Dumb American sportswriters vs. Cycling journalists

"Tony Ortega" wrote in message
om...
What a coincidence. Two dumbass sports columnists (Denver Post, SF
Chronicle) who do the typical brain-fart "item" columns (stringing
together short observations separated by ellipses "...." because their
tiny brains can't conceive one column-length idea) both decide on the
same day that cycling isn't a sport. They're trolling, of course, and
they'll no doubt get lots of angry email from us cycling types. In the
end, these morons aren't worth the spilled ink.

On the other hand, recent posts about how lame sportswriters are
inspired me to share an anecdote that provides some supporting
evidence.

One of my best friends is a Belgian sports journalist who covers
cycling. He was also, at one time, one of only a handful of European
writers who were credentialed to cover the NBA full time. Several
years ago, my friend flew in to visit me in Phoenix and cover a game,
and he complained again and again about what idiots American
sportswriters are. He resented that he'd have to fight to get
one-on-one interviews with athletes and coaches. When I asked him why,
he said that the practice here is for a lot of American reporters to
sit around in a group and lob extremely stupid questions, hoping that
something other than a barely coherent cliché came out of the subject.
The writers had got in the habit of asking questions they already knew
the answer to, questions whose answers were implied in the way they
were asked. "Isn't it true that..." these questions always began, my
friend complained.
(For a pertinent example, just watch how Frankie Andreu questions
Lance Armstrong after each stage. A non-journalist whose only training
is from the kinds of interviews he's been through himself, Andreu asks
incredibly obvious non-questions that can only elicit the most pat,
boring responses. Don't get me wrong - I love Frankie, and always dug
his Tour diaries when he was riding. But he's no interviewer. Luckily
for him, Armstrong usually comes up with a decent soundbite
nonetheless.)
Anyway, my friend wanted one interview in particular, with
then-Phoenix Suns coach Danny Ainge. At the time, Ainge was new to
coaching, and he'd turned around a lousy team in a short period of
time. Problem was, there were about ten writers loafing around in
Ainge's office, watching him eat dinner. (Saw it myself. I went along
with my friend to see him in action.) The writers cracked jokes, never
eliciting more than a grunt from Ainge, who didn't appear too bright.
My friend patiently waited until there was just one writer still in
the room, and then asked if he could talk with Ainge. Right away, he
bored in with probing questions - what was it like for a guy who had
spent so many years winning with the Celtics to take over such a sucky
club? What did Ainge think of the young thugs who were hurting the
sport's image? And a dozen other substantial queries.
And something amazing happened - confronted with intelligent, complex
questions, Ainge responded with very smart and thoughtful replies.
Turned out the guy was actually very bright, and had thought deeply on
these subjects.
I remember watching the light go on in the head of the lone remaining
American sportswriter in the room - he was stunned by what he was
witnessing. So much so that in his column the next day, he wrote about
my friend and how Ainge had given such a probing interview to a
European journalist.
Just as we were leaving, this American sportswriter shook his head
and asked Ainge, "Hey, how come you don't tell us those kinds of
things?"
Ainge smiled and said, "You never asked."


Tony Ortega
Phoenix, Arizona

It's amazing how stupid some of these guys are. One time when Lemond was
winning some guy wrote during the climb to Luz Ardiden where Indurain beat
Lemond that anybody can peddle a bike up a hill and went on and on with a
rant. I believe Lemond caught wind of it and invited to pay the guy's plane
trip to come over to watch the tour to see how hard it really is. It's one
thing when these idiots write stuff like that but what is actually more
astonishing is when cycling journalists write stuff that is really mean,
untrue and cruel. I am aware of some who privately have views about cycling
and it's stars past and present that if printed would draw the wrath of the
entire cycling community. That's why they don't write publicly what they
feel privately. To me that is even more detrimental to the sport of cycling.
The good news is that it never gets printed.



B-

You're painting with a pretty broad brush here aren't you? Sorry, can't buy
your generic American sportswriters-lame, Euro writers-incisive, line. One
anecdote from a Belgium sportswriter doesn't a consensus make. Are you sure
the same phenomenon doesn't occur in the office of the coach of FC Bruges or
Anderlech soccer clubs?

"Tony Ortega" wrote in message
om...
What a coincidence. Two dumbass sports columnists (Denver Post, SF
Chronicle) who do the typical brain-fart "item" columns (stringing
together short observations separated by ellipses "...." because their
tiny brains can't conceive one column-length idea) both decide on the
same day that cycling isn't a sport. They're trolling, of course, and
they'll no doubt get lots of angry email from us cycling types. In the
end, these morons aren't worth the spilled ink.

On the other hand, recent posts about how lame sportswriters are
inspired me to share an anecdote that provides some supporting
evidence.

One of my best friends is a Belgian sports journalist who covers
cycling. He was also, at one time, one of only a handful of European
writers who were credentialed to cover the NBA full time. Several
years ago, my friend flew in to visit me in Phoenix and cover a game,
and he complained again and again about what idiots American
sportswriters are. He resented that he'd have to fight to get
one-on-one interviews with athletes and coaches. When I asked him why,
he said that the practice here is for a lot of American reporters to
sit around in a group and lob extremely stupid questions, hoping that
something other than a barely coherent cliché came out of the subject.
The writers had got in the habit of asking questions they already knew
the answer to, questions whose answers were implied in the way they
were asked. "Isn't it true that..." these questions always began, my
friend complained.
(For a pertinent example, just watch how Frankie Andreu questions
Lance Armstrong after each stage. A non-journalist whose only training
is from the kinds of interviews he's been through himself, Andreu asks
incredibly obvious non-questions that can only elicit the most pat,
boring responses. Don't get me wrong - I love Frankie, and always dug
his Tour diaries when he was riding. But he's no interviewer. Luckily
for him, Armstrong usually comes up with a decent soundbite
nonetheless.)
Anyway, my friend wanted one interview in particular, with
then-Phoenix Suns coach Danny Ainge. At the time, Ainge was new to
coaching, and he'd turned around a lousy team in a short period of
time. Problem was, there were about ten writers loafing around in
Ainge's office, watching him eat dinner. (Saw it myself. I went along
with my friend to see him in action.) The writers cracked jokes, never
eliciting more than a grunt from Ainge, who didn't appear too bright.
My friend patiently waited until there was just one writer still in
the room, and then asked if he could talk with Ainge. Right away, he
bored in with probing questions - what was it like for a guy who had
spent so many years winning with the Celtics to take over such a sucky
club? What did Ainge think of the young thugs who were hurting the
sport's image? And a dozen other substantial queries.
And something amazing happened - confronted with intelligent, complex
questions, Ainge responded with very smart and thoughtful replies.
Turned out the guy was actually very bright, and had thought deeply on
these subjects.
I remember watching the light go on in the head of the lone remaining
American sportswriter in the room - he was stunned by what he was
witnessing. So much so that in his column the next day, he wrote about
my friend and how Ainge had given such a probing interview to a
European journalist.
Just as we were leaving, this American sportswriter shook his head
and asked Ainge, "Hey, how come you don't tell us those kinds of
things?"
Ainge smiled and said, "You never asked."


Tony Ortega
Phoenix, Arizona