I flipped on the tv during breakfast this morning hoping to catch the start of the Tour stage. I was a little early, so I watched what was on: more of OLN's Lance Armstrong coverage.
Y'know...I'm beginning to think that one of the reasons I'm not so fired up about another Armstrong victory is that I see just too much of him on tv. Yes, his is a compelling story; yes, lots of people who are tuning in to OLN right now are doing so just to see Lance. But there are other compelling stories in the cycling world, and even if the network wants to be jingoistic and just cover Americans, there are a few more of them, too.
Instead of showing Lance film another Subaru commercial, how about talking to Bobby Julich about being back in the Tour with CSC? Or Christian Vande Velde supporting Roberto Heras? Levi Leipheimer as the top Rabobank rider? Surely that is more interesting that seeing Sheryl Crow reading a newspaper.
For perspective, maybe they could talk to Greg Lemond about how being an American in the peloton has changed since his Tour days.
The race coverage itself is great (I learn something every day that I watch Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen), but if OLN is going to preempt the fishing shows for extended bike coverage, they could give people some credit and focus a little more on cycling and a little less on the cult of personality.
Posted by Nic at July 5, 2004 02:13 PM