Oh, how the mighty have fallen. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Tour de France was the ‘cool’ thing to follow on the North American sporting landscape. Of course it had everything to do with Lance Armstrong, an American, winning the most gruelling test of endurance on earth a record seven times in a row.
How typically American is that? We don’t care about sports outside of baseball, football and basketball, unless we are the best in the world. Then we’ll pretend to care about it and push aside our own grandmothers trying to board the bandwagon.
But much like one of the hellish hors categorie climbs that separate the men from the boys every year during the Tour, once you make it to the top of the of the mountain, the fall back down to earth can be extraordinarily quick.
Armstrong retired and doping scandal upon doping scandal plagued the event so much that the general public just assumed every rider was using performance-enhancing drugs; and, if that was the case, what is the point of caring about who wins or who loses if every competitor is chemically enhanced.
The organizers of the Tour might as well let them ride motorcycles around France instead.
Armstrong’s return to the tour last year piqued some cursory interest in the event (including yours truly), but his quest for an eighth title fell short and everyone ignored cycling for another year.
I literally had no idea the race was on until I read the sports section this morning. I found out that a Canadian finished fourth in yesterday’s stage (sweet!), but what I saw next completely undermined the integrity of the event.
Apparently, the Canadian, Ryder Hesjedal, was honoured as the most aggressive rider in the stage and he gets to wear a red number during today’s stage.
What?
The Tour de France already gives out accolades (i.e. different coloured jerseys) for the race leader, stage winner, sprinter, young star, and mountain climber. Now you get praise as the most aggressive rider of the day?
At this rate, everyone in the race will get a jersey for something. This is supposed to be one of then top sporting events in the world, not Grade 8 track and field day at public school. Who won the race? That’s all I care about. There are winners and losers in life. Stop trying to make everyone feel better by giving them something to celebrate.
Enough with the participant ribbons for just showing up and giving your best effort. That’s loser talk. And it’s also the reason why I will never again watch the Tour de France. Hesjedal should be embarrassed by the accolade. That’s like me being giving the best effort award for giving up 9 runs in a game because I tried my hardest.
It’s ridiculous and it’s why society is soft these days.
I feel like Andy Rooney.
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2 comments:
I had similar sentiments the other day about the Major League All-Star game / roster. How long before I make the AL squad (might give the NL a shot at finally winning one of these games).
I agree that this seems ridiculous and agree these “participant ribbons” are out of control, that’s right I did say I agree with you, but we all know that you will scrambling to get back up on that bandwagon the minute someone you think is even a little interesting or good looking takes the lead.
AG
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