"Cycling is not a sport" [Archive]

Darren S.

July 19th 03, 11:22 AM

"Robert Oliver" > wrote in message
...
> It took a while, but we have one of our first "cycling is not a sport"
> articles of the year, along with a healthy dose of anti-Lanceism:
>
> http://sports.espn.go.com/page2/s/armstrong/030718.html
>
> The author doesn't actually seem to have watched any of this year's tour,
> but that's not surprising, as those that write this kind of drivel rarely
> know what they are talking about.

Americans: the ******s of the 21st century.

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Patrick O'Grady

July 19th 03, 06:24 PM

In article nk.net>, Nev
Shea > wrote:

> "Kurgan Gringioni" > wrote in
> :
>
> >
> > "Robert Oliver" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> It took a while, but we have one of our first "cycling is not a
> >> sport" articles of the year, along with a healthy dose of
> >> anti-Lanceism:
> >>
> >> http://sports.espn.go.com/page2/s/armstrong/030718.html
> >>
> >> The author doesn't actually seem to have watched any of this year's
> >> tour, but that's not surprising, as those that write this kind of
> >> drivel rarely know what they are talking about.
> >
> > They're just trolling.
> >
> > Note that ESPN printed that article less than a week after naming LA
> > the Male Athlete of the Year at the ESPY awards.
>
>
> Also interesting is that the author is a sports columnist for the Denver
> Post. One of his colleagues there, Woody Paige, is on that show "Around
> The Horn" on ESPN (comes on before Pardon the Interruption). Anyway, just
> a few days ago, Woody got "face time" at the end and used it to talk
> about how the best story of the Tour is Tyler Hamilton. He was excited.
>
> So this guy probably got his balls busted by Woody at the office and
> wrote that **** in response.
>
> NS

It's an old gag ... the newspaper weenies trot this stuff out every year,
the same way the Clear Channel deejays retread their "door the cyclists"
ratings-boosters. Get a bunch of hate mail and score yourself a raise
(unless, of course, you write for a bike magazine).

Cheers,

Patrick O'Grady
Staff Infection
VeloNews

Scott Downie

July 19th 03, 07:07 PM

That one isn't even a very convincing piece of tabloid journalism .

--
Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.
"Robert Oliver" > wrote in message
...
> It took a while, but we have one of our first "cycling is not a sport"
> articles of the year, along with a healthy dose of anti-Lanceism:
>
> http://sports.espn.go.com/page2/s/armstrong/030718.html
>
> The author doesn't actually seem to have watched any of this year's tour,
> but that's not surprising, as those that write this kind of drivel rarely
> know what they are talking about.
>
>
>

brian roth

July 19th 03, 11:17 PM

"Robert Oliver" > wrote in message >...
> It took a while, but we have one of our first "cycling is not a sport"
> articles of the year, along with a healthy dose of anti-Lanceism:
>
> http://sports.espn.go.com/page2/s/armstrong/030718.html
>
> The author doesn't actually seem to have watched any of this year's tour,
> but that's not surprising, as those that write this kind of drivel rarely
> know what they are talking about.

Note the page 2 byline. It's all sctick.

Darren S.

July 20th 03, 02:16 AM

"Dashi Toshii" > wrote in message
...
<snip>
> > Americans: the ******s of the 21st century.
>
> Don't you know that it is impolite to call names?

As far as much of the rest of the world is concerned, what I said is fairly
accurate.

> Is your mom still screwing you?

Not since menopause =(

> *PLONK*

I'm crushed.

D.

> Dashii
>
>

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TbosS

July 23rd 03, 01:00 PM

I sure hope this isn't the "all-American" opinion. Else all hope is lost
(for Americans that is ;-)).

I find sports fascinating, also if they arent practiced or popular in my
country. I try to get to know sports I'm not familiar with, and each
time I find that new sports also offer excitement, strategy etc.

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Qui si parla Campagnolo

July 23rd 03, 02:06 PM

john-<< So says SF Gate columnist:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/07/22/fo
ol227.DTL
>><BR><BR>

So the guy's an idiot...next question...

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
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Corey Green

July 23rd 03, 06:44 PM

(john riley) wrote in message >...
> So says SF Gate columnist:
>
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/07/22/fool227.DTL

This guy is actually returning email, so drop him a line. He
challenged me to hit a golf ball 250 yards in return for him riding a
bike. Of course he then compared me to a Raider fan.

Sounds like he is one of those drunk Nascar fans that has no clue when
he is wrong, but typically gets his chin in the way when defender his
idiotic position.

Corey Green

July 23rd 03, 06:54 PM

(john riley) wrote in message >...
> So says SF Gate columnist:
>
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/07/22/fool227.DTL

BTW - the columnists name is Steve Tady.
He is the Sport Editor at the San Francisco Chronicle.
His email is
Phone number: 415-777-6333

Mike Krueger

July 23rd 03, 11:18 PM

<< And what kind of athletic ability is required in auto-racing,
horse racing, or chopping through a log with a chain saw?
I think we just need separate words to describe people who actually expend
energy when they compete and those who just sit on their asses. >>

I am no fan of auto racing, but I do think that maintaining utter concentration
while encased in a hot Nomex suit and full face helmet while steering a race
car at 200mph for 3 hrs straight requires some athletic skill and endurance. I
wouldn't describe it as just sitting on one's ass.
However, standing in a field for three hrs chewing tobacco, spitting, and
scratching my nuts while waiting for someone to maybe hit a baseball in my
direction, picking it up, and throwing it to someone else does not necessarily
qualify me as a great athelete, does it?

Naughty_hitter

July 24th 03, 12:35 AM

DiabloScott wrote:
> The Betting Fool is just a clown. He talks crap about all kinds of
> sports, teams, players, etc. He tries to be witty but he lacks the
> requisite rhetorical tools. He enjoys when people send him angry
> e-mails. He's not worth your time, no one takes him seriously, don't
> take the bait. He's proud of being a fat arrogant ****** -- Betting Fool
> is the Don Rickles of sports journalism - he likes saying stuff just to
> **** you off. If he ****es you off he wins and you lose. Only way to win
> is to not give a damn what he says.

****es me off nonetheless... Now i understand how badminton players feel
when they get the whole "badminton is not a sport" routine...

--
wannabe roadie...

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tbunch

July 24th 03, 12:35 AM

John Riley wrote:
> So says SF Gate columnist:
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/07/22-
> /fool227.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archiv-
> e/2003/07/22/fool227.DTL

Here is the email I sent:

Under your premise of why cycling is not a sport, your argument could
dethrone most activities currently regarded, even by dinosaurs such as
yourself, as "sport". Let me draw up a list:

1. Nascar (Toddlers on tricycles going in circles is more compelling,
but only if you get to keep score)
2. World of Outlaws Circletrack Racing (see above, in the dirt, in
smaller circles)
3. Any kind of motorsports (dominated by Europeans and Japanese, except
for the above)
4. Track and Field (happens in Europe, who's faster, anyone can run, no
ball, no score, etc...)
5. Professional Wrestling (you need me to explain?)
6. Tennis (OK there is a score, but who knows what Love and Deuce
really mean?, the best tournaments happen in Europe)
7. Hunting (It will only be a sport when the animals get weapons, it's
played in a stadium, and we get to keep score. Maybe the Romans were
in to something...)
8. Pool (Any game you can play with a twelve pack in you belly and a
cigarette in your mouth is not a sport, even if it is on ESPN)
9. Poker (just because its on ESPN doesn't mean the participants are
athletes and you get to call it a sport. Involves no physical skill
unless you include "poker face")
10. Baseball and Basketball (any sport where one team is so dominant
that the other side wonders why they should show up is not a sport.
You might as well crown the Yankees and the Lakers and all go home)
11. Golf (there is a score, but there is no defense, and no strategy.
Any sport where a NOBODY on a good day can whip the rest of the free
world is not a sport)
12. Horse and Greyhound Racing (circles, no score, no strategy, no team,
and the participants are so disposable that injury results in
euthanasia. Imagine your favorite pitcher getting put down for
wicked case of tendonitis)

Need I go on? And don't give me any crap about, history, glory,
tradition and beauty of your favorite sports. They are all just hobbies,
grown men playing games so they don't have to get a real job at
McDonald's for minimum wage. Same could be said of you. Wait, you
already have.

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chuy

July 24th 03, 12:35 AM

i bet the guy that wrote this is some overweight fuc* thats claims to be
a know-it-all when it comes to sports. See how well you perform in a 40+
mph sprint to the finish coc*-sucker.

--
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Enjoy the Tour de France LIVE on your Desktop!

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DiabloScott

July 24th 03, 12:35 AM

John Riley wrote:
> So says SF Gate columnist:
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/07/22-
> /fool227.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archiv-
> e/2003/07/22/fool227.DTL

The Betting Fool is just a clown. He talks crap about all kinds of
sports, teams, players, etc. He tries to be witty but he lacks the
requisite rhetorical tools. He enjoys when people send him angry
e-mails. He's not worth your time, no one takes him seriously, don't
take the bait. He's proud of being a fat arrogant ****** - read his BIO
(long URL, copy and paste if necessary)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/1999/05/07-
/foolbio.DTL

Here's a line from a previous article he wrote: "* The NBA Finals start
tonight. This coincides with my need to clean the garage and stain the
deck. Sorry, I won't be watching. Other than Robinson and Duncan and
that Parker guy who came out of nowhere, name three Spurs."

By the way SFGate is the website for the San Francisco Chronicle. About
12 years ago their famous columnist Glenn Dickey wrote a hatchet piece
about cycling when Greg Lemond won the Sportsman of the Year award from
Sports Illustrated. Dickey said pretty much the same thing as the
Betting Fool including "give me a bicycle and I could sure as hell ride
it up a mountain." He got a lot of nastygrams about that one and later
apologized, but he is a serious columnist - Betting Fool is the Don
Rickles of sports journalism - he likes saying stuff just to **** you
off. If he ****es you off he wins and you lose. Only way to win is to
not give a damn what he says.

--
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www.weblock.tk

Enjoy the Tour de France LIVE on your Desktop!

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wannabe roadie...

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offthe back

July 24th 03, 12:35 AM

John Riley wrote:
> So says SF Gate columnist:
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/07/22-
> /fool227.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archiv-
> e/2003/07/22/fool227.DTL

That article is obviously a joke worthy of Dave (I swear I'm not making
this up!) Barry because only an idiot would make such a statement except
in jest. I notice he says he THINKS he could buy a bike and in a couple
of years of training be a professional cyclist - chances are he had a
better chance of beating Michael Jordan at the top of his baketball
career than keeping up with ANY pro peleton - hey, just for kicks, buy
that bike and see if you can keep up with ANY of your local club
cyclists and I'm talking the ones over 80, the women, and the juniors.
(Nothing like getting your butt kicked by a fourteen year old girl.)
Until you've suffered up some climbs and watched the group disappear in
the distance, you have no idea how hard a sport it is. Like the TV
commentators all say, bike racing is about suffering - until you try it
and try to keep up, you have no idea. (Now, golf and baseball - those
are activities that seem like excuses just to drink beer.)

--
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bladewalkerusa

July 24th 03, 12:35 AM

John Riley wrote:
> So says SF Gate columnist:
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/07/22-
> /fool227.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archiv-
> e/2003/07/22/fool227.DTL

What do you expect from a guy who calls himself a fool. Only a fool
would state this fact:

"Millions of Europeans and a handful of Americans are wrong. Soccer is
boring and cycling is not a sport."

So millions of Europeans are idiots for thinking cycling is a sport
and this guy's right? Well, as Clint Eastwood said he's a legend in
his own mind.

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TbosS

July 24th 03, 12:35 AM

@ Topmounter: Excellent email! LMAO

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Topmounter

July 24th 03, 12:35 AM

REHASH, every year all the jealous "journalists" who feel left out
of the cycling hype because they are too busy counting stats from
the sidelines lash out with some mindless piece of dribble like
this article.

my email to this nut:

BF,

Put your cushy TV sports bum on a bike and train for 2 years and let us
see just how far you really get on the LOCAL recreational group rides,
then we can talk about your career as a competitive cyclist :)

I think what confuses non-cyclists (i.e. beer guzzling SPECTATORS) about
cycling is that for nearly all (real) cycling fans (i.e. beer guzzling
after PARTICIPATING), cycling is NOT a spectator sport, whether they
ride for fun or competition, it is a participatory sport for them and
seeing the best of the best compete for 2 hours a day for 3 weeks per
year is just a bonus.

Also, assuming "Californiots" are the norm with regards to cycling
(or for most anything else for that matter) is a pretty bad
misconception to base your opinions on. Not to mention not all
cyclists are liberals either.

And yes, without a succesful U.S. competitor, just like Soccer, Rugby,
Cricket, F1 and countless other wildly popular international sports, the
media hype in the U.S. will subside to some extent when that competitor
and fellow countryman has dropped out of the spotlight.

But do note, that OLN just signed up for Tour coverage through 2008 and
cyclist don't cycle because of Lance, cyclists sat in front of the boob
tube getting a little fatter and a little slower watching 30 minute
snippets of Tour coverage on ESPN long before Lance became popular.

Enjoy!

--

--
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Enjoy the Tour de France LIVE on your Desktop!

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www.weblock.tk

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wannabe roadie...

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Clovis Lark

July 24th 03, 03:49 PM

TbosS > wrote:
> wrote:
> > Do other countries have to deal with guys like this?

> Oh of course, ignorance is not an American invention. This guy basically

Ah... But we have refined it into an art!

> makes a stupid argument about cycling being no sport, while everybody,
> who has ever practiced it or watched it, realizes it is. But behind this
> stupid column of the Fool, there is of course a real subject.

> When is an activity a sport? I have never been able to give a suitable
> definition.

Perhaps Stanford can now offer a new discipline Recreational Metaphysics?

> Cyclists usually aren't in the position that they have to defend their
> activity as a sport. Other sports are less fortunate (badminton, table
> tennis -when disputed called ping-pong-, figure skating, cricket,
> perhaps soccer in the US)

According to the OED... Hmmmm, perhaps the author was correct? First
definition "a. Pleasant pastime; entertainment or amusement; recreation,
diversion." Since Sherwin insists that they are really suffering, then,
by this definition, cycling is no sport. But be of good cheer, (d)
redeems cycling: "d. Participation in games or exercises, esp. those of
an athletic character or pursued in the open air; such games or amusements
collectively."

> And there are sports that are truely in the grey area. Pool
has been
> mentioned already, snooker, darts (basically all bar-related sports).
> Other sports that at least feature on TV under the header sport like
> chess, or checkers (Think sport).

> Let's try to name a few basic features of sport. And try to seriously
> come to some kind of definition.

> Basic features of sport:
> - competition (there is no other goal than being better than the other)
> essential: you compete against somebody else.
> - strategy the feature of sport that distinguishes it from a play:
> - athletic training (in one way or the other)

> As long as your excellence in an activity is only based on the fact
> that you have a talent, the brains, or that you can do the trick,
> without doing some athletic/physical training, I don't think we should
> call it a sport.

> Please react, and let's get this straight once and for all. We can mail
> it to the Fool of SF Gate, and any other stupid columnist in the future.

> --
> www.weblock.tk

> Enjoy the Tour de France LIVE on your Desktop!

> "La Grande WEBlock Boucle Bar"
> http://weblock.webuildit.nl/index.php?itemid=1246

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Daniel S. Lieb

July 24th 03, 08:09 PM

I don't want to start the NASCAR debate again. I will say that it must take a
lot of physical effort to control a 1200 pound thoroughbred racing at near-full
to full speed.

Hiding in the woods like a militia member and shooting at a duck with a
high-powered scope requires no physical effort and barely any skills. Bring
back rocks and spears to hunting. I say that if your hands are good enough for
bears, that are good enough for human fishermen.

Dan

Alex Rodriguez wrote:

> In article >, says...
> >
> >
> >Personally I am offended when hunters and fisherman are referred to as
> >"sportsman". And what kind of athletic ability is required in auto-racing,
> >horse racing, or chopping through a log with a chain saw?
>
> Auto racing requires a lot of physical effort as well as excellent hand eye
> coordination. Hunters and fisherman require a different set of skills.
> -----------------
> Alex __O
> _-\<,_
> (_)/ (_)
>

Michael

July 24th 03, 08:13 PM

"Daniel S. Lieb" > wrote in message ...
> I don't want to start the NASCAR debate again. I will say that it must
take a
> lot of physical effort to control a 1200 pound thoroughbred racing at
near-full
> to full speed.

Yeah, they must have some awesome workouts during the winter to keep the
foot in shape to press down on the accelerator.

M.

enoch

July 24th 03, 09:08 PM

(Mike Krueger) wrote in message >...
> << And what kind of athletic ability is required in auto-racing,
> horse racing, or chopping through a log with a chain saw?
> I think we just need separate words to describe people who actually expend
> energy when they compete and those who just sit on their asses. >>
>
> I am no fan of auto racing, but I do think that maintaining utter concentration
> while encased in a hot Nomex suit and full face helmet while steering a race
> car at 200mph for 3 hrs straight requires some athletic skill and endurance. I
> wouldn't describe it as just sitting on one's ass.

I'd say that since above average "fitness" is relativly easy to gain,
compared to other efforts one has to invest to compete in *anything*
on a professional level, and since it's probably an advantage in any
of these competions, "fitness" automatically becomes a factor which
can decide between winning and loosing.
Even a chess player like Kramnik talks about how he became a better
tournament player after doing some sport (erm, and drinking less
vodka).

Formula 1, as an example for racing, is an extremly demanding sport.
Back in the 70s (I think), rules had to be changed because the
acceleration in fast corners caused drivers to pass out. If you see
old videos of Nigel Mansell being totally shot, unable to stand after
a two hours race, you see that racing demands a lot. Compare that to
todays drivers, seemingly unaffected after a race, one can conclude
that they have to be quite fit.

Here's some (somewhat dumbed down) article about fitness & f1
http://www.health24.co.za/fitness/Specific_sports/16-476-491,13779.asp

They claim Coulthard to have a resting HR of 40.

Daniel S. Lieb

July 24th 03, 09:13 PM

Well, mowing the lawn (except for a riding mower) in a hot summer's day is a
*workout* but when competetive grass cutting comes on espn 16, i'm getting rid
of cable.

Dan

Patrick O'Grady wrote:

> In article >, says...
> >
> >
> >Personally I am offended when hunters and fisherman are referred to as
> >"sportsman". And what kind of athletic ability is required in auto-racing,
> >horse racing, or chopping through a log with a chain saw?
>
> Ever tried cutting a winter's worth of wood with a chain saw, loading it
> into the truck, unloading it back at the house and stacking it? It may not
> make you a "sportsman," but it qualifies as "athletic," according to
> Webster. So does proper hunting, which I define as stalking one's prey
> through the high country as opposed to jacklighting a deer from an F-150
> parked on the side of the road.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Patrick O'Grady
> Mad Dog Media

Peter L

July 24th 03, 10:42 PM

B. Lafferty

July 24th 03, 10:46 PM

If it has balls, it's a sport. I assume this is why
Cycle Sport and ProCycling only cover men's cycling.

"Peter L" > wrote in message
m...
> (Mike Krueger) wrote in message
>...
> > << And what kind of athletic ability is required in auto-racing,
> > horse racing, or chopping through a log with a chain saw?
> > I think we just need separate words to describe people who actually
expend
> > energy when they compete and those who just sit on their asses. >>
> >
> > I am no fan of auto racing, but I do think that maintaining utter
concentration
> > while encased in a hot Nomex suit and full face helmet while steering a
race
> > car at 200mph for 3 hrs straight requires some athletic skill and
endurance. I
> > wouldn't describe it as just sitting on one's ass.
> > However, standing in a field for three hrs chewing tobacco, spitting,
and
> > scratching my nuts while waiting for someone to maybe hit a baseball in
my
> > direction, picking it up, and throwing it to someone else does not
necessarily
> > qualify me as a great athelete, does it?
>
>
> Having a baseball thrown at you at 90 mph, does that qualify?
>

Cycling Potato e

July 25th 03, 03:46 AM

Isn't this guy just pulling what the Mercury News columnist did last
year? It generated a TON of email to the editor, which I think is the
whole point of the article.

Pretty cheap trick if you ask me. I'd write to the advertising
entities with your complaints, as publishers pay attention to issues
affecting revenue.

Maureen

"Marty" > wrote in message >...
> "TbosS" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> >> So says SF Gate columnist:
>
> >>
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/07/22/fool227.DTL
>
> > I sure hope this isn't the "all-American" opinion. Else all hope is lost
> > (for Americans that is ;-)).
>
> Certainly not an "all-American" opinion, but definitely a "many-American
> male sports enthusiast" opinion. Before Lance Armstrong, I'd say it was a
> "90%-American male sports enthusiast" opinion. LA has done a lot of good
> for the sport in America. There will always be guys like this no-talent
> ass-clown "Betting Fool" that we'll have to deal with. Do other countries
> have to deal with guys like this? I would imagine so, but do they get to
> write and publish garbage like this in a what appears to be a reputable
> newspaper? Man, I'd love to see someone slam Tiger Woods and golf like this
> guy has slammed LA and bicycle racing.

Edward Waffle

July 25th 03, 04:20 AM

Patrick O'Grady wrote in message ...
>In article >, says...
>>
>>
>>Personally I am offended when hunters and fisherman are referred to as
>>"sportsman". And what kind of athletic ability is required in auto-racing,
>>horse racing, or chopping through a log with a chain saw?
>
>
>Ever tried cutting a winter's worth of wood with a chain saw, loading it
>into the truck, unloading it back at the house and stacking it?

You must be in the target audience for some of the ads on the OLN
coverage--the one promoting the motorized cart for carrying logs would be
just the thing.

Patrick O'Grady

July 25th 03, 04:35 AM

In article >,
"Edward Waffle" > wrote:

> Patrick O'Grady wrote in message ...
> >In article >, says...
> >>
> >>
> >>Personally I am offended when hunters and fisherman are referred to as
> >>"sportsman". And what kind of athletic ability is required in auto-racing,
> >>horse racing, or chopping through a log with a chain saw?
> >
> >
> >Ever tried cutting a winter's worth of wood with a chain saw, loading it
> >into the truck, unloading it back at the house and stacking it?
>
> You must be in the target audience for some of the ads on the OLN
> coverage--the one promoting the motorized cart for carrying logs would be
> just the thing.

Naw,

That's what '83 Toyota longbeds are for, when they're not full of
cyclo-cross bikes. Motorized carts are for golf-playing sissies, porkers
snuffling for truffles in the candy aisle at Wal-Mart and yuppie nitwits
who think manual labor is the name of their gardener.

Cheers,

Patrick O'Grady
Mad Dog Media

Didier A. Depireux

July 25th 03, 04:27 PM

Daniel S. Lieb > wrote:
> Well, mowing the lawn (except for a riding mower) in a hot summer's day is a
> *workout* but when competetive grass cutting comes on espn 16, i'm getting rid

Well, lawnmower racing _is_ a sport,
http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/4077/group980.jpg

And how about the Monster Garage mower thing, where they modified a Mustang
into a mower that could mow at 60 mph?

Didier

--
Didier A Depireux
685 W.Baltimore Str http://neurobiology.umaryland.edu/depireux.htm
Anatomy and Neurobiology Phone: 410-706-1272 (off)
University of Maryland -1273 (lab)
Baltimore MD 21201 USA Fax: 1-410-706-2512

Nick Burns

July 27th 03, 07:10 PM

"john riley" > wrote in message
om...
> So says SF Gate columnist:
>
>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/07/22/fool
227.DTL

Put him in your kill file!

August 21st 03, 01:11 AM

Cycling is not a sport? Who gives a **** if some fat assed so called
writer doesn't think it's a sport. Anyone who gets out on the bike in
the early morning to ride or who trains to race in the local criteriums
knows it's a sport. If by OUR definition it's a sport.... It's a sport.
He obviously hasn't spent even 1 minute to see what cycling is all about
or the article would not have been written. Don't waste one more minute
getting upset with this moron. He's not worth it............

Robert Oliver wrote:

> It took a while, but we have one of our first "cycling is not a sport"
> articles of the year, along with a healthy dose of anti-Lanceism:
>
> http://sports.espn.go.com/page2/s/armstrong/030718.html
>
> The author doesn't actually seem to have watched any of this year's tour,
> but that's not surprising, as those that write this kind of drivel rarely
> know what they are talking about.
>
>
>
>

Lewis Panama

August 23rd 03, 04:18 PM

Richard Adams wrote in message ...
>Probably about the same as those who are pushing for Contract Bridge to
>be included as an olympic "sport". (I'm not making this up!)
>
>Here's just one link:
>
>http://www.acbl.org/tournaments/wbf/ioc/ioc.htm

Don't forget ballroom dancing.

http://www.dancescape.com/info/world/

Just waltz or rhumba down to the second heading on the page "DanceSport and
the Olympics"

Kurgan Gringioni

August 23rd 03, 09:31 PM

"Lewis Panama" > wrote in message
...
>
> Richard Adams wrote in message ...
> >Probably about the same as those who are pushing for Contract Bridge to
> >be included as an olympic "sport". (I'm not making this up!)
> >
> >Here's just one link:
> >
> >http://www.acbl.org/tournaments/wbf/ioc/ioc.htm
>
>
> Don't forget ballroom dancing.
>
> http://www.dancescape.com/info/world/
>
> Just waltz or rhumba down to the second heading on the page "DanceSport
and
> the Olympics"

At least there are scantily clad women involved. I can watch scantily clad
women.

The worst is curling.

TritonRider

August 24th 03, 12:48 AM

>From: "Lewis Panama"

>Don't forget ballroom dancing.
>
>http://www.dancescape.com/info/world/
>
>Just waltz or rhumba down to the second heading on the page "DanceSport and
>the Olympics"

At least if it's "Swing" it can be pretty aerobic. Working on and off with
college/regional theater groups I can tell you that the serious dance types are
usually incredibly fit and athletic. Not many Fatty Masters there.
Bil C

Kurgan Gringioni

August 24th 03, 04:59 PM

"warren" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, Kurgan
> Gringioni > wrote:
>
> > "Lewis Panama" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > >
> > > Richard Adams wrote in message ...
> > > >Probably about the same as those who are pushing for Contract Bridge
to
> > > >be included as an olympic "sport". (I'm not making this up!)
> > > >
> > > >Here's just one link:
> > > >
> > > >http://www.acbl.org/tournaments/wbf/ioc/ioc.htm
> > >
> > >
> > > Don't forget ballroom dancing.
> > >
> > > http://www.dancescape.com/info/world/
> > >
> > > Just waltz or rhumba down to the second heading on the page
"DanceSport
> > and
> > > the Olympics"
> >
> >
> >
> > At least there are scantily clad women involved. I can watch scantily
clad
> > women.
> >
> > The worst is curling.
>
> Would you rather see pale, flabby, cheese-eaters sliding stones on the
> ice?

No. I'd rather watch ballroom dancing. scantily clad women.

Lewis Panama

August 24th 03, 09:35 PM

Dashi Toshii wrote in message ...
>
>"Kurgan Gringioni" > wrote in
>message ...
>>
>> "Lewis Panama" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >
>> At least there are scantily clad women involved. I can watch scantily
clad
>> women.
>>
>> The worst is curling.
>
>I guess you have never seen Japanese Gate Ball then.
>
>And if you did you would be happy that they aren't scantily clad!
>
>http://www.zenshuji.org/activ_gateball.html
>

"Although the game does not require much strength nor a high level of skill
honed by years of diligent practice, the tension and drama rises to
unbearable heights as each team tries to outmaneuver the other with subtle
shifts in strategy."