[font=Bookman Old Style]"I call a threat of lawsuit a threat. " Van de Wille.
That's it? That's all you have? A civil response to printed lies and you call that threatening.
As usual, Patrick, you have nothing but hype.
You toss the word "threatening" around with no basis whatsoever. I have NEVER threatened anyone anywhere but it sounds real good doesn't it? You use the word to imply violence or aggression but you were referring to a lawsuit? Is that the case?
As for your experience level in cycling, you said it yourself, it is mainly as spectator and reporter, that is what you wrote, were you not telling the truth at that time? If there is more please let us know. What have you done in the sport other than watch and report on races, usually only the big ones?
Have you ever raced in serious competition?
Have you ever directed a cycling event?
Have you ever coached?
Have you ever managed a team?
Have you ever worked in the industry (shops, manufacturers, distributors, importers, anything at all?
Have you ever signed a sponsor in cycling?
Tell us what you have done other that watch and report, if I am off the mark. (Right about now, when pressed for specifics is when you can expect Van de Wille to say he has had enough of this and avoid answering the questions. Watch.)
Let's get real, Patrick, when you were covering cycling your job was to interview guys like me who knew what we were talking about and who were running the show. We ran the show. You watched. When did you ever gain enough knowledge and experience to be the interviewee, after sitting five years or more on the sidelines?
I ask you to point out any lie I might have made about you and you say, "Certainly your assumption of what my motives might be for discussing cycling were off the mark. " I was off the mark? That is nowhere near a lie is it? Not like your statements about me like stating nobody in cycling gets back to me when in fact almost everybody in cycling gets back to me.
You are entitled to your opinion of Benjamin Sadavoy of Pedal Magazine and Rob and Tracy Jones of Canadian Cyclist,I am entitled to mine. Let's face it, I have known them even longer than you. I worked for Pedal Magazine before you even knew what it was and before Sadavoy bought it. I have known Rob Jones for about 20 years. I have been to his home in Paris, ON and played with his dog.
I do not believe they have done a very good job covering the sport. They have shirked their responsibilities.
Rob, at least, knows of the big problems he writes a scathing editorial once a year in October and then we hear nothing. Example, how can he be ignoring the Jet Fuel boycott of Beauce? Why was Rob so critical of Hamilton 2003 in the spring of 2003 when he had no contracts but much more favourable after he got contracts? This is easy to see. Read what he wrote. He gave them failing grades in February but in August after a mass resignation of three key employees he said management was fine.
As for Benjy almost anybody in the sport will tell you he knows very little about it. His own writers will let you that. Sadavoy was supporting Laura Robinson in her silly Toronto by-law that killed cycling first in Toronto and then throughout Ontario for about ten years. It still has not recovered. I wil never forgive Sadavoy for that.
If you want to defend him, go ahead.
As for my usage of "disingenuous" how about, "lacking in candour", "giving a false appearance of simple frankness", "calculating", those all fit extremely well with what you were doing.
PS I am more reasonable here because fewer peole are spreading lies about me and name-calling.[/font]
