Professional cycling may not be a clean sport, but that doesn't mean that the sport can't find new and creative ways to rip off and insult our intelligence.Now comes the Cycle Sport magazine (and World Cycling Productions) "I Support Drug Free Sport" wristband.
You think I'm kidding, right?
I'm selling ginzu knives here, rigtht?
Sorreeeeeee ... Here's the pitch:
For just one dollar, YOU can demonstrate YOUR support for a drug free sport. Why spend the dollar on a LIVEstrong wristband to support cancer research when you can spend a dollar, plus postage, to show your support for a drug-free sport.
Cycle Sport magazine is devoting its October magazine to the drug issue (if this is the "Clean Issue," does that mean that all previous issues are "Dirty Issues"?). Isn't that's a little like teaching ethics once rather than making it an integral part of your entire approach? After all, it's not like doping started with Bad Boy Floyd and the Spanish doping scandal, right?
Sorry Cycle Sports. I know you mean well, but don't ask for our money for your late-to-the-dance scheme. To make up for this scam, World Cycling Productions should donate one dollar to cancer research for every dollar received.
On second thought, make that two dollars.
I've yet to recieve this issue but I'm curious as to how the proceeds will be used? If it is in fact for clean racing awareness, then I support this campaign.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree this a day late and "dollar" short, we do afterall have to start somewhere. True the idear is rather unoriginal (as I watch Morelli of PSU throw a 42 yd TD with his Livestrong band) but again if it spikes awareness instead of red blood cells then we're making progress.
I still very much contend it will take the SPONSORS, not the fans to make the difference. They are the ones ultimately responsible for the fate of Pro Cycling. The Pros have proven for over 100 years, in every regard, that they can't do it on their own.
It's up to the athletes, the cyclists, to fix this. Look at Phonak, T-Mobile and CSC. They suspended Floyd Landis, Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso! Phonak folded. What more can the owners do? It's a hell of a lot better than Major League Baseball, which turned its back on the cheaters for a decade (or more) and tolerated cheaters like Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds for the sake of box office. I think the sponsors in cycling are reacting. I think that the sport has to be more realistic about what is humanly possible (the Vuelta is a more realistic stage race this year than the Giro or Tour) and the cyclists need to TRUST each other so that they don't seem a level playing field by cheating.
ReplyDeleteThat's "seek," not "seem" in my final sentence.
ReplyDeleteThe athletes have proven that they are incapable of cleansing themselves. Why? Because of big payouts and pressure from team management to appease, you guessed it, the sponsors for results and exposure.
ReplyDeleteTherefore if the money dries up, the sport will be forced to reinvent itself. To be clear, Team Management pulled Basso and Ullrich NOT the sponsors directly.
Phonak was pulling anyway, it was IShares that pulled out and inturn forced the team without backing. To your point, some have pulled but not enough. They all need to come out.
Those that continue to support the sport will be no better than MLB to your point. MLB looked the other direction because shortening the fields and monster HR records were bringing fans back to the stands after the 94 strike debacle.
I totally agree the races have to be mortalized. However I'm not sure if you think just because the Vuelta is easier in some way that this erradicates doping. You can be assured they're flying high in that race as much as any.
To quote my friend who recently had lunch with former Rabobank rider. "He said they all do it period. The question is not as much if, as it is how much and what are they using....He also said the pressure it just too intense...you HAVE to perform"
This now accounts for 3 separate personal admissions made to me directly or indirectly by PROS that it's rampant. It's a little beyond trust at this point. It's a business and therefore a business solution is needed.
Team Management works for the sponsors. And there are clauses in the cyclists' contract about ties to doping. You can't separate the two. And T-Mobile fired its team manager.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, though, that the sponsors need to do more. I agree with you about baseball turning its back after the shortened season without a WS.
As for the Vuelta, I don't think the doping has stopped. But the race is more reasonable than the other two majors tours this season. As fans, we have to expect less. We admire the superhuman performances, but they are just that: superhuman.
The comment of your Rabobank friend is interesting; I can't contest that.
I'm all for a "business solution," but as long as cheating is good for business, they will be no solution.
Now, go be with your lovely girlfriend!
Well said about the management and sponsors.
ReplyDeleteAs it relates to the immortal performances, I think we all agree that we can all tolerate these guys averaging 19MPH over 135K as opposed to the 25-28MPH over 180K that we've been getting.
The really ironic part to all of this is that since they are all doing it, should they ALL stop, the playing field would be exactly the same less the speed.
I mean, fitness is fitness. If you're more fit than the guy next to you but you're both juiced, then the results are the same just faster.
That's what is so maddening to me about this. It's not a spectator sport in the least. People can't tell on TV that you're going 6MPH or 25MPH. Frankly, they don't care. Whereas home runs do sell commerical time.
To your point, it all started with a few guys getting the edge to get the jersey and appeal to the sponsor. It's been a vicious cycle ever since.
It's just plain stupid.
All good points, Tooth. All the fans want is a competitive sport. The speed -- and length and number of climbs -- in the major tours has gotten out of hand.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, it seems that blogs, like e-mail, get spam. Thus the deleted entries from time to time. To our regular readers: Just be careful about the links you click on from unknown senders, just like e-mail. I try to week these out, but sometimes, something may slip through.