Graham Watson: Keeper of Omerta

[flicker]

Originally Posted by miloman
Is he really great or is he a good photographer who saw an opportunity to make some cash by concentrating on cycling? Over the past 4 or 5 years I would argue that some of the best cycling pics haven't come through the lens of Watson but others. I'm surprrised he is so inept at public relations. He really did a lot of damage to himself when all he had to do was act like a pro cyclist and deny, deny, deny. Question, who would pass the $50. buddy test? If you loaned both Watson and LeMond $50. who do you think would pay you back. It's a question of integrity and character

I do know Greg sued his Dad Bob LeMond in court. I knew they did not speak to each other for years. Do they speak now, knowing the belligerent Greg I would say no. Integrity with Greg I would say no. Nice guy? I would say no. Friend to cycling? Again no. Greg way to much time on his hands, speaking without thinking, bitter and jelous about Lances' magnificant 7 TdF wins. Yesyes yes allez

 

[richwagmn]

This is all you need to know about GW. If you can make it through all the pages, you're a stronger man than I.

http://www.grahamwatson.com/2005/lance/coverpage.html

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

Is fool the worst Watson has to say about Lemond?

I notice that he didn't choose to call him 'liar' or 'hypocrite'......wonder why

 

[buckwheat]

Defamation and Insult

The namecalling on this forum is infantile, weak dung. If you can't insult someone with wit and humor, then stop typing on your computer and go ride your bike.

I'm kinda bored. I wish one of these jackwads would sue me.

 

[Steel4Ever]

I lost all respect for GW as a professional a few years ago.

He had posted a pic on some cycling website of pharmstrong riding the Champs. A few hours later, the pic had been "enhanced" -- meaning GW (or those with his permission) had altered the image to erase any other cyclist and/or bicycle that impeded in pharmspace, to make it appear, fraudulently, as if dopestrong were riding solo.

Wow.
Talk about huge disrespect to every other cyclist who raced and finished that years Tour. "Just delete them so I can sell more posters!", says GW.

I wrote an email to both GW and that cycling website about it (and I have BOTH pics saved....somewhere...), got no response from either.

Haven't visited either site since.

 

[laziali]

Comment submitted:

"Sad to see your response regarding the person that pointed out your tagging of LeMond photos as "fool".

The true shame is that someone in your position isn't smart enough to realise that one of them is doing everything they can for the betterment of the sport and the other is out for whatever he can get in an ego driven desire to maintain his position in the modern peloton. The sport would be infinitely better if all the riders were like Greg. Certainly better than if even one of them attempts to emulate that parasite Armstrong.

Add me to the list of people that won't be purchasing your images."

Nicely put (and I thought the infraction notice you send me a while back was cutting ...)

Now I'm all conflicted - my computer wallpaper is this very nice Watson shot from the Giro, but obviously taken by a complete tool

 

[Benotti69]

I would not lend $50 to LeMond. I realize it's a view violently opposed by many (most?) on this forum and I'm past trying to convince anyone, but I refuse to believe that LeMond was as squeaky clean as he would have us believe. His zeal for anti-doping just sets off all of my bullsh*t detectors.

maybe your BS detectors are facing inwards

 

[buckwheat]

I would not lend $50 to LeMond. I realize it's a view violently opposed by many (most?) on this forum and I'm past trying to convince anyone, but I refuse to believe that LeMond was as squeaky clean as he would have us believe. His zeal for anti-doping just sets off all of my bullsh*t detectors.

maybe your BS detectors are facing inwards

It amazes me that all of the fanboys with such finely tuned bs detectors cut Pharmstrong so much slack.

You ever see the old SNL where a Priest is going thru customs and Chevy Chase is the inspector checking out his luggage? The Priest has a suitcase of white powder, and Chevy is dumping it out of the Priest's boots and clothes and rifling through the bag. He tells the Priest, he's good to go.

Then Garrett Morris comes through customs and puts a piece of candy in his mouth. He's thrown against the wall and frisked.

Pharmstrong could have Mother Teresa testifying against him, swearing on a stack of Bibles, and these idol worshippers would still kiss Pharmstrong's feet.

Wake the eff up chamois sniffers.

 

[Benotti69]

It amazes me that all of the fanboys with such finely tuned bs detectors cut Pharmstrong so much slack.

Pharmstrong could have Mother Teresa testifying against him, swearing on a stack of Bibles, and these idol worshippers would still kiss Pharmstrong's feet.

Wake the eff up chamois sniffers.

who da **** are you calling a fanboy? Moi? a fan of Uniballer, man get a grip. not a fan of LeMond but respect that he stood up to pharmastrong and continues to even though if was never in his interest. Lemond is contrary to waht Polish and Flicky will try to make the naive believe, a doper. Not a fan of Clentador or any current pro cyclist.

Mother theresa was another pharmastrong, taking in the dying that could've be cured in order to give them their last rights before sending them to her god, while making millions in charity donations that all went straight into the church coffers in the vatican.

 

[LugHugger]

Darryl, do you think EPO is still being used to win Grand Tours?

Floyd seemed to indicate that the EPO ERA ended and the Blood Transfusion Era began many years ago. Ten years ago?

For winning Grand Tours, the EPO ERA seemed to END just as the Haterz Uprising was just beginning.

I think it is time to stop using EPO as an excuse to be angry....




I like SunFlowers and French Meat dishes

One word - or acronym for the pedants - CERA

 

[Race Radio]

Trollbabble

I think it is time to stop using EPO as an excuse to be angry....

Yeah, because blood transfusions are such a great part of the sport. They should be embraced and anyone who says they aren't should shut up

 

[buckwheat]

who da **** are you calling a fanboy? Moi? a fan of Uniballer, man get a grip. not a fan of LeMond but respect that he stood up to pharmastrong and continues to even though if was never in his interest. Lemond is contrary to waht Polish and Flicky will try to make the naive believe, a doper. Not a fan of Clentador or any current pro cyclist.

Mother theresa was another pharmastrong, taking in the dying that could've be cured in order to give them their last rights before sending them to her god, while making millions in charity donations that all went straight into the church coffers in the vatican.

No, I was including your response to a fanboy. Relax. It was funny.

Re Mother Theresa, maybe I'm uninformed there.

 

[Benotti69]

No, I was including your response to a fanboy. Relax. It was funny.

Re Mother Theresa, maybe I'm uninformed there.

I forgive you in a non catholic christian manner.....

aye Mother theresa, another con artist and giant fraud.

 

[UpTheRoad]

No, I was including your response to a fanboy. Relax. It was funny.

Re Mother Theresa, maybe I'm uninformed there.

The Case Against Mother Teresa

 

[D Avoid]

The Case Against Mother Teresa

Ah,
Quitifor 8itchens, tell how would it be possiblised to read something by this creature?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Let's stay on topic here, okay folks? Consider this a warning.

 

[SpartacusRox]

It is the height of disrespect to publicly label one of his most iconic subjects a fool just because Lemond sees something that obviously, through his many telephoto lenses, Watson refuses to see.

The only thing Watson knows is photography. He is the one who should be quiet, because he has lost his objectivity a long time ago.

Watson, Liggett, Sherwen and that disgusting hamster-faced moron Bob Roll are nothing but prostitutes who will blindly follow their pimp Armstrong off a cliff if it means more money in their pockets.

I am amazed at the hypocrisy that is exhibited on here. How posters such as this one can talk about "the height of disrespect' because one person calls another one a 'fool' and in the next breath themselves label other people 'prostitutes', 'hamster faced' and 'pimps' is beyond belief.

Even more concerning is that they seem to be totally blind to their hypocrisy. The rule that is applied seems to be that no-one is allowed to slag off people they like but it is open season for them to spew out their vitriol on anyone they dont like! The above is a classic case but is by no means an isolated case.

Putting in a comment such as; 'the only thing Watson knows is photography' speaks volumes really given his immersion in the sport over several decades. Regardless of what you think about Mr Watsons loyalties or objectivity, it is just pure nonsense to make a comment like this poster has.

 

[bobs nob]

People buy that crap?

I can't agree any more. Rapha's flickr site wipes the floor with Watson's best any day. Never been a big fan of color photography, so I am a bit biased. Never really understood what the big deal was about his work.

 

[Berzin]

I am amazed at the hypocrisy that is exhibited on here. How posters such as this one can talk about "the height of disrespect' because one person calls another one a 'fool' and in the next breath themselves label other people 'prostitutes', 'hamster faced' and 'pimps' is beyond belief.

It's because they are. You see it as hypocrisy only because your view is skewed past the point of objectivity.

Even more concerning is that they seem to be totally blind to their hypocrisy. The rule that is applied seems to be that no-one is allowed to slag off people they like but it is open season for them to spew out their vitriol on anyone they don't like! The above is a classic case but is by no means an isolated case.

I've never attempted to hide my contempt for Armstrong and his army of rabid apologists/fanboys, but the vitriol is warranted.

Putting in a comment such as; 'the only thing Watson knows is photography' speaks volumes really given his immersion in the sport over several decades. Regardless of what you think about Mr Watsons loyalties or objectivity, it is just pure nonsense to make a comment like this poster has.

His "immersion" is vastly overrated. He is the beneficiary of his alliances, nothing more. Sort of like James Dolan of the New York Knicks, who owns the team only because his father passed down the Cablevision empire to his drug-addled crackhead son. That doesn't mean he's good at what he does, it just means he was at the right place at the right time with the right connections (connections in this case being family-oriented in nature).
Waton's a good photographer, but no better than any other who does what he does for a living.

Watson's affiliation with Phil Liggett, World Cycling Productions and by extension Armstrong is why he is in the position he is today. These affiliations by their very nature make his personal observations about Lemond worthless, because he is voting with his wallet and is keen on protecting his cash cow. That makes him a prostitute, who will protect his pimp at all costs.

 

[buckwheat]

I forgive you in a non catholic christian manner.....

aye Mother theresa, another con artist and giant fraud.

The Case Against Mother Teresa

Thanks for the heads up.

The Carlos Laflauta review spoke volumes.

I remembered vague criticisms of Mother Teresa but didn't know specifics. I won't use her example again in any analogies of goodness.

Thanks again.

 

[Benotti69]

Thanks for the heads up.

The Carlos Laflauta review spoke volumes.

I remembered vague criticisms of Mother Teresa but didn't know specifics. I won't use her example again in any analogies of goodness.

Thanks again.

you are welcome. destroying myth's is all part of the clinic.....

 

[SpartacusRox]

It's because they are. You see it as hypocrisy only because your view is skewed past the point of objectivity.



I've never attempted to hide my contempt for Armstrong and his army of rabid apologists/fanboys, but the vitriol is warranted.



His "immersion" is vastly overrated. He is the beneficiary of his alliances, nothing more. Sort of like James Dolan of the New York Knicks, who owns the team only because his father passed down the Cablevision empire to his drug-addled crackhead son. That doesn't mean he's good at what he does, it just means he was at the right place at the right time with the right connections (connections in this case being family-oriented in nature).
Waton's a good photographer, but no better than any other who does what he does for a living.

Watson's affiliation with Phil Liggett, World Cycling Productions and by extension Armstrong is why he is in the position he is today. These affiliations by their very nature make his personal observations about Lemond worthless, because he is voting with his wallet and is keen on protecting his cash cow. That makes him a prostitute, who will protect his pimp at all costs.

Your sheer arrogance is staggering. "It's because they are"? Well that is a purely subjective opinion on your part, which of course you are quite entitled to hold. If Mr Watson views Greg Lemond as a 'fool' then it is equally an opinion he is entitled to hold. The wisdom of him airing that view on his own site is another issue. Your hypocrisy is due to the fact that your original post indicated that he had no right to hold that opinion and yet you speak far worse of others but see no inconsistency in that. Like a number of others on here, your tolerance is limited only to those who share or support your viewpoint.

Nothing to do with my view of objectivity, skewed or otherwise.

 

[SpartacusRox]

Thanks for the heads up.

The Carlos Laflauta review spoke volumes.

I remembered vague criticisms of Mother Teresa but didn't know specifics. I won't use her example again in any analogies of goodness.

Thanks again.

Hitchens book raises some valid issues but could never be considered a balanced commentary given his rabid anti religious atheism. Of course a large part of Theresas work would be involved with spreading Catholic dogma. (No, I am not Catholic). However that is consistent with her interpretaion of spreading the Gospel. The question that Hitchens fails to address is what would the situation be if MT had never been there.

 

[miloman]

Your sheer arrogance is staggering. "It's because they are"? Well that is a purely subjective opinion on your part, which of course you are quite entitled to hold. If Mr Watson views Greg Lemond as a 'fool' then it is equally an opinion he is entitled to hold. The wisdom of him airing that view on his own site is another issue. Your hypocrisy is due to the fact that your original post indicated that he had no right to hold that opinion and yet you speak far worse of others but see no inconsistency in that. Like a number of others on here, your tolerance is limited only to those who share or support your viewpoint.

Nothing to do with my view of objectivity, skewed or otherwise.

I think SR is right! GW has the right to say or print whatever he wants. And ultimately, we can decided if we want to view and purchase his work. It's easy to target GL right now, I'm sure his old photos don't sell like LA's. But, in another 6 months or a year it will be interesting to see if Watson picked the right dog in the fight or if it will cost him. I think the same can be said for all of LA's supporters. I wonder who will distance himself first if/when Armstrong goes down? My bet is on Carmichael. In my opinon, he never did seem all that genuine, kinda seemed like a parasite.

 

[JRTinMA]

I think SR is right! GW has the right to say or print whatever he wants. And ultimately, we can decided if we want to view and purchase his work. It's easy to target GL right now, I'm sure his old photos don't sell like LA's. But, in another 6 months or a year it will be interesting to see if Watson picked the right dog in the fight or if it will cost him. I think the same can be said for all of LA's supporters. I wonder who will distance himself first if/when Armstrong goes down? My bet is on Carmichael. In my opinon, he never did seem all that genuine, kinda seemed like a parasite.

I have no insight to their relationship but I would suggest LA's action around BMC's signing of Taylor Phinney says there is already distance between them.