Boy, this Taylor Phinney dude is irritating

[Mr. Pink]

He's trying to do that chill hipster stoner dude, but, really, you're a bike racer. Stop it. Start winning.

[stephenmarklay]

Well, I don’t want be a d*ck but coming from where he has been, doing what he is doing is a miracle. If you don’t like him don’t watch him.

[MattTuck]

yeah, god forbid they expose their personalities. Just get on your bike and ride.

You're aware he was US TT champion for a year and was never able to wear the jersey because of a career altering injury, right? and he's still doing rehab and has only regained 75% of his left leg peak power. Dude weighs 190 pounds.

[berserk87]

He looks fairly exhausted during his TDF vids. Sometimes he's trying hard to be funny and is not.

Sometimes he is pretty darned funny. A reporter asked if he thought that the yellow jersey was within reach for Cannondale, since Uran is high up on GC. He kind of laughed, and paused and said that he feels that it is really in reach when he rides up next to Chris Froome, and can just reach out and touch it.

The reporter didn't seem to know what to say next.

I guess I can be more critical of his inaugural TDF performance after I ride a race if a few more grand tours myself.

I like the videos. They are not always hilarious, but no big deal. Mind you that we watch for entertainment, and it's a choice to do so.

What I find irritating are the endless parade of the same Geico, Progressive and Jeep commercials. Recording the stages on DVR solves this, but I can't always do it.

[MagicHour]

Yeah I'll take Hannah and her Horse any day over "WORK HARD, PLAY HARD" "Free, free, set me free" and "recalculating route" bouncing around in my brain for the rest of the day. :crap:

What I find irritating are the endless parade of the same Geico, Progressive and Jeep commercials. Recording the stages on DVR solves this, but I can't always do it.

[Ralph]

My whole family really enjoys the NBC Sports coverage of the race. We record it in the AM, and watch it later in day. We just fast forward thru the commercials.

Sure it's long, and sure the announcers run out of things to talk about....and say some dumb things....but no matter....we really enjoy the scenery, the buildings, the villages, the culture that you can see on the video, how locals live, their pastures, how most people lining the road seem thinner than Americans (a big topic in our family), and oh yes.....the occasional head to head racing.

We try to figure out what kind of gearing is being used....sometimes the announcers will say. We like to see the equipment. How many bottles they carry, stuff like that. Notice a bunch of derailleur issues due to dead batteries. Just too many bikes to keep maintained we figure.

[otis]

Not his fault they picked him to be the McConaughey of the peleoton this year, but like Zabreski and others before, he is a total bore. It's TV Jake.....

[Big Dan]

Tough crowd.

Remember back in the day........ 30 minutes on ESPN.

If they had time.

[Michael Maddox]

He's VERY pleasant in person. He's also VERY tired and very focused on the race. Cut him some slack.

[Climb01742]

It's all personal and subjective, but Taylor's videos are a real highlight for me. Sure, he isn't everyone's taste, but I think it's genuine, it's who he is. Good for him.:beer:

[daker13]

I like him. 1000x than the more regular square jawed American type.

[FlashUNC]

Anything he does on the bike these days is gravy after all he's gone through with that Nats crash and injury.

Guy's got other interests, and can see a life after bike racing. Lot of guys in the pro peloton should be so lucky.

[mktng]

He brings something different to the scene.
Its sort of like Sagan for me. Its just different. A good different.

[RobJ]

So we would rather have some other dude with short, one word answers during his interview? A little bit of insight into what's going on behind the scenes is good and I like the way he does it. To have that sense of humor doing what these guys are doing day in and day out and the team definitely feeds off him. It doesn't have to be all business.

[93legendti]

I saw his segment today, the first one I have seen. I was entertained. Not easy to be interviewed/talk on TV while you're working.

[doomridesout]

OK, so maybe professional bike racing and rehabbing a catastrophic injury doesn't leave him enough time or energy to successfully start a career as a late night host with a sparkling rejoinder to every question. When cycling's biggest "rock star" is Peter Sagan lip synching Grease and doing wheelies in a flat brim hat, you need to set the bar lower. I'm glad he has a personality.

[jlwdm]

...

.. I'm glad he has a personality.

He does?

Jeff

[kramnnim]

He does?

Jeff

No.

His videos are amusing in a "why is this on TV" sort of way. He didn't really seem much different in person.

[pbarry]

I would bet some here would kill to be where he is now: Winning the polka dot jersey for a day, and (probably) finishing his first Tour. Not a bad three weeks at the job.

[Tickdoc]

I'm ok with the goofiness and the look what we are doing today back of the bus tour interviews, but I have to admit, I would not be happy with his response today if I was signing his checks.

[ultraman6970]

Not making fun of him, boulder guys speak like that? Just asking because Lance was doing the same thing in his pod and he says has nothing to do with Taylor, so just my ignorance... boulder young guys speak like that or is he doing it just to look cool?

[bicycletricycle]

I agree, it is important that all the riders ( actually all public figures) have personalities that I personally approve of.

Any time any rider has a personality I don't like I find it helpful to complain about it to as many people as possible.

Who the hell do these people think they are? Hopefully he will get the message and get a haircut and change his personality by tomorrow.

[Bruce K]

I like him just the way he is.

I have seen the kid growing up on and off and he has always been a little "quirky" in, what is for me, a fun way.

With parents like Connie and Davis, a younger sister who was an Olympic hopeful cross country skier, life spent growing up in Italy and the US, and dealing with Davis' Parkinson's, plus the whole catastrophic injury/accident thing, he has turned out to be a pretty regular young man who is actually a bit shy of all this.

I would bet he is actually not very comfortable being asked to do these interviews and podcasts and would much rather just be focused on racing his bike.

But, given who he is, how he has been raised, and all, he is doing them anyways.

I'd like to see others do better.

BK

[earlfoss]

He's barely more sufferable than T. J. Eisenhart. Saw a few interviews with that guy and they were nearly unwatchable.

[pcxmbfj]

Like him and Lance.

[sw3759]

being such a big fan of his parents its hard for me not to like him.and he seems well adjusted for someone from what I would think there is a lot of pressure and high expectations from the cycling world mostly because of his parents achievements.i'm guessing kind of like Axel Merckx had on him

[oldpotatoe]

He's trying to do that chill hipster stoner dude, but, really, you're a bike racer. Stop it. Start winning.

Yup, the dry, stoic, personality starved racers are much better...NO! C'mon, like Sagan, the guy has a personality, he's fun, he has finished this much of the Tour and will end up in Paris, he's nice kid and it's not an act. He enjoys what he's doing, recognizes it's really hard but it's riding a bicycle, not heart surgery, and he gets that.

If it tweaks you, look for the 'standard' interview(yawn) or turn his off..:cool:

[54ny77]

the kid's awesome.

if you don't get it, you're too old.

now get back on your lawn!

:banana:

[verticaldoug]

He has the worst material to work with. Down time during a 3 week stage race when the point is to do as little as possible so you can recover.

1. Here we are sitting with compression sleeves on and are feet up like old people in a nursing home.
2. Here we are sitting on the bus.
3. Here we are getting a massage to recover.
4. Here we are taking a nap.
5. Here we are lying down about to take a nap.
6. Eating food
7. Listening to music, trying to relax and recover.

Outside of riding a bike 5 hours a day, not much happens.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It'd been much better with Tyler Hamilton back in Postal days.
1. Here we are on a secret back road in the pyrenees to meet up with MotoMan and get our dope. We have a guy in front and in back on lookout. Boy, if we get caught , we are in deep ****.
2. Here we are with blood bags, doesn't the bus look like a MASH unit? We had special shutters installed so no one can see in the bus.
3. Here's MOTOMAN, he has a ski mask on , he doesn't want his face on TV.
4. It's early morning, the drug testers showed up at my door, I am hiding under the bed pretending not to be here....
5. I think last night's blood bag was bad, I feel like crap and look, I'm pissing black....

So much more material to work with in the old days.

[buddybikes]

Please don't put him and Lance in same sentence...

Watching him rehab was something. Comes from totally classy family, great stock. I have older (women) friends (70's) riders who are totally into his daily videos.

We can complain if it impacts is riding down the road if itis impacting GC..

Also, this sport is advertising, that is all it is, sponsorship. If he can get is picture/videos outside of our VERY narrow sport - great on him

[numbskull]

the kid's awesome.

if you don't get it, you're too old.

now get back on your lawn!

:banana:

LOL. And exactly right.
I find him young and tiresome........which only means I'm old and boorish.

[Corso]

The first time I caught him on the tube, he was doing the “peace out-keepin’ it real” sign off. I was thinking, Uh -uh, here we go - another young Einstein...

Instead of tuning out when his segment came on, I watched and started to like the kid. I fully respect his abilities and what his family has been through.

I almost spit up my coffee when he introduced one of the team as “Morissey”. Yeah, he’s funny.

So, 2 big thumbs up! Best of luck Taylor. First impressions are sometimes wrong.

[KonaSS]

Where can one see all of these videos? I have caught a couple linked from cycling websites, but haven't found a good place where they all are.

[benc]

I like Taylor Phinney a lot but I fast forward through his segments. If you don't like him then why do you watch?

The guy complaining about a celebrity on a message board seems like the irritating person to me...

[bobswire]

I thank Mr. Pink for starting this thread that in essence is a tribute to Taylor for his never die persona or grit to keep trying with a sense of humility and humor.

[rwsaunders]

I enjoy his airtime and finishing le Tour for him will be quite an accomplishment.

[cmg]

not fan of a talking head. Just too short of an attention span. video needs some action. Yea, the stoner dude is prevalent among the youtubers too. Reminds me of the cooking with pot shows on Vice. everyone's so chill there're like sleep walking or typing with out using the caps. :)

[doomridesout]

I'm curious to know what rates as a personality for some of the other riders that don't seem to bother the OP.

Standard substance-less post-game interview: "Well, the goal of the game is to win so we tried to do that, and played the game while it was going on, and I was there playing the game too, and then we won."

Would you prefer Taylor say: "We went hard today and it was really hard, especially at the end when it usually is hard, and then everybody was fast and I was going fast, but the other guys were faster, so I didn't win."

This wooden, brainless garbage is why winking at the camera twice a year and having long hair makes Peter Sagan "the biggest rock star in cycling".

[54ny77]

Best post-game sports interview ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F4W0R1Zr_8

:beer: :hello:

I'm curious to know what rates as a personality for some of the other riders that don't seem to bother the OP.

Standard substance-less post-game interview: "Well, the goal of the game is to win so we tried to do that, and played the game while it was going on, and I was there playing the game too, and then we won."

[93legendti]

Maybe the critics would prefer Crash's interview technique - starting at 25 secs:

https://youtu.be/KeVca9MwDX8

[ebaker205]

The NY Times did a write up (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/30/sports/cycling/a-late-debut-in-the-tour-de-france-the-scars-tell-why.html) on him a couple of weeks back.

The wreck really affected him and his outlook on cycling. He went from obsessive to a bit more jovial.

[Frankwurst]

I agree, it is important that all the riders ( actually all public figures) have personalities that I personally approve of.

Any time any rider has a personality I don't like I find it helpful to complain about it to as many people as possible.

Who the hell do these people think they are? Hopefully he will get the message and get a haircut and change his personality by tomorrow.

Yup.:rolleyes: I always say if you don't like the cowboys, don't watch the rodeo.:beer:

[rounder]

Yup, the dry, stoic, personality starved racers are much better...NO! C'mon, like Sagan, the guy has a personality, he's fun, he has finished this much of the Tour and will end up in Paris, he's nice kid and it's not an act. He enjoys what he's doing, recognizes it's really hard but it's riding a bicycle, not heart surgery, and he gets that.

If it tweaks you, look for the 'standard' interview(yawn) or turn his off..:cool:

Good points. Go Taylor.

[dmurphey]

I agree, it is important that all the riders ( actually all public figures) have personalities that I personally approve of.

Any time any rider has a personality I don't like I find it helpful to complain about it to as many people as possible.

Who the hell do these people think they are? Hopefully he will get the message and get a haircut and change his personality by tomorrow.

Yeah! Shut these voices up! Amazing talent and wit ma me sick. David Foster Wallace playing tennis and expanding our view of American modern life and our vocabulary, that is bull****. Stop having fun.

[Mr. Pink]

Best post-game sports interview ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F4W0R1Zr_8

:beer: :hello:

This is better. Not the interview, but the prep.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KeVca9MwDX8

[Mr. Pink]

Wow, looks like I pushed some buttons. I guess my button was pushed. I figured it out today. It's that stoner hipster thing he's doing. I ski a lot, and I ski a lot in Colorado. As soon as I hear that come out of a young, bearded face, I run the other way. It's pretty visceral. I can't stand it. It's the male equivilant of valley girl speak from the nineties. It just screams, I'm vacuous, and proud of it. I practice this every day! It's just so white and empty. Eh.

Now, Sagan, that's a whole other thing. I like him. He's just weird. And, he wins, so, there's that. Personally, I think an athlete has no right to market him or herself as cool or witty or a unique personality unless they have something to back it up. Certain female tennis players excluded. Anyway, that voice! How bizarre. I've been around Eastern European accents all my life (north jersey, my older relatives from Poland) but his is just something. Seriously, he would make an awesome Renfield to a Dracula in a modern production of that story, film or stage.

[pbarry]

I respect Pink's admitedly vapid and honest comments above.

[FlashUNC]

Wow, looks like I pushed some buttons. I guess my button was pushed. I figured it out today. It's that stoner hipster thing he's doing. I ski a lot, and I ski a lot in Colorado. As soon as I hear that come out of a young, bearded face, I run the other way. It's pretty visceral. I can't stand it. It's the male equivilant of valley girl speak from the nineties. It just screams, I'm vacuous, and proud of it. I practice this every day! It's just so white and empty. Eh.



Go watch Thereabouts 2.

He's anything but.

[holliscx]

Pink you need to Netflix The Big Lebowski

[KonaSS]

Wow, looks like I pushed some buttons. I guess my button was pushed. I figured it out today. It's that stoner hipster thing he's doing. I ski a lot, and I ski a lot in Colorado. As soon as I hear that come out of a young, bearded face, I run the other way. It's pretty visceral. I can't stand it. It's the male equivilant of valley girl speak from the nineties. It just screams, I'm vacuous, and proud of it. I practice this every day! It's just so white and empty. Eh.

Yeah, well that's just like, your opinion, man.

[Peter P.]

Wow, looks like I pushed some buttons...

I think you explained yourself well here, and I respect and agree with your opinion.

I think Taylor is creative and has personality; he just hasn't found his voice yet. Yeah; some would say he's not acting maturely. I can understand this based upon the "stoner persona" in his videos. I'd like to call it an evolution. Sooner or later he'll hit his stride or at least one that will have greater appeal.

I'm sure he's very mature in other areas of life, considering his history.

[Mr. Pink]

Pink you need to Netflix The Big Lebowski


"Smokey, this is not ‘Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.”

[fbhidy]

After watching the Bauke Mollema interviews after he won his stage and saying the same **** every time I realized it because reporters aren't asking anything different. I think that's why I actually like Taylor Phinney, because he's like 'don't ask me that lazy canned ****, 'cause I'm not gonna give you a lazy canned answer'

When reporters asked him how long he was planning to keep the jersey, his answer was 'are you an idiot?' I'm 190 lbs and don't deserve to wear this thing more than today so it's pretty unlikely to be wearing it in the first place and you should know that. So ask me an intelligent question. But he's too nice to belittle the reporter directly so you get the Boulderite stoner response.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[johngmartin]

+1 for being in the Taylor Phinney Fan Club

+1 for Thereabouts (1, 2, and 3)

These days, pro cycling needs all the help it can get to get.

[Hawker]

I've been a fanboy since he started cycling and I'm WAY impressed with his accomplishments and his injury come-back. But his interviews...just dopey, almost irritating.

However, I was dopey when I was his age and he'll probably mature when he matures. ;)

[Rusty Luggs]

I caught the beginning of one of Taylor's segments - First he described and showed us the bowl of mush he was eating, then went on to the fascinating ritual of tearing the pages for the day's stage out of his route book.... that's when I hit the fast forward - the word that came to mind was "pap". The laid back surfer dude delivery didn't help.
Then I caught a pre-stage interview the other day, and he was worse than any other rider they interviewed - he had absolutely nothing to say. Personality? Sorry, I didn't see it. I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but when I see his face I'm reaching for the remote.

[Bruce K]

What is he supposed to say?

The good news is he was still in the Tour - the bad news he is vying for Lanterne Rouge.

Probably wishes he never agreed to do these segments.

BK

[saab2000]

What is he supposed to say?

The good news is he was still in the Tour - the bad news he is vying for Lanterne Rouge.

Probably wishes he never agreed to do these segments.

BK

The Lanterne Rouge is no shame and is akin to being the "worst" QB in the NFL playoffs. You're there because you deserve it and besides, the team is not about him. His team's leader (Rigoberto Uran) is in 3rd place and only 29 seconds out of the leader's jersey and the odds are he's doing all he can to finish and support his team leader.

He's nearly last because he's saving energy and working for the team.

I've not seen a single interview with Taylor Phinney. If he's finishing the Tour he deserves applause, not even the remotest murmurings of criticism.

[Mr. Pink]

The Lanterne Rouge is no shame and is akin to being the "worst" QB in the NFL playoffs. You're there because you deserve it and besides, the team is not about him. His team's leader (Rigoberto Uran) is in 3rd place and only 29 seconds out of the leader's jersey and the odds are he's doing all he can to finish and support his team leader.

He's nearly last because he's saving energy and working for the team.

I've not seen a single interview with Taylor Phinney. If he's finishing the Tour he deserves applause, not even the remotest murmurings of criticism.


I guess you missed today's little Taylor segment. Cringeworthy. Someday, he's going to look back at that when he's 50, and think, wow, what was I thinking?

[FlashUNC]

I guess you missed today's little Taylor segment. Cringeworthy. Someday, he's going to look back at that when he's 50, and think, wow, what was I thinking?

Or...live life without regrets and not give a flying rat's ass.

Either way.

[donevwil]

Or...live life without regrets and not give a flying rat's ass.

Either way.

Thank you Flash !!

It appears there are more than a few Paceliners dealing with overcompensation for their own private demons (regrets from their youth).

Oh, one of the few benefits of aging.

[Bruce K]

Kind of what I was trying to get at (and probably did not state well).

He's going to finish. He may even have a really good TT (his specialty).

After the crash the odds were very much stacked against him even being here to finish a TdF.

The interviews are the least of his concerns.

BK

[oldpotatoe]

Kind of what I was trying to get at (and probably did not state well).

He's going to finish. He may even have a really good TT (his specialty).

After the crash the odds were very much stacked against him even being here to finish a TdF.

The interviews are the least of his concerns.

BK

Agree 100%, and I said before, he's riding a toy with a bunch of other guys....hardly middle east peace or an answer to Ebola...riding a bicycle...and he gets that. So he's not that serious, introspective, robot like most of these guys are..so what. I like him and I am very happy for him and his mom and dad(who will be in Paris), that he finished his first GT..and the big kahuna of GT at that. Good for his team 'big boys' too, for selecting him. :D

BTW-he just passed the 2 guys that started ahead of him in the ITT..

[93legendti]

He just finished his TT. Good for him. I've had two bad injuries to my leg and I still deal with them on an almost daily basis. I can't imagine being a pro and dealing with a leg injury like his...

[onekgguy]

Agree 100%, and I said before, he's riding a toy with a bunch of other guys....hardly middle east peace or an answer to Ebola...riding a bicycle...and he gets that. So he's not that serious, introspective, robot like most of these guys are..so what. I like him and I am very happy for him and his mom and dad(who will be in Paris), that he finished his first GT..and the big kahuna of GT at that. Good for his team 'big boys' too, for selecting him. :D

BTW-he just passed the 2 guys that started ahead of him in the ITT..

Well said!

Kevin g