Granville57 said:No doubt that the attention span can be short, which is why almost anyone can watch horses run around a track for two minutes.
But at the same time, that doesn't prevent millions of people from dedicating an entire day to the Super Bowl--pre pre-game, pre-game, game, half-time, game, post-game, post post-game.
I think what I'm wistfully imaging is that Americans could've been conditioned to great European cycling if only the setting had been conveyed to them decades ago. Tradition obviously requires...a tradition.
The least the media could do at this point would be to try to establish some sort of traditional sense of the sport and move away from flavor-of-the-moment personalities.
Glenn_Wilson said:
patricknd said:
Granville57 said:
Well, that's kind of what I'm driving at. They can't make up for decades of tradition, but they can take the focus off the individual which is always a gamble anyway. New traditions can be forged, and in only a few years even new viewers will something to look back on as their own, so to speak.patricknd said:
The blurring of the two is one of the more telling "signs of our times." There's a reason that many people look to Jon Stewart as their main news source.
Granville57 said:
Granville57 said:No doubt that the attention span can be short, which is why almost anyone can watch horses run around a track for two minutes.
But at the same time, that doesn't prevent millions of people from dedicating an entire day to the Super Bowl--pre pre-game, pre-game, game, half-time, game, post-game, post post-game.
I think what I'm wistfully imaging is that Americans could've been conditioned to great European cycling if only the setting had been conveyed to them decades ago. Tradition obviously requires...a tradition.
The least the media could do at this point would be to try to establish some sort of traditional sense of the sport and move away from flavor-of-the-moment personalities.
+1.Granville57 said:Well, that's kind of what I'm driving at. They can't make up for decades of tradition, but they can take the focus off the individual which is always a gamble anyway. New traditions can be forged, and in only a few years even new viewers will something to look back on as their own, so to speak.
I suspect that the 2010 Giro will be remembered quite vividly for many years to come. Who knows what this year's race will bring? Every season presents a new opportunity for epic versions of any given race (1988 Giro, anyone?). Not to dwell on just Paris-Roubaix, but it's a good bet that the next time it rains on that race, another indelible image will be seared into the viewer's mind. The sooner the networks get with it, the sooner they'll be able to ride that wave.
The American sports media is certainly obsessed with calling the winner and reading the script long before the first act even happens. Anyone remember the rush to judgement on the 2008 New England Patriots? The media had already canonized Tom Brady as the greatest of all time in the weeks leading up to the game. Undefeated! Not since Miami in 1972! Rah, rah, rah! No one can stop them!
Except...they got schooled by the New York Giants. Ooops.
And where were all the "experts" after the fact?
What if an American were to win the Giro this year?
It would be completely diminished to the American audience because of the way that UniVersus is selling the sport.
That's totally irresponsible, as far as I'm concerned.
Granville57 said:Well, that's kind of what I'm driving at. They can't make up for decades of tradition, but they can take the focus off the individual which is always a gamble anyway. New traditions can be forged, and in only a few years even new viewers will something to look back on as their own, so to speak.
I suspect that the 2010 Giro will be remembered quite vividly for many years to come. Who knows what this year's race will bring? Every season presents a new opportunity for epic versions of any given race (1988 Giro, anyone?). Not to dwell on just Paris-Roubaix, but it's a good bet that the next time it rains on that race, another indelible image will be seared into the viewer's mind. The sooner the networks get with it, the sooner they'll be able to ride that wave.
The American sports media is certainly obsessed with calling the winner and reading the script long before the first act even happens. Anyone remember the rush to judgement on the 2008 New England Patriots? The media had already canonized Tom Brady as the greatest of all time in the weeks leading up to the game. Undefeated! Not since Miami in 1972! Rah, rah, rah! No one can stop them!
Except...they got schooled by the New York Giants. Ooops.
And where were all the "experts" after the fact?
What if an American were to win the Giro this year?
It would be completely diminished to the American audience because of the way that UniVersus is selling the sport.
That's totally irresponsible, as far as I'm concerned.
Granville57 said:
python said:+1.
your thoughtful and eloquent responses compelled me to place this first post in the topic i would otherwise be disinterested in.
carry on my friend but pls don't lower your guard.
i get a feeling the finally serious response you received after an obvious flaming was facilitated by a nastigram from the order- keeper
carry on carrying on...
neither you nor glen wilson are the ones to learn from about cycling nor civilitypatricknd said:he brought up reasonable points in a thoughtful and humorous way, and he received answers in the same vein. you could learn something about civility here, if you pull your head out. (of the other contador thread, of course)
even if you ever contributed to a cycling thread.python said:neither you nor glen wilson are the ones to learn from about cycling nor civility
and you know you'll be the last to be asked about where i should post.
not at allpatricknd said:it's killing you that you can't delete my posts here, isn't it?
Susan Westemeyer said:
The Hitch said:
The Hitch said:The judgement of Alberto Contador
Is that LA trying to buy his way out of another one? 
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