Yojimbo_ said:
I work in a high-tech complicated business. Marketing types don't understand the technical details, but they still can do marketing. And let's face it Eddie, cycling isn't all that complicated.
There is a clear illustration of how little you know.
Cycling is probably the most complex sport in the world. Administering it and managing it are as well.
For starters it has four completely separate disciplines, Road, Track, MTB and BMX. Within those disciplines are in turn many different categories and many different events.
Organizationally you have federations and associations, individuals, clubs, team, and organizers. You have local, provincial, federal and international issues for each discipline that all differ.
They all have different sponsorship, marketing, media and merchandising problems. You state that "Marketing types don't understand the technical details, but they still can do marketing." How do you market a Flamme Rouge if you have never heard of it and don't know it exists? How do you market a points jersey if you don't realize you can create one. How do you sell distance markers and bib numbers to potential sponsors if you don't know they exist? How do you approach a certain type of business to pitch the sport without any background as to other sponsors in a similar business or with the same product? If you're approaching an ice cream sponsor doesn't it help to know about the Miko-Mercier Team in France that was one of the best for years and years in the '60s and '70s and to know that their Canadian licensee co-sponsored a Canadian team in the 1990s (my team)?
You will next tell me they can learn this stuff on the job. How much more time will be wasted? Why would you hire somebody at the top level of the sport in this country who HAS to learn on the job? Why not get somebody who ALREADY knows what they are doing? The last thing we needed at this point was another amateur, a mediocre one at that with only average results after ten years in a sport with 10 times the participants. Ironically that sport signed its biggest deal two years AFTER she left.
Tell me Jimbo, in the high-tech company you work for, are the top three jobs held by people with little, and in two cases, absolutely no experience in the industry? That's what we have now at the Canadian Cycling Assocation. Three Blind Mice. President Bill Kinash spent years running cycling in Canada's worst cycling province. In that time Saskatchewan held one national calibre road race in 20 years. Chief Operating Officer Steve Lacelle has ZERO cycling experience. ZERO. As does the new Director of Marketing, Kim Sebrango. Zero cycling experience or knowledge.
Are the top three people in your company without relevent experience?
Do you think this is a sound approach to hire rank amateurs to lead the sport in the country?
Do you know what that is?
It is an INSULT to the riders, coaches ,managers, commissaires and everybody else in the sport that have spent years and years learing and working to develop thier skills. It is an INSULT to saddle them with the burden of this poor and inexperienced leadership. It is a sad joke.
The beauty of cycling is its very complexity and long history.
You have highlighted your incomprehension.
Furthermore, you have not answered how you can know anything of my posts or me when you claim not to read them. Yet you have posted a second time within 12 hours commenting on something you say you don't read.
You claim to work in a high-tech complicated business, that's great. I'm impressed for you. Do you know anything about cycling? I listed a few of my accomplishments, give us yours.
My record is impressive, Jimbo (and you know only of the cycling part so far) . What's yours?
