ESPN = Idiots

[sublimit]

Says more about ESPN that they would employ a halfwit like this Smith guy. I'm not concerned about this particularly but would find it amusing if somebody kicked his teeth in.

Disclaiimer: let the guy wallow in his own **** and dont do anything.
.

 

[mewmewmew13]

pardon my ignorance but i never heard of michael smith until today...yes, the apology sounds disingenuous.

m. smith made poor-taste, pr-whoring comments …what else is there to say

and yeah, ignorant michel smith is from the same country as sam abt, bonnie ford, charles pelkey, joe lindsey and a bunch of other thoughtful and knowledgeable journos

i receive news in many languages and have seen ignorance in many languages…

I also had never heard of him until yesterday. But it didn't take long to figure out where he was coming from...

I don't watch ESPN and don't think I have been on that channel for 20 years. AND I wish I didn't have to see Versus either but I guess we are fortunate that they show some cycling...which is more than other US channels.

 

[Deagol]

Just got off of the phone with USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson. Asked him to contact ESPN on behalf of all cyclists, racing and recreational. Asked him to demand an on air apology. Also called the ESPN number and voiced my opinion about the comments. The gentleman that I spoke with was very humble and said he would pass my thoughts on to the production staff. Using the example of the man who fell to his death at the baseball game seemed to really hit home. The tone of his voice changed drastically.

Steve Johnson'd direct line is 719-434-4250.

Remember to NOT take out your anger on the receptionists at USAC.

 

[Deagol]

much too far over much too little. Wanting people to lose their jobs over stuff like this is despicable.

That is your opinion. I sure as heck don't agree with it.

 

[phanatic]

That is your opinion. I sure as heck don't agree with it.

I appreciate that. I just really wanted to share my opinion. Is everybody going after Bob Beckel as well (see my 10:31 comment)? Perhaps I can do more than report jokes that I just happen to come across. I can hunt down examples.

 

[Blakeslee]

What I took away from watching that crash was just how potentially dangerous it is for a car passing a bicycle on a narrow road. While riding in my area I often encounter cars attempting to pass me in dangerous places: around blind corners, below crests of a hill, and on narrow roads with an oncoming car approaching in the opposite lane. What happened in the Tour crash illustrates what could happen as a result of the most likely reaction of a driver encountering another car or obstacle when attempting to pass on a narrow road, which is to veer back to the right into the path of the cyclist.

What angers me about Michael Smith's comments is this gives aggressive drivers the green light to keep passing in dangerous places, rather than being used as an example of why motorists need to be more careful when passing bicycles.

 

[Mambo95]

I see the post and wire that Mr Hoogerland flew into are to be auctioned for charity. Perhaps, some of you might like to club together and buy it, and introduce it to Smith's posterior (mods: don't ban me for this, Smith will find it hilarious).

 

[Oldman]

What I took away from watching that crash was just how potentially dangerous it is for a car passing a bicycle on a narrow road. While riding in my area I often encounter cars attempting to pass me in dangerous places: around blind corners, below crests of a hill, and on narrow roads with an oncoming car approaching in the opposite lane. What happened in the Tour crash illustrates what could happen as a result of the most likely reaction of a driver encountering another car or obstacle when attempting to pass on a narrow road, which is to veer back to the right into the path of the cyclist.

What angers me about Michael Smith's comments is this gives aggressive drivers the green light to keep passing in dangerous places, rather than being used as an example of why motorists need to be more careful when passing bicycles.

Had a car squeeze by me as I entered a left turn lane while the light is still red and come to a stop, rather than wait until I stopped in front of her. She looked in the rear view mirror from her Mercedes SUV and smiled as I shook my head. Idiots don't need much encouragement to be stupiderererer....

 

[Fatclimber]

Anything further from ESPN, or is the lame apology the end of it?

 

[Galic Ho]

*** edited by mod ***

 

[craig1985]

I don't have much to add except that nobody rants like you Galic Ho on this site.

 

[BM1979]

Anything further from ESPN, or is the lame apology the end of it?

I dont get the ESPN hate , it was a comment from an individual who works with ESPN, ESPN had nothing to do with it.

If we are going to be like that why dont we demand an apology from his Mum and Dad aswell on behalf of the Smith family or from Mr Obama on behalf of the USA as he is a yank.

The lengths we go to to associate blame to people or organisations who are blameless is getting out of hand. Michael Smith and Michael smith only is the person who should be held accountable for his comments.

 

[Fatclimber]

I dont get the ESPN hate , it was a comment from an individual who works with ESPN, ESPN had nothing to do with it.

If we are going to be like that why dont we demand an apology from his Mum and Dad aswell on behalf of the Smith family or from Mr Obama on behalf of the USA as he is a yank.

The lengths we go to to associate blame to people or organisations who are blameless is getting out of hand. Michael Smith and Michael smith only is the person who should be held accountable for his comments.

I'm not sure where you got"ESPN hate" in my post, just wondering if there were any more statements made by either.

 

[mr. tibbs]

I'm not sure where you got"ESPN hate" in my post, just wondering if there were any more statements made by either.

It should be hate directed at ESPN.

Smith's statement was directly created by the culture and attitudes fostered by the ESPN network. His follow up comments were born from same. This culture and its attitudes are purposefully created through tone and subject matter by ESPN in order to establish a narrative through which they can demonstrate influence over consumers to marketers to create value in ad space on their programs. This is all very real.

To pretend otherwise is merely apologism in service of the status quo (or the artificial construction we call "common sense").

Please count the tibbs household among haters of ESPN and any other entity that creates and promotes narratives of violence and structures of cultural dominance to sell ad space.

EDIT: Galic Ho: Against my better judgment, I went back and stumbled through your post. In this case, you are the idiot. (I only use that word as it featured in the opening of your post.) I really am sorry, and feel bad about calling you out. I do enjoy your input in other threads on this forum, though. If you'd like to discuss racism further, I'd be happy to do so through PMs. This thread is already crowded enough.

 

[Granville57]

Apologise and quit being an idiot...

I dont get the ESPN hate , it was a comment from an individual who works with ESPN, ESPN had nothing to do with it.

Yes, indeed. And speaking of idiots...

The very topic introduced by the OP did, in fact, originate as part of a conversation ON ESPN.

As was recently pointed out by BikeSnobNYC, here is the audio of that laugh-fest. Fortunately, you can fast forward to just past the 13:00 mark when the real laughs (and our topic at hand) begin.
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=6759286

Real comedians, this crew.

"Everybody was O.K."

"Oh wait, he kept going! He kept going!!!" [laughter]

"I hope nothing happened to the car, I hope it didn't sustain any real damage on the rear, right fender." [much laughter]

"Why is it..these cars and these riders on this one-lane road in France?" [laughter]

"Does it make me a bad person for laughing every time I see that crash? I'm really sorry. I'm glad nobody was seriously injured. You ever see that movie "Death Race...?" It reminds of that a little bit like they're trying to spice it up, and in a sick way it makes me want to watch it. But professionally speaking, the Tour de France is a joke. That is ridiculous."

“Because of all the drugs involved, because of the way it's run, it's become almost like a cartoon than a sports event."

"We don't want bikes on the road with us when we're going to work, they don't want our cars next to them when they're doing their work and I think they have a right, but once again this is France, what do you expect?"

What unfolded on Twitter was the follow-up to this comedy show.

Now you know.

 

[phanatic]

But why attack ESPN and not Walt Disney and Hearst? Surely they share a large role in the corporate culture that makes profits a priority over the character development of their customers and the general well-being of society. And where is the outrage over the comments made at FOXnews and posted on their website? The man literally joked about hitting people with his car who were wearing "Eurotrash" outfits. It wasn't a reaction to human error, ridicule being a common if morally imperfect from of humor, but a 'don't lump me in with those people' type of comment.

Edit: just read granville's post; news of the weird, don't want cyclists on the road, mockery of Europe. That's America.

 

[hfer07]

Yes, indeed. And speaking of idiots...

The very topic introduced by the OP did, in fact, originate as part of a conversation ON ESPN.

As was recently pointed out by BikeSnobNYC, here is the audio of that laugh-fest. Fortunately, you can fast forward to just past the 13:00 mark when the real laughs (and our topic at hand) begin.
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=6759286

Real comedians, this crew.

What unfolded on Twitter was the follow-up to this comedy show.

Now you know.

THEN...SHOULDN'T THEY BE ACCOUNTABLE TOO? - I'M WRITING A COMPLAINT TO ESPN RIGHT NOW ABOUT THOSE FVCKING IDIOTS

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Now that everyone is fat and happy from whining about this, is there any more point to this thread? Because it's grown really tiresome reading this and I'm tempted to lock the thing and get the ban hammer out to stop the nonsense.

 

[BM1979]

Yes, indeed. And speaking of idiots...

The very topic introduced by the OP did, in fact, originate as part of a conversation ON ESPN. As was recently pointed out by BikeSnobNYC, here is the audio of that laugh-fest. Fortunately, you can fast forward to just past the 13:00 mark when the real laughs (and our topic at hand) begin.
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=6759286

Real comedians, this crew.

What unfolded on Twitter was the follow-up to this comedy show.

Now you know.

I did not know that I was of the belief it was a twitter comment made by him.

 

[Galic Ho]

I don't have much to add except that nobody rants like you Galic Ho on this site.

Cheers dude. Remember you did get all huffy over The Hog the other day when he mentioned being Australian. I quite liked your rant the other day!

From all I read on the thread this guy is about as cycling oriented as Magda Szubanski was in Australia last year with her distorted and unbalanced cycling views, but to his credit, he seems to have apologised. Was he showing empathy? Nope, but he wasn't lying, he was being honest. He was acting like an unseasoned typical American stereotyped sports commentator (same applies to Aussies, Brits, etc) who grows up on football. The type who have zero awareness of cycling, it's machinations and ramifications of crashes and responded to how he's been cultured. That is why he was honest. Given his background, it's quite easy to understand his reaction. He said something daft, cycling fans/enthusiasts disliked it and naturally complained. Man has since apologised for being politically incorrect and a lacking of empathy on his behalf. No shock there, nor surprise. Seems fine by my standards. Goofed up and apologised. At least he didn't say he took pleasure in the crash and harm done to another, only that it looked funny. There is a difference.

As for that word...idiot. It was fitting to use it. It's never said in a truly insulting manner, more jokingly to describe a single action/behaviour. There is always distinction to be made. This kind of thread will always pop up when some misinformed and unknowledgeable journo specialising in another sport opens their mouth without thinking. This thread is tame compared to the extreme views given after the Magda Szubanski gaff last year, from both sides of the fence, that were running through Aussie papers for a week. Nothing new or old there.

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

Basically the mainstream sports media in the U.S. is going through a serious sour-grapes phase following the retirement of Armstrong, the Puerto and post-Puerto drug scandals, and now, finally, what looks to be the discrediting of Armstrong himself. "Whatever; we never thought it was a real sport in the first place." Fortunately the Tour managed to cast its spell on enough people during the Armstrong years that these jerks are in the minority.

 

[Astana1]

When Armstrong came out of retirement and had a high finish in the '09 Tour many in the mainstream concluded that the sport was a joke. Their rationale was that if a guy that old could end a reasonably long retirement and perform that well then it obviously wasn't that hard.

They mainstream stick and ball sports media types in the US really don't know anything about the sport, it's idiosyncracies and traditions.

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

When Armstrong came out of retirement and had a high finish in the '09 Tour many in the mainstream concluded that the sport was a joke. Their rationale was that if a guy that old could end a reasonably long retirement and perform that well then it obviously wasn't that hard.

I don't recall them reaching that conclusion about boxing when Evander Holyfield won back the heavyweight title in the mid-90s!

 

[TexasTom]

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

This would be a waste of time. ESPN knows who it's target market is, and it's not cyclists, and it's not people who like cyclists. Remember when Kornheiser advocated running over cyclists! Discussions with "senior management" relative to the gravity of such an incitement was not simply ignored, it was rejected.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Yes, indeed. And speaking of idiots...

The very topic introduced by the OP did, in fact, originate as part of a conversation ON ESPN.

As was recently pointed out by BikeSnobNYC, here is the audio of that laugh-fest. Fortunately, you can fast forward to just past the 13:00 mark when the real laughs (and our topic at hand) begin.
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=6759286

Real comedians, this crew.

What unfolded on Twitter was the follow-up to this comedy show.

Now you know.

That is sick. First time I have seen the actual conversation ...
that individual is truly warped.