Why watch pro-cycling?

[NashbarShorts]

Yes, but in fairness to cheating D), wouldn't you agree there are different degrees of it? I mean, at least when you dope your body it's still your body putting out the effort; with a doped bike, you don't have even that consolation..

How far do you want to blur the line? You could argue that IF Canc had a doped bike in RVV, THEN he only used it for a few quick 'efforts' -- once on the flat, and once to drop Boonen on the climb. Other than that, the effort was "all his own"...

As far as the "its' still your body" argument, is it? The Puerto documents show THamilton was on so much gear it boggles the mind -- even estrogen.

When you start developing your own pair of man-ovaries, is it really "your body" anymore??

 

[Maxiton]

How far do you want to blur the line? You could argue that IF Canc had a doped bike in RVV, THEN he only used it for a few quick 'efforts' -- once on the flat, and once to drop Boonen on the climb. Other than that, the effort was "all his own"...

I don't want to blur the line at all. I'm saying there's a distinct difference between being a motorcycle and riding one.

As far as the "its' still your body" argument, is it? The Puerto documents show THamilton was on so much gear it boggles the mind -- even estrogen.

When you start developing your own pair of man-ovaries, is it really "your body" anymore??

He was just doing that so he could someday have the twin he always wanted.

 

[HelmutRoole]

Nah, I think it's simpler than that. Spectator sports aren't about hero-worship for me... (I watch) b/c sports events are inspiring.

Now, you used the word hero and if you're regretting that word choice I completely respect that, but inspiring? Okay. Inspiration calls a person to action. What is your action? To cheer? To go out for a ride? Maybe if you're of the mindset you'll feel inspired to dope. Fine. But these are just selfish acts. No different than watching an episode of Baywatch and feeling inspired to head down to the adult bookstore and load up on porn.

All this watching cycling, blogging about cycling, reading about it, going to the forums... it's all just mental masturbation. Blissfully believing the athletes to be clean? I don't know. Maybe it just makes it more real and creates a greater sense of urgency and importance? But there's nothing important about bicycle racing. At least not the outcome. (Although some good can come from sport, Jackie Robinson for example.) Outcomes, personalities... none of it matters. We only assign unearned importance to it. It's interesting and that's all.

Look, you know they dope and if you want to enjoy Pro Tour cycling again you'll have to evolve your thinking. Cheating is not bad. It makes things more interesting. The biochemistry, the raids, the confessions, the tell-all-books, this forum, the aforementioned forum, motorized bicycles and on and on; it can, if you allow it, add a new dimension of interest to the sport.

It's not like I'm not following you on this. I understand what you're saying. It seems fake. It is fake. But fake doesn't make it meaningless. It was meaningless before it was fake. If you like riding or racing your bicycle you will not be able to stop watching bicycle racing.

NS, you've got embrace it. Embrace all of it like a sweet lover because even the sweetest lover has something about them you don't like.

It just is what it is, brother.

 

[Maxiton]

Now, you used the word hero and if you're regretting that word choice I completely respect that, but inspiring? Okay. Inspiration calls a person to action. What is your action? To cheer? To go out for a ride? Maybe if you're of the mindset you'll feel inspired to dope. Fine. But these are just selfish acts. No different than watching an episode of Baywatch and feeling inspired to head down to the adult bookstore and load up on porn.

All this watching cycling, blogging about cycling, reading about it, going to the forums... it's all just mental masturbation. Blissfully believing the athletes to be clean? I don't know. Maybe it just makes it more real and creates a greater sense of urgency and importance? But there's nothing important about bicycle racing. At least not the outcome. (Although some good can come from sport, Jackie Robinson for example.) Outcomes, personalities... none of it matters. We only assign unearned importance to it. It's interesting and that's all.

Look, you know they dope and if you want to enjoy Pro Tour cycling again you'll have to evolve your thinking. Cheating is not bad. It makes things more interesting. The biochemistry, the raids, the confessions, the tell-all-books, this forum, the aforementioned forum, motorized bicycles and on and on; it can, if you allow it, add a new dimension of interest to the sport.

It's not like I'm not following you on this. I understand what you're saying. It seems fake. It is fake. But fake doesn't make it meaningless. It was meaningless before it was fake. If you like riding or racing your bicycle you will not be able to stop watching bicycle racing.

NS, you've got embrace it. Embrace all of it like a sweet lover because even the sweetest lover has something about them you don't like.

It just is what it is, brother.

Big respect. May have been the most enlightened (and funniest) thing I've read on these forums.

 

[blackcat]

Re:

Inspiration calls a person to action. What is your action? To cheer? To go out for a ride? Maybe if you're of the mindset you'll feel inspired to dope. Fine. But these are just selfish acts. No different than watching an episode of Baywatch and feeling inspired to head down to the adult bookstore and load up on porn.

too funny, spat all over the screen, HR I am supposed to be the funny guy ok

 

[chuckmicD]

I think that it is a beautiful tactical dance involving skill, genetics and motivation.
The downside is that it is a doping sport and it is hard to tell if your hero has won it through skill,genetics and motivation.
I look through rainbow colored glasses and accept the varying shades of gray.

Written as if other sports aren't "doping sports".

We watch cycling for the same primary reason people watch most sports: entertainment.

 

[Jacques de Molay]

What is up with blackcat's trip through the time machine today?

Several threads, years old, resurrected as if end days are near.
--------------------------

Why watch pro cycling?
Because it's cool to follow a sport that most people don't.

 

[chuckmicD]

Re:

True, there's no need to punish oneself if it's only a "few bad apples". But increasingly in today's cycling it's painfully obvious it's damn near everybody (at least at the top of the sport). As such, how do you justify sitting down to spend a good 3-5hrs of a Sat or Sun watching these charlatans?

Many times in recent years I'll get sucked in to watching until stage finish, only to think "what a waste of time that was" and embarrassingly click off the tube. The advent of race radio surely hasn't made things any more viewable. Personally I think I've reached my breaking point and would rather be outdoors than waste more time or emotional capital on any of these punters.

Good questions.

I don't think it's just a few, and I don't think the concentration level is exclusive to cycling or sports.

By no means am I suggesting my philosophy perfect, however, a couple of years back, I stopped watching, but I soon realized that I missed it. I also realized that my friends and family were going to keep on asking me about the sport - and if I stopped watching cycling because of rampant cheating, I'd probably have to turn my back on a lot of other things too.

This disdain extends to all sport, but at least we can actually participate in cycling unlike many other activities that are essentially off-limits to the aged. Golf, tennis, cycling, walking...all sports we can more or less do well into old age.

As all students of the clinic know...doping will exist in all professional athletics...and an until we live in a totalitarian world, our thoughts and intentions known before we commit the crimes, it will never be eradicated. Yet the fight absolutely must go on, otherwise there would be no sponsorship.