Keith99

I wouldn't be too sure of that. france had interestes in Africa and during the National Teams era there was an entire team of them at least once and I'm pretty sure twice. Many were clearly not black, but the present American fixation of race is not something that has existed everywhere or at all times. Riders are not listed by race and I'd bet at least a few in the past have been black (by at least some of the definitions used, especially the one drop rule).

rockr09

I thought it was funny/ironic that a camera car took out a couple cyclists in a bike race. I didn't find the cyclists getting hurt funny though. Also how much of an idiot the driver was. However, the guy should have just kept his mouth shut. You don't need to tell twitter everything.

sdgrannygear

That's fine if you want to respond, more power to you. I just think its like a dog howling at the moon. He's already said his apology and I'm sure his bosses aren't going to lose much sleep over this incident. I don't care if he really doesn't think its funny anymore. He knows that at least there are people out there who don't think it's funny so maybe he shouldn't say that sort of thing. Can we leave it at that? If anything, its like he's one of those political types that say stupid a.. s..t just to say it. You getting bothered by their stupidity and bigotry just feeds to their ego and generates buzz and attention. In the end, you lose because you fell for their trap.

DPN

If you don't stand up to the bullies then they'll keep it up. At least this guy knows that ONE of us doesn't think much of his comments...Will it make a difference? It made a difference to me...

Besides, there must be something to howling at the moon cuz the dogs all seem to like it!

DPN

SunSwingsLow

Hes a dolt that got exactly what he wanted. A bunch of press over saying something stupid. 97% of bikers didnt know who Michael Smith was before this tweet and it will not be soon enough when the 97% realise he isnt worth wasting any time on. Dont watch him, dont complain to ESPN, dont click the link. Let him exist in the realm where he was before he tweeted his nonsense, unknown for a reason.

bikepro

I listened to a portion of one of their broadcasts that I thought included their remarks. It was something else -- however it is apparent by their general babbling that they are so low on the evolutionary scale that knuckle-dragging ape is at least a thousand years in their future. Why bother asking for an apology -- they don't comprehend the concept.

wabbit

actually, our local sportscaster laughed at Hoogerland's ripped shorts...haha. He thought it was funny that Hoogerland lost his shorts. Hilarious...the guy was shredded to bits and had to get on his bike the next day. But when someone in hockey is injured no one laughs, nor should they!
That's because we get one race a year on tv and no one knows anything about cycling.

Kupkake

sent in a msg. I really would like to think ESPN is not the type of company to let this slide.

SunSwingsLow

ESPN doesnt give a rats ass about any coment from the the biking community. Their bread is buttered from far more powerful $ports.

Dubbayoo

The bottom line is if that Michael Smith was laughing at an NFL receiver who got clothes-lined and knocked the f@%#@k out by Troy Polamalu coming across the middle he'd be catching major league Hell from football fans nationwide...and you can bet ESPN would be insisting he apologize on air.

Dubbayoo

I seriously doubt there were any negro African riders in the Tour 80something years ago, certainly not apartheid South Africa. Here is some evidence of that.


And you think there's a chance he let a team full of negroes in the race? No chance.

https://vannevar.blogspot.com/2009/07...ce-racism.html

drdhsimon

Agreed...what if a cameraman or photgrapher stepped on the field to get a picture when a receiver and cornerback were running down the sideline and he tripped them both and they were injured? Any smart-a$$ tweets then? I doubt it...outrage from across the ESPN world at any snide comments

Dave

pgjackson

The point is not about getting respect for cycling. ESPN could care less about the sport. The point is that one of their employees thinks that someone getting injured is funny. His apology was not sincere and ESPN needs to know that we are not happy. If you make it about cycling, the general public won't care because they already think we are weird. If you make it about human compassion, then it makes sense to everyone. Nobody laughs when a pitcher gets nailed with a line drive or when a football player goes down with a blown-out knee. The fact that this ESPN employee felt so strongly about someone getting hurt that he wrote repeatedly about how funny he thought it was shows that he's not right in the head.

SunSwingsLow

like i said.

Smith is a dolt. Logic, reason and baseline morality arent going to change his opinion. Hes a turd. Let him float in the toilet with the rest of the waste that is ESPN.

pgjackson

One of the Jet's coaches did something like this. He intentionally tripped a player and injured him. ESPN did not think it was funny and the coach got fired.

Wesley36

Frankly, these are not really apologies. "Oh, I am apologizing because you seem to be offended, but not because I did anything wrong". The childish way he has made his pseudo-apologies offend worse than the initial stupidity, and demonstrates that he does not grasp what the apology is for, nor does he have any genuine remorse. Few things drive me crazy like these kind of "apologies"- stupid, unrepentant, and yet at the same time obsequious- what a disgusting mix.

DXchulo

That's apples and oranges. That was a Jets coach intentionally tripping a Dolphins player. That would be like if a Radio Shack car intentionally ran over a Saxo Bank rider.

A lot of times you'll see a football player run into a camera man and sometimes they'll have a laugh about that. It just depends on how seriously the camera man was hurt. If he gets back up and seems fine, they might laugh and show a bunch of replays. If the camera man is hurt, they won't laugh and they'll express concern for the camera man.

Most people don't respect cycling as a sport and to them Hoogerland isn't seriously injured, so it's OK to laugh. I'm not sure where 33 stitches stands on the serious injury scale. I think it's a lot less funny to cycling fans because of how stupid and dangerous of a move the car made and how avoidable the whole situation was. On top of that, we all know what it feels like to crash and we can relate to what Hoogerland is going through.

hodie21

If you put anyone in any other sport that requires them to get 33 stitches there are two things.

First, I don't think you will see them continue to play.

Second, They will probably be out for 2 months getting healed up.

DXchulo

Here's what our local sports radio show had to say about it: https://robarnieandsports.com/index.php?q=node/600

I'm sure you guys will love it.

Bairum

Wow - people actually listen to these idiots?

SunSwingsLow

That isnt really a fair argument. Taking stichtes like that would be against a doctors orders if you were playing a contact sport. Im not in any way minimizing his heroic effort but biking isnt a contact sport by its very nature. So you can ride with lots of stiches where as a football player or basketball player wouldnt even be allowed by a doctor becuse contact and additional damage would be almost 100% certain.

Allez3

This from a guy at an alleged sports network that shows endless hours of "poker".

cyclezen

Networks DO care about viewer response. The old saw "even bad publicity is good" really doesn't apply", ask Ruppert Murdock...
Networks need to know that for every dolt who listens to M Smith, there is another person whom they alienate - you remain silent, then the count swings into the dolt favor...
I DID get a response fron ESPN, canned as it might be...
"Dear ...,
Thanks for contacting ESPN.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us and have shared your comments with our producers.
Sincerely,
Candice
ESPN Viewer Response"

I do take the higher ground when I write about such matters, and squarely infer that ultimately it is ESPN which takes the hit... They do care, if only for their revenue stream.

It'a all an extension of this weird machismo 'sports', chest thumpin, thang which a lot of gorillas and wanna-bees think makes them look tough/sporty/??? and consumes the major sports.
There's a clear distinction between Real Athletes - Mike Jordan, Lance (mine and everyone's opinion aside...), Gretsky, M Ali, KA Jabbar, Merckx - and these meatheads; which these meatheads are too stoopid to see.
They can't see the distinction between self-assured, maybe even a little cocky, proven ability/talent/fortittude and being a dumbass meathead they are.
This distinction needs to be constantly reinforced.
As for talk radio/dumbass TV roundtable - very bad nutrition, avoid it like a Big Mac.

FriendlyFred

Actually, ESPN does care. They carry the tour on the some of their Latin American networks, that's how I get to watch it on weekdays, on a feed coming in for those networks. I work there and am not going to defend an on air guy who made immature and idiotic comments, no matter where. I will tell you the company is the best place I've ever worked and tries to do the right thing. That said, I urge anyone who's upset or angry about Smith's comments to let ESPN know. I'm certainly going to let Smith know, personally, the next time I see him in the Cafe or walking around campus.

Howzit

Anyone who "tweets" is a twit, as in, nit-wit.
This generation needs to grow up. I see grown-ass men texting and tweeting like little school girls with fannies. Sad.