Why doesn't the booing of dopers get reported?

[rickshaw]

Here's a thought...

It's funny...

Why the silence and why the failure to report and reflect the fact that fans on ground don't like seeing dopers like Dertie, Vino and Cancellara at the races. The hacks don't seem to notice that while the teams, UCI, race organizers and other journalists don't mind dopers (other than Ricco) the fans do.

Maybe the QUANTITY of beer being consumed by those booing is taken into consideration. Maybe drunken hecklers, booers etc don't deserve a lot of attention.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

and how do you know they are drunken?

 

[skippythepinhead]

Booing is as uninteresting as it is non-specific.

If every fan (or a significant number of fans) turned their backs as all the riders passed or engaged in a more effective form of expression, there would be something worth investigating and reporting.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Booing is as uninteresting as it is non-specific.

If every fan (or a significant number of fans) turned their backs as all the riders passed or engaged in a more effective form of expression, there would be something worth investigating and reporting.

I'd argue that it is since the likes of Dertie spend a lot of time telling us about how they have the support of the fans etc. Which is not true.

More broadly the media ignores anything that is difficult to report - ie won't ask questions about suspect performances, won't report on fan hostility towards riders etc it's part of a broader trend of sweeping stuff under the carpet.

 

[skippythepinhead]

It's not that the media won't report on fan hostility to riders, it's that fans are always hostile to riders they don't like--for whatever reason. The fans, whether cheering or booing, are participating in the event. If you go to a bike race and boo the winner, you're still classed as a fan of the sport. When fans of the sport demonstrate their displeasure with the sport rather than this or that doper for this or that real or perceived injustice, then you've got something to focus on as a journalist. Otherwise, in an overall discussion of the event, all you can do is give the crowd reaction a mention at best.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

I agree with you about displeasure with the sport - I would be booing McQuaid if I saw his fat smug little face anywhere near me, if not then throwing a brick at him perhaps.

But we don't even get any mention of crowd reaction to riders other than cheering. Compare a report on any other sport - football, baseball, American football, etc, if a player is booed (for whatever reason it is noted is more often than not noted in the reports)

This is a live report from a football match over the weekend:

12mins: Kevin Davies absolutely ploughs into Song, arriving slightly after the ball had departed. A disgraceful challenge, though not quite a red card. The referee doesn't even book him. Utter madness. Whatever Kevin Phillips said about Mike Jones, I agree.

13mins: Song, who must be pretty relieved to still be on the pitch, is booed by the home fans for overdoing his reaction to Davies' horror challenge.

Whereas in the cycling reports we get the blah blah about crowds lining the streets and 'Contador was confident at the sign in today' and no mention of the crowd reaction, or if there is then it is only 'positive' stuff.

 

[sadfitty]

I remember when I was in Albi in 2007. Incredible amount of booing towards Rasmussen at the start of the TT. From memory, there was a lot of booing when he won at Col d'Aubisque as well. I think it was reported in the media. Must have been unpleasant for the sponsor(if they knew about it). Don't know if it played a part in their decision to pull MR from the race(pressure from ASO was most def the main reason), but fact is MR became increasingly unpopular among the roadside fans during that Tour.

 

[JeffreyPerry]

Booing Vino?

Doper or not, I dont care...He's a blast to watch race. You can see the pain and frustration on his face. He gives it his all when he goes. Love it. I can remeber a few years back when he took off on the final TDF stage to spoil the sprinters!! Great fun! Thats why I watch cycling. He animates the race.

 

[luckyboy]

lol did someone just say that Vino should be inspiring young riders?

 

[VeloResults.co.uk]

I remember when I was in Albi in 2007. Incredible amount of booing towards Rasmussen at the start of the TT. From memory, there was a lot of booing when he won at Col d'Aubisque as well. I think it was reported in the media. Must have been unpleasant for the sponsor(if they knew about it). Don't know if it played a part in their decision to pull MR from the race(pressure from ASO was most def the main reason), but fact is MR became increasingly unpopular among the roadside fans during that Tour.

You're right - I was on the Aubisque when Rasmussen won, and the booing was incredible, it rammed it home to me that the sports' followers were not fools and could sense that something wasn't right.

Up until that point there had only been discussion in the papers about his "missed" tests, but as mentioned in this piece, the Danish media were on his case and giving him a hard time in every post-stage press conference he took part in..

 

[Cimber]

I'd argue that it is since the likes of Dertie spend a lot of time telling us about how they have the support of the fans etc. Which is not true.

Well, besides FW he has only be riding in Spain this year, so I think its pretty logical that so far fans have been welcoming him back, Spanish fans that is. Funny thing though, is that he actually praised the atmosphere in Belgium after FW and said he would have loved to race LBL.

But in meta-perspective I dont think booing can always be referred to doping as the reason, which might be the reason its not covered that thoroughly by the media. Fx the booing on Fabian in RVV and the booing og Contador during the Tour last year had nothing to do with doping. Imo ppl who are booing are often (not nearly always though) mainly booing cos they dont like that particular rider (fx because he beat the local hero or he broke some of the unwritten laws of cycling etc). So it would be very dangerous by the media to automatically make a story about "they boo at him cos he is a doper". Also its often not really an interesting story.

That said the booing at Contador during last years Tour was covered extensively by the media, so booing is reported. But only when its really interesting to report from the media's pov.

and no mention of the crowd reaction, or if there is then it is only 'positive' stuff.

On the other hand, doesnt cycling recieve plenty of negative coverage already?

I remember when I was in Albi in 2007. Incredible amount of booing towards Rasmussen at the start of the TT. From memory, there was a lot of booing when he won at Col d'Aubisque as well. I think it was reported in the media. Must have been unpleasant for the sponsor(if they knew about it). Don't know if it played a part in their decision to pull MR from the race(pressure from ASO was most def the main reason), but fact is MR became increasingly unpopular among the roadside fans during that Tour.

Aye I remember that and it was reported.

Funny thing is that now, after fighting for his come-back he has actually become unbelievable popular in Denmark, and people were very disappointed when Riis didnt sign him. Also his team gets a lot more positive media covered than other Danish continental teams.

 

[Cimber]

I remember when I was in Albi in 2007. Incredible amount of booing towards Rasmussen at the start of the TT. From memory, there was a lot of booing when he won at Col d'Aubisque as well. I think it was reported in the media. Must have been unpleasant for the sponsor(if they knew about it). Don't know if it played a part in their decision to pull MR from the race(pressure from ASO was most def the main reason), but fact is MR became increasingly unpopular among the roadside fans during that Tour.

Aye I remember that and it was reported.

Funny thing is that now, after fighting for his come-back he has actually become unbelievable popular in Denmark, and people were very disappointed when Riis didnt sign him. Also his team gets a lot more positive media covered than other Danish continental teams.

 

[NashbarShorts]

It does get reported in the US. Frank Deford, senior writer for Sports Illustrated. He used to write w/ great indignation about how the French would yell "doper!" as Armstrong rode past. Poor Deford couldn't believe how nasty and anti-American those damn Frenchies were toward the wonderful Mr. Armstrong...