This tour gives bike racing good press!!!

[Pedalchick]

OK, so we're all annoyed that tour time brings out all the newbies to
r.b.r, resulting in such disgusting behavior as posting spoilers in subject lines... But I am
glad/afraid to say that I think this year's tour is bound to increase the number of cycling fans
(in the US at least). They started watching because they heard about that Lance guy and his
cancer. Do you think they'll come back next year if Lance doesn't win this one just because this
year's tour has been so packed full of drama and suspense?

Do you think non-cycling viewers are watching more and learning about the sport? Do they get it? Do
non-cyclists/new viewers find this tour as riveting as seasoned fans?

And finally, why does the same picture on OLN look so crappy in comparison to the one on CBS? Is OLN
compressing the hell out of their signal? And if Lance wins, do you think we can get him to donate
some of his prize winnings to increase their signal quality?

 

[Marty]

"PedalChick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> But I am glad/afraid to say that I think this year's tour is bound to increase the number of
> cycling fans (in the US at least).

No way. Maybe Lance fans, but not cycling fans.

> They started watching because they heard about that Lance guy and his cancer. Do you think they'll
> come back next year if Lance doesn't win this one just because this year's tour has been so packed
> full of drama and suspense?

No. Back to Golf and NASCAR.

> Do you think non-cycling viewers are watching more and learning about the sport?

As long as they have a cycling friend that is there to answer their questions. My favorite, "How can
he be winning if he hasn't won a stage yet?"

> Do they get it? Do non-cyclists/new viewers find this tour as riveting as seasoned fans?

No.

> And finally, why does the same picture on OLN look so crappy in comparison to the one on CBS? Is
> OLN compressing the hell out of their signal?

I'd take crappy OLN video over crappy CBS coverage any day.

> And if Lance wins, do you think we can get him to donate some of his prize winnings to increase
> their signal quality?

No, that goes to his team.
--
Marty

 

[Nick Burns]

"Marty" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> "PedalChick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > But I am glad/afraid to say that I think this year's tour is bound to increase the number of
> > cycling fans (in the US at least).
>
> No way. Maybe Lance fans, but not cycling fans.
>
> > They started watching because they heard about that Lance guy and his cancer. Do you think
> > they'll come back next year if Lance doesn't win this one just because this year's tour has been
> > so packed full of drama and suspense?
>
> No. Back to Golf and NASCAR.
>
> > Do you think non-cycling viewers are watching more and learning about the sport?
>
> As long as they have a cycling friend that is there to answer their questions. My favorite, "How
> can he be winning if he hasn't won a stage yet?"
>
> > Do they get it? Do non-cyclists/new viewers find this tour as riveting as seasoned fans?
>
> No.
>
> > And finally, why does the same picture on OLN look so crappy in comparison to the one on CBS? Is
> > OLN compressing the hell out of their signal?
>
> I'd take crappy OLN video over crappy CBS coverage any day.
>
> > And if Lance wins, do you think we can get him to donate some of his prize winnings to increase
> > their signal quality?
>
> No, that goes to his team.
> --
> Marty

I think Lance may win over some fans outside of the US, but Americans might be disappointed that he
did not "crush" everyone.

 

[Mike Speegle]

In news:Marty <[email protected]> typed:
> "PedalChick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...

> > Do you think non-cycling viewers are watching more and learning about the sport?
>
> As long as they have a cycling friend that is there to answer their questions. My favorite, "How
> can he be winning if he hasn't won a stage yet?"

Phil and Paul do a wonderful job of explaining the tour.

> > Do they get it? Do non-cyclists/new viewers find this tour as riveting as seasoned fans?
>
> No.

Yes. Very riveting. Sorry that your condescension doesn't allow you to see the truth. I am not a
fan of cycling per se. But as a fan a superb athletic performance, I like to see the best in the
world do their thing, regardless of the sport. ;-)
--
Mike
________________________________________________________
"Colorado Ski Country, USA" Come often, Ski hard, Spend *lots* of money, Then leave as quickly
as you can.

 

[Just A Cyclist]

"Nick Burns" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> "Marty" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > "PedalChick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >
> > > But I am glad/afraid to say that I think this year's tour is bound to increase the number of
> > > cycling fans (in the US at least).
> >
> > No way. Maybe Lance fans, but not cycling fans.
> >
> > > They started watching because they heard about that Lance guy and his cancer. Do you think
> > > they'll come back next year if Lance doesn't win this one just because this year's tour has
> > > been so packed full of drama and suspense?
> >
> > No. Back to Golf and NASCAR.
> >
> > > Do you think non-cycling viewers are watching more and learning about the sport?
> >
> > As long as they have a cycling friend that is there to answer their questions. My favorite, "How
> > can he be winning if he hasn't won a stage yet?"
> >
> > > Do they get it? Do non-cyclists/new viewers find this tour as riveting as seasoned fans?
> >
> > No.
> >
> > > And finally, why does the same picture on OLN look so crappy in comparison to the one on CBS?
> > > Is OLN compressing the hell out of their signal?
> >
> > I'd take crappy OLN video over crappy CBS coverage any day.
> >
> > > And if Lance wins, do you think we can get him to donate some of his prize winnings to
> > > increase their signal quality?
> >
> > No, that goes to his team.
> > --
> > Marty
>
> I think Lance may win over some fans outside of the US, but Americans
might
> be disappointed that he did not "crush" everyone.

Not really........but I would love to see Tyler come back stronger

 

[Marty Pietruszk]

"Mike Speegle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In news:Marty <[email protected]> typed:
> > "PedalChick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
>
> > > Do you think non-cycling viewers are watching more and learning about the sport?
> >
> > As long as they have a cycling friend that is there to answer their questions. My favorite, "How
> > can he be winning if he hasn't won a stage yet?"
>
> Phil and Paul do a wonderful job of explaining the tour.
>
> > > Do they get it? Do non-cyclists/new viewers find this tour as riveting as seasoned fans?
> >
> > No.
>
> Yes. Very riveting. Sorry that your condescension doesn't allow you to see the truth. I am not
> a fan of cycling per se. But as a fan a superb athletic performance, I like to see the best in
> the world do their thing, regardless of the sport. ;-)
> --
> Mike

Mike Speegle! From rsa?! That's promising. Hope more rsa'ers come over and enjoy this ng. Consider
what happened when I cross posted (to rsa and rbr) the message about Hermann Maier racing in the TdF
Prolog. The attitude of those rsa'ers making fun of the cyclists is more the norm than your attitude
of enjoying the sport. Sure, most from the US will enjoy seeing LA do well in the TdF, including me,
but they'd be happy seeing him perform well in any athletic performance - regardless of the sport.
It's interesting to Americans as long as Lance is winning. That's great, but my hope is that those
following the sport (especially OLN) will continue to do so even after Lance retires. That most
likely will not happen. :-( Hope I'm wrong.
--
Marty

 

[Edward Waffle]

Nick Burns wrote in message ...
>
>I think Lance may win over some fans outside of the US, but Americans might be disappointed that he
>did not "crush" everyone.
>

Americans love to cheer for "underdogs", even if they have to be manufactured--sports fans in other
nations may also, of course.

That is why, for example, TV network coverage of the Olympic Games always features movie of the week
pathos of all the things the athlete being profiled has had to overcome. The alternative is how the
economically shattered small town that is the athlete's home has run bake sales and mortgaged their
farms to make sure she has the money to train.

Armstrong doesn't have to be hyped in this way--cancer trumps just about everything. And he is the
1927 New York Yankees or 1945 Soviet Army as far as competition over the past four years, so he
can't be a real underdog.

But the OLN coverage still sounds a bit odd to these American ears, which are used to stories of how
horrible it is for our boyz and gurlz out there in the international arena.