Have a go at this Wally -

http://www.procycling.com/news.aspx?ID=360


Here's my response to him but I fear I wasted my time -

I read, with much laughter, your article "Top Athletes Don't Ride Bikes"

You prove you know nothing about pedaling a bike because you can't even use the word "peddle" in the correct context.

Oh but maybe you DID use the word in the correct context!

"Williams could peddle a bicycle for a couple hours in the Tour de France."

Yes after Williams tries to pedal his bike for even five minutes in the TDF he WILL be ready to peddle it.

Let me give you an example. I've been a club and provincial level bike racer for over forty years. When I was in my prime and in my late twenties and training five to seven days a week and covering from 150 - 270 miles per week, I could not average for a flatout, flat terrain ten mile time trial what the TDF boys average for three weeks and 2300 miles through the mountains, rain, heat and headwinds.

So Williams, whoever he is, could do two hours with the TDF boys? Sorry Mike, the best non-cycling athlete in N.American ball sports couldn't last five minutes even with ME and I'm almost sixty years old.

But don't feel bad as we get guys like you giving their $0.10 worth every year about a sport they painfully and pityfully prove they know nothing about.

Mike T.
Ontario Canada.

Funny...

I guess sports journalists aren't quite mature logically as others, this guy may just be pandering to his local audience of NFL and NASCAR fans. If he's in Georgia, his next article might be: "Why Oranges are for Sissies and Peaches are Awesome!"... oh he's from Chicago... how about: "Lakes are Really Great and Mountains Suck".

:-)

But I guess we've fallen into the trap that all journalists set. All they want you to do is to READ their stuff. They don't care if you agree. Write something sensational or controversial and more people will read it. Journalists are like kids - attention, any attention whether postive or negative is good attention.

Mike,

Yes, I agree with you. Some of these journalists are just trying to get some emails to show the editior that people are actually reading their articles. Good or bad response doesn't make any difference - get a response to justify their existance.

Jim

Mike,

Yes, I agree with you. Some of these journalists are just trying to get some emails to show the editior that people are actually reading their articles. Good or bad response doesn't make any difference - get a response to justify their existance.

Jim


A writer in my local paper wrote a very insensitive editorial that prompted many scathing letters of complaint on the Letters page. He later wrote an unrepentant editorial where he stated that he accomplished what was intended - he got people reading the paper and writing to the editor.

Journalists are like kids - attention, any attention whether postive or negative is good attention.

Journalists are EMPLOYEES of FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS. Attention = sales = dollars = they get to keep their jobs = mortgage gets paid = kids get to eat.

It's quite simple really. And, as someone famous (I forget who) said, "There is no such thing as bad press".

--Shannon

Last year there was the "journalist" who advocated running down cyclists with a car and screaming at them as you pass by for fun. Roads are meant for cars, bikes dont belong there, yada yada yada.

My email to Mr. Imrem:

Subject: Your Armstrong Article
One of the funniest things I've ever read. And mentioning Ricky Williams in the same article as Walter Payton, and even in the same sentence as Barry Sanders is the funniest part. What a wit you have.

I'll post a response if I get one.