Unofficial I hate Versus thread

[Cobblestones]

If it weren't for Versus we would all be at out computers with the wonderful world of streaming.

Worked like a charm for the Giro. Thanks Universal Sports!

 

[klodifan]

I watch the HD feed of VS and listen to the audio feed on eurosport. It works okay.

btw, the fact that they didn't break away from LA interview to show a LIVE crash was beyond pathetic and indicative of their priorities.

 

[Cobblestones]

Hello Klodifan. Nice to see you here.

 

[klodifan]

Hello Klodifan. Nice to see you here.

Hi, Cobblestones!

 

[rhubroma]

And people who complain about other people complaining should get two lives.

If you had to put up with Versus then you would be hatin' it too. It represents everything that has gone wrong with television in the U.S. It caters to the lowest common denominator. They have reduced the actual content down to the barest minimum that people will put up with; and every year as people get desensitized to how bad it is, they make it a little worse. It is flash over substance.

The channel also represents the homogenization of all television. Channels that used to cater to a small niche have expanded their offerings until there is little difference between what used to be unique channels. Thus the Arts and Entertainment channel now features reality shows like Dog the Bounty Hunter and some garbage about Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. They used to show Masterpiece theater-type content. The Sci Fi channel shows professional wrestling. The Biography channel runs movies like Rocky. OLN shows Jean Claude Van Damme movies. And MTV stopped playing music.

U.S. Olympic coverage is traditionally bad, but it is the work of Martin Scorcese compared to Michael Bay when judged against sports coverage on Versus.

And that is what grinds my gears. I should have put this in the "general" forum.

And just think what television is doing to America's soul. And how it's bringing up US kids, or rather destroying them. Rather than bringing them up it's bringing them down. Thanks to this upbringing, which is purely and simply a process of destruction, as I have said, everything in their minds is mutilated beyond recognition, to borrow a phrase that is normaly used in a different context. In its brutal American national television way it has stirred things around in their young minds and created total confusion, so that it will take just as long for an experience abroad to raise order out of their mental caos as it has taken it to create the caos. Instead of educating them, American television has actually mutilated their minds. Being such homogenized, as you say, and commercial televison first and foremost, it ruined their minds with its appalling commercial format. American television can do unimaginable harm to a child's mind if living in America when the parents are adhering more or less automatically to the American way of life.
To say that a child has been brought up on American televison today amounts to saying that he was utterly destroyed, BroDeal. American television is the supreme annihilator of the child's soul, the supreme inspirer of terror, the supreme destroyer of character. That's the truth. Untold millions owe it to American television that they have been utterly destroyed, that their lives have been ruined, thier nature denaturized. American television has the destruction of the human personality on its conscience--as I have seen with my students. For American television, and therefore the American corporations, won't tolerate any human being other than one with the American corporate mindset. Its unwavering aim is to turn children into a pliable audience, mindless creatures who have forgotten to think for themselves and betrayed independence of thought to the corporate mindset---so that they will be more willing to buy the corporate products like Nike sportswear. Suburban children always delight in American television ritual, where things like Nike commercials have taken the place of what used to be called fairy tales, which are undoubtedly the most beautiful they know. And for the grown-ups they have become a lifelong spectacle. But the fairy tale and the spectacle have between them perverted and destroyed all that's natural in human beings. Using the fairy tale for children and the spectacle for adults, American television pursues a single aim, the seduction of all who fall into its clutches. It uses the fairy tale and the spectacle to bend them to its will, as we have seen with Lance Armstrong and the Nike commercials, to extinguish them as human beings, to turn them into unthinking Americans who have no will of their own and whom it insulently calls the faithful audience. American television is like a faith and, like all faiths, is a perversion of nature, a sickness to which millions succumb quite deliberately because it's their only salvation, the salvation of the weak, who are quite incapable of independent thought and, having no minds of their own, need a higher one to do their thinking for them, because it makes their lives easier and they're convinced they can't do otherwise. And the American mind of American televison, above all today's, has a terrible way of thinking as I have seen with most of my students--that's the truth BroDeal, which is wholly selfserving and inimical to human nature, conducive to its own ends and to its own glory. No other state in the world has allowed it's television to do its thinking for it as much as America has, and the results are plain to see. In America today it is exceedingly rare to find a child who has not allowed American television to do his thinking for him, which has reduced the schools to a deplorable state where no one is taught to think critically anymore and only have to take standardized tests. In America corporate television does all the thinking and has destroyed the spirit of freedom and independence, the only natural spirit. Nothing has been changed by the various political turnarounds of recent either: even the democrats allow American television to do their thinking for them, as they haven't developed a socialist mind. Our nation because of American television suffers from chronic mental debility, which the government has exploited more than any other state in the world, even more than in England, where a degree of independent freedom and intellectual self-sufficiency still survives. In our country American television with both corporate and government backing has never had any difficulty in bringing the necessary preassure to bear and forcing the American people, and hence the American state, into total submission.

 

[richwagmn]

And just think what television is doing to America's soul. And how it's bringing up US kids, or rather destroying them. Rather than bringing them up it's bringing them down.

<snip>

In our country American television with both corporate and government backing has never had any difficulty in bringing the necessary preassure to bear and forcing the American people, and hence the American state, into total submission.

WTF does this have to do with cycling?

 

[issoisso]

And just think what television is doing to America's soul. And how it's bringing up US kids, or rather destroying them. Rather than bringing them up it's bringing them down. Thanks to this upbringing, which is purely and simply a process of destruction, as I have said, everything in their minds is mutilated beyond recognition, to borrow a phrase that is normaly used in a different context. In its brutal American national television way it has stirred things around in their young minds and created total confusion, so that it will take just as long for an experience abroad to raise order out of their mental caos as it has taken it to create the caos. Instead of educating them, American television has actually mutilated their minds. Being such homogenized, as you say, and commercial televison first and foremost, it ruined their minds with its appalling commercial format. American television can do unimaginable harm to a child's mind if living in America when the parents are adhering more or less automatically to the American way of life.
To say that a child has been brought up on American televison today amounts to saying that he was utterly destroyed, BroDeal. American television is the supreme annihilator of the child's soul, the supreme inspirer of terror, the supreme destroyer of character. That's the truth. Untold millions owe it to American television that they have been utterly destroyed, that their lives have been ruined, thier nature denaturized. American television has the destruction of the human personality on its conscience--as I have seen with my students. For American television, and therefore the American corporations, won't tolerate any human being other than one with the American corporate mindset. Its unwavering aim is to turn children into a pliable audience, mindless creatures who have forgotten to think for themselves and betrayed independence of thought to the corporate mindset---so that they will be more willing to buy the corporate products like Nike sportswear. Suburban children always delight in American television ritual, where things like Nike commercials have taken the place of what used to be called fairy tales, which are undoubtedly the most beautiful they know. And for the grown-ups they have become a lifelong spectacle. But the fairy tale and the spectacle have between them perverted and destroyed all that's natural in human beings. Using the fairy tale for children and the spectacle for adults, American television pursues a single aim, the seduction of all who fall into its clutches. It uses the fairy tale and the spectacle to bend them to its will, as we have seen with Lance Armstrong and the Nike commercials, to extinguish them as human beings, to turn them into unthinking Americans who have no will of their own and whom it insulently calls the faithful audience. American television is like a faith and, like all faiths, is a perversion of nature, a sickness to which millions succumb quite deliberately because it's their only salvation, the salvation of the weak, who are quite incapable of independent thought and, having no minds of their own, need a higher one to do their thinking for them, because it makes their lives easier and they're convinced they can't do otherwise. And the American mind of American televison, above all today's, has a terrible way of thinking as I have seen with most of my students--that's the truth BroDeal, which is wholly selfserving and inimical to human nature, conducive to its own ends and to its own glory. No other state in the world has allowed it's television to do its thinking for it as much as America has, and the results are plain to see. In America today it is exceedingly rare to find a child who has not allowed American television to do his thinking for him, which has reduced the schools to a deplorable state where no one is taught to think critically anymore and only have to take standardized tests. In America corporate television does all the thinking and has destroyed the spirit of freedom and independence, the only natural spirit. Nothing has been changed by the various political turnarounds of recent either: even the democrats allow American television to do their thinking for them, as they haven't developed a socialist mind. Our nation because of American television suffers from chronic mental debility, which the government has exploited more than any other state in the world, even more than in England, where a degree of independent freedom and intellectual self-sufficiency still survives. In our country American television with both corporate and government backing has never had any difficulty in bringing the necessary preassure to bear and forcing the American people, and hence the American state, into total submission.

......


It's a ring toss game!

 

[Amsterhammer]

--as I have seen with my students.

Please tell me you don't teach English - or creative writing?

 

[Anonymous]

Please tell me you don't teach English - or creative writing?

Creative English

 

[rhubroma]

Please tell me you don't teach English - or creative writing?

Nope, I just threw that out there to see if anyone would bother to read it through. And the fairy tale bit is about cycling.

In any case, I'm just glad I don't have to watch the Tour coverage most on this site are forced to watch. It makes life easier.

 

[rhubroma]

Nope, I just threw that out there to see if anyone would bother to read it through. And the fairy tale bit is about cycling.

In any case, I'm just glad I don't have to watch the Tour coverage most on this site are forced to watch. It makes life easier.

Naturally it was one of my perverse tirades while under a state of uncontrolled megalomania. That's because I did well in my race today and was feeling more upbeat then usual. Even if I was physically a wreck after such an exhausting effort in the heat. I couldn't even resist falling asleep while watching the stage today, even though it was taking place in one of my favorite regions of France.

 

[titan_90]

Paragraphs are your friend

 

[titan_90]

And just think what television is doing to America's soul. And how it's bringing up US kids, or rather destroying them. Rather than bringing them up it's bringing them down. Thanks to this upbringing, which is purely and simply a process of destruction, as I have said, everything in their minds is mutilated beyond recognition, to borrow a phrase that is normaly used in a different context. In its brutal American national television way it has stirred things around in their young minds and created total confusion, so that it will take just as long for an experience abroad to raise order out of their mental caos as it has taken it to create the caos. Instead of educating them, American television has actually mutilated their minds. Being such homogenized, as you say, and commercial televison first and foremost, it ruined their minds with its appalling commercial format. American television can do unimaginable harm to a child's mind if living in America when the parents are adhering more or less automatically to the American way of life.
To say that a child has been brought up on American televison today amounts to saying that he was utterly destroyed, BroDeal. American television is the supreme annihilator of the child's soul, the supreme inspirer of terror, the supreme destroyer of character. That's the truth. Untold millions owe it to American television that they have been utterly destroyed, that their lives have been ruined, thier nature denaturized. American television has the destruction of the human personality on its conscience--as I have seen with my students. For American television, and therefore the American corporations, won't tolerate any human being other than one with the American corporate mindset. Its unwavering aim is to turn children into a pliable audience, mindless creatures who have forgotten to think for themselves and betrayed independence of thought to the corporate mindset---so that they will be more willing to buy the corporate products like Nike sportswear. Suburban children always delight in American television ritual, where things like Nike commercials have taken the place of what used to be called fairy tales, which are undoubtedly the most beautiful they know. And for the grown-ups they have become a lifelong spectacle. But the fairy tale and the spectacle have between them perverted and destroyed all that's natural in human beings. Using the fairy tale for children and the spectacle for adults, American television pursues a single aim, the seduction of all who fall into its clutches. It uses the fairy tale and the spectacle to bend them to its will, as we have seen with Lance Armstrong and the Nike commercials, to extinguish them as human beings, to turn them into unthinking Americans who have no will of their own and whom it insulently calls the faithful audience. American television is like a faith and, like all faiths, is a perversion of nature, a sickness to which millions succumb quite deliberately because it's their only salvation, the salvation of the weak, who are quite incapable of independent thought and, having no minds of their own, need a higher one to do their thinking for them, because it makes their lives easier and they're convinced they can't do otherwise. And the American mind of American televison, above all today's, has a terrible way of thinking as I have seen with most of my students--that's the truth BroDeal, which is wholly selfserving and inimical to human nature, conducive to its own ends and to its own glory. No other state in the world has allowed it's television to do its thinking for it as much as America has, and the results are plain to see. In America today it is exceedingly rare to find a child who has not allowed American television to do his thinking for him, which has reduced the schools to a deplorable state where no one is taught to think critically anymore and only have to take standardized tests. In America corporate television does all the thinking and has destroyed the spirit of freedom and independence, the only natural spirit. Nothing has been changed by the various political turnarounds of recent either: even the democrats allow American television to do their thinking for them, as they haven't developed a socialist mind. Our nation because of American television suffers from chronic mental debility, which the government has exploited more than any other state in the world, even more than in England, where a degree of independent freedom and intellectual self-sufficiency still survives. In our country American television with both corporate and government backing has never had any difficulty in bringing the necessary preassure to bear and forcing the American people, and hence the American state, into total submission.

Paragraphs are your friend

 

[dgodave]

Paragraphs are your friend

Not so much. Paragraphs are meant to indicate the beginning of a new idea, or direction of thought.
.

 

[mr. tibbs]

The Astana kit logo must surely indicate the leader of the Astana squad. You know, the guy most likely to win this thing. AC

Don't tell me I'm wrong.

You're wrong, stones--sorry.

Since Contador is represented by the KOM jersey right now, it can't be him. So it obviously must refer to the next best placed Astana rider: Andreas Kloden, of course.

 

[boalio]

And just think what television is doing to America's soul. And how it's bringing up US kids, or rather destroying them. Rather than bringing them up it's bringing them down. Thanks to this upbringing, which is purely and simply a process of destruction, as I have said, everything in their minds is mutilated beyond recognition, to borrow a phrase that is normaly used in a different context... (edited to save sanity) ...and forcing the American people, and hence the American state, into total submission.

Dude. seriously. You either need to increase or decrease your meds. They ain't working.

That's because I did well in my race today and was feeling more upbeat then usual.

Or maybe you need to revise the stimulants you are using. Do you get drug tested?

 

[titan_90]

Not so much. Paragraphs are meant to indicate the beginning of a new idea, or direction of thought.
.

I understand that. You actually read that? I seen that huge block of text and my eyes went immediately to the next post.

 

[Bala Verde]

When I saw the jersey, and heard what it stood for, it made my pants drop (I'll wear Lycra next time). It must be a UCI 'wherabouts' gadget, so that they can follow each and every rider anywhere.

I am going to watch bull riding tonight. I think I heard the jersey is still visible in a panel (top right) with exact geographical latitude and longitude coordinates as well as altitude (useful for cyclists to calculate gradients; or he could be sitting on a slightly sloping frame).

 

[rhubroma]

Dude. seriously. You either need to increase or decrease your meds. They ain't working.



Or maybe you need to revise the stimulants you are using. Do you get drug tested?

Oh I'm not on any meds. Just like to get a rise out of people sometimes when I have nothing better to do, that's all. Nothing serious, mind you.

It's July, so, I actually have nothing better to do. But I will be going to the U2 concert in Milan on the 8th, which will certainly be the highlight of the week. The only stimulants I'll be on will be my on adreanline at the U2 concert. I don't take anything to race. So the controls don't matter for me, even though they rarely occur.

 

[ckfrancis]

wow

maybe is something in the water up there. seems to be lots of hate. i moved to the dominican republic 5 years ago and love it. i get the tour live all morning on eurosport in french and delayed by 20 min on rai in italian. all of this while working on the laptop looking over the pool at the ocean.

no hate here.

 

[Christian]

Being European, I am always a little condescendant when it comes to acknowledging that anyone other than a European can know anything about cycling. I am of course also very spoiled when it comes to cycling coverage - just to give you an example, to watch the Tour, I can switch between ZDF (German), Eurosport (German), RTL Letzebuerg (Luxembourg), France 2 and RTBF 2 (Belgian). All are free TV channels, and all broadcast live except for ZDF. France 3 even starts at around 11 pm with Pre-Stage coverage, and there is an After-Stage analysis on France 2. I could basically watch it non-stop from 11 am to 6 pm.

However, I spent 2006/07 in the United States, and was of course put on Cold Turkey regarding cycling (and soccer) coverage. Until I found Versus! I was always really looking forward to "Cyclism Sundays", because that was the only way I could see pictures of my compatriote Andy Schleck killing it at the Giro. It was only very short summaries of the stages, but at least it was something. Therefore, I thank Versus! Oh yeah, and I could watch the Tour of California, but that was before it got all popular with the good riders, back when JJ Haedo and Mario Cipollini were the best-known riders there (except for Levi Leipheimer).

Of course it's painful to hear Americans try to pronounce names of French villages or riders, but on the other hand that's the same ith Germans and it's hilarious to hear Laurent Fignon say Leip'eimör or Lontz Armstronge.

So therefore thank you Versus, for being the only channel I received back then that would show some cycling! I'll always remember you for that.

 

[Anonymous]

Being European, I am always a little condescendant when it comes to acknowledging that anyone other than a European can know anything about cycling. I am of course also very spoiled when it comes to cycling coverage - just to give you an example, to watch the Tour, I can switch between ZDF (German), Eurosport (German), RTL Letzebuerg (Luxembourg), France 2 and RTBF 2 (Belgian). All are free TV channels, and all broadcast live except for ZDF. France 3 even starts at around 11 pm with Pre-Stage coverage, and there is an After-Stage analysis on France 2. I could basically watch it non-stop from 11 am to 6 pm.

However, I spent 2006/07 in the United States, and was of course put on Cold Turkey regarding cycling (and soccer) coverage. Until I found Versus! I was always really looking forward to "Cyclism Sundays", because that was the only way I could see pictures of my compatriote Andy Schleck killing it at the Giro. It was only very short summaries of the stages, but at least it was something. Therefore, I thank Versus! Oh yeah, and I could watch the Tour of California, but that was before it got all popular with the good riders, back when JJ Haedo and Mario Cipollini were the best-known riders there (except for Levi Leipheimer).

Of course it's painful to hear Americans try to pronounce names of French villages or riders, but on the other hand that's the same ith Germans and it's hilarious to hear Laurent Fignon say Leip'eimör or Lontz Armstronge.

So therefore thank you Versus, for being the only channel I received back then that would show some cycling! I'll always remember you for that.

You might be a bit elitist in your attitude about cycling, but you need some work on your time skills.....that is unless France 3 has 12 hours of pre-race coverage.......dang.

 

[Christian]

You might be a bit elitist in your attitude about cycling, but you need some work on your time skills.....that is unless France 3 has 12 hours of pre-race coverage.......dang.

Do I sense some jealousy in that remark? Sorry, I just got am and pm mixed up. I meant 11 am of course. That happens when you're used to the 24-hour instead of the 12/12 hour system ... which is much more logical by the way BUT we're not going to argue about that.

Anyways, I've been reading some complaints about how Versus only focuses on Lance, but let me tell you that unfortunately, this is no different in Europe. Eurosport has a show called "Planet Armstrong" where they tread important subjects such as "Why does Lance always wear black socks?", and during the TT yesterday, France 2 (remember how much the French loathe Lance) had a special camera positioned on him when he was riding a bit on the stationary bike after he finished his race. Every five minutes, they went: What is he doing now? Anything happen down there? No, guess not. Nothing yet ... What about now?? Did he say anything yet? We're gonna check back in a minute, then ...
Actually made me switch to RTL Letzebuerg, can you imagine?

 

[Anonymous]

Do I sense some jealousy in that remark? Sorry, I just got am and pm mixed up. I meant 11 am of course. That happens when you're used to the 24-hour instead of the 12/12 hour system ... which is much more logical by the way BUT we're not going to argue about that.

Anyways, I've been reading some complaints about how Versus only focuses on Lance, but let me tell you that unfortunately, this is no different in Europe. Eurosport has a show called "Planet Armstrong" where they tread important subjects such as "Why does Lance always wear black socks?", and during the TT yesterday, France 2 (remember how much the French loathe Lance) had a special camera positioned on him when he was riding a bit on the spinning wheel after he finished his race. Every five minutes, they went: What is he doing now? Anything happen down there? No, guess not. Nothing yet ... What about now?? Did he say anything yet? We're gonna check back in a minute, then ...
Actually made me switch to RTL Letzebuerg, can you imagine?

No, you sense some bemused meliority.

I would suggest sticking to the things you know best. I understand you felt the need to use the 12/12 system so that the underlings from the US would be able to keep up, but some of us actually graduated Junior High and can in fact count well enough to understand the insanely difficult concept of a 24 hour time keeping system. You on the other hand had a 50/50 shot at our inferior system and still failed. Dang.

 

[Kennf1]

How about we keep a running tally of idiotic things Phil Ligget says.

From Saturday:

Phil: L.L. Sanchez in the start house now, time trialing not one of his strong points.

Paul: Actually he was the time trial champion of Spain last year.

(Later, as Cancellara was on course)

Phil: The descent is very technical and not well suited to Cancellara's abilities.

(Paul, maybe out of embarrassment, simply commentates as Cancellara destroys the "technical" descent).