The Worldwide Loser [+ update]
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 1, 2008 8:16 PM EST
in News
Email
PrintHere's a screenshot from the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader in Sports" today:
The caption:
U.S. cyclist Lance Armstrong, right, walks with an unidentified member of his team after a training session...
"Unidentified"?!? Does this help? Still drawing a blank? How about this? Still nothing?
This is inexcusable. It's Levi Fucking Leipheimer, the first, second and only American to ever ascend the podium of the Vuelta a Espana. The third fourth American to ever stand on the Podium in Paris (officially). The present Olympic Bronze medalist. The only American to ever win the Deutschland Tour. The twice-winner of the Tour of California. Maybe the caption was written by some random service that auto-loads on the ESPN website, but I demand a correction. Also, if it sounds like I'm overreacting, 1) it's my job to overreact when Cycling gets dissed, and 2) it's ESPN's job to gain some basic awareness of America's greatest athletes.
[h/t Majope]
Update, by Chris: ESPN responds to Majope, who kicks ass today:
Thank you for contacting us.
I reviewed the photo and see the source is AP (Associated Press). Because ESPN does not own the photo, we do not have the ability to update the photo or caption. Please contact the Associated Press with your request. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Shorter ESPN: we were just following orders. Nice.
107 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Tell them ALL about it
(Okay, I swear I just posted this, but them interwebs musta ate it. Trying again, and if the original appears out of the ether, apologies for the double post.)
Wow, they're fast
Response from ESPN:
Thank you for contacting us.
I reviewed the photo and see the source is AP (Associated Press). Because ESPN does not own the photo, we do not have the ability to update the photo or caption. Please contact the Associated Press with your request. I apologize for the inconvenience.
1-2-3...
…let’s all e-mail Artero himself:
arturorodriguez@fotografo.com
It’s been my experience that the cutline information starts (and usually ends) with the photographer, particularly when it is of a freelance nature.
by Chief Commissaire on Dec 1, 2008 9:15 PM EST up reply actions
Just be sure...
…and spell his first name correctly (since I did NOT).
by Chief Commissaire on Dec 1, 2008 9:16 PM EST up reply actions
gotta figure Arturo is some AP stringer
who happened on a money shot and fired it off. He probably knows as much about cycling as many (most?) of us know about Rugby Union Play in Aus. It is piss poor editing that someone didn’t pick this up prior to shipping it to their sporting news subscribers.
by Christopher See on Dec 1, 2008 11:06 PM EST up reply actions
Yep
It’s not Arturo’s fault, it’s the fault of the people who package the image and sell it to us as news, yet still can’t see that it’s a picture of America’s two most prominent active cyclists. For AP to sluff it off on the photographer is, well, a good indicator of why media outlets everywhere are canceling their contracts with AP. AP really sucks. But ESPN are the sports guys, and if they can’t finagle a way to correct the info on their own website, they’re pathetic too.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 1, 2008 11:16 PM EST up reply actions
They could have just taken the image from Lance's twitpic
" Levi Leipheimer and Lance Armstrong after surfing"
(via. Twitpic)
Oh my god was that hard, and oh so illegal, please… I just kicked the AP’s ass.
"If you go (with a break), you can either win or not win. If you don't go for it, you definitely won't win."
~ Jens Voigt
I thought that part was odd
That the caption is also owned by AP, not just the image. I would have expected that the subscriber to AP could write their own caption. They come pre-captioned? Where’s the fun in that?
AP Members...
…are free and clear to edit any and all AP copy. But they do so at their own risk. Unless it’s a picture of a “mainstream” sports athlete, they are likely to stick with what they’ve been given.
by Chief Commissaire on Dec 2, 2008 12:41 AM EST up reply actions
That's freakin' stupid
They deserve a solid round of heckling for that. Geesh, he’s American, you fools. And it’s not like he’s that hard to id. The, um, bald dome is pretty darn distinctive and stuff.
in one of his twitters
he commented that he’d race in the Astana kit but train in the Livestrong because “Priority #1 is the LS global campaign.”
Once into 2009 though, doesn't he have to train in the team kit?
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Musetted
As in… attacked by a musette :) —hal
Add that one to the lexicon archives. So funny.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Yahoo Photos has the same picture up with the same caption. Looks like it might have been the photographer’s caption on the AP wire.
The plot thickens
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 1, 2008 8:59 PM EST up reply actions
the ap thing
that you talked about above
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 1, 2008 11:16 PM EST up reply actions
I can't wait for their Giro coverage
“Some other team beat Lance’s team in the Giro team time trial.”
“Some Italian guy beat Armstrong in the Giro’s first mountain stage. The anonymous rider apparently won the Giro in 2006, back before anyone had ever heard of the race.”
“Armstrong wins Giro time trial, but is still behind a couple of nobodies in the overall results.”
twitpics
that’s awsome in some many ways, none of them related to the content I’m sure.
by Christopher See on Dec 1, 2008 11:01 PM EST up reply actions
That's only because...
Levi is only three feet tall. He rides a 21cm Trek.
Racing for Victory and Free Beer!
very swiftly
I might add…
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 1:41 AM EST up reply actions
Reality check for American cycling enthusiasts, riders, and racers
I applaud Chris for going on a rampage about this, and I think everyone should contact ESPN especially for using this AP photo and not correcting the caption. I just can’t believe they had a photographer out shooting at the Astana training camp that didn’t know anyone else besides Lance. Did they give some photos of Lance to the photographer and say “Hey, we need some photos of this guy, he rides a bike”?
That’s the sad reality of our sport here people. Like I’ve said before, when you’re out on the roads training it’s not like anyone yells out their car window " Go Jens!"
I shouldn’t be surprised by the disgruntled Podium Cafeans that Lance is headline news again with his announcement to ride the TDF. Some commenting on his poor grammar, others about his weight, and the constant doubt about his fitness and abilities. But his presence sure livens this site up, since previously you would have a handful of comments on a posted story and know the comments are rolling in again.
About Lance’s fitness, and I’m no fitness guru, but I no what it takes to run a sub 3 hr marathon because I did it in college and spent 3 days pissing into a bedpan. I started racing bikes in my 40’s just a few years ago and cruised to Cat2 with little pain. When I run in the off season I feel stronger and have better results on the bike. Lance is going to wreak havoc.
Fitness
Obviously Lance is pretty aware of what he’s getting into re. everyone else, so I’m sure he can be in the game. But what’s far less certain is how he’ll recover day after day as the road keeps going up. So I’m skeptical, but not dismissing it.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 1:44 AM EST up reply actions
"of his team"
As bad as the Levi complete screw job, the words after that, “of his team” pisses me off just as much.
"All men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. I myself deny it."- H. L. Mencken
maybe not as
discovery was “his” team. It’s a part of the mystique that many find so unappealing. It all devolves to the man, and little grace is given to those who make it possible. Granted Disco, was his team, no bones about, It was all Lance all the time. I think the reaction is to the possible return to those “thrilling days of yesteryear, Hi Ho Silver….”
by Christopher See on Dec 2, 2008 9:26 AM EST up reply actions
Actually . . . .
. . . if I remember correctly Lance had a partial financial ownership in Disco.
So, in fact it really was his team in more ways then one.
Astana is a bit different situation as Lance has no financial interest in the team.
It is just his team and not his team
as a point of interest
This happens all the time with sports photos. Most of the time you’re lucky if one person is identified with their name spelled correctly. Sometimes they issue corrections (see: getty images) sometimes (most times) they don’t.
Today, I raced à la Chavanel, and I succeeded.
Yeah
I can understand a little about how this works. But it’s like a cafe that outsources some of its food, and one of the items is half-baked pizza. Well, should you serve the half-baked pizza as is when people order it, or do you care enough about your business and your customers to finish baking it?
I know, this isn’t important. But Levi Leipheimer, in his team kit, has earned the right to never be called “unidentified dude” ever again.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 1, 2008 11:24 PM EST up reply actions
Plus a huge lot of plus signs.
Levi’s not like some unknown rider no ones heard of. He’s accomplished a great many things most riders will only dream of and that caption just sucked.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
i just think y'all are making a big deal out of nothing
It’s not like the people doing captions are out to get cycling. If you look at enough sports photos, which sadly I do, you’ll notice that this is far more common than you’d expect. Especially in team sports, where they don’t even bother to get the names right — even if the player has his back to the camera with his name on his jersey. I’ve seen pictures of LeBron James with the wrong name on the caption and it’s not like people don’t know who he is.
Today, I raced à la Chavanel, and I succeeded.
eh, just kvetching
Me, I think paid journos should do accurate work. If they don’t, it’s my God-given right as a free American to complain loudly and often.
That’s all ;-)
yeah, i get that
And I’m one of those people who bitch all the time. It just seem kind of hilarious (to me) that everyone is all up in arms about something so common and innocuous.
Today, I raced à la Chavanel, and I succeeded.
It's a little worse
when the same media breathlessly report what Lance had for breakfast. Maybe it’s common, but we retain the right to hate it.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 1:07 AM EST up reply actions
i think you're making this a bigger deal than it is
I’m not saying they shouldn’t write accurate captions, because they should. I’m just saying they don’t for any number reasons. And not one of those reasons is a direct reaction the photographer/whoever think about the people in the picture.
Today, I raced à la Chavanel, and I succeeded.
i think
the reaction is just an indicator of what a flashpoint this is. as Margo Channing put it, “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!” i was sick of the coverage three months ago so now i just block it out as much as possible.
I sat next to a photographer at a skating event once
and I’m pretty sure if I told him the skater’s name was Barbara Bush he’d have copied it down and sent it in.
Next time
you have to do this.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 11:50 AM EST up reply actions
oooh, imagine the fun we could have...
heh, heh, we really do need to infiltrate the press rooms ;-)
you have no idea!
I mean, in cycling they usually don’t even label the pictures.
Today, I raced à la Chavanel, and I succeeded.
Well that's weak
but they actually had a poll question on espn that asked if Armstrong will be able to ride in a supporting role in next years Tour. I’ll give them credit for even knowing that there is such a thing as a supporting role in cycling and that Lance may only be riding in support. Still, Levi won a medal for the US this year, and this is how he gets repaid? I don’t care if it was the AP or ESPN, a professional news agency should be able to do such a simple check up. It would have taken what? 5 whole minutes, oh dear no! BTW the AP article today about Lance racing the Tour next year even mentioned Levi, what little dipshits.
"If you go (with a break), you can either win or not win. If you don't go for it, you definitely won't win."
~ Jens Voigt
what this really is
is a nice little comment on the news business. Big media outlets can’t really take the time to be careful anymore; they just blast out unending streams of crap, on the cheap. This is at least 30% of the reason blogs exist: to point out how unacceptable the rest of the media is, and to demonstrate what a real product looks like. So perhaps I should be more grateful.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 1, 2008 11:28 PM EST reply actions
Maybe in exhange for us not bitching them out
they should give a link to PdC saying " If you want to find out who the small sort of bald dude is, next to the great American God himself, check out this site that actually has knowledge of cycling"
"If you go (with a break), you can either win or not win. If you don't go for it, you definitely won't win."
~ Jens Voigt
Not for much longer
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/26/22352/7383
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 1:08 AM EST up reply actions
I think you’ll find a subsequent story in which AP reduced their prices and removed usage restrictions in order to placate their dissenting customers. Which should at least see them competitive with CNN’s new newswire service and probably keep most of their existing customers.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
by fmk on Dec 2, 2008 7:02 AM EST up reply actions
dunno
I think the regional associations that have sprung up will prove to be pretty good ideas, and we’ll see more movement to them. The AP will probably remain, but it’ll be a shadow of its former self (hopefully not falling to the depths of the UPI . . . ).
The AP price reduction exists. As does a tasty two-year hang-up clause.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
by fmk on Dec 2, 2008 9:05 AM EST up reply actions
one more thing
At least the caption isn’t leading or blatantly biased as one Liverpool-centric sports photo site (Propaganda Photos) tends to be. They’d probably post something like ‘Leipheimer, fuck that guy.’ Or, you know, maybe not, but still. at Propaganda, they tend to post things that are pro-Liverpool and anti whatever team Liverpool are playing. It’s hilarious in many, many ways.
Today, I raced à la Chavanel, and I succeeded.
Media fucking up the facts?
I, for one, find this comforting because It means that the world is working as expected…
I've got to nit pik.
What struck me as I read Chris’s post was that Levi was the third American (officially) to stand on the Tour podium. Leaves me wondering who wasn’t official among these three; LeMond, Julich or Armstrong. Maybe I’m ignorant but I thought they were all legit.
Chris I’m not picking on you, you do a great job with everything on the site and with two young ones at home and a full time job that requires considerable travel that’s no small feat. But no one else seemed to catch it either.
With luck the tone of the complaints to ESPN and the AP will be that we are watching and encouraging them to be more on top of their game, more ink is almost as good as accurate ink.
" Well, art is art isn't it? Still on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now uh . . . Now you tell me what you know." Groucho Marx
Landis?
stood there, then had it unceremoniously yanked from beneath him as a stool from under a gallows….
Ok I reread your post and mine isn’t relevant, but I love the metaphor so I’m gonna leave it. He did stand there unofficially I guess.
by Christopher See on Dec 2, 2008 9:36 AM EST up reply actions
Woops
forgot Julich. So that’s four. And I eliminated Landis, hence the “officially” parenthetical.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 10:05 AM EST up reply actions
fixed!
thanks for catching that.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 10:06 AM EST up reply actions
And as Fred says, Landis?
I had totally forgotten he ever stood on the podium, duh. :-P
" Well, art is art isn't it? Still on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now uh . . . Now you tell me what you know." Groucho Marx
OK, at least
they didn’t identify Levi as Lance’s “French Maid.” Honestly, doesn’t that black on the Astana kit look like a French Maid’s apron?
My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
things i don't need to think about
Levi in a skirt. Sure, I don’t mind men in skirts, but ugh. Not Levi.
Today, I raced à la Chavanel, and I succeeded.
OK
A utili-kilt then?
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 11:51 AM EST up reply actions
no thank you. but only cause i don't think levi's hot. at all
Today, I raced à la Chavanel, and I succeeded.
Completely unrelated
But doesn’t that look like the pre-cancer “bulky upperbody”-Lance?
( Welcome back to 2002 and the classic “Doesn’t Jan look fat?”-conversation)
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
oooh, more reruns, hooray!
LOL, well, standing next to Levi, he looks gargantuan. But eh, at the moment, he doesn’t exactly look like a bike racer to me. Too much upper body.
True
but it’s early. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. T-S-T is still five months off…
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 1:33 PM EST up reply actions
With enough mileage, it should melt away
Still, it always surprises me how much bigger than many riders he is.
Hm
talk about an on-the-bike handicap. Still, he’s into cycling and Lampre in particular, and he’s at the Giro. Which makes him cooler than about 95% of the known universe right off the bat.
CQRanking.com, you complete me.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 2, 2008 4:51 PM EST up reply actions
OW MY EYES!!!!!
at least he’s got a jersey on. we have one or two that like to ride sans jersey and shouldn’t.
by Christopher See on Dec 2, 2008 7:56 PM EST up reply actions
It's the whole triathlete thing
The short course guys tend to be pretty hefty compared to bike racers. LA was a short course specialist back in the day. Andy Potts is another good example. He was a collegiate swimmer and is built like one. But he’s a pretty fast runner and fair cyclist as well.
If I just had one more gear, I...
ay, 2007 US road champ (stars and stripes)
Been watching the ‘08 TdF and ’08 Vuelta. Not at precisely the same time, but close. As far as the wheelsucker thing goes… Cattle was is bit prickly off the bike, scraped elbow or not. Levi rocked the big hills in Spain. So, I had just recently promoted (the now dis’d by ESPN) Levi above wheelsucker status. Bald guys rule.
Wheee, I can’t link to include the caption, but Levi was appropriately identified in this pic from the latest batch of Astana pics on the AP
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Featured Stories
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
