UCI Spitting their dummy.

[python]

susan, a question to you.

i follow daily several german media sources. these include some, like deutsche welle, that heavily depend on public funds..whilst i highly respect their professionalism, i have developed an opinion that in many respects, they tow an official/establishment/feeding hand line.

how much in your opinion, is this the case with cycling related to ard/zdf position on doping ?

 

[cprior]

Well, that anti-doping stance of ARD/ZDF is one thing. The other is the relative lack of up-to-date knowledge. This is why many of "us" cycling fans won't watch their broadcast: They might not recognize riders. They might mis-interprete tactical decisions. Even the anti-doping-journalism touches the surface.

Already before 2007 they were boring us with overly descriptive castle-here and ohwhatasight-there.

they tow an official/establishment/feeding hand line.

how much in your opinion, is this the case with cycling related to ard/zdf position on doping ?

ARD was co-sponsor of Team Telekom. So they were the feeding hand for quite some time!

Regarding "tendencies", in general you will see less advertiser-kowtowing. That's why Deutsche Welle or Deutschlandfunk are so refreshing. They tend to waste our taxes for some high-quality productions, be it print or radio or (Internet-)TV. *g*
In my world "establishment" is a corporation. ARD/ZDF are pleasantly further away from those than private-owned media.

 

[Anonymous]

I should actually have remembered that more people are more interested in being smart *** than in hearing and discussing the facts.

Susan

It's actually possible to be interested in both. I should have remembered that many people don't understand multi-tasking.

TFF

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

LOL. Nothing beats the sense of victimisation that cycling fans like to crack out at situations like this.

Guess what - if ARD are discussing doping that is a good thing because the rest of the media certainly isn't. The rest of the media is complicit in upholding omerta and protecting dopers by not being critical.

By towing the UCI party line - CN and others are nothing more than Pravda online.

Good for ARD for having the balls that the rest of the media lacks. ARD is a breath of fresh air after the fawning bull**** we get from Eurosport, Vs and CN.

Also, blaming ARD is pretty stupid - it is not as if they are making up the doping issue. It is not as if cycling doesn't have a doping issue. If there wasn't an issue with systemic doping, corruption, cover-ups and omerta then maybe the criticism of ARD might be justified.

The UCI by refusing ARD interviews is petulant and infantile.

Wah, wah, wah, cycling is being so victimised by those nasty hypocritical German broadcasters.

And LOL at the UCI-esque moderation.

 

[biopass]

McQuaid is just pi$$ed off because Hajo Seppelt caught him with his pants down.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Just for the record, its "toeing the line", not "towing".

Susan

 

[python]

Just for the record, its "toeing the line", not "towing".

Susan

ok so, do you have an opinion on toeing the line as i asked ?

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Just for the record, its "toeing the line", not "towing".

Susan

Round of applause for the pedant.

ARD were of course the ones leading on Dertie's case which is another reason to ban them. Can't have broadcasters who break stories of attempted cover-ups being allowed interviews.

 

[python]

Round of applause for the pedant.

ARD were of course the ones leading on Dertie's case which is another reason to ban them. Can't have broadcasters who break stories of attempted cover-ups being allowed interviews.

wait. i actually learned something and i appreciate it. i don't think susan has a pro-uci position. it's the same observation of reality , apparently many germans, including some of my own f&f have made.

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

Just for the record, its "toeing the line", not "towing".

Susan

Unless you're in a tug-of-war... Alright, I'm outta here...

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

wait. i actually learned something and i appreciate it. i don't think susan has a pro-uci position. it's the same observation of reality , apparently many germans, including some of my own f&f have made.

Maybe, but picking up on toeing/towing rather than addressing the issue is classic misdirection. Don't answer the questions/issues, pick up on a minor mistake.

Who knows, without ARD, L'Equipe etc maybe the UCI would have been successful in their attempted cover-up of Dertie's positive.

The fact of the matter is that the sport does need broadcasters who do critically discuss the doping issue. Compare ARD to Statler and Waldorf, or Harmon, and ARD's coverage is far more honest and reflective of the issues in cycling than anything we get in the english language media.

For the UCI to say 'we're not going to give you any interviews because you are too critical' is just embarrassing for the UCI as it makes them look very petulant and thin skinned. However, while ARD probably don't care, I am quite sure that other media are concerned and I am sure that more critical articles are getting spiked. BTW whatever did happen to that CN article on Dertie's power outputs in the Giro?

I do think that this fits in with the UCI demanding that Dertie be treated with 'respect' by the fans and the media. By respect they mean 'don't mention the doping'. Sweep it under the carpet, just like they've been doing since 2006.

 

[spalco]

Wah, wah, wah, cycling is being so victimised by those nasty hypocritical German broadcasters.

It's not about any of that, for me anyway. It's just that watching cycling on ARD/ZDF isn't fun, because they are barely even trying to give the viewers entertainment anymore at this point.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

It's not about any of that, for me anyway. It's just that watching cycling on ARD/ZDF isn't fun, because they are barely even trying to give the viewers entertainment anymore at this point.

Well cycling is pretty joyless at the moment with the way McQuaid is running it into the ground and dopers can get away with being juiced up to the gills.

I guess it is horses for courses, I find the honesty refreshing after listening to the guff that you get in the english lang media. I'd rather have 'we only talk about doping' than 'we never talk about doping and pretend that it isn't happening, and look at this rider go off like he's on a motorbike and never question it'.

I find the cult-like refusal to be critical and to discuss doping, corruption pretty joyless.

 

[Chef_Vodnik]

I find the cult-like refusal to be critical and to discuss doping, corruption pretty joyless.

So you're more in favor of an entire program discussing doping, corruption and how utterly useless cycling is while every other sport is seen as clean and incorruptible ? Because that's what it is. It's the hypocrisy that's sickening, not the fact that they discuss problems.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

So you're more in favor of an entire program discussing doping, corruption and how utterly useless cycling is while every other sport is seen as clean and incorruptible ? Because that's what it is. It's the hypocrisy that's sickening, not the fact that they discuss problems.

Not really.

And cycling fans need to stop being so whiny about how they have such a hard time and how hypocritical is all is that not other sports are treated the same.

Bottomline, cycling has a massive doping problem, made worse by a complicit media that refuses to be critical.

If cycling gets a hard time from ARD it is because it deserves and needs a hard time. Crying that it is being unfairly treated is akin to a spoilt and indulged child suddenly wondering why they are being held to account.

Accusing ARD etc of hypocrisy and turning into cycling as some kind of victim here is the biggest pile of festering bull**** since the last David Millar interview.

Good for ARD and **** the UCI and the apologists and those fans who like to see themselves as victims.

 

[andy1234]

So you're more in favor of an entire program discussing doping, corruption and how utterly useless cycling is while every other sport is seen as clean and incorruptible ? Because that's what it is. It's the hypocrisy that's sickening, not the fact that they discuss problems.

This

Professional SPORT is awash with doping.
When other sports are subjected to the same level of scrutiny that pro cycling is, I will support full and frank discussion of it's problems in the media.

Untill cycling is competing on a level playing field with Football, Tennis and Swimming in terms of transparency, I'm happy to sweep the problems under the carpet the same way they do.

 

[Chef_Vodnik]

This

Professional SPORT is awash with doping.
When other sports are subjected to the same level of scrutiny that pro cycling is, I will support full and frank discussion of it's problems in the media.

Untill cycling is competing on a level playing field with Football, Tennis and Swimming in terms of transparency, I'm happy to sweep the problems under the carpet the same way they do.

No.

We just don't watch German mainstream media, then, as long as they are only looking for cookie cutter journalism.

 

[Benotti69]

i have to say i do hate the way cycling fans go on about other sports not being seen as doping sports. who gives a shít about other sports when we are here to discuss cycling's doping. It is the clinic on a cycling forum.

I get very bored watching cycling and not hearing riders who were back from doping bans commentated on. Let's ignore the reality. might as well play your xbox or wii if you want to ignore the reality.

Well done ARD. German cycling has suffered from doping, why not call it as they see it, which is a sport led by a corrupt federation that has no morals whatsoever and riders are the guinea pigs for doping, teams, sponsors and TV rights.

 

[Chef_Vodnik]

Well done ARD. German cycling has suffered from doping, why not call it as they see it, which is a sport led by a corrupt federation that has no morals whatsoever and riders are the guinea pigs for doping, teams, sponsors and TV rights.

Good then. I'll give you an example.

As Tony Martin won Paris-Nice, arguably the fourth most important stage race in the calendar due to reputation, I did not hear a single peep about it in German media.

That's what the problem is all about. They [only care about the problems, not the sport itself.

That's like someone sneaking in an asylum to get some good shots of the nutties to show off so that everyone can laugh at them.

YES some of them do serious research and that's vvvvveeerrrry welcome, but most of them are just in it because they know it sells in Germany.

 

[Benotti69]

Good then. I'll give you an example.

As Tony Martin won Paris-Nice, arguably the fourth most important stage race in the calendar due to reputation, I did not hear a single peep about it in German media.

That's what the problem is all about. They [only care about the problems, not the sport itself.

That's like someone sneaking in an asylum to get some good shots of the nutties to show off so that everyone can laugh at them.

YES some of them do serious research and that's vvvvveeerrrry welcome, but most of them are just in it because they know it sells in Germany.

In cycling's case you dont need to sneek in, its there on the road in front of us, along with the other nutties commentating, writing, sponsoring and running the sport.

 

[Chef_Vodnik]

My point still remains

 

[spalco]

I don't think they even care about the doping stuff anymore, I think it's just an annoying duty for them to talk about cycling in any way.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

i have to say i do hate the way cycling fans go on about other sports not being seen as doping sports. who gives a shít about other sports when we are here to discuss cycling's doping. It is the clinic on a cycling forum.

I get very bored watching cycling and not hearing riders who were back from doping bans commentated on. Let's ignore the reality. might as well play your xbox or wii if you want to ignore the reality.

Well done ARD. German cycling has suffered from doping, why not call it as they see it, which is a sport led by a corrupt federation that has no morals whatsoever and riders are the guinea pigs for doping, teams, sponsors and TV rights.

Totally agree and attempting to hide the scale of cyclings doping problem and not tackling it, is what has given the sport the reputation it deserves.

As regards ARD - great that they don't ignore the problem but it would be equally wrong if it is the only thing they concentrate on.
As for the UCI - well transparency is a word that is easy to say.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Professional SPORT is awash with doping.
When other sports are subjected to the same level of scrutiny that pro cycling is, I will support full and frank discussion of it's problems in the media.

Untill cycling is competing on a level playing field with Football, Tennis and Swimming in terms of transparency, I'm happy to sweep the problems under the carpet the same way they do.

Assuming you aren't taking the ****. That is just ****ed up. You're just as much of an enabler as Riis, Ferrari or McQuaid if that's your attitude.

Because other sports don't crackdown, cycling shouldn't crackdown. Because other sports sweep it under the carpet it is ok for cycling to sweep it under the carpet???

Cycling is the Amy Winehouse of sports. If you can't recognise that then there is not much hope for either you or cycling. With fans like that, the sport doesn't need any enemies.

 

[Weapons of @ss Destruction]

UCI blacklisting of Germany continues, manifesting itself this time in the MTB discipline, with the Offenberg world cup event (twice recently voted as best stop on the world cup circuit) suddenly left out of the world cup schedule for 2012;

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/offenburg-organizers-disappointed-about-2012-world-cup-omission

The organizer seems incredulous. Being on the MTB end of things, I wonder if he understands this is likely backlash from the conflict between German media and UCI on the road side? The UCI will make up whatever excuse sounds convenient, of course.