Only one TV Network in the US covers Pro cycling races: Versus, formerly known as Outdoor Life Network. To get that network, I’m required by my cable provider to subscribe to the highest tier of service they offer. It’s expensive. It’s ridiculously expensive considering the relatively few hours of racing that gets covered throughout the year. But it’s the only way I get to watch the races I love. So, when those few hours of racing do get coverage – I expect to see every minute. Especially the most important part of the race: the end.
Apparently, Versus does not agree. I am stoked that Versus has decided to cover this years Tour of California live. And, really, why wouldn’t they? All the stars of racing have converged on Cali making this event one of the best fields of pro racing ever assembled on American soil. It’s of Tour de France quality. It’s amazing. So, why then did Versus decide last night in covering Stage 3, to cut out of it’s live coverage with only about 15K to the finish, in favor of National Hockey League coverage?
As a cycling fan and cable subscriber, obviously, I’m pissed off. Really pissed off. But, the fact that I work in TV, and have an idea of how things work, makes me even madder because I personally feel like, executively, it was the wrong decision. Here was Versus’ plan: After 2 hours of live coverage drop out of Stage 3 with 15K left (15k in a cycling race is equivalent to about 10 minutes) and cut to NHL Hockey Match coverage. And not even NHL match coverage…it was the pre-game chit chat, fat head at a desk trying to predict for everyone the outcome of the upcoming match. That same fat head was to apologize to cycling fans and assure them that they would be given race updates in the breaks of hockey coverage. Gee thanks. Yeah, that’s the same as watching it live.
The correct plan would have been this: stick with Stage 3 through the finish; there was only 15k left anyway. Run a crawl stating that NHL coverage would begin upon completion of the Stage. After all, you weren’t really missing anything on the NHL side - guy at desk, National Anthem, and maybe a minute of actual match play. I suspect that a contractual obligation could have been why Versus went to NHL exactly at 7PM. If that be the case, I still fault Versus with agreeing to that contract. How can you follow live coverage of a sporting event with a hard out? Can you imagine that happening with the NFL? You’d get to the 2 minute warning, go to a break and never come back – oh, but you’d get updates on the score in the breaks of Desperate Housewives or 60 Minutes or whatever comes on after football.
I have contacted Versus with my extreme disappointment. If they happen to reply, I will post it here. Feel free to contact them yourself, as well: feedback@versus.com.
Oh, and to the sportscaster I called a fat head, I apologize. That was immature of me.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Yahoo's Cycling "News"
“Lance Armstrong shelves plan to set up drug testing program.”
That’s the headline on Yahoo News this morning. What a joke. Here’s a short list of recent cycling happenings that are much more newsworthy and significant than Lance and his doping problems.
1) “First Women’s Pro Cycling race held in Middle East” – The Tour of Qatar this year introduced a women’s race which became the first Pro Women’s cycling event ever held in the Middle East. Usually, the only stories we hear coming out of the Middle East involve people blowing themselves up. This would have been a great feel good story to shed a little positive light on an area of the world that is greatly misunderstood. But, not for Yahoo.
2) “Tour of California boasts a Tour de France Quality Field” – Lance Armstrong, Floyd Landis, Carlos Sastre, Fabian Cancellara, Levi Leipheimer, the Schleck Brothers, George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen, Tyler Hamilton, Oscar Freire, Ivan Basso…the list goes on. There are multiple current and former National Champions, World Champions, Tour de France Champions, and Giro d’Italia Champions in this years ToC. This is easily one of the best fields ever assembled on American soil. The start list reads like the Tour de France but it’s happening in California. It’s absolutely incredible. But, not to Yahoo.
3) “Lance Armstrong creates U23 team to fight cancer” – If you’re compelled to use a Lance story as the draw for your readership then how about this one instead of the same tired old story over and over: Lance created an U23 team for 2009, the Trek-Livestrong Team, as a part of the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s Global Cancer Initiative. The team is run by the highly successful and now retired pro cyclist Axel Merckx, son of the best cyclist ever, Eddie Merckx. And it features Junior World Time Trial Champion, Taylor Phinney, who is the offspring of a Tour de France stage winner and an Olympic Gold Medalist. That’s some really cool stuff! But, not to Yahoo.
4) “Cyclist Dies in his sleep at Tour of Qatar” – It’s not a happy story, but it’s a significant story when a healthy 22 year old dies in his sleep during a professional bike race. Of course, this will lead to people assuming drug use, but the UCI’s Passport Program and doping controls showed nothing unusual in the rider’s body. The Stage that followed was reduced to 40K and was neutralized out of respect for the fallen rider, Frederiek Nolf, who was in his first year as a professional. The cycling community mourned. But, not Yahoo.
5) “Belgian Marianne Vos takes World’s win; American Katie Compton on the Podium” – anyone who’s tired of the millions of dollars, egos, and all around bullshit of most men’s professional sports, may find a breath of fresh air in following some women’s sports. I’m partial to cycling of course. With the lack of high paychecks and media coverage, you will be watching the best of the best in sports competition being played out by people who really, REALLY love what they do. Marianne Vos won the 2009 World Cyclocross Championship, becoming the only woman ever to win a World title in the Road, Track and Cyclocross disciplines. An amazing feat. But, not to Yahoo.
There you go. 5 stories with significantly more newsworthiness than Lance and doping controls. Doping is not the only story in cycling. Let me say that again. Doping IS NOT the only story in cycling. A lot of wonderful things happen in this sport. Perhaps we can focus on some of those things, Yahoo?
That’s the headline on Yahoo News this morning. What a joke. Here’s a short list of recent cycling happenings that are much more newsworthy and significant than Lance and his doping problems.
1) “First Women’s Pro Cycling race held in Middle East” – The Tour of Qatar this year introduced a women’s race which became the first Pro Women’s cycling event ever held in the Middle East. Usually, the only stories we hear coming out of the Middle East involve people blowing themselves up. This would have been a great feel good story to shed a little positive light on an area of the world that is greatly misunderstood. But, not for Yahoo.
2) “Tour of California boasts a Tour de France Quality Field” – Lance Armstrong, Floyd Landis, Carlos Sastre, Fabian Cancellara, Levi Leipheimer, the Schleck Brothers, George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen, Tyler Hamilton, Oscar Freire, Ivan Basso…the list goes on. There are multiple current and former National Champions, World Champions, Tour de France Champions, and Giro d’Italia Champions in this years ToC. This is easily one of the best fields ever assembled on American soil. The start list reads like the Tour de France but it’s happening in California. It’s absolutely incredible. But, not to Yahoo.
3) “Lance Armstrong creates U23 team to fight cancer” – If you’re compelled to use a Lance story as the draw for your readership then how about this one instead of the same tired old story over and over: Lance created an U23 team for 2009, the Trek-Livestrong Team, as a part of the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s Global Cancer Initiative. The team is run by the highly successful and now retired pro cyclist Axel Merckx, son of the best cyclist ever, Eddie Merckx. And it features Junior World Time Trial Champion, Taylor Phinney, who is the offspring of a Tour de France stage winner and an Olympic Gold Medalist. That’s some really cool stuff! But, not to Yahoo.
4) “Cyclist Dies in his sleep at Tour of Qatar” – It’s not a happy story, but it’s a significant story when a healthy 22 year old dies in his sleep during a professional bike race. Of course, this will lead to people assuming drug use, but the UCI’s Passport Program and doping controls showed nothing unusual in the rider’s body. The Stage that followed was reduced to 40K and was neutralized out of respect for the fallen rider, Frederiek Nolf, who was in his first year as a professional. The cycling community mourned. But, not Yahoo.
5) “Belgian Marianne Vos takes World’s win; American Katie Compton on the Podium” – anyone who’s tired of the millions of dollars, egos, and all around bullshit of most men’s professional sports, may find a breath of fresh air in following some women’s sports. I’m partial to cycling of course. With the lack of high paychecks and media coverage, you will be watching the best of the best in sports competition being played out by people who really, REALLY love what they do. Marianne Vos won the 2009 World Cyclocross Championship, becoming the only woman ever to win a World title in the Road, Track and Cyclocross disciplines. An amazing feat. But, not to Yahoo.
There you go. 5 stories with significantly more newsworthiness than Lance and doping controls. Doping is not the only story in cycling. Let me say that again. Doping IS NOT the only story in cycling. A lot of wonderful things happen in this sport. Perhaps we can focus on some of those things, Yahoo?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Can I Slap You Now?
***UPDATE*** 2-11-09. This situation has been amicably resolved. All is right with the world.
I will try to contain myself…I will try not to write something that will upset my own sponsors…I will not use specific names…but I have some beef with another team in the area…a team with some prominent riders.
$20. That’s how much the registration fee was for this weekends Charlotte Sport Cycling Winter Training ride. Team Giordana – Clif Bar provided lots and lots of food for the riders, rest stops, SAG support, and Jeremiah Bishop, US National Short Track & Marathon Mountain Bike Champion.
Apparently, $20 is too much for some people; some people who ride for a prominent team out of Greenville, SC; some people we all race with and ride with. It appears only one rider on that team paid their registration fee. The rest of the team rode circles outside of the park where the ride started and joined the group after the start.
To that team, I say this: We are all a part of the same cycling community. You know who we are and we know who you are. What you did by dodging the $20 registration fee is slap us all in the face. It demonstrated a total lack of class, community and respect. I certainly doubt you would put up with riders participating in your Spring Training Races without paying their entry fee. I, also, certainly doubt that the professional rider whose namesake garners your jersey would put up with those kinds of actions either. As much as he does to promote and support cycling of all levels in his hometown, I can only hope that he would be as appalled at your actions as I am.
If you don’t want to pay $20 to ride, then fine, ride elsewhere that day. But don’t try to sneak in under the radar and hope nobody notices. Where are your morals?
I will try to contain myself…I will try not to write something that will upset my own sponsors…I will not use specific names…but I have some beef with another team in the area…a team with some prominent riders.
$20. That’s how much the registration fee was for this weekends Charlotte Sport Cycling Winter Training ride. Team Giordana – Clif Bar provided lots and lots of food for the riders, rest stops, SAG support, and Jeremiah Bishop, US National Short Track & Marathon Mountain Bike Champion.
Apparently, $20 is too much for some people; some people who ride for a prominent team out of Greenville, SC; some people we all race with and ride with. It appears only one rider on that team paid their registration fee. The rest of the team rode circles outside of the park where the ride started and joined the group after the start.
To that team, I say this: We are all a part of the same cycling community. You know who we are and we know who you are. What you did by dodging the $20 registration fee is slap us all in the face. It demonstrated a total lack of class, community and respect. I certainly doubt you would put up with riders participating in your Spring Training Races without paying their entry fee. I, also, certainly doubt that the professional rider whose namesake garners your jersey would put up with those kinds of actions either. As much as he does to promote and support cycling of all levels in his hometown, I can only hope that he would be as appalled at your actions as I am.
If you don’t want to pay $20 to ride, then fine, ride elsewhere that day. But don’t try to sneak in under the radar and hope nobody notices. Where are your morals?
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