Giro ad on US TV - Contador

[mr. tibbs]

It's in line with the NBA's new ad campaign:

Kobe Bryant: rapist or all star? Ever.

 

[ferryman]

So the Champion or Fraud is a dig over the clen case and Honourable or Cheat a dig over chaingate? I'm sure AC's legal team will be all over this...

 

[Moviefan1203]

I love the honesty of the commercial, but it's horrible advertising. They're only saying what everyone else is thinking, but when you are trying to promote one of the top races in the world you would think they would be pushing a more positive image.

 

[jens_attacks]

incredible what pro cycling became,the whhore of all sports that's it.a superstar to be treated like a homeless junkie...in this moment,rat mcquaid should quit immediately and uci disappear.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Some US Knobheads starting to go the German way (after 2006) now.
wahwahwahwah

I predicted that since I am here, and it will even get better, my friends.
We are 4-5 years ahead in this case. I nearly forgot that special taste in the air, but I can smell it a little bit since some month, when reading US media, NYT, SI etc....
"Ahhh, there is something in the air. I know this special taste from somewhere" - that was what I thought.
Media saw nothing for years, made big money and a name, kissing hero's feet, now they play the shocked moral-apostel and watchdog, "promoting" cycling.

The best example is Mr. Bill Strickland. He is the american Burkert now. But he is not that ugly and ars**** like Burkert I think. But similar.

Sometimes I feel like in Punxsutawney.
Will also be interesting to watch some USADA, other federations and some old tie makers. They knew nothing, are sticked to their chairs and positions and will spit out some athletes after letting them drop like a hot Kartoffel.

Just look at some BDR storys. After Ullrich was caught and all that Telekom people came (pushed by D'hont book) out one after another. Bert Dietz was first, then crying Zabel and so on....
BDR president Scharping said on TV that there is a high risk of suicides in BDR now. Yes he really said this.

End of story is, that they all keept their positions even after Sinkewitz told what was going on at worlds, hematocrit levels etc. just for example.
There was a lawsuit and commission about this - and the man who gave away the nice "surprise bags" and also did other things, is free to go now.

That whole Freiburg-commission and investigation was actually a
cover-up-commission, spitting out 2 doctors and some cyclist.
Media of course playing the game. Especially SZ, Spiegel and ARD/ZDF.
All that while additionally witchhunting Ullrich for years of course.

Ah, you see it is a long and complicated story. But I predict that outcome in US will be the same like in Germany.

 

[Moviefan1203]

incredible what pro cycling became,the whhore of all sports that's it.a superstar to be treated like a homeless junkie...in this moment,rat mcquaid should quit immediately and uci disappear.

Well let's be honest here, when a rider fails a drug test that is what they are perceived as. A cheater. I used to respect Contador's talents, but I really don't see how he is going to avoid a two year ban. It appears Universal Sports believes the same and are already playing the angle that whoever finishes second is very likely to be the eventual winner anyway.

 

[El Pistolero]

Too bad everyone knows that who ever finishes second will never be seen as the real winner anyway.

 

[luckyboy]

Heh, I thought this was going to be a thread hating that he was featured in an ad.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Just wanted to add, that CN is not free of this special taste.
I am noticing this special smell more and more.

Just an example:
If you write a "sporty" article about Basso or whoever, you don't have to mention that he was involved in OP and blablabla every time.
WE KNOW THAT !

It starts with a subordinate clause, and ends with actually more information and words about doping, than about sports, race or man himself.

 

[jens_attacks]

and are already playing the angle that whoever finishes second is very likely to be the eventual winner anyway.

that's nonsense.who the hell believes that?races finish and are won on the road not in the labs and are not decided by fat fuccs who never rode a bike.
ask denis after heras affair,he never said he won that vuelta.ask andy after tin-tin and alberto.
what happens on the road,stays on the road.i don't care about wikipedia results.

 

[hrotha]

that's nonsense.who the hell believes that?races finish and are won on the road not in the labs and are not decided by fat fuccs who never rode a bike.
ask denis after heras affair,he never said he won that vuelta.ask andy after tin-tin and alberto.
what happens on the road,stays on the road.i don't care about wikipedia results.

Haha, ever wondered why Menchov and Andy would think that?

And races have been won "in the labs" for ages, especially in the 90s.

 

[forumlurker]

this promotion is targeted at american audiences, is it not? i think most of us who would watch the giro or any race without a certain retired american already accept that doping is widespread in pro athletics. it's a bit of an odd way to promote the giro, but to me, the greater message is that the world's best gt rider is showing up to race the best gt, and not whether i think he or anyone else is a doper.

inb4 clinic

 

[Moviefan1203]

that's nonsense.who the hell believes that?races finish and are won on the road not in the labs and are not decided by fat fuccs who never rode a bike.
ask denis after heras affair,he never said he won that vuelta.ask andy after tin-tin and alberto.
what happens on the road,stays on the road.i don't care about wikipedia results.

Lots of people believe that myself included. Do you honestly feel that Floyd Landis is a Tour winner? I sure don't, he cheated. If Contador is banned, he should lose all results he achieved this season. Cheaters shouldn't have trophies.

 

[Granville57]

Cheaters shouldn't have trophies.

Bit late for that, don't you think?

 

[Oldman]

this promotion is targeted at american audiences, is it not? i think most of us who would watch the giro or any race without a certain retired american already accept that doping is widespread in pro athletics. it's a bit of an odd way to promote the giro, but to me, the greater message is that the world's best gt rider is showing up to race the best gt, and not whether i think he or anyone else is a doper.

inb4 clinic

While it's doubtful Contador is an innocent it is a specifically American audience they are going for and it is really strange. I also think it will be effective and may open the door for some Lance discussions. Do you think they'll actually try to get away with avoiding that subject?

 

[Cobblestones]

It would be a good ad ... for a documentary on the clen case.

For the Giro? Two thumbs down.

 

[Granville57]

Maybe this one will go into the Clinic.

It already did...

WTF is THIS?!

I was watching País Vasco on Universal Sports, and this was the commercial they ran for the 2011 Giro d’Italia:...

Mods, maybe we could merge these into one?
The Clinic posts were part of the "interesting piece on Contador" thread, posts #57 to #69.

I put mine in The Clinic for obvious reasons but the topic seems more up for a general discussion. With the impending merger of the two networks, there will be probably be plenty of topics like these to keep a thread busy.

I was thinking of "Universal Versus Integrity" for a title?

 

[Granville57]

And here is where they are really being coy:

The ad opens with ever-suggestive line, "...champion or fraud"
But as I mentioned in the other thread, it wasn't until seeing the link to the ad that I realized that they slipped in the "chaingate" footage.

They are most certainly implying doping with the opening line of the ad (and that is clearly how most people on here have interpreted it) but then they show footage of him passing Schleck at the TdF (different race altogether, but why get bogged down in the details? ) so that is their convenient cop out!

Then they can just claim. "Oh no, we were just referring to his tactics at the TdF. Ya' know, was it 'honorable' for him to pass Andy like that?"

Guaranteed that will be their story line to hide behind like the spineless tools that Versus has proven themselves to be.
Same old, same old.

 

[Oldman]

And here is where they are really being coy:

The ad opens with ever-suggestive line, "...champion or fraud"
But as I mentioned in the other thread, it wasn't until seeing the link to the ad that I realized that they slipped in the "chaingate" footage.

They are most certainly implying doping with the opening line of the ad (and that is clearly how most people on here have interpreted it) but then they show footage of him passing Schleck at the TdF (different race altogether, but why get bogged down in the details? ) so that is their convenient cop out!

Then they can just claim. "Oh no, we were just referring to his tactics at the TdF. Ya' know, was it 'honorable' for him to pass Andy like that?"

Guaranteed that will be their story line to hide behind like the spineless tools that Versus has proven themselves to be.
Same old, same old.

You could just say you don't like P & P. That's what you're talking about, right?

 

[Granville57]

You could just say you don't like P & P. That's what you're talking about, right?

No reason to leave Bobke out of the mix. Where's the love?

They certainly represent the face and voice of Versus, but they don't run the network (not that I'm assuming that to be your position). Other higher-ups are setting the agenda, and with the lines between Versus and Universal getting blurred, I don't mind casting the net far and wide.

I might be in the minority, but I like what Craig Hummer brings to the table by avoiding most of the transparent bs that goes on with the other three. But it's all of it: the narrow focus on too few riders, the relentless running of LA commercials, the completely slam-my-head-against-a-wall repetition of "catch phrases," and on and on and on.

Cycling, as TV entertainment, won't see any significant growth in the US with the jokers that currently run Versus at the helm.

 

[ferryman]

And here is where they are really being coy:

The ad opens with ever-suggestive line, "...champion or fraud"
But as I mentioned in the other thread, it wasn't until seeing the link to the ad that I realized that they slipped in the "chaingate" footage.

They are most certainly implying doping with the opening line of the ad (and that is clearly how most people on here have interpreted it) but then they show footage of him passing Schleck at the TdF (different race altogether, but why get bogged down in the details? ) so that is their convenient cop out!

Then they can just claim. "Oh no, we were just referring to his tactics at the TdF. Ya' know, was it 'honorable' for him to pass Andy like that?"

Guaranteed that will be their story line to hide behind like the spineless tools that Versus has proven themselves to be.
Same old, same old.

Yes, I picked up on this in my earlier post. But surely the use of the words 'fraud' and 'cheat' are defamatory in any context and if I was Contador I would be asking my solicitors to look at this.

And yes, I know he may well be both but at the moment he is legally neither.

As an aside, I note that CONI are turning up the pressure on him for a no show but I'm guessing someone will start a sep thread on that.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

What angered me the most is the final line- "You decide". Love Contador or hate him, its already been decided (or will be, whatever). Despite any skepticism, there is a system where we don't have to decide.

I just don't like the disregard for due process.

 

[Ferminal]

It already did...



Mods, maybe we could merge these into one?
The Clinic posts were part of the "interesting piece on Contador" thread, posts #57 to #69.

I put mine in The Clinic for obvious reasons but the topic seems more up for a general discussion. With the impending merger of the two networks, there will be probably be plenty of topics like these to keep a thread busy.

I was thinking of "Universal Versus Integrity" for a title?

I have taken those posts and put them in this new thread... and we are heading to The Clinic!

 

[theswordsman]

I wrote to RCS Sports and others about it yesterday, including Marca, who is owned by them. They posted this:

http://www.marca.com/2011/04/12/ciclismo/1302606188.html

If Universal Sports wants to attract American viewers to the sport, there's so much positive they could do with the Giro - epic climbs, Tifosi, the cities, etc. Instead they choose to attack Contador. I'm not sure how watching the race in May would help people figure out how .0000000005 grams of Clenbuterol got into his system one day in July. Do they really thing their ad would convince someone to pay $14.95 to watch a race online?

I sent the link to some Italian sites, hoping it would get to Zomegnan.

Neither Versus or Universal Sports will ever see a dime of my money, based on past issues as well as this one.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

I really like this Commercial even more now that you all are crying so much about it.

You decide.

"where's the beef"?

"eat more chicken"

I wish they could have worked those two lines into the fraud / cheat / classic liar commercial. Maybe have a montage of LA and the toypistol together side by side lying there asses off in different languages but telling basically the same BS.