Michael Rasmussen

afx237vi

dennisn wrote:

I think you miss my point. Class or no class, YOU AND I, cannot lay claim to any of these people as our own. They are not yours or mine or ours. "We"(all of us) have no control over their lives, yet the demands, on these people, for apologies, remorse, sorrow, confession, lifestyle changes, retirement, etc. continue to flow in as if they OWE us something simply because we watch them on TV and are fans. They belong to us, or so some people would believe, and they are supposed to do what we want.

I disagree. We, the consumer, pay his wages. If some dude in Holland decides not to open a Rabobank account because he dislikes the image their cycling team presents, then he does have an influence. You think pro cycling sponsors don't care what the fans think? Why else would they pay for a team?

If Rasmussen doesn't want to admit anything, that's entirely up to him. But it's clear that he still wants to compete at a high level - otherwise why the fuss last month about the UCI blocking his comeback? He said he was ready to ride the Vuelta and had a team lined up to sign him. He needs to ask himself how come that didn't pan out and why he's riding for a Mexican team next year.

moray_gub

prawny wrote:

Yep, my dad wen't out partying with the Wolves team when they won the FA cup,

Blimey have Wolves won the FA cup ?

LangerDan

afx237vi wrote:

dennisn wrote:

I think you miss my point. Class or no class, YOU AND I, cannot lay claim to any of these people as our own. They are not yours or mine or ours. "We"(all of us) have no control over their lives, yet the demands, on these people, for apologies, remorse, sorrow, confession, lifestyle changes, retirement, etc. continue to flow in as if they OWE us something simply because we watch them on TV and are fans. They belong to us, or so some people would believe, and they are supposed to do what we want.

I disagree. We, the consumer, pay his wages. If some dude in Holland decides not to open a Rabobank account because he dislikes the image their cycling team presents, then he does have an influence. You think pro cycling sponsors don't care what the fans think? Why else would they pay for a team?
.

Even more directly than that - most professional athletes have come up through state-funded amateur programmes. We pay a portion of our income so that these riders don't have to hold down (full time) employment. In return for that funding, we dress them up in various forms of national uniform and send them out to reflect some glory on the poor slobs who paid for all of this. Yup, we own them.
(Now that I think of it, I'm going to get Philip Deignan to my house. The little sponger can weed the garden.And he can wash the car if he expects funding for 2010)

iainf72

LangerDan wrote:

[Even more directly than that - most professional athletes have come up through state-funded amateur programmes. We pay a portion of our income so that these riders don't have to hold down (full time) employment.

I thought y'all in Ireland were a bit more advanced by making the Brits or French pay for 'em and then claim them when they're quite good?

prawny

Moray Gub wrote:

prawny wrote:

Yep, my dad wen't out partying with the Wolves team when they won the FA cup,

Blimey have Wolves won the FA cup ?

I think so, I don't follow footbal, but whatever they one it was before I was born.

Come to think of it they might have won a cup in a raffle or something, my dad rambles more than I do.

RichN95.

prawny wrote:

I think so, I don't follow footbal, but whatever they one it was before I was born.

Come to think of it they might have won a cup in a raffle or something, my dad rambles more than I do.

1960 was the last time - football was a different game back then - maximum wage and all that.

LangerDan

iainf72 wrote:

LangerDan wrote:

[Even more directly than that - most professional athletes have come up through state-funded amateur programmes. We pay a portion of our income so that these riders don't have to hold down (full time) employment.

I thought y'all in Ireland were a bit more advanced by making the Brits or French pay for 'em and then claim them when they're quite good?

Well, if you will insist on trying to make GT contenders ride indoors on a flat, timber road, these things will happen.

dennisn

LangerDan wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

dennisn wrote:

I think you miss my point. Class or no class, YOU AND I, cannot lay claim to any of these people as our own. They are not yours or mine or ours. "We"(all of us) have no control over their lives, yet the demands, on these people, for apologies, remorse, sorrow, confession, lifestyle changes, retirement, etc. continue to flow in as if they OWE us something simply because we watch them on TV and are fans. They belong to us, or so some people would believe, and they are supposed to do what we want.

I disagree. We, the consumer, pay his wages. If some dude in Holland decides not to open a Rabobank account because he dislikes the image their cycling team presents, then he does have an influence. You think pro cycling sponsors don't care what the fans think? Why else would they pay for a team?
.

Even more directly than that - most professional athletes have come up through state-funded amateur programmes. We pay a portion of our income so that these riders don't have to hold down (full time) employment. In return for that funding, we dress them up in various forms of national uniform and send them out to reflect some glory on the poor slobs who paid for all of this. Yup, we own them.
(Now that I think of it, I'm going to get Philip Deignan to my house. The little sponger can weed the garden.And he can wash the car if he expects funding for 2010)

Ya right. Go out and tell ANY athlete, pro or amateur, that YOU own him / her and they must do what YOU say. Let me know how that turns out. For that matter go out and tell
any person that YOU own them for whatever reason and let me know how that works out for you. You might own your kids and your dog but that's about as far as it goes. You don't buy people because you GAVE money to some organization or you opened an account at Rabobank.

Kléber

Dennis, you need to distinguish between the forum members here and the millions on consumers in Europe. Us forum members are just cycling fans but outside this forum there are millions who will watch bike races on TV in, say, Holland and so what Rabo or another sponsor does with Rasmussen matters.

attica

Is this the 5 minute argument or the full half hour?

Kléber

Sometimes I think dennisn's education will take a bit longer than half an hour

dennisn

I give, I give, uncle, uncle

afx237vi

dennisn wrote:

I give, I give, uncle, uncle

Dennis, you know what happens when you stop taking the pills...

attica

dennisn wrote:

I give, I give, uncle, uncle

I say old chap, that is rather unintelligible

cougie

FWIW - I do class Ricco,Piepoli etc the same as Rasmussen - I'd be happy not to see them again.

I dont think I've claimed to own Rasmussen, but if he takes the wages, then he's an ambassador for his sponsor. I'm not sure that the integrity of a bank and a drug cheat is compatible.

attica

cougie wrote:

FWIW - I do class Ricco,Piepoli etc the same as Rasmussen - I'd be happy not to see them again.

I dont think I've claimed to own Rasmussen, but if he takes the wages, then he's an ambassador for his sponsor. I'm not sure that the integrity of a bank and a drug cheat is compatible.

+1
Couldn't have put it better myself

dennisn

Attica wrote:

dennisn wrote:

I give, I give, uncle, uncle

I say old chap, that is rather unintelligible

Damn, I thought I put it rather well. :oops: :oops:

attica

Google tells me that this is some sort of "Ok you're right, you're right" type phrase.
Where does it come from? Is it a quote or something?

dennisn

Attica wrote:

Google tells me that this is some sort of "Ok you're right, you're right" type phrase.
Where does it come from? Is it a quote or something?

Must be a sort of USA thing. Anyway "I give" and "uncle" mean the same thing. I'm throwing in the towel, you've beaten me, I'm done. When I was a kid you might try to
beat up on another kid and if he yelled "uncle" you had beaten him. Not sure about why "uncle" but that's how it was.

afx237vi

The Chicken's still got legs, anyway:



He absolutely mullered everyone in the second stage of the Vuelta a Puebla San Marcos, winning solo by 9'41" to the next guy.

http://www.periodicodigital.com.mx/inde ... od_resumen

drenkrom

The "Rasmussen makes a winning return in Mexico" headline on Cyclingnews made me fall over laughing. Are we sure it wasn't Italy?

disgruntledgoat

Never let it be said he doesn't have a sense of irony, this time he really IS in Mexico!

rick_chasey

There's a great documentary on Rasmussen getting kicked out of the Tour on NOS.

Will be available on uitzending gemist.

Mainly in Dutch but Rasmussen is in English.

Lots of good moments but Rasmussen riding up the Aubisque for the first time (since he had the tour won hours before he was thrown out ) whilst giving a blow by blow account of the stage is worth watching.

I happened to watch all the Dutch footage at the time and it brought it all back.

Erik Dekker drinking beers with the rozzers & journos in the hotel scrum post chucking was a bizarre moment.

Turns out the rest of the team got smashed.

Unfortunately no Theo de Rooi in it but still.

Mad_Malx