Well, I didn't intend for the first Handlebar Mustache blog to be about or refer to doping but Contador happens.
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| I always wondered what was in that suitcase... |
Not sure it happens to the rest of you, but when I meet a non-cycling ball and bat sports type they always want to discuss what they saw on the ticker on ESPN or the Bonny Ford article they read. Let’s not and say we did, or instead let’s talk about A-Rod, Manny or any number of NFL players with legal woes.
Perhaps it is because cycling leads the way with anti-doping and gives up the easy (if it bleeds it leads) story . Or perhaps it’s because the world-wide leader missed buying the right to cover Le Tour during the Lance years, but doping is the only topic of interest for them.
The sad thing is they miss stories like Chris Horner’s top 10 at the Tour, Tyler Farrar continuing to race the Tour with a broken wrist, Levi setting a new record in his 1st Pro mountain bike race and all 3 US Road titles being held by riders under 23.
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| Let's talk about the future of US Cycling! |
I watch a lot of cycling and I think my new practice will be to share a positive story from Pro-cycling when my seat mate on a flight goes all ESPN ticker on me.
“No, I didn’t read the story of what Lance’s gardener from ‘96 told Greg Lemond’s dentist’s 2nd cousin via an interpreter. But, I did watch Cadel blow past the “greatest” current cyclist on the final climb to win Fleche Wallone.”
“No, I missed Floyd’s musing about his theory of the “1990 DNA project” that created Taylor Phinney. But, I did read about Stijn Devloder winning another Belgian Road title!”
Very good post. Nice way to kick off the blog. Good inclusion of AC towing the luggage - maybe that's whey he was happy to see Johan leave Astana at the end of '09.
ReplyDeleteYou're telling me no one ever covers the fact that Barry Bonds juiced, or Roger Clemens will most likely face legal chargers for perjury. We never hear about that. Baseball, like cycling, has lost tons of credibility because people feel the need to juice to win. Maybe there is a systematic problem in cycling that needs to be addressed? Why do a good portion of the top competitors feel they have to dope to win? Not sure, but I'm sure not talking about it will fix the problem.
ReplyDeleteRobert, not saying that doping in other sports is never discussed, only that main stream media ONLY comments on cycling when there is a doping issue. On other sports, the are "fair and credible" but when it comes to cycling they turn into TMZ, only reporting on the scandals. You never see things like the Taylor Phinney World Titles run across the ticker. My point is that most non-cyclists only see the doping and that is all they know to discuss...so I am suggesting to talk about postive things in the sport. Cycling is cleaning house on a regualar basis; they do more than any other sport to police themselves. I know nothing about golf, but I do not bring up Tigers girlfriends with golfer guy at Starbucks. I know there are good stories and positve things because both get covered by main stream media. I would like to see equal coverage for cycling as well.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, there isn't enough good press about cycling. In fact, I don't every really hear about it until the Tour De France...and then a few months later when the winner tests positive for drugs. At any rate, I see you're trying to be positive, and we non-cyclists should probably try to do more of that. I think you really hammered it home for me with the golf/Tiger analogy.
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