RigelKent said:
I've watched the Dauphine, a couple classics and a third of the Giro this year in Europe. What's different?
1) Many fewer commercials
2) An ability to follow the race without tying it all to one rider
3) An almost complete absence of "special features" and "human interest"
Sure, everyone loves their local story. Yes, the coverage in European countries is also biased. And even in Europe Lance dominates coverage of any race he enters (at least more than any other rider.) But they still cover the SPORT, not just a rider or team.
I understand Versus' focus on Lance, US teams and also other anglophone riders. That's the market. But I also expect to hear about the sport in a way that allows the casual follower to learn to love it even when Lance is gone (and allows a fan to catch up on what's happening outside the celebrity bubble.)
I watched a bit more races ranging from a host of networks. Yes there were fewer commercials, but what I saw was internet coverage. And many of those networks receive government support.
As another poster mentioned, many of these networks tied coverage to LA, so it is not just an American thing.
Third, when you are covering a sport, you always put in the special features and human interest stories, irrespective of network.
In the US, networks are entirely for profit. That means if they don’t get the viewership, they can not sell advertisments. If they can not sell addvertisments, they do not cover the costs. If they can not cover the costs, they will not continue the broadcasts. Verses numbers for the TdF were up 50% over last year. Obviously they are doing well with the format, and why the hell should they change just because several of us enjoy the esoteric aspects of cycling?
There is an unsavory aspect of devotees of any endeavor, an arrogance of presumed authority, an arrogance of perceived superiority. It is very off-putting to the enthusiastic neophyte. And it is resplendently displayed within this forum.
I don’t like Verses. I don’t like Bob Roll's fawning at Lance Armstrong. I don’t like how Craig Hummer seems to speak in capital letters. I don’t like how Phil never seems to be paying attention to the actual race. But I like that I can watch the race in the comfort of my living room rather than sitting in my office, or glued to my laptop. And having seen live coverage in Europe, there is no way that I'm going to say that what Verses broadcasts is worse just because it is an American outfit. They all suck in particular ways. But If I can watch without little effort, I'll not be biting too hard the hand that provides.
FWIW, I couldn’t tell what you meant from the context, but it is either anglophobe or anglophile.