ESPN = Idiots

[Oldman]

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



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.

No, but they classlessly exploited that tragedy by showing the guy starting to fall again and again and again...

 

[Jamsque]

Again, please please please use this link and send a message to ESPN about this: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?id=2826900

Please also be polite in your messages, it doesn't help cycling if the fans appear to be slavering morons who hurl abuse at anyone who offends them. This is what I wrote, feel free to copy/paste:

This week, ESPN columnist Michael Smith used his twitter account to mock two cyclists who were the victim of a horrific crash in the Tour de France. The riders, Juan Antonio Flecha and Johnny Hoogerland, were struck by a vehicle from the race caravan that was attempting to overtake their group. Flecha was thrown to the ground and Hoogerland was catapulted in to a barbed wire fence at high speed. Both received very serious injuries, and Hoogerland in particular was lucky to escape from the crash with no broken bones. These are four of the tweets that Smith made on the subject:

"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!"

"I'm sorry that crash is hilarious. Every. Time."

"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."

"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?"

While I understand that ESPN does not control its employee's twitter accounts, I think that Michael Smith's behaviour in first describing a very serious and nearly fatal accident as 'hilarious', then mocking those who were outraged by his statements, was unprofessional and deeply inappropriate. ESPN should hold its staff to a higher standard, and require them to treat serious incidents like this with respect. I was deeply offended by Michael's comments, and I would like to see both an apology from him and an assurance from ESPN that professional athletes from ALL sports will be treated with the respect they deserve, especially when they have been in life-threatening incidents.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

[/B]

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.

Commentary from an old Champ Car World Series race pointed out that though many suggest racing drivers to not be sportsmen since the car often wins the championship not them, they will be at 90% or more of their peak heartrate and many at 170bpm+ for 1hr 45 under immense G-forces (which they found by putting heartrate monitors on a bunch of drivers apparently). The commentator then points out that "apart from professional road cycling, no sport asks its participants to sustain that amount of effort for that long".

If the CAR guys are showing cyclists respect, you'd think the ballsports guys could.

 

[Oldman]

Thanks, Jams. I clipped yours and added some commentary of my own.

 

[Oldman]

Commentary from an old Champ Car World Series race pointed out that though many suggest racing drivers to not be sportsmen since the car often wins the championship not them, they will be at 90% or more of their peak heartrate and many at 170bpm+ for 1hr 45 under immense G-forces (which they found by putting heartrate monitors on a bunch of drivers apparently). The commentator then points out that "apart from professional road cycling, no sport asks its participants to sustain that amount of effort for that long".

If the CAR guys are showing cyclists respect, you'd think the ballsports guys could.

Car guys, motocross guys and any serious athlete cycles to get into good enough shape to execute their own sport. Nolan Ryan credited riding a stationary bike with prolonging his career and most NFL recievers do it too. It seems only the fat commentators who, at best are wannabe jocks; are too physically incapable and need to embrace their roles as syncophants as a substitute. Having said that I realize that describes most sportcasters irrespective of what they cover or what they hate.

 

[Anonymous]

Again, please please please use this link and send a message to ESPN about this: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?id=2826900

Please also be polite in your messages, it doesn't help cycling if the fans appear to be slavering morons who hurl abuse at anyone who offends them. This is what I wrote, feel free to copy/paste:

Done.
10 char.

 

[Escarabajo]

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

Done. Thanks for posting the link Jamsque.

 

[Escarabajo]

His only controversy in his Wiki page is this one about the crash. Go figure:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Smith_(sports_reporter)

Controversy
In July of 2011, calls for Smith's suspension were spread following his comments on Twitter regarding the crash and serious injury of two riders in the Tour de France.[2] [3]

 

[Granville57]

Again, please please please use this link and send a message to ESPN about this: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?id=2826900

Please also be polite in your messages, it doesn't help cycling if the fans appear to be slavering morons who hurl abuse at anyone who offends them.

Thanks Jamsque. I did just that.

 

[Angliru]

Angliru: Please read once more what I wrote:

The results of hastily posting from work. My sincere apologies.

 

[MacRoadie]

Thanks Jamsque. I did just that.

Same here, thanks

 

[Boeing]

This looks like a job for @grehymanrod.......

 

[Berzin]

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.

Let's add a cultural subtext to this. Smith is from New Orleans. I don't know if he grew up in the 'hood or not, but people in these neighborhoods tend to laugh when someone falls or is hit by something or someone.

Case in point-I'm riding my bike in Central Park and stop to get a drink of water at a fountain. This being my first road bike ever, I fall over in front of about 50 yuppies because I was still unaccustomed to clipping in and out of the pedals. No one laughs, and quite a few of them come over to see if I was OK.

Around the same period, I'm in the South Bronx coming over the bridge into Manhattan. Same thing happens-I stop at a red light, couldn't unclip in time and fall over. A carload of Latinos rounds the curve and pulls over for the express purpose of sticking their heads out (all four of them) and laughing as loud as they possibly could before driving off.

So there you have it.

 

[Jamsque]

Let's add a cultural subtext to this. Smith is from New Orleans. I don't know if he grew up in the 'hood or not, but people in these neighborhoods tend to laugh when someone falls or is hit by something or someone.

Case in point-I'm riding my bike in Central Park and stop to get a drink of water at a fountain. This being my first road bike ever, I fall over in front of about 50 yuppies because I was still unaccustomed to clipping in and out of the pedals. No one laughs, and quite a few of them come over to see if I was OK.

Around the same period, I'm in the South Bronx coming over the bridge into Manhattan. Same thing happens. A carload of Latinos pull over for the express purpose of sticking their heads out and laughing as loud as they possibly could before driving off.

So there you have it.

Yes, racism is really the right way to respond to this. Well done. Way to hold the moral high ground.

 

[goggalor]

Michael Smith's favourite show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_4jrMwvZ2A&feature=related

 

[Anonymous]

Let's add a cultural subtext to this. Smith is from New Orleans. I don't know if he grew up in the 'hood or not, but people in these neighborhoods tend to laugh when someone falls or is hit by something or someone.

Case in point-I'm riding my bike in Central Park and stop to get a drink of water at a fountain. This being my first road bike ever, I fall over in front of about 50 yuppies because I was still unaccustomed to clipping in and out of the pedals. No one laughs, and quite a few of them come over to see if I was OK.

Around the same period, I'm in the South Bronx coming over the bridge into Manhattan. Same thing happens-I stop at a red light, couldn't unclip in time and fall over. A carload of Latinos rounds the curve and pulls over for the express purpose of sticking their heads out (all four of them) and laughing as loud as they possibly could before driving off.

So there you have it.

WTF??? Seriously!!!???

 

[theswordsman]

The "contact us" section of the ESPN website didn't have drop-down categories that fit this, but they claim to read and respond to everything, so hopefully it will find it's way to the right person. I had a subscription deal for three bucks, so I was able to tell them I won't renew that or the Insider.

There are a lot of classless people in the world. One of the downsides of social media is we're exposed to junk like this. Five years ago we wouldn't have known he said it, and he wouldn't have been able to abuse people who try to call him on it.

Please don't think it's an American thing. It wasn't that long ago that the big fuss was about a British guy joking about cars and cyclists.

I just got this back:

Dear John,

Thanks for contacting ESPN.

We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us and have shared your comments with our producers.

Sincerely,

Brandon
ESPN Viewer Response

--------------- Original Message ---------------

On Sunday at the Tour de France, there was a horrible incident where a car swerved directly into a cyclist, who crashed into another cyclist who went flying into a barbed wire fence. The driver was tossed out of the Tour, a legal investigation has begun, and two cycling teams are considering lawsuits.
Your Michael Smith says publicly that he thinks the video of the car crashing into the cyclists is funny, and he watches it over and over, laughing. Cycling fans have complained to him on twitter, and he makes fun of them in an arrogant manner, bragging that he wasn't suspended by you & talking about what prestigious assignments he's given. He's given ESPN two big black eyes in the opinion of a lot of people. I won't renew my magazine or Insider.

 

[Anonymous]

Let's add a cultural subtext to this. Smith is from New Orleans. I don't know if he grew up in the 'hood or not, but people in these neighborhoods tend to laugh when someone falls or is hit by something or someone.

Case in point-I'm riding my bike in Central Park and stop to get a drink of water at a fountain. This being my first road bike ever, I fall over in front of about 50 yuppies because I was still unaccustomed to clipping in and out of the pedals. No one laughs, and quite a few of them come over to see if I was OK.

Around the same period, I'm in the South Bronx coming over the bridge into Manhattan. Same thing happens-I stop at a red light, couldn't unclip in time and fall over. A carload of Latinos rounds the curve and pulls over for the express purpose of sticking their heads out (all four of them) and laughing as loud as they possibly could before driving off.

So there you have it.

Well, that settles it, every person on the planet with darker skin, who grew up poor thinks people getting hurt is funny. Thanks for the info, I never have to think again.

 

[Berzin]

WTF??? Really!!!???

Yes. I've also seen, with my own eyes, people laughing at and ridiculing someone while they were getting shot during an argument.

That's how it is in the ghetto. Not all the time, but it's the mindset that someone's misfortune is cause for celebration and laughter and pretty much no humiliation is sacred or out-of-bounds.

Well, that settles it, every person on the planet with darker skin, who grew up poor thinks people getting hurt is funny. Thanks for the info, I never have to think again.

Don't get all Frederick Douglass on me. That's not what I said, so don't misinterpret my explanation.

 

[thirteen]

does Bonnie Ford know?

 

[Anonymous]

Yes. I've also seen, with my own eyes, people laughing at and ridiculing someone while they were getting shot during an argument.

That's how it is in the ghetto. Not all the time, but it's the mindset that someone's misfortune is cause for celebration and laughter and pretty much no humiliation is sacred or out-of-bounds.

Things that happens in the ghetto have nothing to do with this.

 

[Anonymous]

Just like jamesque said racism is not the way to deal with this, imho.

 

[GWAR79]

Well, that settles it, every person on the planet with darker skin, who grew up poor thinks people getting hurt is funny. Thanks for the info, I never have to think again.

I agree, stereotyping isn't the answer and you'll lose the high ground when you make claims like that. Berzin's post, however, is a real event and you can't discount his experience (but berzin, really, learn how to unclip quicker buddy).

His post reminds me of the Osama chants the U.S. Soccer faced whilst playing in Mexico. It wasn't the whole stadium by any means, but there is definetly some truth to the "certain groups tend to" claims... I don't, however, think this is the case with Michael EPSN guy. He's just an ignorant jackass who needs to stfu.

BTW, I used the ESPN link. Thanks

 

[Berzin]

You guys are taking this to left field.

My thoughts were an explanation as to why Michael Smith would think such a horrendous crash is so funny.

Here are two more anecdotes-

1) As a fifth grader, I'm riding my skateboard in front of my building (in the Bronx), and the concrete was still wet from rain. I slip off and fall right on my head in front of my friends. Blood everywhere. The howling from the laughter followed me right up to my doorstep.

2) Playing hockey in private school in 7th grade, I catch a puck right in the face. Again, more blood. A collective gasp was heard from everyone around, and no one laughed. I was actually helped off by opposing players and teammates alike.

The biggest difference between these two incidents was when I got back to school after the hockey puck accident, I was greeted with concern. After the skateboard incident, my friends in the 'hood kept laughing about it months later.

See the difference? I hope now you guys understand before calling my statements racist, which they are not.

Back on topic, because this thread isn't about me-I am an avid viewer of ESPN's "Around The Horn" and during the episode in question most of the panelists made derogatory comments about the Tour. They think cycling is a joke of a sport.

Similar comments were made on "Pardon The Interruption". ESPN doesn't care about cycling, so I'm not surprised comments like the ones Smith made are given free reign.

 

[benpounder]

Angliru: Please read once more what I wrote:

I agree with Angliru, even with your emphasis.

..."AMERICAN sport reporters unfamiliar with the sport..."

Putting "american" in there seems gratitious if what you are really talking about are sports reports unfamiliar with a sport.