God bless Bob Roll, but... can you say "double overtime sausage-fest"?

This has been bugging me for a while: Why does Versus insist on separate TDF broadcasts for live and for prime time? Do they believe American audiences can't understand Phil and Paul's erudite live commentary? Or are they trying to ease the sport's best commentators out to pasture to make room for the next generation (Bob Roll and Frankie A. and that blond-haired California guy)? Or are they letting the old guys work regular, union hours? Or are their editors on strike?

It simply makes no sense to me! Someone explain?

Presumably all four broadcasters comment live on the tour TV feed. On the other hand, it seems pretty clear that Bob Roll and the blond guy from California have already seen the Phil and Paul show.

In today's presentation, one of the blond guys (there's a couple of them) claimed to have talked to Lance Armstrong. He related that Lance did not feel the Tourmelet was "all that hard," but that "there will definitely be a big shakeup on the G.C today." See now that looks just ridiculous in primetime, having seen it "live" this morning.

What the? I just can't figure out what the hell Versus is thinking with these split broadcasts. Maybe they just can't puzzle out how to make Bob, Paul, and Phil play nicely during live commentary. Too many cooks in the kitchen kind of thing. It's a small desk with only one microphone after all, and there's only so much color commentary anyone can tolerate. Maybe Phil and Paul just can't handle Bob's 'shroom-fueled stream of consciousness and hyperbole.

And the most painful question of all: What on earth happened to Kirsten Gum and her beautiful, uh... local cheeses? I mean that was enhanced prime time!


Oh, and for your gratuitous pleasure... honestly, this will be the "more cowbell" of 2009, mark my words...