Cycling, the dirtiest sport???

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Bill C said:

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs? Wanna bet
if almost every member of a country's cycling team tested positive,
and the team wouldn't be going to the Olympics it'd be huge news?

Maybe that's because hardly anyone cares about weightlifting. Just face
it, cycling is more exposed because it still has a large following while
at the same time having fairly small financial backing compared to other
professional sports. If Chung could bake us a nice plot of TV viewers
vs. estimated $ value (maybe simply sum of salaries of professional
athletes) for the main professional sports, I am pretty sure that
cycling would come with the highest viewer/$ratio, by a wide margin. Why
do you think that nobody ever mentions tennis or soccer anymore in
relation with the Puerto affair?

jyh.

jean-yves hervé said:

Maybe that's because hardly anyone cares about weightlifting.  Just face
it, cycling is more exposed because it still has a large following while
at the same time having fairly small financial backing compared to other
professional sports.  If Chung could bake us a nice plot of TV viewers
vs. estimated $ value (maybe simply sum of salaries of professional
athletes) for the main professional sports, I am pretty sure that
cycling would come with the highest viewer/$ratio, by a wide margin. Why
do you think that nobody ever mentions tennis or soccer anymore in
relation with the Puerto affair?

jyh.

I'm pretty cynical when it comes to these things, and the Boston
Herald just made it a little more concrete when they finally admitted
that they had NO credible evidence for a story that did millioms of
dollars of damage to the NE Patriots and their players in terms of
marketability. After that they have chosen to take no action at all
against either the writer or editors responsible. There wasn't even an
apology from the writer, until he later did so on his personal blog,
not in the paper.
I firmly believe that FIFA leaned on them and the story disappeared.
Given soccer fans psychotic passion any investigation that was as
driven and stretched as what was done to cycling would've caused riots
and deaths, along with any politicians involved quickly becoming
unemployed at the next election. There's no doubt in my mind that's
the reason those portions of the investigation disappeared.
Bill C

Bill C said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8157680/Greek-prosecutor-files-charges-in-doping-scandal

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek prosecutor on Tuesday filed misdemeanor
charges against 25 people in a doping scandal involving the country's
weightlifting team.

Eleven of the team's 14 weightlifters tested positive for a banned
substance during a spot doping check in March, and the results were
announced in April. The scandal has made it unlikely that the Greek
team will participate in the Beijing Olympics.

<more there>

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs? Wanna bet
if almost every member of a country's cycling team tested positive,
and the team wouldn't be going to the Olympics it'd be huge news?
Journalists, politicians, and used car salesmen. Same people, same
ethics, different jobs.
Bill C

http://www.hulu.com/watch/4090/saturday-night-live-weekend-update-all-drug-olympics

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

On 5/20/08 6:34 AM, in article
[email hidden], "Bill C"

Quoted message said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8157680/Greek-prosecutor-files-charges
-in-doping-scandal

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek prosecutor on Tuesday filed misdemeanor
charges against 25 people in a doping scandal involving the country's
weightlifting team.

Eleven of the team's 14 weightlifters tested positive for a banned
substance during a spot doping check in March, and the results were
announced in April. The scandal has made it unlikely that the Greek
team will participate in the Beijing Olympics.

<more there>

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs? Wanna bet
if almost every member of a country's cycling team tested positive,
and the team wouldn't be going to the Olympics it'd be huge news?
Journalists, politicians, and used car salesmen. Same people, same
ethics, different jobs.
Bill C

I thought most of the Greek team (for another sport) got thrown out of the
last Olympics too for the same thing!

Bill C said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8157680/Greek-prosecutor-file...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek prosecutor on Tuesday filed misdemeanor
charges against 25 people in a doping scandal involving the country's
weightlifting team.

Eleven of the team's 14 weightlifters tested positive for a banned
substance during a spot doping check in March, and the results were
announced in April. The scandal has made it unlikely that the Greek
team will participate in the Beijing Olympics.

<more there>

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
 Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs?

<snip>

Dumbass -

Of course it won't have international legs. It's weightlifting.

No one cares about weightlifting.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Bill C said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8157680/Greek-prosecutor-file...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek prosecutor on Tuesday filed misdemeanor
charges against 25 people in a doping scandal involving the country's
weightlifting team.

Eleven of the team's 14 weightlifters tested positive for a banned
substance during a spot doping check in March, and the results were
announced in April. The scandal has made it unlikely that the Greek
team will participate in the Beijing Olympics.

<more there>

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs?

<snip>

Dumbass -

Of course it won't have international legs. It's weightlifting.

No one cares about weightlifting.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.
----------------------

You mean nobody in _your_ world_ cares about weightlifting. It's a big sport
in the Balkan and Slavic regions.

Carl Sundquist said:

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Bill C said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8157680/Greek-prosecutor-file...

Quoted message said:

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek prosecutor on Tuesday filed misdemeanor
charges against 25 people in a doping scandal involving the country's
weightlifting team.

Quoted message said:

Eleven of the team's 14 weightlifters tested positive for a banned
substance during a spot doping check in March, and the results were
announced in April. The scandal has made it unlikely that the Greek
team will participate in the Beijing Olympics.

Quoted message said:

<more there>

Quoted message said:

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs?

<snip>

Dumbass -

Of course it won't have international legs. It's weightlifting.

No one cares about weightlifting.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.
----------------------

You mean nobody in _your_ world_ cares about weightlifting. It's a big sport
in the Balkan and Slavic regions.

Dumbass -

The OP wrote about whether the story will have international legs.

Big Corporate Media will mostly ignore it because the demographic that
drives their ad revenue doesn't reside in the places you mention.

So yes, in that context, no one cares about weightlifting.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.

Kurgan Gringioni said:

Carl Sundquist said:

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...
On May 20, 6:34 am, Bill C <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8157680/Greek-prosecutor-file....

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek prosecutor on Tuesday filed misdemeanor
charges against 25 people in a doping scandal involving the country's
weightlifting team.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Eleven of the team's 14 weightlifters tested positive for a banned
substance during a spot doping check in March, and the results were
announced in April. The scandal has made it unlikely that the Greek
team will participate in the Beijing Olympics.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<more there>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs?

Quoted message said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Dumbass -

Quoted message said:

Of course it won't have international legs. It's weightlifting.

Quoted message said:

No one cares about weightlifting.

Quoted message said:

thanks,

Quoted message said:

K. Gringioni.
----------------------

Quoted message said:

You mean nobody in _your_ world_ cares about weightlifting. It's a big sport
in the Balkan and Slavic regions.

Dumbass -

The OP wrote about whether the story will have international legs.

Big Corporate Media will mostly ignore it because the demographic that
drives their ad revenue doesn't reside in the places you mention.

So yes, in that context, no one cares about weightlifting.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Dumbass
It just demonstrates the hypocrisy behind the anti-doping
grandstanders, and politicians. If it's not something that can be
sensationalized, and used for huge public exposure, no matter how
serious, it's not much of a story. Then they are VERY careful not to
hit the sacred cow of FIFA because that would be counterproductive to
the real goal of self glorification when the riots hit.
The media and crusaders are about themselves, not the issue. The
issues are just carefully chosen vehicles for their little game. Too
bad for the lives and careers ruined. CAS says he didn't dope, but
he's still out of a job. I seriously hope that Rock Racing does sign
him.
Bill C
Bill C

Bill C said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8157680/Greek-prosecutor-file...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek prosecutor on Tuesday filed misdemeanor
charges against 25 people in a doping scandal involving the country's
weightlifting team.

Eleven of the team's 14 weightlifters tested positive for a banned
substance during a spot doping check in March, and the results were
announced in April. The scandal has made it unlikely that the Greek
team will participate in the Beijing Olympics.

<more there>

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
 Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs? Wanna bet
if almost every member of a country's cycling team tested positive,
and the team wouldn't be going to the Olympics it'd be huge news?
 Journalists, politicians, and used car salesmen. Same people, same
ethics, different jobs.
Bill C

It hard to say if cycling is the dirtiest sport.

It's interesting that many sports, like baseball, did very little to
monitor for drugs till recently, and baseball is still way behind
cycling.

I wonder why the leadership in some sports monitor carefully and
others don't?

Dumbass said:

Bill C said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8157680/Greek-prosecutor-file...

Quoted message said:

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek prosecutor on Tuesday filed misdemeanor
charges against 25 people in a doping scandal involving the country's
weightlifting team.

Quoted message said:

Eleven of the team's 14 weightlifters tested positive for a banned
substance during a spot doping check in March, and the results were
announced in April. The scandal has made it unlikely that the Greek
team will participate in the Beijing Olympics.

Quoted message said:

<more there>

Quoted message said:

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
 Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs? Wanna bet
if almost every member of a country's cycling team tested positive,
and the team wouldn't be going to the Olympics it'd be huge news?
 Journalists, politicians, and used car salesmen. Same people, same
ethics, different jobs.
Bill C

It hard to say if cycling is the dirtiest sport.

It's interesting that many sports, like baseball, did very little to
monitor for drugs till recently, and baseball is still way behind
cycling.

I wonder why the leadership in some sports monitor carefully and
others don't?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Have you seen interviews with NFL players, and read Lyle Alzado, and
Bill Romanowski's stuff? There're a million stories from baseball
about "greenies", amphetamines being in bowls on the training staffs
tables, or with the food in the clubhouse through the 70s and 80s at
least. All of this was an open secret, and well known to team
mangament and the leagues. Basketball was drug central for the same
period. In the power sports if you weren't doing a "cycle" of
something, and usually "stacks" of stuff you were the odd idiot out. I
was one of the very few idiots, but that was because I wasn't that
stupid, at least about the [censored] they were doing.
A handful of grandstanders, and people out to get Lance set this
whole mess off, and the politicians ran with it. That's why it became
an issue just like the baseball, steroids thing. Noone cared until the
crusaders got into it, and if you think they actually care about the
people involved, or some ethic, go look at your local rehab program,
shelter, or group meeting and see if they are there every week helping
people, or raising money for them.
Cycling was no worse, and I'm guessing better than a lot of other
sports.
Bill C

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Bill C said:

A handful of grandstanders, and people out to get Lance set this
whole mess off, and the politicians ran with it.

Sometimes your star-spangled blinders make you say really silly thing.
The big anti-doping hysteria around cycling has nothing to do with
Armstrong or some desire to "get Lance". Ever heard of the Festina
affair? In France the press and the politicians (first of them then
Minister of Sports M-G Buffet) were quick to use that as a soapbox of
sorts, and things have not changed much since then.

jyh.

jean-yves hervé said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Bill C said:

A handful of grandstanders, and people out to get Lance set this
whole mess off, and the politicians ran with it.

Sometimes your star-spangled blinders make you say really silly thing.  
The big anti-doping hysteria around cycling has nothing to do with
Armstrong or some desire to "get Lance".  Ever heard of the Festina
affair?  In France the press and the politicians (first of them then
Minister of Sports M-G Buffet) were quick to use that as a soapbox of
sorts, and things have not changed much since then.

jyh.

Ever heard of Walsh? Who was the biggest name being linked with
doping? Festina came first, no doubt about it, and Tricky [censored] was the
name in the middle of that, but do you really think that Virenque
would have been enough to keep the inquisition going? No the needed to
sacrifice Pantani, and chase after Lance. How many stories from the
Euro press would you like me to link you to involving Lance, and
doping?
The same star spangled blinders that had Sandy and other joking I'm
more supportive of France than most French, or the fact that I still
consider Germany, specifically Rhineland-Pfalz to be our family's
second home, and would love to be able to live between the two?
Bill C

Kurgan Gringioni said:

Bill C said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8157680/Greek-prosecutor-file...

Quoted message said:

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek prosecutor on Tuesday filed misdemeanor
charges against 25 people in a doping scandal involving the country's
weightlifting team.

Quoted message said:

Eleven of the team's 14 weightlifters tested positive for a banned
substance during a spot doping check in March, and the results were
announced in April. The scandal has made it unlikely that the Greek
team will participate in the Beijing Olympics.

Quoted message said:

<more there>

Quoted message said:

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs?

<snip>

Dumbass -

Of course it won't have international legs. It's weightlifting.

No one cares about weightlifting.

So true. Many sports are dirtier than cycling, for example:
http://k53.pbase.com/u10/slug/large/2105624.293.10.jpg

Besides, this is getting too serious. Cycling doesn't even come close
to this kind of filth:
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_02/glastonbury1G_468x271.jpg

;-))
-Paul

Bill C said:

jean-yves hervé said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,
 Bill C <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A handful of grandstanders, and people out to get Lance set this
whole mess off, and the politicians ran with it.

Quoted message said:

Sometimes your star-spangled blinders make you say really silly thing.  
The big anti-doping hysteria around cycling has nothing to do with
Armstrong or some desire to "get Lance".  Ever heard of the Festina
affair?  In France the press and the politicians (first of them then
Minister of Sports M-G Buffet) were quick to use that as a soapbox of
sorts, and things have not changed much since then.

Quoted message said:

jyh.

I should've added this in. If you follow any of the American doping
news then the nems you see headlining things are Roger Clemens, Barry
Bonds, and Mark McGuire. They were all huge stars, and major news
anyway so the doping stuff exploded, after being ignored for years,
when some folks wanted to make a name for themselves. Lots of other
people have been tagged but they aren't big names, just average
players, so they don't get the coverage and digging.
McGuire was smart, said nothing, and went underground, so he's
basically off the hook. Others have admitted it and apologized with
lousy excuses and been forgiven.
Bonds and Clemens have some things in common, they are both all
timers, world class arrogant, and [censored], and in Bonds case he gets
it worse because he's always been a total [censored] to the media in
particular, so they would go to hell and back to hang him.
That profile fits the person, just happened to be Lance, who was
dominating the biggest cycling event in the world for most of a
decade. That made/makes him the juiciest target. Doesn't matter if he
wasAmerican or not, though that is enough for some Euro papers with an
anti-US bias to dig harder, and make allegations. Same happens here
with some of our politicians and media concerning anything Euro, or
French in particular.
The fact that you jumped, immediately, to your attack the ignorant
American schtick say more about you than me. Especially for anyone
who's read what I've written here for years.
I also never noticed that my two favorite pro-tour type racers,
Zabel, and Udo Bolts are Americans.
Bill C

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs?

<snip>

Dumbass -

Of course it won't have international legs. It's weightlifting.

No one cares about weightlifting.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.
----------------------

You mean nobody in _your_ world_ cares about weightlifting. It's a big
sport
in the Balkan and Slavic regions.

Dumbass -

The OP wrote about whether the story will have international legs.

Big Corporate Media will mostly ignore it because the demographic that
drives their ad revenue doesn't reside in the places you mention.

So yes, in that context, no one cares about weightlifting.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.
------------------------------

So why does [American] Big Corporate Media (tm) still report doping in
cycling? Actually, it's probably because it's about the only aspect of the
sport that all readers can easily understand on it's most basic level.

However, it's still essentially regionally driven. An international soccer
doping scandal would still be on page three of any mainstream local US
newspaper and the equivalent in the electronic US media, as is doping in
cycling; it's not headline/above the fold material.

Don't automatically equate international with global.

"Carl Sundquist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So why does [American] Big Corporate Media (tm) still report doping in
cycling? Actually, it's probably because it's about the only aspect of the
sport that all readers can easily understand on it's most basic level.

And as a clarification, ABCM likely _reports_ doping in cycling
(regurgitating a wire story) rather than sending writers (other than Abt,
Sal Ruibal, or Arthur Brice) to actually cover it.

Carl Sundquist said:

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs?

Quoted message said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Dumbass -

Quoted message said:

Of course it won't have international legs. It's weightlifting.

Quoted message said:

No one cares about weightlifting.

Quoted message said:

thanks,

Quoted message said:

K. Gringioni.
----------------------

Quoted message said:

You mean nobody in _your_ world_ cares about weightlifting. It's a big
sport
in the Balkan and Slavic regions.

Dumbass -

The OP wrote about whether the story will have international legs.

Big Corporate Media will mostly ignore it because the demographic that
drives their ad revenue doesn't reside in the places you mention.

So yes, in that context, no one cares about weightlifting.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.
------------------------------

So why does [American] Big Corporate Media (tm) still report doping in
cycling? Actually, it's probably because it's about the only aspect of the
sport that all readers can easily understand on it's most basic level.

Dumbass -

Cycling has LANCE.

He was the #2 most marketable sports personality (behind Tiger Woods)
for a few years.

W/out LANCE, it would be a different story.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Carl Sundquist said:

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There's a bunch of stuff going on with sports "journalists" here
regionally in the last couple of months that it's just impossible to
have any faith in the credibility, integrity, and objectivity of any
of them.
Anyone wanna bet this story has no real International legs?

Quoted message said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Dumbass -

Quoted message said:

Of course it won't have international legs. It's weightlifting.

Quoted message said:

No one cares about weightlifting.

Quoted message said:

thanks,

Quoted message said:

K. Gringioni.
----------------------

Quoted message said:

You mean nobody in _your_ world_ cares about weightlifting. It's a big
sport
in the Balkan and Slavic regions.

Dumbass -

The OP wrote about whether the story will have international legs.

Big Corporate Media will mostly ignore it because the demographic that
drives their ad revenue doesn't reside in the places you mention.

So yes, in that context, no one cares about weightlifting.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.
------------------------------

So why does [American] Big Corporate Media (tm) still report doping in
cycling? Actually, it's probably because it's about the only aspect of the
sport that all readers can easily understand on it's most basic level.

Dumbass -

Cycling has LANCE.

He was the #2 most marketable sports personality (behind Tiger Woods)
for a few years.

W/out LANCE, it would be a different story.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.
-------------------------

The people that care about LANCE hooking up with Hollywood twentysomethings
that look like his mom don't give a [censored] about cycling.

As you said, he _was_ the #2 most marketable sports personality (behind
Tiger Woods) for a few years. Not anymore.

And that is why I stated my point as "So why does [American] Big Corporate
Media (tm) _STILL_report doping in cycling?" From a newsworthy standpoint,
LANCE and cycling have gone separate ways.

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Bill C said:

Ever heard of Walsh?

Yes. Did he write any books about doping before the 1998 Tour

Quoted message said:

Who was the biggest name being linked with
doping?

Riis? Pantani?

Quoted message said:

Festina came first, no doubt about it, and Tricky [censored] was the
name in the middle of that, but do you really think that Virenque
would have been enough to keep the inquisition going?

Seriously, you have no idea how big a trauma the Festina affair was in
France and how downright *painful* the whole 1998 Tour was to a lot of
people. A lot of second-rate politicians and journalists jumped on the
bandwagon and made sure to keep the issues in the news.

Quoted message said:

No the needed to
sacrifice Pantani, and chase after Lance. How many stories from the
Euro press would you like me to link you to involving Lance, and
doping?

You got it backwards. Doping was a huge story over there and then
Armstrong showed up (and behaved like an [censored]), and because he was
the most successful rider of the time and because many people strongly
suspected him to be on the juice, then of course a lot of the
doping-related stories were built around him, but it is completely wrong
to say that the whole thing started as a witch hunt targeted at Lance.

Quoted message said:

The same star spangled blinders that had Sandy and other joking I'm
more supportive of France than most French,

What Sandy considers being "supportive of France" is probably not
something that I would want to be associated with.

Quoted message said:

or the fact that I still
consider Germany, specifically Rhineland-Pfalz to be our family's
second home, and would love to be able to live between the two?

I bet some of your best friends are furriners too. :-)
(relax, I am just kidding)

Like it or not, you come across as one of the folks who (1) circle the
wagons the minute Lance and doping are mentioned in the same sentence,
and (2) talk a lot about "them" going after Lance. There is nothing
wrong with that as long as you are conscious of your own bias, which you
don't seem to be. It's great that you love your country and are proud
of it, but not every issue is an "us against them" story.

jyh.