BBC in reporting on Giro shocker!

jon208

OK, it was after all the other sports including the golf but at 07:30 this morning BBC breakfast news ran a short feature on the Giro and Mark Cavendish including some footage. I nearly choked on me Wheetabix!

I've heard all the arguements about cycling being a minority sport but is it really more of a minority interest than darts and snooker that the BBC spend days covering?

iainf72

jon208 wrote:

I've heard all the arguements about cycling being a minority sport but is it really more of a minority interest than darts and snooker that the BBC spend days covering?

Yes, certainly snooker is extremely popular

phil s

Darts = BBC rights
Snooker = BBC rights

jon208

Yeah, I understand the rights issue. Wasn't meant to sound like Points of View letter. Just nice to see some news coverage, no matter how brief.

liversedge

I keep hearing that cycling is the new golf ... imagine that ...

camerone

iainf72 wrote:

jon208 wrote:

I've heard all the arguements about cycling being a minority sport but is it really more of a minority interest than darts and snooker that the BBC spend days covering?

Yes, certainly snooker is extremely popular

Iain (not so ) secretly enjoys it when the cycling coverage is delayed by an edge of the seats frame of snooker

OffTheBackAdam

liversedge wrote:

I keep hearing that cycling is the new golf ... imagine that ...

Yes, but the golfer taking Charlie gets his photo and 2 column inches in The Daily Telegraph's sport pages, whilst Cav just gets the 2 column inches for taking the Pink Jersey! :evil:

frenchfighter

It is a very sad state the BBC News at 10 yesterday lets us know about Gillingham in the 2nd division (wtf) but the most successful British sportsman of 2009 (and probably 2008 too) doesn't get one mention.

Golf, cricket, darts, horse racing and snooker are hobbies not sports and therefore should not be covered (as well as being all incredibly boring).

iainf72

frenchfighter wrote:

Golf, cricket, darts, horse racing and snooker are hobbies not sports and therefore should not be covered (as well as being all incredibly boring).

And bicycles are just kids toys.

frenchfighter

This is a pro road cycling board, so it superseeds all other sports, just as darts would superseed cycling on a darts forum (if there is such a thing)!

Yes bicycles are kids toys, they are also the fastest mode of transport for commuters, are a superb fitness method, cover a multitude of disciplines, are critical to many developping economies, are used for carrying out certain types of work and are used in pro sport. These are just a few things that spring to mind.

In short the bicycle is king and it's influence on the world is huge and is akin to what horses were in their time. That is more than can be said of all of the aforementionned hobbies and most sports.

will3

They're not actually reporting the cycling, look:

Vino2007

Plain and simple, the directors/editors at the bbc are middle aged men who drive about it big flash cars and in their spare time enjoy a cigar and a warm mlat with the lads at the loca golf clubhouse. This also reflects the majority of "purchasers" of the newspapers. These people want to read about "their" sports not cycling despite it being of actual importance.

Eau Rouge

Question 4 in the "10 to tackle" quickly sports quiz is about the Giro.

finchy

The website's reported on every stage so far, which is a big improvement in the past. They've even put it in the headlines section.

phil s

And I can tell you it's been reported on Radio Five Live and on BBC World TV, the two outlets I'm responsible for.