Team Sky and BC Books.

[The Hitch]

Re:

How is Hitch post-nationalist, he is not British???

Well you too are post nationalist flo, or at least part of the group of people I am reffering to - those who do not base their opinions on where someone comes from, since you support, not Dutch riders but Contador. But its not like you merely shifted allegiance to another country, since you don't support all Spanish riders, hell you seem to hate some of them.

Your approach to cycling is post national because you use totally different standards to decide who you like - usually dependent on whether they ride for saxo or whether they say good things about Contador or not.

And that's true of most of us in the clinic. We don't judge people by their nationality like jimmy and the wider sky fanbase does.

Not that there's nothing wrong with supporting riders based on nationality, or any other form of tribalism. that itself is harmless. Plenty of Sky's doubters on here are Brits who still support British athletes. They just aknowledge that British athletes like everyone else dope and that the evidence against Sky is overwhelming and way past the point that one could make a remotely rational case for the team not being doped.

The problem emerges when one people's national bias is so strong they can't aknowledge that, and defend people purely based on where they come from. In my eyes, its sad and no worse or better than any other form of discrimination.

 

[gooner]

Re: Re:

Nothing in comparison to what we see with footballers in England.

Rooney and Walcott have 5 and 4 book deals. Rio Ferdinand has 3 books. Gerrard has a number of books published about himself, including one just out in the last month. Ferguson has another book out this week, I've lost count how many he has done. The same with Harry Redknapp.

It's nothing new to see where particularly sporting autobiographies are done on an overused basis in Britain.

It's not actually "nothing". You do like to play things down.

Oh, what a surprise, Gooner switching the subject to football

And???

There's cricket above too.

All to give context.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Re: Re:

No you're wrong, book releases are clear evidence of Sky's racketeering and protection rackets

I don't think anyone ever said anything of the sort.

BTW why are you so obsessed about this thread existing? Its no big deal, its just a thread.

Have you even read any of these books. If you had, and you'd seen some of the absolutely bats*** insane arguments Sky and their authors make in them, you might understand why we would want a seperate thread in which to host a discussion about them.

Particularly funny, from memory, are the claims that Froome trains 4 hours every night with his strava off so that his coaches don't find out and the piece de resistance, the portrayal of Rod Ellingworth as "anti doping"

You equated them releasing books with criminal gangs inserting themselves into the upper echelons of society, so they become institutionalised and difficult to bring to justice. As I said, embarrassing. As for obsession, this is your thread, you posted it, so who is the one obsessed?

 

[Handy Bendy Ghandi]

Re:

No you're wrong, book releases are clear evidence of Sky's racketeering and protection rackets

Damn right..............I'm fully expecting a leaked video of Froome burying his face in a massive mound of Peruvian marching powder before suggesting we meet his little friend.................(then he opens the door and Richie Porte is waiting outside........)

 

[Benotti69]

Re:

No you're wrong, book releases are clear evidence of Sky's racketeering and protection rackets

Well if you hire cycling journalists to write your library of cycling books about your team, riders, coaches, managers etc they are not going to bite the hand that feeds them! So yes it is a protection racket.

 

[Benotti69]

Re: Re:

No you're wrong, book releases are clear evidence of Sky's racketeering and protection rackets

Just like this guy who's following Wiggins' lead to hide his doping program.

Cricket is hardly a 'clean' sport. Match fixing in cricket is a big problem.

 

[JimmyFingers]

As evidenced by the large numbers of books about cricket.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Re: Re:

No you're wrong, book releases are clear evidence of Sky's racketeering and protection rackets

Well if you hire cycling journalists to write your library of cycling books about your team, riders, coaches, managers etc they are not going to bite the hand that feeds them! So yes it is a protection racket.

No no I agree, I'm with this one. Books=doping. It's as clear as day.

 

[tantocomo]

Re: Re:

No no I agree, I'm with this one. Books=doping. It's as clear as day.

It's obviously not direct evidence, but sociologically speaking it makes perfect sense.

 

[gooner]

Re: Re:

Cricket is hardly a 'clean' sport. Match fixing in cricket is a big problem.

No one is denying that but then it's a stretch to say Pietersen is releasing books to camouflage what you say.

 

[hrotha]

The book deals have nothing to do with doping. However, they have everything to do with there being many people with a vested interest in Sky not being busted.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Yes, book publishers carry a lot of sway with doping authorities.

Here's my alternative theory: they are released to make money. Like the other gazillion sports books out there.

I'm wondering if the clinic has finally jumped the shark.

 

[hrotha]

Re:

Here's my alternative theory: they are released to make money.

That is kind of the point.

 

[gooner]

Re:

Yes, book publishers carry a lot of sway with doping authorities.

Here's my alternative theory: they are released to make money. Like the other gazillion sports books out there.

I'm wondering if the clinic has finally jumped the shark.

That's basically it and in British sport(not including cycling) this is nothing out of the ordinary. It's done to saturation point.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Re: Re:

Here's my alternative theory: they are released to make money.

That is kind of the point.

So if you release books or sign big sponsorship deals to make money, it's indicative of doping?

 

[thehog]

These are my two favorite Sky/Walsh books

 

[Dear Wiggo]

el oh el at that Milking It novel. Is it on Amazon yet?

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Re:

No you're wrong, book releases are clear evidence of Sky's racketeering and protection rackets

Dont be a dik Jimmy, all those books show it doesnt pay to go after doping stories. Just like the Americans werent interested in doping when Armstrong was writing his 'It's not about the bike' *** books and sequals.

Just follow the party line and all will be fine: follow the money.

 

[JimmyFingers]

I would have thought all the money David Walsh has made is demonstrative that is DOES pay to go after dopers.

So the theory is pay the journalists who would otherwise be investigating your doping to write your memoirs to head them off at the pass?

Still bonkers, sorry.

 

[The Hitch]

Re: Re:

Here's my alternative theory: they are released to make money.

That is kind of the point.

So if you release books or sign big sponsorship deals to make money, it's indicative of doping?

Another post from you/gooner that has nothing to do with what anyone has actually said.

You are barking up the wrong tree with the "indicative of doping" thing because none of us are concerned with that question anymore. Pretty much everyone in the clinic reached the point of certainty with regards to sky doping, long long ago.

As hrotha said this is about pointing out that wider networks have a vested interest in defending them.

His post was actually quite simple, short and easy to understand. I can't beleive you managed to miss the point of even that.

 

[Jacques (7 ch)]

It is business genius actually; get the journos who should be best placed to investigate the scam inside the tent, help them earn a wedge by ghosting the stories and bingo, they are (a) financially incentivised to drive the myth, and (b) have compromised themselves by what they have written in support of it.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Re: Re:

Here's my alternative theory: they are released to make money.

That is kind of the point.

So if you release books or sign big sponsorship deals to make money, it's indicative of doping?

Another post from you/gooner that has nothing to do with what anyone has actually said.

You are barking up the wrong tree with the "indicative of doping" thing because none of us are concerned with that question anymore. Pretty much everyone in the clinic reached the point of certainty with regards to sky doping, long long ago.

As hrotha said this is about pointing out that wider networks have a vested interest in defending them.

His post was actually quite simple, short and easy to understand. I can't beleive you managed to miss the point of even that.

I'll agree his point was far more concise ad understandable than your rambling affair justifying it, but I still don't buy that a motive behind publishing books is to tie writers and publishing houses into protecting you from exposure. Still bonkers, a totally superfluous thread you are desperately trying to lend some credence.

And failing.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Re:

It is business genius actually; get the journos who should be best placed to investigate the scam inside the tent, help them earn a wedge by ghosting the stories and bingo, they are (a) financially incentivised to drive the myth, and (b) have compromised themselves by what they have written in support of it.

I reckon the buy-in is more powerful than the $$ earning potential in long-term narrative sustenance.

Imagine Walsh if Froome got pinged on Monday. He would look a right git. Now imagine he finds or hears something. I cannot imagine the cognitive dissonance he would experience, but I can imagine a lot of talking and what not behind the scenes going on, Froome +/- Brailsford convincing him it's all a lie, given that's what he would want to hear, and then Walsh letting it drift away on the rainbow coloured winds of fanciful delusion.

 

[pastronef]

You are barking up the wrong tree

letting it drift away on the rainbow coloured winds of fanciful delusion.

sorry for the offtopic. just wanted to say I liked these two sentences.
always something new to learn, even in the clinic

 

[Beech Mtn]

Just wanted to make a list of this because a) its getting really ridiculous and b) I think it ties in well with the theory I've said before that Sky and the whole gravy train as a whole are all in to milking as much out of the cow as possible. If they get caught down the liner they will have made such a killing from this anyway that it will have financially been totally worth it doping. Its not like you pay back the money you made from selling BS books to brainless morons).

I'm making this thread because I just heard the hillarious news that Wiggins is releasing ANOTHER book .

So we have

Froome autobiography.
Geraint Thomas autobiography (upcoming)
Dave Brailsford autobiography (upcoming)
Bradley Wiggins autobiography 1
Bradley Wiggins autobiography 2
Bradley Wiggins autobiography 3 (upcoming)
Inside Team Sky.
Dave Brailsford mastermind.
Dave Millar autobiograhy 1 (yes I know he's not IN sky atm but he's their number 1 cheerleader and close to all of them + close to BC)
Dave Millar autobiography 2 (upcoming)
Ellingworth autobiography (wtf even the 2nd tier coach of the team has 1)
Cav autobiography.

What else is there?

I think I remember at least 2 or 3 more ive seen. there was one about how sky conquered the world or some **** like that. Also one from ned boulting (saying ITV aren't part of Sky is like saying that the CIA isn't part of the US government).

What other ones have I forgotten.

How does compare to other champions in the past - Armstrong (he had about 3 or 4 iirc + Brunyeel) or Indurain, Contador, Merckx etc.

Seems to me to be a massive part of the Sky racket.

On a similar note what about documentaries, which is same principle.
So far I remember a Wiggins one by Sky, a Wiggins one by ITV, (also a Wiggins one by ES?). A Froome one by ITV and maybe a Cav one by ITV too.

Good thread Hitch. There were waaaaaay more Armstrong books that the few he "co-authored." It was part of the problem with getting the truth about him out in the US. All those folks who wrote books about his Tours, his life, his training methods, etc - those guys were invested in perpetuating the myth. You can probably find 20 books or more about Lance, not to mention the videos World Cycling Productions used to sell. The myth-making around any professional sport or pro athlete is often a huge impediment to any critical view of the doping or dirt behind the scenes.

At least until the hero falls. Then there's money to be made from the exposé