the others (TK, DD, CF) looked professional as did the broadcast. Only Jenkins stuck out as the guy who didn't know what he was doing.

I happened to read an article with Tagliani, which was printed in Jan or Feb. It talked about Bronte being offered the broadcast job back at the start of the year. That tells me the planning for the broadcast were not just cobbled together at the last minute.

In the end, he's here for the year. He has a hard job ahead of him. Varsha, although not the best in the business, was professional and developed a good presentation with the others in the crew.

Jenkins has all month to practice on old tapes with TK. He has to come out of the gate in Monterey flying. Repeating his Long Beach telecast will just not be acceptable.

Steve

Lizzerd

04-22-04, 06:52 PM

Like I said in the feedback thread, I'm willing to give him a race or two more to shape up. On the other hand, it was apparent to me that he wasn't thrilled to be there and indeed did not do his preparations.

There is no question, though, that his heart is definately at IMS.

Jervis Tetch 1

04-22-04, 07:18 PM

I like Bob.

Varsha.

DjDrOmusic

04-22-04, 07:25 PM

It's easy to critique and I have. I do know an out of work announcer in Columbus who would give his right arm to do Champcar races... ;) Heck I bet I'd be cheaper than Jenkins also!! Oh and by the way, I know how to pronounce Carpentier!! :D

JohnHKart

04-22-04, 07:32 PM

I was in Ensenada getting coffee when I told the cashier about Jenkins saying Hurdeez.....Marqees...Gack!!!! It's pronounced Hairdehz....like Hair and says together, but the H is silent.

John

fourrunner

04-22-04, 07:41 PM

Well, this apparent charter member of the "find fault at all costs" group is going to respectfully disagree with the "sorrowful apologetic to Jenkins" group.

I'm quite sure if Bob did a decent job on the weekend, the cries wouldn't be so loud.

But they are.

Are there instances that people can point to, that shows why they are complaining? Absolutely. And it isn't just mis-spelling of names(which is just plain shocking considering that he's been around OW for so long), but he stuttered over himself, described the team cars in a way which confused me more, and just looked and acted like he was totally unprepared. I find that inexcusable as he is supposedly a professional, starting a job in which i'm sure he knew would be somewhat of a hostile territory. If you were Bob, wouldn't you want to make sure you did your best and ensure you don't become cannon fodder?

I don't accept the new producing team excuse because the others (TK, DD, CF) looked professional as did the broadcast. Only Jenkins stuck out as the guy who didn't know what he was doing.

I happened to read an article with Tagliani, which was printed in Jan or Feb. It talked about Bronte being offered the broadcast job back at the start of the year. That tells me the planning for the broadcast were not just cobbled together at the last minute.

In the end, he's here for the year. He has a hard job ahead of him. Varsha, although not the best in the business, was professional and developed a good presentation with the others in the crew.

Jenkins has all month to practice on old tapes with TK. He has to come out of the gate in Monterey flying. Repeating his Long Beach telecast will just not be acceptable.

Steve

Exactly my thoughts devilmaster !!

He's the announcer this year, I assume that's what the contract says... So I want him to do good, because that will make ChampCars look good !

I don't want to hang this guy out to dry... yet ! First Race goes to Nerves and lack of preperation... with a month gap there can't be an excuse... except for something unexpected ....and considering his experience... Monterrey must be perfect !

If it's not I can only scratch my head as to why he stays !

Old3Fan

04-22-04, 07:42 PM

Robstar

04-22-04, 08:09 PM

I like Bob.

Geldof

racer2c

04-22-04, 08:11 PM

Just out of curiosity, how have the IRL faithful taken having Tony's b*tch in our booth?

nissan gtp

04-22-04, 08:16 PM

I'm sure his mommy still loves him. :gomer:

Champ Car deserves better IMO. Maybe he'll use the "feedback" to get a clue, but he was an earl-shill for years, so I'm not holding my breath.

RaceGrrl

04-22-04, 08:47 PM

Excellent post, devilmaster. :thumbup: to Tantra for a great post too. Now for another rant from one of the "fault-finding" members here.

Bob was clearly unprepared for this job. It's his freaking job, and there's no excuse for the shoddy work he did last Sunday. NONE. He's supposed to be a professional. He's supposed to be good at this. He wasn't. Period.

Here's the thing. We've known for more than a month that ole BJ was on the broadcast team. How long did he know before that? Ever heard of memorization, Bob? How about flash cards to get familiar with the livery and helmets of the drivers. How about a little study time to learn how to pronounce the drivers' names.

Some of you may think these are small complaints, but if you're the spokesman for a multi-million dollar business, you'd better be able to pronounce the names of your "products." The fans and sponsors deserve better.

Jenkins has a history of being Tony's toadie. Had he come in and done a whiz-bang job on this first race, I'd have been more willing to give him a pass and accept that we're stuck with him this year. Instead, he just perpetuated the mediocrity of the IRL, but in OUR house. He was clearly unprepared, unenthused and just plain out of his league. Can he improve? I hope so, because I believe that kind of hack broadcasting reflects very poorly on ChampCar.

/rant off

JT265

04-22-04, 09:48 PM

Well, this apparent charter member of the "find fault at all costs" group is going to respectfully disagree with the "sorrowful apologetic to Jenkins" group.

I'm quite sure if Bob did a decent job on the weekend, the cries wouldn't be so loud.

But they are.

Are there instances that people can point to, that shows why they are complaining? Absolutely. And it isn't just mis-spelling of names(which is just plain shocking considering that he's been around OW for so long), but he stuttered over himself, described the team cars in a way which confused me more, and just looked and acted like he was totally unprepared. I find that inexcusable as he is supposedly a professional, starting a job in which i'm sure he knew would be somewhat of a hostile territory. If you were Bob, wouldn't you want to make sure you did your best and ensure you don't become cannon fodder?

I don't accept the new producing team excuse because the others (TK, DD, CF) looked professional as did the broadcast. Only Jenkins stuck out as the guy who didn't know what he was doing.

I happened to read an article with Tagliani, which was printed in Jan or Feb. It talked about Bronte being offered the broadcast job back at the start of the year. That tells me the planning for the broadcast were not just cobbled together at the last minute.

In the end, he's here for the year. He has a hard job ahead of him. Varsha, although not the best in the business, was professional and developed a good presentation with the others in the crew.

Jenkins has all month to practice on old tapes with TK. He has to come out of the gate in Monterey flying. Repeating his Long Beach telecast will just not be acceptable.

Steve

Buddy, I'm agreeing with you 110%. And I know that you posted this from your heart, as it's the right thing to do.

<and not just another plea for Vic Rauter>

OH MY!!!!!!!

j/k :D

cart7

04-22-04, 09:58 PM

Good post Steve. Funny, I don't recall him having any problems pronouncing Hattori, Yusakawa, Castroneves, or a couple of the other wanker backmarkers the earl tried foisting on TV land as real race drivers.

He's supposed to be a pro. If you're a pro then you prepare for the race by learning the correct pronounciation of the names of the contestants. That's if you actually care.

I don't think he really cares. :flame: Can his ass! :thumbup:

Madmaxfan2

04-22-04, 10:12 PM

Again, time for a new talent search. The ideal broadcasting candidate must familiar with the current teams and drivers, name pronouncation should not be an issue. Knows the history of the sport, can recall memorable moments of the past. Has a good strong calm delivery style that shows interest but not screaming.Given the fan base, there has to be someone who fits the bill better than the current group of suspects such as Varsha, Hobbs, TK, Parker, Beekuis, etc.

devilmaster

04-22-04, 10:16 PM

there has to be someone who fits the bill better than the current group of suspects such as Varsha, Hobbs, TK, Parker, Beekuis, etc.

:rofl:

Cmon JT, say it with me now.....................................

Rauter! Rauter! Rauter!

:D

Steve

JT265

04-22-04, 11:42 PM

:rofl:

Cmon JT, say it with me now.....................................

Rauter! Rauter! Rauter!

:D

Steve
Rauter! Rauter! Rauter!

Oh MY!!!!!!

:D

Rogue Leader

04-22-04, 11:53 PM

Jenkins was a pretty decent NASCAR announcer back in the day.... too bad this isnt NASCAR....

pchall

04-23-04, 07:55 AM

Jenkins was a pretty decent NASCAR announcer back in the day.... too bad this isnt NASCAR....

At least is wasn't Kernan. ;)

I think Jenkins is just getting stale.

4wheeldrifter

04-23-04, 09:45 AM

Jenkins has all month to practice on old tapes with TK. He has to come out of the gate in Monterey flying. Repeating his Long Beach telecast will just not be acceptable.

Steve

What he said.

MAXAR RE

04-23-04, 09:55 AM

:thumdown: Dump Jenkins. He spoke with NO enthusiasm during the broadcast. He looks bored. He cannot pronounce names. He cannot visually tell the team cars apart, even after describing on air how the two Forsythe cars are different (probably reading a script for that).

I cannot stand the guy. He is as bad as Arute, IMHO -- tainted forever and evil. Let him cover WOO or something, but not Champ Car.

Get Shaw in the booth.

Andrew Longman

04-23-04, 10:06 AM

[QUOTE=MAXAR RE]:He is as bad as Arute, IMHO QUOTE]

BBBrrrrrrr

Now THAT's a scary thought

Lola_B70

04-23-04, 11:14 AM

I would like to second MAXAR's setiment.

:thumdown:

If you're a professional, you look and sound uninterested, can't pronounce the names or identify drivers/teams properly, what good are you?

He must be working for peanuts 'cause he sounds like he doesn't want the job.

Poor TK is stuck in the booth with Mr.Infiltrator.

KLang

04-23-04, 11:18 AM

Does ANYBODY like Jenkins?

It seems the answer is no or at least very few.

While I was never a fan of Paul Page, he at least acted like he was excited to be in the booth calling the race.

Jay

04-23-04, 02:31 PM

pchall

04-23-04, 02:59 PM

I don't know about Jenkins, but something has to be done about Champcar's TV broadcasts if we can't better ratings than Long Beach... 0.2 from Long Beach is just disgusting and won't help get any new sponsors at all.

First broadcast on a new cable only outlet and an audience clearly fragmented by HDNet and Race Director. Give the new TV/video feed package a chance to build an audience.

KLang

04-23-04, 06:17 PM

I wonder what sort of ratings Spike's usual Sunday afternoon fare gets?

mueber

04-23-04, 06:20 PM

It seems the answer is no or at least very few.

While I was never a fan of Paul Page, he at least acted like he was excited to be in the booth calling the race.

NO Paul Page. Not ever. Ever

KLang

04-23-04, 06:27 PM

NO Paul Page. Not ever. Ever

:o I wasn't suggesting his return, just commenting that he at least seemed to enjoy himself.

Jay

04-24-04, 01:53 AM

First broadcast on a new cable only outlet and an audience clearly fragmented by HDNet and Race Director. Give the new TV/video feed package a chance to build an audience.While I don't think Race Director or HDNet would have had much effect on the Spike TV audience, you're right it is new and hopefully it'll improve over time as people become aware that the series is back and the race times.

Back on the subject of commentators, I'm not as POed at Jenkins as most others here, because to be honest, I don't have a lot of memories of him. However, I did think he lacked passion or interest in his calling of the race. Granted it wasn't much of a race, but he sound bored of it right from the drop of the green flag - made the race seem even more boring than it was. There was something about Bob Varsha's voice that got you excited about the race - even if it did end up being not the greatest of races.

04-24-04, 06:34 AM

Well, this apparent charter member of the "find fault at all costs" group is going to respectfully disagree with the "sorrowful apologetic to Jenkins" group.

I'm quite sure if Bob did a decent job on the weekend, the cries wouldn't be so loud.

But they are.

Are there instances that people can point to, that shows why they are complaining? Absolutely. And it isn't just mis-pronouncing of names(which is just plain shocking considering that he's been around OW for so long), but he stuttered over himself, described the team cars in a way which confused me more, and just looked and acted like he was totally unprepared. I find that inexcusable as he is supposedly a professional, starting a job in which i'm sure he knew would be somewhat of a hostile territory. If you were Bob, wouldn't you want to make sure you did your best and ensure you don't become cannon fodder?

I don't accept the new producing team excuse because the others (TK, DD, CF) looked professional as did the broadcast. Only Jenkins stuck out as the guy who didn't know what he was doing.

snip

Jenkins has all month to practice on old tapes with TK. He has to come out of the gate in Monterey flying. Repeating his Long Beach telecast will just not be acceptable.

Steve

Well said. He didn't even do the minimum preparation for the telecast. His delivery was SLOW, unemotional and BORING!

Not caring enough to do the minimal prep is enough to can him in my view. The only difference is I wouldn't wait to can him - I'd do it today - had I performed so poorly I'd expect to get the axe myself. Hope the 3 amigos take prompt positive action.

Railbird

04-24-04, 10:17 AM

Jenkins has all month to practice on old tapes with TK. He has to come out of the gate in Monterey flying. Repeating his Long Beach telecast will just not be acceptable.

I agree

as far as pleasing the "hard core fan base" goes. why should they bother? As in anyother deal like this they know we'll be there come hell or high water.

Their job at this point in time is to attract new viewers. To the general racing fan Jenkins built his reputation in the Nascar booth with Ned and Benny and I would imagine that crew was viewed in more homes than anything either of the openwheel series came up with lately.

Having said that, the boy needs to do some serious prep before Mexico.