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Why does Versus Worship Discovery?

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Why does Versus Worship Discovery?

Old 03-18-07, 03:30 PM
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Why does Versus Worship Discovery?

I'm watching the Versus coverage and wondering what amount of payola it takes to make the commentators talk so obsessively about Disco. It was a great race for Disco. But it was also a great race for Rebellin - they talked about him and Gerolsteiner very little. What do you think it costs to buy Paul "My family owns a diamond mine in South Africa" Sherwen?

Maybe they'll use some of the money they get from this to buy nails - nails for sports journalism's coffin.
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Old 03-18-07, 03:31 PM
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Discovery is the only American team, and cycling is on between ultimate fighting and bass fishing. Or maybe Texas Hold'em, depending on the day.
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Old 03-18-07, 03:37 PM
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Probably because Contador, who happens to ride for Discovery, won in an impressive manner, with 2 stages, plus Popovych's stage.

As opposed to Rebellin, who finished 2nd, and did not manage to win a stage (and he wasn't the only on one Gerolsteiner to not win one) in case you hadn't noticed?

Last edited by botto; 03-18-07 at 03:46 PM.
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Old 03-18-07, 03:43 PM
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Originally Posted by DrPete
Discovery is the only American team, and cycling is on between ultimate fighting and bass fishing. Or maybe Texas Hold'em, depending on the day.
Actually the Iditarod is on next. Beats the hell out of most of the other tripe they like to show
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Old 03-18-07, 03:48 PM
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Originally Posted by ri_us
I'm watching the Versus coverage and wondering what amount of payola it takes to make the commentators talk so obsessively about Disco. It was a great race for Disco. But it was also a great race for Rebellin - they talked about him and Gerolsteiner very little. What do you think it costs to buy Paul "My family owns a diamond mine in South Africa" Sherwen?

Maybe they'll use some of the money they get from this to buy nails - nails for sports journalism's coffin.
Its going to be a rough viewing season for you

FWIW Gerosteiner is a weak-ass team this year where Disco is a powerhouse, Rebellin is a little long in the tooth for even one day classics which is the only place his team might not make a difference. With a little effort you might be able to plug-in to some french language media and hear them gush all year about about Voeckler, Dessel or maybe De Gregorio.

I have to admit I was shocked by the Cannondale tech feature on todays Versus show.
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Old 03-18-07, 03:49 PM
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What are ratings Alex? Let's take The Obvious for $200 please.
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Old 03-18-07, 04:34 PM
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why do you hate America?
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Old 03-18-07, 04:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus
Actually the Iditarod is on next. Beats the hell out of most of the other tripe they like to show

Is it true they've shown professional "rock paper scissors" on versus as well ? I was reading about how people actually compete in this. As if there wasn't enough garbage on TV already.
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Old 03-18-07, 04:55 PM
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We watch people PLAYING CARDS. I use the term 'We' loosely. So what's the difference?

Thankfully someone is covering cycling...
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Old 03-18-07, 05:11 PM
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Originally Posted by ri_us
But it was also a great race for Rebellin - they talked about him and Gerolsteiner very little.
What race were YOU watching? It wasn't a great race for Rebellin or Gerolsteiner:

• First Disco shelled the entire Gerolsteiner team except for Rebellin, then,

•Rebellin was left with ZERO team mates to chase Contador on the final flat 3km and couldn't close a relatively paltrey 14 second gap - because it's very hard to to that ALONE. 14 seconds away from winning one of the jewels of the UCI racing crown and he had to watch it ride away, all alone. God that had to SUCK after he rode so well. How much you want to bet he's on a different team next year? I'd be livid.

So Rebellin rode beautifully, but his team TANKED. More like the Disco boys ERASED them. I bet they wished they had Levi today. Levi was right there as C. launched his final attack. Rebellin didn't HAVE any team mates left. They got dumped like Patentcad in Central Park. Gerolsteiner screwed the pooch, but more impressively, Disco hammered them so convincingly that you couldn't be a commentator on pro cycling and NOT be making a big deal about it regardless of what team was doing it. In the Tour of California and now Paris-Nice, it has been Disco. That's how I would have called it, and nobody's paying me off.

I strongly suggest you ask Mr. Rebellin how 'great' today's stage was for him and his team. You do realize it's a friggin RACE and the guy who crosses the line FIRST is named the WINNER right? They don't give brownie points in big time pro cycling for 'he did his best'. This isn't pee wee league football or the local USCF training race series you bonehead.

Fortunately for yours truly there are plenty of pals like Botto and Dr. Pete to slap me on the back and say 'attaboy' even when I DO get shelled : ). But they don't pay me, my races aren't on Versus either. Maybe Botto and Dr. P can send emails to Gerolsteiner and then they'll feel better about Paris Nice. But I don't think that's gonna work for them.

Last edited by patentcad; 03-18-07 at 05:22 PM.
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Old 03-18-07, 05:20 PM
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it's called being a homer.

Discovery is the 'home team' so to speak, and the home audience doesn't want to hear the commentary going nuts over the 'visitors'.

versus is trying to attract new viewers and cycling fans...new viewers will like it better if they keep hearing about the home team, they might get turned off if all they hear about is some european team or sponsor they can't relate to.

you'll notice this in every sport. watch a local broadcast, the announcers will (and sometimes are forced to) sometimes 'worship the ground the home team walks on'.
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Old 03-18-07, 05:40 PM
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Originally Posted by G60
it's called being a homer.

Discovery is the 'home team' so to speak, and the home audience doesn't want to hear the commentary going nuts over the 'visitors'.

versus is trying to attract new viewers and cycling fans...new viewers will like it better if they keep hearing about the home team, they might get turned off if all they hear about is some european team or sponsor they can't relate to.
I'll concede there's that too, but to chalk it up to that factor is not giving Disco any credit for first taking the lead @ Tour of California and then controlling the race, and then stealing the G.C. away from another team with a brilliant performance on the penultimate stage. Whatever. I watched both races, Disco earned the attention the announcers gave them. I'm trying to see what part of that isn't glarlingly obvious, but I think it's more like F those Americans, they shouldn't be winning bike races, their riders OR teams.

Ha friggin Ha Ha Ha. And Texas is STILL bigger'n France.
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Old 03-18-07, 09:42 PM
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I guess I must have been watching a different Versus, I thought they were just calling the race the way they saw it.
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Old 03-18-07, 09:43 PM
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Originally Posted by a77impala
I guess I must have been watching a different Versus, I thought they were just calling the race the way they saw it.
+1
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Old 03-18-07, 09:50 PM
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Originally Posted by a77impala
I guess I must have been watching a different Versus, I thought they were just calling the race the way they saw it.
+1

Disco OWNED the race.
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Old 03-18-07, 09:51 PM
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Originally Posted by a77impala
I guess I must have been watching a different Versus, I thought they were just calling the race the way they saw it.
Right. That's all I was saying with my typical excess verbosity.

Cue botto succinct comment.
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Old 03-18-07, 10:22 PM
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Jet on over to another country and listen to there coverage. Believe me in France Thomas Voeckler's name was said no less than 200 times during his breakaway attempt and when it was over I bet they talked pleanty about Rebellin because it is much better to support a German team than to support an American team if your French..LOL....

Disco dominated the race pretty much....I would expect them to be talked about...A LOT!!!

Last edited by biffstephens; 03-18-07 at 10:51 PM.
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Old 03-18-07, 10:44 PM
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Originally Posted by botto
As opposed to Rebellin, who finished 2nd, and did not manage to win a stage (and he wasn't the only on one Gerolsteiner to not win one) in case you hadn't noticed?
The object of a stage race is not to win stages, but to win the race...in case you hadn't noticed.

Who won the 1990 Tour de France? Who won stage 10? How many stages did the winner of the 1990 Tour de France win? Funny, no one remembers anything about that race except who won, in case you hadn't noticed.
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Old 03-18-07, 11:00 PM
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Originally Posted by skinny
The object of a stage race is not to win stages, but to win the race..
I don't agree.....I am pretty sure winning ANYTHING is a wanted objective. Disco would have left with 2 stage victories happy and considered it a success. Not every rider or teams objective is to win the overall.
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Old 03-18-07, 11:21 PM
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Originally Posted by biffstephens
I don't agree.....I am pretty sure winning ANYTHING is a wanted objective. Disco would have left with 2 stage victories happy and considered it a success. Not every rider or teams objective is to win the overall.
true, but i dont think disco is the calliber team who are satisfied with just stage victories
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Old 03-19-07, 02:47 AM
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Originally Posted by skinny
The object of a stage race is not to win stages, but to win the race...in case you hadn't noticed.

Who won the 1990 Tour de France? Who won stage 10? How many stages did the winner of the 1990 Tour de France win? Funny, no one remembers anything about that race except who won, in case you hadn't noticed.
really? oh jeez. i did not know that. thanks for the lesson sparky.


btw - lemond won 0 stage in his '90 TdF win.
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Old 03-19-07, 05:17 AM
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Originally Posted by botto
really? oh jeez. i did not know that. thanks for the lesson sparky..
That's ok, this one is on the house.


Originally Posted by botto
btw - lemond won 0 stage in his '90 TdF win.
Good. You did your homework. Now, what is the relevance of your comment about Rebellin not winning a stage?
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Old 03-19-07, 05:21 AM
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Originally Posted by skinny
That's ok, this one is on the house.


Good. You did your homework.
incorrect.

Originally Posted by skinny
Now, what is the relevance of your comment about Rebellin not winning a stage?
I made my point in my first post. If you couldn't understand it then, then there's no point spoon feeding it to you.
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Old 03-19-07, 05:22 AM
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Originally Posted by botto
incorrect.



I made my point in my first post. If you couldn't understand it then, then there's no point spoon feeding it to you.
Of course.
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Old 03-19-07, 07:26 AM
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Originally Posted by skinny
Of course.
If the Botto Succinctitude spreads to other members there will be nothing left to read on this forum.
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