Olympic sport "experts"

[zizou]

I thought the "why wont Nibali attack in Paris to win the yellow jersey" sort of questions were bad enough last week. But to be fair they were asking questions, interested to know and i was happy to tell them the reasons.

But tonight, i've been having arguments about cycling tactics from guys who have never seen a cycling race in their life yet think watching a couple of hours of (pretty substandard) coverage today makes them experts.

A few of the comments:

"Cavendish should have sprinted up to them they were only 50 seconds ahead then he could get into the race at the end"

"I thought that Wiggins fella was supposed to be good he did nothing, he had all this hype in the papers last week and he was worse than Radcliffe"

Every year its the same, the Olympics come on and some people see a sport for a couple of hours and then suddenly become know it all experts in cycling or swimming or hockey or rowing or diving or whatever they happen to watch that day. I'm not having a dig at those wanting to learn more and taking an actual interest in it but by god the experts dont have become annoying!

(not sure if this is the right forum but im needing somewhere to vent after an excrutiating night out!)

 

[Chuffy]

Vinwhokourov?

 

[Paul_L]

oh my life, that is shocking journalism.

I'm no Vino fan, but that is so disrespectful it's untrue.

 

[Chuffy]

oh my life, that is shocking journalism.

I'm no Vino fan, but that is so disrespectful it's untrue.

Please. Never again use the 'J' word in conjunction with the Daily Mail. That's not what they do.

 

[zizou]

Yeah that is pretty awful!

If your job is a sports journalist then surely you would be ashamed not to know who he is never mind stick it on the front cover and pick up a wage in a field where you have such a shocking lack of knowledge!

 

[asterix]

Since the overwhelming majority of DM neither know nor care about the truth, why should they do any better?

 

[youngoldbloke]

I thought the "why wont Nibali attack in Paris to win the yellow jersey" sort of questions were bad enough last week. But to be fair they were asking questions, interested to know and i was happy to tell them the reasons.

But tonight, i've been having arguments about cycling tactics from guys who have never seen a cycling race in their life yet think watching a couple of hours of (pretty substandard) coverage today makes them experts.

A few of the comments:

"Cavendish should have sprinted up to them they were only 50 seconds ahead then he could get into the race at the end"

"I thought that Wiggins fella was supposed to be good he did nothing, he had all this hype in the papers last week and he was worse than Radcliffe"

I had a very similar experience when I went for my weekly lime and soda at the the local hostelry last night -
"They never used to have teams in the Tour de France - that Eddy Merckx, he did it by himself didn't he!", "Cycle racing - its every man for himself - thats how you win!"
I gave up after a while - the experts knew it all ........

 

[Andy84]

I thought the "why wont Nibali attack in Paris to win the yellow jersey" sort of questions were bad enough last week. But to be fair they were asking questions, interested to know and i was happy to tell them the reasons.

But tonight, i've been having arguments about cycling tactics from guys who have never seen a cycling race in their life yet think watching a couple of hours of (pretty substandard) coverage today makes them experts.


A few of the comments:

"Cavendish should have sprinted up to them they were only 50 seconds ahead then he could get into the race at the end"

"I thought that Wiggins fella was supposed to be good he did nothing, he had all this hype in the papers last week and he was worse than Radcliffe"

Every year its the same, the Olympics come on and some people see a sport for a couple of hours and then suddenly become know it all experts in cycling or swimming or hockey or rowing or diving or whatever they happen to watch that day. I'm not having a dig at those wanting to learn more and taking an actual interest in it but by god the experts dont have become annoying!

(not sure if this is the right forum but im needing somewhere to vent after an excrutiating night out!)

I've been having similar conversations with my brother, although I think he made a good point in that for people who don't follow cycling, team GB came across as really sore losers in the post race interviews.

 

[dslippy]

I thought the BBC description of Cavendish as 'spluttering across the line' was just plain insulting.

 

[beastie]

I watch sport, enjoy it and don't let things like ignorant punters or crap journalism bug me too much. At least they are talking about cycling.


Some of you really need to lighten up

 

[Chuffy]

I can't see that - is it a link to the Daily Mail, Chuffy? Otherwise I don't understand most of this thread!

It should just be an image - front page of the Mail on Sunday sports section. It's got a picture of Vino crossing the line and the headline-
"NOWHERE MAN: Team GB's red-hot favourite Mark Cavendish loses out to the nobody from Kazakstan".

 

[monnet]

It should just be an image - front page of the Mail on Sunday sports section. It's got a picture of Vino crossing the line and the headline-
"NOWHERE MAN: Team GB's red-hot favourite Mark Cavendish loses out to the nobody from Kazakstan".

To put it into the pantheon of great British sporting journalism. My favourite still being the football Champions League headline after a Barca win 'The 10 best players in the world....and Xavi' Hmm...

 

[monnet]

On the plus side, my boss texted me in the middle of the Women's Road Race today to ask if we could meet for coffee in the week so I could explain cycling to her.

 

[marinyork]

Ah yes the mail. I believe this was their lead sports story on that particular day. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ded-athletes-London-Games--thats-15-EACH.html

 

[lb81]

I was doing my best to explain tactics to my non cycling wife and in-laws during the woman's race earlier and to be fair to them they understood it all pretty well. I think they also understood why the men lost yesterday....

Not sure it will be so easily explained to my bigoted colleagues tomorrow!