View Full Version : Espn Radio Rip On Cyclists
BURCH
07-13-2005, 09:01 AM
I sometimes tune into 1050 AM (ESPN RADIO) on my drive home from work. Yesterday evening, I caught Max Kellerman on the radio. He did a segment where he discussed how overrated Lance is to be considered a great "Athlete". He then went onto to categorize cycling as a "quazi sport" that only requires you to get on a bike and pedal.
He made statements like (paraphrased),
"Failed Athletes from ball related sports go into cycling" and "Cycling is filled with failed athletes from other sports"
"Cycle requires little strength, but does require endurance and mental toughness"
"Unlike Michael Vick, Lance would probably fail at all other sports"
"If Michael Vick cycled, he would probably bike circles around Lance"
For our European Forum members,
He basically stated that all Euro cyclist weren't able to play a real sport like football (soccer to us americans) and had to fall back to cycling!
He said many more ignorant comments toward this sport and I am just posting this because it was frustrating to listen to. I agree that a Michael Vick could probably out perform Lance in many sports (sprinting, jumping, throwing...etc), but I just didn't like the way his argument was presented. It was very harsh.
So, now I will have to boycott ESPN radio for a while. Oh well.
bostondrunk
07-13-2005, 09:04 AM
I sometimes tune into 1050 AM (ESPN RADIO) on my drive home from work. Yesterday evening, I caught Max Kellerman on the radio. He did a segment where he discussed how overrated Lance is to be considered a great "Athlete". He then went onto to categorize cycling as a "quazi sport" that only requires you to get on a bike and pedal.
He made statements like (paraphrased),
"Failed Athletes from ball related sports go into cycling" and "Cycling is filled with failed athletes from other sports"
"Cycle requires little strength, but does require endurance and mental toughness"
"Unlike Michael Vick, Lance would probably fail at all other sports"
"If Michael Vick cycled, he would probably bike circles around Lance"
For our European Forum members,
He basically stated that all Euro cyclist weren't able to play a real sport like football (soccer to us americans) and had to fall back to cycling!
He said many more ignorant comments toward this sport and I am just posting this because it was frustrating to listen to. I agree that a Michael Vick could probably out perform Lance in many sports (sprinting, jumping, throwing...etc), but I just didn't like the way his argument was presented. It was very harsh.
So, now I will have to boycott ESPN radio for a while. Oh well.
You have to keep in mind that he probably doesn't think any of that, but he'll say it to get attention for his radio show.
BURCH
07-13-2005, 09:14 AM
You have to keep in mind that he probably doesn't think any of that, but he'll say it to get attention for his radio show.
You are probably right.
So, I hope he doesn't mind that I say he is an idiot, but don't really think that he is.
LegendRider
07-13-2005, 09:19 AM
Every year we hear stories about sports columnists, etc. who claim cycling isn't a real sport. A local talk radio host said the Tour wasn't a race because there is a rest day - as if other athletes compete for three weeks...
William
07-13-2005, 09:23 AM
I would be more then happy to let him see how bad I would be at kicking his A$$!!! :p
William :D
BumbleBeeDave
07-13-2005, 10:19 AM
. . . these guys are paid to be controversial. There were a few others saying exactly the same thing last year about Lance. We have a few of them on local radio stations here, but the turnover is fairly high because eventually they all miscalculate, go over the line and offend the wrong people, and get booted.
Of course his contentions are laughable. Lance started out as a GD good tri-athlete and could probably go back to that without skipping a beat. Eric Heiden also went into cycling after he "failed" by winning what, six gold medals in Olympic speed skating? Rasmussen and Evans went into road cycling after they "failed" at mountain biking . . . .
I'd love to see how A-Rod or Barry Bonds do in a bike race. Ditto for Kobe Bryant or Shaq. :rolleyes:
BBDave
Kines
07-13-2005, 10:34 AM
I had to do a google search to find out who Michael Vick is. Shows you what I know about "true" sports.
These ESPN commentators are just talking head drop-outs who couldn't do true real-time sports commentary like Sherwin and Liggett if they tried. There.
We are lucky to have a radio station in Boston that gives huge props to bike racers each morning during the Tour. Lyndon Byers (retired Boston Bruin) does sports for WAAF in the morning, and he has tremendous respect for cycling. They even talk about races other than the Tour when an American or Discovery (or USPS in the past) places well. Pretty cool.
Just another blowhard who hasn't a clue what he is talking about. I'll guarantee though, that he thinks golf is a real sport and that golfers are real athletes because he plays the game.
Bruce K
07-13-2005, 11:30 AM
zank;
Your radio actually pulls in that "other" sports talk station? :rolleyes:
I may have to try and find it again.
Even the thought of Glen Ordway or Pete Shepherd on a bike is pretty scary. When the spandex failed there would be huge loss of life!! :eek:
BK
scrooge
07-13-2005, 11:35 AM
Baseball players are the real athletes.
:fight:
maybe he could say that Jesse Owens was not a real athlete (or pick any other endurance sport athlete from running or swimming).
Maybe cuz he would get fired if he did?
Cyclings a fringe sport and an easy target....especially in a car-crazy country. Probably 90% of his listeners nod their heads in agreement while drooling over their beer and fried pork rinds.....
Dekonick
07-13-2005, 11:41 AM
I wonder what his definition of an ATHLETE is.
ESPN shows more poker than cycling...so it really makes one think.
Bruce, check out 107.3. I know you get it up in Gloucester.
I was up there visiting my in-laws over the 4th. I love riding on Cape Ann. I took my new road bike out for its first miles over that weekend. Couldn't think of a nicer place to break it in.
We should hook up for a ride some time!
I had to do a google search to find out who Michael Vick is. Shows you what I know about "true" sports.
These ESPN commentators are just talking head drop-outs who couldn't do true real-time sports commentary like Sherwin and Liggett if they tried. There.
he travels under the alias of "ron mexico"
they have alot of air time to kill
OldDog
07-13-2005, 12:08 PM
beer and fried pork rinds.....
:beer: (seriously, whats a pork "rind")
Cycling in Cape Ann - did the Eastern Tandem Rally there a few years back, good time, good roads, good NE coastal action. Looking forward to returning some day.
I have ESPN programmed out of my tv channel line up. No interest, at all, in the usual ball sports, hocky, golf. If I'm going to sit in front of the tube, uh, flatscreen, it better be something entertaining to me.
:beer: (seriously, whats a pork "rind")
Cycling in Cape Ann - did the Eastern Tandem Rally there a few years back, good time, good roads, good NE coastal action. Looking forward to returning some day.
http://sellporkrinds.com/distributors.htm :beer:
deep fried pork skin...zero carbs...if you care ;)
yes, they go with beer....preferable Schaefer..."the one to have when you're having more than one!"
preferable Schaefer
Wow, are they still around? I work right next to the old Shaefer brewery here in Albany. :beer:
Bruce K
07-13-2005, 12:19 PM
zanc;
Bradford (forumite) is trying to organize a pre-PMC medium length, not too intense ride on Saturday 7/25 in the Bedford, Concord area to get a bunch of us together and have some fun.
Once my "commutes" back and forth to Florida slow down I would be happy to get together for a ride.
Keep an eye out for the Michelob Ultra GP of Cyclocross in Gloucester in late October. It's a great weekend of cross and fun.
BK
victoryfactory
07-13-2005, 12:30 PM
Americans have traditionally had trouble accepting sports that are
not "main stream"
In the case of cycling, most Americans see bikes as kids toys, not
racing hardware. How can you expect them to take seriously a sport that
uses a "kid's toy"
Might as well race on a radio flyer red wagon.
However, Who would have thought, 10 years ago, that the most famous
athlete in the USA (ala Ali, Mantle, Jordan) would be a bike racer?
VF
when they saw me riding people used to shout "Get off the road"
Now they shout "Hey Lance, Get off the road"
most Americans see bikes as kids toys
maybe if they knew that some of these kids toys cost $25,000!
maybe if they knew that some of these kids toys cost $25,000!
"spoiled" kids toys..... :bike: :p
paulh
07-13-2005, 12:53 PM
http://sellporkrinds.com/distributors.htm
deep fried pork skin...zero carbs...if you care
Put your pork rind ads in the classifieds where they belong! :rolleyes:
While his comments concerning Armstrong and cycling in general are pretty lame, he is correct in his summary of the American cycling scene. Cycling is a fringe sport in the US and most of our athletes start off playing the more popular sports like football, baseball, basketball, etc. The kids who have better hand eye coordination continue with those sports while the kids who lack the required skills or interest in the mainstream sports move on to others. Since cycling is not a high school sport the kids who would probably be talanted cyclists become runners and excel in cross country or the longer track events. Some communities have cycling programs but the high cost of the sport limits participation. Consequently most of our countries gifted athletes play other sports and rarely choose cycling as their main activity.
I can also understand why he and most other sportcasters don't understand pro cycling and view the riders as one sport specialists. The average pro cyclist is all legs and lungs. They have skinny little arms and don't look strong enough to do ten pushups. Anyone can ride a bike so they don't really believe that cycling requires any real skill except exceptional endurance and mental toughness. Add in the fact that pro cyclists seem to cry more than most male athletes when they get hurt or have to drop out of a race. :banana:
There is no question that Armstrong is an amazing cyclist and endurance athlete. Is he one of the greatest athletes of all time? That's open to debate. Most sports fans have their own opinions and are usually passionate in how they express them. You don't have to agree and are free to express your own views. Just don't be a whiner. Real sports fans don't whine.
Cross racing in Gloucester; it doesn't get any better! I haven't missed the event since it started. An absolute blast.
I will see what the misses has planned for the 25th, but it would be great to get a good ride in with the gang. Keep me posted!
are on WFAN in NYC and supposedly have THE most popular sports talk show in the country. I have listened to them wax eloquent about sports I know something about, and they are frequently so far off the scent that it is laughable. It has caused me to wonder just how much they actually know about the mainline sports that make up their daily stock in trade. They do provide entertaining shows once in a while but I wouldn't take anything they say to the bank.
I see these tv and radio commentators, not only on sports but on politics, the stock market, culture, and any other old thing, getting paid for doing what many spend their time doing in bars over beers - expressing often ill-founded opinions they don't even hold strongly just because. And what makes it all even more so is that the subjects on which they profess are not even susceptible to definitive answers. Therein lies the seduction.
What a country!
keno
J.M. White
07-13-2005, 08:05 PM
Add in the fact that pro cyclists seem to cry more than most male athletes when they get hurt or have to drop out of a race.
Ever watch soccer?
In any event, it would appear endurance athletes such as cyclists, runners, swimmers, rowers, and the like don't qualify as "real" athletes if you listen to ESPN radio spew. Why, then, are events that feature these athletes included in the Olympics, while the real sports like football, bowling, pool, and poker (which seem to dominate ESPN programming) are not?
Dr. Doofus
07-13-2005, 08:21 PM
athletic abilities (physical):
cardiovascular endurance
muscular endurance
muscular speed (ability to contract quickly)
muscular strength
muscular power
reflexes
agility+balance
hand-eye coordination *
ball sports require high degrees of all the abilities, except cardio endurance
road cycling requires high degrees of all these, except muscular strength and hand-eye coordination (however, cyclists without good/great hand-eye coordination suck at high speed cornering...ever seen a fast, experienced guy who still takes lousy lines?)
its just a cultural thing....
every damn sport is hard at the elite level
for what its worth (which is nothing) doof says crossers are probably the best all-round athletes in the two-wheeled world....
* or foot-eye coordination for you george best wannabes
Remember, Eddy Merckx didn't even make ESPN's top athletes of the century countdown. Lance is great, but (and correct me if I'm wrong), he hasn't won a third of all bike races he's ever entered (then again cycling may be different these days with people excelling and focusing at single-day races versus stage races).
I follow baseball and the folks in that sphere (on a particular site) were having a vote as to the most obnoxious personality on ESPN...cycling fans aren't the only ones to question the validity of the network.
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