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Main
Date: 15 May 2007 13:07:49
From: rms
Subject: Obituary of a Sport: The Horrible Lingering Death of Cycling
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When the Wheels Come Off a Sport
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/weekinreview/13macur.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
TOMORROW, the American cyclist Floyd Landis, the would-be heir to Lance
Armstrong, steps before an arbitration panel in California to rebut the
charge that his come-from-behind victory last year in cycling's most
celebrated race was a fraud.
If he loses, Landis will become the first winner in the 103-year history of
the Tour de France to be stripped of the victor's yellow jersey because of
doping. The disastrous toll his case has exacted on cycling's credibility -
races canceled for lack of sponsors, teams abandoned by their corporate
underwriters, fans staying home - offers a stark picture of what can happen
when a sport finally confronts its drug problem in a serious way.
..... (see link for rest)
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Date: 16 May 2007 16:19:01
From: John Kane
Subject: Re: Obituary of a Sport: The Horrible Lingering Death of Cycling
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On May 16, 5:34 am, Just A User <k...@up-yours-spammer.net > wrote:
> Zoot Katz wrote:
> > On Tue, 15 May 2007 09:15:04 -0400, Just A User
> > <k...@up-yours-spammer.net> wrote:
>
> >> The real question lies in why American riders seem
> >> to be the biggest target in cycling.
>
> > That's not a question, it's paranoid and uninformed supposition.
>
> > Over ninety riders were named in Operacion Puerto. A handful of them
> > are yanks. Do you have any idea how many other European professional
> > athletes were named in Operacion Puerto? Do you think Europeans know
> > or care how many dopers there are in the NBA, NFL and pro baseball?
>
> > Think of it as media focus. In Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Italy
> > . . . etc. other big name riders are being tried in their media.
>
> > The biggest fallacy flogged by your media is not that Landis is the
> > persecuted winner of the 2006 TdF. The fact is that he is not even
> > considered the winner by the organisers of that race.
>
> > Past and present riders have admitted doping so it's just a little
> > strange that yankees are the only ones innocent after they've been
> > caught cheating.
>
> Well that is what I meant to get across. I know that there were a bunch
> of riders that got caught up in that operation. But the only one you
> hear anything about here in the states is Landis. And before Floyd it
> was Lance.
>
> Ken
Presumably the fault of your media. They are not known for reporting
on other countries' atheletes.
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
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Date: 17 May 2007 00:03:00
From: Zoot Katz
Subject: Re: Obituary of a Sport: The Horrible Lingering Death of Cycling
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On 16 May 2007 16:19:01 -0700, John Kane <jrkrideau@gmail.com > wrote:
>> Well that is what I meant to get across. I know that there were a bunch
>> of riders that got caught up in that operation. But the only one you
>> hear anything about here in the states is Landis. And before Floyd it
>> was Lance.
>>
>> Ken
>
>Presumably the fault of your media. They are not known for reporting
>on other countries' atheletes.
Their media forgot there was a Tour de France every year from the
time of Le Mond until Armstrong came along.
Both of them had heroic recovery "human drama" stories attached.
Landis's hip surgery and Mennonite background are lame by comparison.
Nobody would remember the name "Landis" from last July if it weren't
for this dope scandal. Still, outside some cycling circles, his name
is less known than some NASCAR heros or past American Idols.
I don't think Floyd is getting much ink in Germany either. At least
not while they've still got Jan Ulrich to crucify. Compared to Basso,
Landis gets merely a footnote in the Italian media.
--
zk
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Date: 15 May 2007 23:01:25
From: Michael Warner
Subject: Re: Obituary of a Sport: The Horrible Lingering Death of Cycling
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On Tue, 15 May 2007 13:07:49 GMT, rms wrote:
The horrible lingering shrinking of professional cycling back
to the European base it occupied before Armstrong, you mean.
I guess soccer and cricket are suffering lingering deaths because
Americans don't give a shit about them, either.
--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw
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Date: 15 May 2007 09:15:04
From: Just A User
Subject: Re: Obituary of a Sport: The Horrible Lingering Death of Cycling
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rms wrote:
> If he loses, Landis will become the first winner in the 103-year history of
> the Tour de France to be stripped of the victor's yellow jersey because of
> doping. The disastrous toll his case has exacted on cycling's credibility -
> races canceled for lack of sponsors, teams abandoned by their corporate
> underwriters, fans staying home - offers a stark picture of what can happen
> when a sport finally confronts its drug problem in a serious way.
> ..... (see link for rest)
>
>
No some sponsors may choose not to support a team but new ones will take
their place.
Performance enhancing substances have been used in all sports, and they
continue to survive. The real question lies in why American riders seem
to be the biggest target in cycling.
Ken
I'll continue to watch the TDF.
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Date: 15 May 2007 18:37:38
From: Zoot Katz
Subject: Re: Obituary of a Sport: The Horrible Lingering Death of Cycling
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On Tue, 15 May 2007 09:15:04 -0400, Just A User
<ken@up-yours-spammer.net > wrote:
>The real question lies in why American riders seem
>to be the biggest target in cycling.
>
That's not a question, it's paranoid and uninformed supposition.
Over ninety riders were named in Operacion Puerto. A handful of them
are yanks. Do you have any idea how many other European professional
athletes were named in Operacion Puerto? Do you think Europeans know
or care how many dopers there are in the NBA, NFL and pro baseball?
Think of it as media focus. In Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Italy
. . . etc. other big name riders are being tried in their media.
The biggest fallacy flogged by your media is not that Landis is the
persecuted winner of the 2006 TdF. The fact is that he is not even
considered the winner by the organisers of that race.
Past and present riders have admitted doping so it's just a little
strange that yankees are the only ones innocent after they've been
caught cheating.
--
zk
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Date: 16 May 2007 05:34:59
From: Just A User
Subject: Re: Obituary of a Sport: The Horrible Lingering Death of Cycling
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Zoot Katz wrote:
> On Tue, 15 May 2007 09:15:04 -0400, Just A User
> <ken@up-yours-spammer.net> wrote:
>
>> The real question lies in why American riders seem
>> to be the biggest target in cycling.
>>
> That's not a question, it's paranoid and uninformed supposition.
>
> Over ninety riders were named in Operacion Puerto. A handful of them
> are yanks. Do you have any idea how many other European professional
> athletes were named in Operacion Puerto? Do you think Europeans know
> or care how many dopers there are in the NBA, NFL and pro baseball?
>
> Think of it as media focus. In Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Italy
> . . . etc. other big name riders are being tried in their media.
>
> The biggest fallacy flogged by your media is not that Landis is the
> persecuted winner of the 2006 TdF. The fact is that he is not even
> considered the winner by the organisers of that race.
>
> Past and present riders have admitted doping so it's just a little
> strange that yankees are the only ones innocent after they've been
> caught cheating.
Well that is what I meant to get across. I know that there were a bunch
of riders that got caught up in that operation. But the only one you
hear anything about here in the states is Landis. And before Floyd it
was Lance.
Ken
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