ESPN = Idiots

[Race Radio]

ESPN has a commentator, Micheal Smith, who has said that he thought the video of Flecha and Hoogerland was funny

that crash is hilarious. Every. Time."

Many cyclists have called him out on it....which has led to him taunting them and encourginng his many followers to do the same

Today I've managed offend cyclists everywhere. Guess what? It's still funny."

http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith

Classless

 

[Ramira]

Sooo that guy is never getting a single interview of any cyclist. I would suggest he throws himself through the air into some barbed wire and see if he still thinks it's funny. Moron.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

ESPN has a commentator, Micheal Smith, who has said that he thought the video of Flecha and Hoogerland was funny



Many cyclists have called him out on it....which has led to him taunting them and encourginng his many followers to do the same



http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith

Classless

Don't feed the trolls. I've never heard of him and he is obviously loving the attention because he isn't known for anything else. He's just a typical hack journalist and blowhard.

Do you really expect anything else from a guy who makes his living reporting on the NFL?

 

[Angliru]

He's a classless jacka$$. I hope that ESPN recognizes this and relegates him to covering hot dog eating contests and ice fishing in sub zero weather.

 

[hfer07]

this the explicit ignorance of the AMERICAN sport reporters unfamiliar with the sport and yet entitled to opine in such absurd manner about an incident of that cruel nature..... but looking at the guy- what more can anyone expect from an obese stupid reporter like him who probably hasn't ever ridden a bicycle in his miserable life...?

 

[Race Radio]

Don't feed the trolls. I've never heard of him and he is obviously loving the attention because he isn't known for anything else. He's just a typical hack journalist and blowhard.

Do you really expect anything else from a guy who makes his living reporting on the NFL?

If he was just a troll I would not have said anything. He is one of ESPN's more visible reporters and has close to 100,000 followers on twitter
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...michael-smith/2011/07/12/gIQAM3pxAI_blog.html

 

[The Sheep]

probably the same guy that trolled during the football world cup?

 

[therhodeo]

Whats this a classless american with a big mouth? I'm shocked.

 

[JRTinMA]

Don't feed the trolls. I've never heard of him and he is obviously loving the attention because he isn't known for anything else. He's just a typical hack journalist and blowhard.

Do you really expect anything else from a guy who makes his living reporting on the NFL?

He is hardly just some troll. Do you think ESPN would put somebody who was a hack on the NFL? In the US the NFL would be nirvana, the hack reporter gets cycling.

He a ****** and I hope Gary Fisher follows through on his promise to punch him in the face.

 

[thehog]

Get Lance onto him.

 

[Angliru]

this the explicit ignorance of the AMERICAN sport reporters unfamiliar with the sport and yet entitled to opine in such absurd manner about an incident of that cruel nature..... but looking at the guy- what more can anyone expect from an obese stupid reporter like him who probably hasn't ever ridden a bicycle in his miserable life...?

Is this really an opportunity to stereotype AMERICAN sport reporters? Does one reporter's lack of class represent the profession in America as a whole?
Let's be fair here.

 

[Angliru]

Whats this a classless american with a big mouth? I'm shocked.

What's this, another generalization of American's? I'm even more shocked.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

If he was just a troll I would not have said anything. He is one of ESPN's more visible reporters and has close to 100,000 followers on twitter
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...michael-smith/2011/07/12/gIQAM3pxAI_blog.html

He's trolling for hits. This is the point these days - say something controversial get lots of hits, extra page views. That is the name of the game in sports media these days.

He is a hack journalist looking for hits. Nothing beats a heat-noise-light controversy. Too arrogant to realize that he overstepped the mark, too much in the hack bubble and too ignorant of the real world, so digs himself deeper.

 

[hfer07]

Is this really an opportunity to stereotype AMERICAN sport reporters? Does one reporter's lack of class represent the profession in America as a whole?
Let's be fair here.

Angliru: Please read once more what I wrote:

this the explicit ignorance of the AMERICAN sport reporters unfamiliar with the sport and yet entitled to opine in such absurd manner about an incident of that cruel nature.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Michael Smith is one of the most respected analysts in sports. I'm shocked he would say that. I'll probably watch around the horn today to see if he says anything, but that kind of comment is despicable.

EDIT: I'm now reading he has continually defended his comments in response to critics

 

[Granville57]

Here's the disgusting breakdown for those just tuning in...

For real, am I wrong for laughing at that Tour de France crash? Can't get over the driver speeding off as if he didn't know he hit someone!
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90532487813537792

I'm sorry that crash is hilarious. Every. Time.
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90539435388715008

It had far been too long since I'd angered an entire community. Today I've managed offend cyclists everywhere. Guess what? It's still funny.
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90606872075321344

i'd like to apologize to cyclists, people who ride bikes, people who know people who ride bikes, and even paperboys. Happy? I miss anybody?
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90613389457502209

 

[therhodeo]

What's this, another generalization of American's? I'm even more shocked.

Born in Kansas currently in Oklahoma. If anyone knows how classless the majority of America is I do.

 

[JRTinMA]

Is this really an opportunity to stereotype AMERICAN sport reporters? Does one reporter's lack of class represent the profession in America as a whole?
Let's be fair here.

No Angliru, its apparently an opportunity to stereotype all Americans lol.

Whats this a classless american with a big mouth? I'm shocked.

 

[Jamsque]

If you are mad about this (and you should be) the thing to do is NOT to spam Michael Smith's twitter with abuse, that just makes cycling fans look like morons. What you SHOULD do is get in touch with the ESPN 'Ombudsman'. His job is to deal with complaints and criticism of how ESPN handles news and events. Fill out that form POLITELY and explain why you think it is inappropriate for an ESPN columnist to make light of a very serious crash that could well have resulted in deaths.

If enough people do this we might actually get something done.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?id=2826900

 

[JRTinMA]

Here's the disgusting breakdown for those just tuning in...

It makes me think he was making fun of the driver more than anything when I read the twitter feed.

 

[The Barb]

He is a hack journalist looking for hits. Nothing beats a heat-noise-light controversy.

I am really surprised to hear about Michael Smith's comments because I've always thought he was an excellent reporter and most definitely not a "hack". However, I doubt he would never make a similar comment about a player suffering and injury in basketball or (american) football and, as much as I am not averse to laughing at other people's misfortune at times, this just didn't seem funny at all.

I think he might be becoming afflicted with the "TV is a hell of a drug" curse.

 

[Oldman]

Don't feed the trolls. I've never heard of him and he is obviously loving the attention because he isn't known for anything else. He's just a typical hack journalist and blowhard.

Do you really expect anything else from a guy who makes his living reporting on the NFL?

Particularly when there is nothing to report? We've all met the walking fecal matter that considers only "contact" sports the real deal. Fortunately you'll never race against one of these jokes because they really don't know much about athletics; let alone suffering for the game.

 

[Polish]

Ignorant haters.
Scary and sad.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Is this any different to what Tony Kornheiser said about cycling?

"The last time I looked, the roads were made for automobiles...We're going to be dominated as if this was Beijing by hundreds of thousands of bicyclists...They all wear … my God … with the little water bottle in the back and the stupid hats and their shiny shorts. They are the same disgusting poseurs that in the middle of a snowstorm come out with cross-country skiing on your block. Run 'em down...Let them use the right, I’m okay with that. I don’t take my car and ride on the sidewalk because I understand that’s not for my car… Why do these people think that these roads were built for bicycles? ... They dare you to run them down.”

IMO it reflects the basic ESPN attitude towards cycling and cyclists.

I am pretty sure that he hasn't heard about Wouter Weylandt, nor about hundreds of cyclists who are killed and injured on the roads every year.

Would he have tweeted that he found that fan who fell out of the stands funny, or that guy who almost fell out of the stands? Of course not, different sport, different victims, different sponsors and advertisers.

 

[Deagol]

He's a classless jacka$$. I hope that ESPN recognizes this and relegates him to covering hot dog eating contests and ice fishing in sub zero weather.

Sad thing is that this stuff is what passes for sport in America these days