• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

What Americans Want in Their Cycling Coverage

Page 4 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Jonathan said:
Actually, the observation that Americans prefer to see American riders more than several other nationalities prefer to see their own, is a conclusion that can be drawn from this thread. As for the part about two nations being similar, I cannot see how that is prejudiced. No two countries have been affected by the enlightenment in a more similar way, and this has deeply affected their people.



An exchange I saw, filmed in New York:

Interviewer: "What do you think of Amsterdam?"

Newyorker: "Great! Great country."

Int.: "Amsterdam is a city."

NYer: [Indignantly] "No it's not!" [Walks away]

Assuming you can deduce where I'm from just by reading my message shows more prejudice than I ever put forward to begin with.

Went to NY a few years ago with my Belgian housemate, we got talking to a NYarker in a diner, I am Irish, no problem there.

"Belgium!! thats part of Germany, right":eek: He wasnt joking.

Although in fairness, its not just Americans, they just seem to be worse than most. I had some Argentinian colleagues at work in Ireland last year. Some customers were asking about them, "What language do they speak in Argentina?" a few of my Irish colleagues looked at each other before replying "Argentinian":rolleyes:

Ask most people, what language they speak in Belgium, Switzerland or even Austrian and you will get a lot of puzzled answers, "Belgian, Swiss and Austrian":D right
 
Jun 19, 2009
5,220
0
0
Visit site
pmcg76 said:
Unfortunately, Beckham is not exactly unlike Armstrong, he is more famous because of all the PR, his non-football related lifestyle, married to a celeb, constantly changing hairstyle etc and because of this he is far more widely known than many more talented footballers and when it comes to things like 'the greatest polls' he always features even though he was no more than a good footballer. He is nowhere near the same talent class as Zidane, Figo, Messi, Rooney, Kaka, Ronaldinho all modern greats but he is way more famous.

Of course that is why he was chosen to sell US soccer and he screwed them over royally by going back to Europe at every chance and now he is crocked, all that cash and so little return. If there is one athlete I dislike as much as Armstrong, its Beckham but at least Lance had more talent and was more successful. I guess I just dont like sportspeople who get by on their carefully crafted PR myths and spin.

I agree on the similarities, however they arrived at their respective positions. The point is that both are popular beyond their current rank in sport. Americans and other nations identify with charismatic performers as evidenced by Beckham's preminence in "greatest polls". Just trying to point out that it is not an American phenonmenon.

If you're going to dislike LA or Beckham for who they are, fair enough. If you're going to make this a characterization of a nationality you'd best have a better argument than a comment by on ignorant individual. There are plenty on the forum ergo all forum respondents are ignorant, right?
 
Oldman said:
I agree on the similarities, however they arrived at their respective positions. The point is that both are popular beyond their current rank in sport. Americans and other nations identify with charismatic performers as evidenced by Beckham's preminence in "greatest polls". Just trying to point out that it is not an American phenonmenon.

If you're going to dislike LA or Beckham for who they are, fair enough. If you're going to make this a characterization of a nationality you'd best have a better argument than a comment by on ignorant individual. There are plenty on the forum ergo all forum respondents are ignorant, right?

No, there was no underlying meaning in regards to nationality. Just making the comparison between Beckham and Armstrong and how celebrity is used to sell sports over sporting issues, the lowest common denominator. That does annoy me especially when people are vastly over-rated because of their celeb status(Beckham)

I have lived in 6 different countries and visited many more so I got to see a lot of the quirks and opinions of various nationalities, of course there are always exceptions but I try to avoid criticising.
 
Oct 29, 2009
433
0
0
Visit site
nvpacchi said:
I was rolling on the floor when I stumbled across this on Velo News.

Quoting some woman from Indiana:

"Dear Velo,
I watch the Tour de France, Tour Down Under, and would watch more if they were televised.

I have followed Lance Armstrong’s career for many years. I read all the books by or about him. I want to see, hear and read all I can about him!

He is the idol of many people, especially those fighting cancer. I enjoy hearing about other teams in the races, but Lance is the one I want to know all the details, about what he is doing in the races or in every day life. I can say, I believe I am not alone. I could go on and on about reasons I follow him closely and others not so much, but I’ll stop here."

Thankfully for this gushing fan, they don't have to bother with actual racing; Lancey Boy does most of his competing in the Tour de Twitter and Giro di Head Games. Lance is a more kooky revisionist than David Irving!
 
Jun 19, 2009
5,220
0
0
Visit site
pmcg76 said:
No, there was no underlying meaning in regards to nationality. Just making the comparison between Beckham and Armstrong and how celebrity is used to sell sports over sporting issues, the lowest common denominator. That does annoy me especially when people are vastly over-rated because of their celeb status(Beckham)

I have lived in 6 different countries and visited many more so I got to see a lot of the quirks and opinions of various nationalities, of course there are always exceptions but I try to avoid criticising.

Appreciate the clarification and share the opinion. The thread was about what Americans want in cycling coverage and was turning into a parade of stupid American characterizations. Not that there is a shortage of stupid people here or intelligent bigots, either. My point is most media has become consolidated/controlled by several corporations. Mr. Fox, Rupert Murdoch is the common denominator for better or worse. He's not an American.
 
Oldman said:
Appreciate the clarification and share the opinion. The thread was about what Americans want in cycling coverage and was turning into a parade of stupid American characterizations. Not that there is a shortage of stupid people here or intelligent bigots, either. My point is most media has become consolidated/controlled by several corporations. Mr. Fox, Rupert Murdoch is the common denominator for better or worse. He's not an American.

Although Murdoch was born in Australia he is now an American by citizenship.
 
Jun 19, 2009
5,220
0
0
Visit site
thehog said:
Although Murdoch was born in Australia he is now an American by citizenship.

That makes him an rich opportunist for tax purposes. Come on, you know what I mean when referring to international capitalists. The point is the media is more homogenous than national. Local versions are simply tailored to sell local products.
 

TRENDING THREADS