rec.bicycles.racing in the news.

Let the riders' sponsors pay for their worlds trip. I don't understand
why spectators should pay for it.

Also, a lot of the athletes tapping the fund could have afforded to go
to worlds with their own money but simply didn't want to tap their own
bank account for reasons that hardly amount to anything more than
selfishness.

So I'm not so sure Danny Callen's idea was anything more than misguided
idealism at best.

This ain't a fund to make some little kid in a wheelchair walk again.
It's a superfluous fund. If the racers and their sponsors don't think
worlds is something they should pay for, why the **** would you ask
spectators to kick in to the kitty?

Riders were abusing this fund as a cop-out just so they can save more of
their own money.


Magilla



Patrick O'Grady wrote:

In article , "Danny Callen"
wrote:


It's a sad day my friends. I feel responsible for not being able to properly
help organize the efforts. My work schedule and life has just been too busy
to really help. I can't thank Patrick O'Grady and Charles Pelkey enough for
keeping it going as long as they have. I kept hoping things would change and
I'd be able to be more active. Those guys deserve all the credit for
everything the ACF became and for the help that was given to the riders each
year. Hats off to Charles and Patrick..

Danny Callen



Not to worry, Danny me boyo,


Yours was a great idea, and we got to do some good with it for a while.
For that, we all thank you. It was one of those deals that makes you slap
your head and say, "Now why the hell didn't I think of that?" Absolutely
brilliant.

What cyclo-cross needs from here on, I think, is a small group of highly
organized folks who can set themselves up as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit and
work with sponsors, athletes, fans and the feds to raise the bucks to help
underwrite those members of the U.S. team who receive no financial support
from either USA Cycling or the USA Cycling Development Foundation. I'm
thinking something like USACDF, but on a smaller scale and completely
independent of USA Cycling and its Olympics-focused structure. I also
think its fund-raising should focus on covering a trip to Geoff Proctor's
Euro camp along with the annual jaunt to world's so the athletes can get
their Sidis muddy before the big event.

Frankly, this is what the American Cyclo-cross Foundation should have
been. But that darned old real world kept getting in the way, didn't it?
Sumbitch was leering over my shoulder all the damn' time: "Whatchoo doin'
now, huh? That gonna make you any money, huh? Ever plan on riding your
bike again, huh?" Plus I'm about as organized as ... well, let's just say
a guy who lives for deadline pressure ("Holy ****, you mean my column's
due tomorrow?") is not the guy you want making the trains run on time.

Cheers,

Patrick O'Grady
Mad Dog Media
http://www.maddogmedia.com

MagillaGorilla wrote in message ...

This ain't a fund to make some little kid in a wheelchair walk again.
It's a superfluous fund. If the racers and their sponsors don't think
worlds is something they should pay for, why the **** would you ask
spectators to kick in to the kitty?


someone can spend their money however they want. most US riders are
sponsored by philanthropists anyways, as opposed to working for
marketing dollars.

MagillaGorilla wrote in message ...

This ain't a fund to make some little kid in a wheelchair walk again.
It's a superfluous fund. If the racers and their sponsors don't think
worlds is something they should pay for, why the **** would you ask
spectators to kick in to the kitty?


someone can spend their money however they want. most US riders are
sponsored by philanthropists anyways, as opposed to working for
marketing dollars.