New Year's Resolution
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 2:36 PM EST
in Housekeeping
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PrintI, an editor at the Podium Cafe, resolve to use everything in my power in 2010 so that the front page of the Podium Cafe never looks like this:
If you see the words "Contador" and "Armstrong" in a single story on the front page, and that story is something other than a race preview or report, I authorize -- no, insist! -- that you call me out in the comments. I admit we have had our fun with this polemica in 2009, in part because it had some real news value as long as Contador and Armstrong were on the same team and that team's performance might be influenced by their relationship. And in part because we have fun, even sometimes when we shouldn't. And this was occasionally fun.
But now it's turned into something else. It's not fun, it's tiresome... and yet barely a day goes by without some story somewhere dredging it up. This is, simply, media crack -- like Tiger's mistresses or the Clintons or Princess Di or Britney's underpants. It's a story reporters turn to over and over because, in the absence of something better, it will reliably draw some eyeballs from readership's lowest common denominator. I don't know if Peter Cossins is a bad reporter; more likely he just showed up to work and was asked to translate an online chat at El Mundo... but he quickly fell into quicksand of the universal media mindset where you can't not push the cheap dirt button every time you see it. Also, for whatever reason, Armstrong and Bruyneel are willingly acting as pushers rather than growing up and moving on. Maybe they think they can win some sort of psychological war which will cause Contador to train less out of sadness, or crash during the Tour prologue in a fit of Lance-fueled rage.
Whatever. I can't stop them -- or even influence them in the remotest way -- from peddling this crack to the media. And lord knows I can't even begin to stop the lazy, mindless media bloodhounds from re-chewing the same hidebound nonsense day after day after day. But I can stop the Cafe from looking like these other publications, and can provide a place for people to escape the clutches of another round of "Lance Calls Alberto Ugly" and "Alberto Says Lance Looks Fat". I can admit that there's a problem, which is the first step toward solving it. Please, join me in taking this step, and help me stay the course. Together, we shall overcome.
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Hear, Hear!
I’m with you! Shall I take my fanpost about Lance in Dutch media down as a sign of protest?
"I'm sorry Karsten, I can't, I'm fucked" Lance Armstrong in respons to Karsten Kroon's request to take over. Shortly before the Muur van Geraardsbergen, Ronde van Vlaanderen 2005
well
It’s not 2010 yet. But it’s your choice
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
Let's not go there again
ANd it is bad mojo to jinx new year’s resolutions by starting too early anyway.
"I'm sorry Karsten, I can't, I'm fucked" Lance Armstrong in respons to Karsten Kroon's request to take over. Shortly before the Muur van Geraardsbergen, Ronde van Vlaanderen 2005
Nice tagline BTW
And they say De Ronde is not hard?
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
It's from Kroon's book
With the very nice name “Kronieken” (chronicles).
"I'm sorry Karsten, I can't, I'm fucked" Lance Armstrong in respons to Karsten Kroon's request to take over. Shortly before the Muur van Geraardsbergen, Ronde van Vlaanderen 2005
it's not on "the front page" so why should you even consider removing it?
given enough time, and what your personal settings are, it will even be gone from the fanshot (it’s not a fanpost) listing soon enough….
heck, i don’t even see the fanshots until i page down a few times…..
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
amen sir, amen
peter cossins should know better, he used to be editor of procyling i think. i’m sick of this story, and henceforth, shall never mention it again.
"well...you live in england so: you love the rain. loves the queen. hates cycling. based on mr bean had a tremendous amount of humour. all ride in a mini cooper. all getting drunk before the age of 12. getting drunk at least 3 times a day."- frinking, 7/9/09
Editors
methinks they’re more the problem than reporters. They’re the ones giving assignments and finding space for this shit.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 2:45 PM EST up reply actions
not happy with procycling at the moment
first they put ricco on the cover and now this. but you’re right on editors, ’cause they mostly care about page views or whatever.
"well...you live in england so: you love the rain. loves the queen. hates cycling. based on mr bean had a tremendous amount of humour. all ride in a mini cooper. all getting drunk before the age of 12. getting drunk at least 3 times a day."- frinking, 7/9/09
only some :)
"well...you live in england so: you love the rain. loves the queen. hates cycling. based on mr bean had a tremendous amount of humour. all ride in a mini cooper. all getting drunk before the age of 12. getting drunk at least 3 times a day."- frinking, 7/9/09
I too take the pledge
For any article I write that might have both Bert and Lance in it for other reasons, I promise not to make any sort of allusion about their relationship. A relationship that should look up to Cher and Greg Allman for tips on how to function properly.
New Polemica in 2010!
Headline: Gav forced to pay for her own crayons while Chris enjoys free highlighters from Rock Racing
rofl!
i was just given a new box, though, so i think i’m good for the next few months at least.
i’ll try not to break the red one again…
How many different kinds of red do you have this time?
Is belgian jersey red different from cervelo trim red?
STANDS UP AND CLAPS!
which I usually only do for the champions mind you. I shall go along with you and like Bert will ignore Lance and JB’s comments and not comment about them commentating about how the Spanish media is taking their comments out of context.
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
Bravo, Chris
and points well-taken. Unfortunately, the Podium Cafe has been a place to go to get sane again whenever the Red Death rages in the media.
It’s also unfortunate than as this situation continues, there are fewer bulwarks against it and the loudest and most persistent voices have the greater chance carrying their points.
I’d love to go on. I’ve mostly bitten my tongue regarding this subject for months, but I respect your integrity on behalf of all of us who participate here.
Integrity
Better late than never! Thanks tho.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 3:13 PM EST up reply actions
You can count me in as well.
"He looked pretty good until he went over the side of that cliff." PdC's own thevaro, on why he's betting on Oscar Periero's "BIG COMEBACK" in 2010
And Chris has to write about it...joke!
I find it funnier that Chris is losing sleep over this but not suprised he would write on it… Cycling News is not Podium Cafe. The media is doing its job in reporting news and the only two people who making complete fools of themselves by adding fuel to the fire is one Armstrong and his cohort Bryuneel. Infact, when you visit http://www.cyclingnews.com/, the headline is “Bruyneel Sets The Record Straight : Radio Shack Boss Says French Trash Investigation Is Nothing”
Is that sensationalism on the front page, with Armstrong and Bruyneel in the same sentence. Hardly. Just objective news reporting and Podium Cafe is not the only reader of Cycling News.
Ok
but I am questioning the notion that the media have to report on it. [And the “it” I am writing about is the media, not the content of the latest round of polemic reporting.] Can the media ignore Lance or Bruyneel? Or are they trapped, knowing that if they don’t cover it, however stupid it is, they’ll lose readership? Perhaps I’m being naive.
Anyway, we don’t do news per se, as you suggest, so we have the luxury of saying, enough!
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
Thanks for the link!
I went straight to the story on Lucas Euser, I’d been wondering what his plans were for next year and now I know we’ll know in a few days.
….Sorry that was off topic wasn’t it. ;-) (How am I doing so far Chris?)
"Drawing on my fine command of language I said nothing."- Groucho
well played
And we’re still 36 hours from next year…
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
He is going to Planet Energy for next year. That is the only Canadian continental team. He should be able to do a good amount of
American races and Tour de Beuce and such. It is a step back but he should be able to get back to Europe
by Vlaanderen90 on Dec 30, 2009 11:12 PM EST up reply actions
p.s.
The story about setting the record straight leads with polemica. And then there’s this tripe, also from today.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
p.p.s.
And I don’t mean to pick on CN specifically. It’s universal.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
It's not news, it's a bunch of high school gossip
if CN wants to become part of the Hollywood gossip papers, whose writers have no lives of there own so they must stalk the lives of others, then they can continue to write about such non-sense and happy them, but no need for that here. Here the high school level of immaturity will be left to hottitude columns and people like myself.
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
Test
"Here the high school level of immaturity will be left to hottitude columns and people like myself." Der Phil. H
I'm thinking Phil will be honoured :)
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
I accept part of the blame
Mea culpa. I’ve been doing my Google News search for Alberto Contador for some time, & started visiting other cycling sites around the globe. I started posting links to the non-English articles on my twitter to #procycling. I monitor my followers, but 3 of the 30 were a Cycling News writer, a cycling news editor, and the Cycling News Feed. Recent stories about Operation Grial, the TdF Prologue being scheduled around World Cup matches, and others, came from sources I posted as links hours before. I posted the ElMundo thing as it hit, (I had submitted a question earlir asking about the conflic of interest involved in actively recruiting for Radio Shack while being paid to manage Astana into the ground) and the first quotes from Het Nieuwsblad and Telegraaf (I posted the links here as well). When I posted the first Lance quote about Contador, the writer I knew responded immediately asking about the timing.
I woke up this morning to “Bruyneel Sets the Record Straight”. I locked up my twitter and removed the guys who were hetting two or three free story leads from me each day. I will now fall on my sword. Ciao
Bravely done!
Although you needn’t fall on the sword (if I’m not too late!). We all got into the habit in 2009. All I’m saying is, let’s start doing something else next year.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
I hope, friend, that it's
just one of those little swords that comes in a cocktail, and that you don’t put your eye out. (Your eye for news, that is.)
Count me out, I don't want to look like any of the Republicans. ;)
“But I can stop the Cafe from looking like these other republicans”. For some reason that’s what I thought I read the first time.
Lord knows this is about the only improvement this site needs.
No horn, watch for finger.
La and JB blaming the media seems like a flashback to the McCain campaign of last year
yeah I just broke the “no politics” rule bitchezzz.
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
This decision is good for quality control indeed.
The humor factor has been erased from these Astana Tour-related publicity catfights ceased long ago, especially when Vino had his Monaco press conference…
Wigglypuff Cav Crunch, Breakfast of Madison Champions!
*sigh*
No need to bring the Great One into this. He hasn’t yet dipped his oar into the troubled waters of which we have been speaking (to the best of my knowledge)…
Indeed
Vino is totally in. You never know what he’ll do next. In fact, that’s part of my complaint with Lance/JB: we know EXACTLY what they’ll do next.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 31, 2009 12:07 AM EST up reply actions
After reading that article nextyear posted a few days ago
about living in the glorious nation, his next move will likely be to beat-up a gypsy. Quite predictable if you ask me.
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
Totally support this resolution.
I even stopped following LA and JB on Twitter, and all of their army of retweeters.
Its my own little strike of one. Not that they’d notice but it makes me feel like I crawled out of the gutter before drowning in it.
And nice avatar Jimbo…
I'm slowly axing them from my twitter too
Getting tired of “Landed in Kona. Had an awesome dinner at ______. Awesome.” as well.
by Douglas Ansel on Dec 30, 2009 8:24 PM EST up reply actions
Nice try
Note to JB: calling it “awesome” doesn’t make it Awesome!
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 30, 2009 8:41 PM EST up reply actions
Slowly axing them from my twitter...
It’s the “slowly” part that has me sitting here with a confused look on my face.
No horn, watch for finger.
Hear Hear!
TY so much. I can’t actually read CN or VN any more b/c of this.
Getting tired LA and making a resolution to stop harping on everything that he says.
Now you can follow the new favorite TdF rider on twitter.
http://twitter.com/AContador
No horn, watch for finger.
I highly doubt that is the real him
seeing both entries are from Match 17th and nothing since, well maybe he was going to go for it and then realized as a pro athlete NOTHING good can come from tweeting(which most athletes who tweet should know by now).
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
it is the real him
He said in one of his interviews that he was on twitter, but all his page would ever do is give the linky to his website for people who wanted to know more.
YaY I'm with you... Actually I tweeted and F/booked yesterday
That i was tired of the whole LA, JB and AC Bullshit, just Shutup and ride. Funnily enough many people agreed, even a Pro rider or two.
"the rest was over 30. And that doesn't mean old and useless, but experienced and with the stamina"
Jens! Voigt, Crit Intl Interview, 2009
What a great tag line.
“Just shutup and ride”.
I think that line is the perfect response for everything. Try it in your head. See.
I waited a half an hour to give my two toddlers breakfast until I had my Eneco tour coverage sorted, then made sure I got them fed before the sprint. --- Bought With Blood. ..... Hmmm, my kinda people. If only they could explain to my wife why my bike belongs in the house and not the garage. --- Thevaro
OK, there's still a bit over an hour left to go...
… but I’m stuffed, and so I shall see in the new year in an unconsious state. Sooo…
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
All the very best to each and every one of you :-)
Officially 2010 here in Brisbane, Australia... Happy New Year all..
"the rest was over 30. And that doesn't mean old and useless, but experienced and with the stamina"
Jens! Voigt, Crit Intl Interview, 2009
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