"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Media Watch: Stage 5 of TdG Did Not Happen

Today's Sunday New York Times national print edition: Nothing.

Today's Spartanburg Herald Journal Online: Nothing

Today's Greenville News Online (Hincapie's hometown paper): Nothing

All three are full of the usual diet of detailed stories about a baseball player's groin injury (he's day-to-day), a basketball player's opinion about an upcoming playoff game (he thinks they have to give '110 percent'), etc.

Same story with soccer: The average American sports editor is unfamiliar with and therefore uncomfortable about a sport and therefore assumes everyone else is and thus ignores it...

Point: If the same is true in your area, write a Letter-to-the-Editor.....

[Of course, I consider Stage 5 to have been especially news-worthy because I WAS THERE! :D )

I have recently sent an email to the NYTimes regarding their lack of racing coverage. I would encourage more to do the same.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has been covering it (nice photos, I might add) but as a news story – not a sports story. They gave it more space last year because of Lance but still seemed to be lost – their sports people just don’t understand cycling.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has been covering it (nice photos, I might add) but as a news story – not a sports story. They gave it more space last year because of Lance but still seemed to be lost – their sports people just don’t understand cycling.

Most media sports people don't understand cycling. They deal with the "major" sports....baseball, football, basketball, hockey, car racing, tennis (during U.S. Open time), and golf.

I think to many armchair athletes, cycling isn't even considered a sport.

Today's Sunday New York Times national print edition: Nothing.



In fairness to the Times, they did run an AP story on the Brasstown Bald stage:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-CYC-Tour-de-Georgia.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

They’re not a sports publication and – most of you don’t want to hear this – cycling is a minor sport here in the U.S. So I don’t think an e-mail campaign is likely to have much effect.

Um, what gets covered is what's popular and what gets read. Stop being so whiny and arrogant. Just because you or I like it doesn't mean the same for everyone else. Cycling and soccer just isn't as popular here as updates on baseball or basketball. People, me included, read about that stuff and newspapers dedicate what they covered on the basis of popularity and how many people want to read about it? They get plenty of public opinion, but for every one letter from us asking for more cycling, they get 100 letters asking for more coverage on baseball or football. What do you expect them to do? They're are only that many writers on a newspaper, and only that many pages that get published.

One day if cycling or soccer or ping-pong gets that popular in the US, you'll get plenty of articles on this cyclist's groin injury or bad knees "I'm day to day." "I'll give it 110% in the TdG."

It's supply and demand, cycling just isn't popular enough here. I would like it to be, I love cycling, but that's just how it is. We're the minority, deal with it.

Does anyone other than me actually kind of like it this way? I mean, there are plenty of places to find professional news and features, especially online. There are always plenty of amateur events and races to attend. And there are forums like this one to discuss the subject. All without the overexposure of "major" sports. To say you're into cycling (especially racing) still solicits an "oh, really? Tell me more," rather than baseball, which gets you a "well, of course. Who cares?" It's also very unlikely to become a commercial licensing abomination (i.e. nascar).

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has been covering it (nice photos, I might add)...

extra nice photos - that guy is good...


In fairness to the Times.....They’re not a sports publication...
expected more of them i guess... it's the 'newspaper of record'.... arguably the best in the world... and they tend to do a better job than most usa papers on covering non-mainstream-american-centric sports (like soccer, rugby, etc.)...


Does anyone other than me actually kind of like it this way? I mean, there are plenty of places to find professional news and features, especially online. There are always plenty of amateur events and races to attend. And there are forums like this one to discuss the subject. All without the overexposure of "major" sports. To say you're into cycling (especially racing) still solicits an "oh, really? Tell me more," rather than baseball, which gets you a "well, of course. Who cares?" It's also very unlikely to become a commercial licensing abomination (i.e. nascar)..
good points well made... have a similar attitude about music: some of the greatest rock and roll and country music ever recorded that will never be heard on commercial radio can be found on college and alternative stations...

just will hate to see another great cycling event - one that has the potential to become an american 'grand tour' - die on the vine partly due to poor promotion and exposure and therefore lose its sponsorship money...

Today's Spartanburg Herald Journal Online: Nothing

Today's Greenville News Online (Hincapie's hometown paper): Nothing

All three are full of the usual diet of detailed stories about a baseball player's groin injury (he's day-to-day), a basketball player's opinion about an upcoming playoff game (he thinks they have to give '110 percent'), etc.




What, no NASCAR stories? What the heck is going on in those thar SC hills!!!??? ;)

What, no NASCAR stories? What the heck is going on in those thar SC hills!!!??? ;)
i assumed that went without saying... :rolleyes:

Hower the Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition had an article about the proliferation of Bike Races in the U.S. and States using them as economic development tools.

Today's Sunday New York Times national print edition: Nothing.

Today's Spartanburg Herald Journal Online: Nothing

Today's Greenville News Online (Hincapie's hometown paper): Nothing

All three are full of the usual diet of detailed stories about a baseball player's groin injury (he's day-to-day), a basketball player's opinion about an upcoming playoff game (he thinks they have to give '110 percent'), etc.

Same story with soccer: The average American sports editor is unfamiliar with and therefore uncomfortable about a sport and therefore assumes everyone else is and thus ignores it...

Point: If the same is true in your area, write a Letter-to-the-Editor.....

[Of course, I consider Stage 5 to have been especially news-worthy because I WAS THERE! :D )

Daily (albeit meager) coverage in the Austin American-Statesman...

What, no NASCAR stories? What the heck is going on in those thar SC hills!!!??? ;)

The Nextel Cup race was held on Saturday night and didn't get finished until after deadline. I rode the first day of TOSRV South Saturday and, after dinner and some socializing, went back to the Patel Hotel and flipped on the TV just as the race started. The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was someone blaming Kyle Petty for wrecking him.

Umm, what's a "newspaper"? Oh yeah, it's that tubular shaped thing they litter into my yard and then I throw in the recycle bin...
drudgereport.com
velonews.com

Hower the Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition had an article about the proliferation of Bike Races in the U.S. and States using them as economic development tools.

really? i'll have to see if i can dig that up. i always thought a bike race would be a perfect opportunity to showcase towns that normally wouldn't see any tourism.