sky team .why do they polarize opinion so much .

brakelever

for years cycling has been crying out for someone to raise the profile of the sport in this country , now i grant you track cycling has got there, sky come along with a decent budget some fairly good riders !!!!!!!! and loads of people moan why ? :roll: [/url]

shakey88

cos some people are d*cks

micron

Because some people don't like being told they have to support a team because they're somehow the 'national' team (even though most of their squad aren't from the UK)? Because some people like individual riders, or even the sport itself, more than any team? Or because some people find the triumphalism of certain fans a bit annoying?

moray_gub

shakey88 wrote:

cos some people are d*cks

Surely it's not being a dick having a different opinion to say yourself on the matter ? I don't have any great feeling for Sky one way or another i like one or two of their riders and i hope they have a good season but i'm like this with most teams.

micron

+1 MG. I think the polarisation happens when people don't follow the opinion of the herd (a point you've made on several occasions)

shockedsoshocked

I like riders, not teams.

I don't like Murdoch or Brailsford.

Pretty simple.

The Prodigy

micron wrote:

Because some people don't like being told they have to support a team because they're somehow the 'national' team (even though most of their squad aren't from the UK)? Because some people like individual riders, or even the sport itself, more than any team? Or because some people find the triumphalism of certain fans a bit annoying?

Thats fine you don't have to love them, but why do people seem to dislike them so much?

There is no need for some of the sniping about sky on this forum. I don't see other teams getting criticised at every opportunity. Why bother?

Just concentrate on what you like and let Sky fans do the same. Of course there always people who want to have a pop at something new just because they need something to moan about. Few of those idiots on here.

andrewgturnbull

Hi there.

I'm thinking it's kinda like watching European football... I'd always want a British club team to do well, even if I supported a different team (not that I know anything about football...).

Surely if Sky do well there must be some sort of trickle-down feel-good factor to the grass roots sports somehow? Even if it just gets a few overweight bodies off the couches, into a Sky jersey and toddle off round a sportive?

Cheers, Andy

andyp

andrewgturnbull wrote:

I'm thinking it's kinda like watching European football... I'd always want a British club team to do well, even if I supported a different team (not that I know anything about football...).

This attitude makes my blood boil. I can't abide Chelsea, why on earth should I switch my allegiance to them in Europe just because they are British? They're a shower of b*stards on Saturday/Sunday and that doesn't change because it's midweek!

Kléber

Another factor is that Sky are all over the media, they are good at using facebook, twitter and press releases. So when you visit the likes of cyclingnews.com, it's full of news about the team, sky-this, sky-that. This all builds up expectation, you don't get the likes of Liquigas or Caisse d'Epargne in your face all the time.

Like many, if cycling can be a team sport at times this is often down to the nine men on the road and their helpers, it does not mean the footy-style mania for your own team and having to hate all others.

BdeB

I suspect some people revel in the previously 'cult' following cycling has had in this country and don't like the idea of it going mainstream which sky are threatening to do.

moray_gub

andyp wrote:

andrewgturnbull wrote:

I'm thinking it's kinda like watching European football... I'd always want a British club team to do well, even if I supported a different team (not that I know anything about football...).

This attitude makes my blood boil. I can't abide Chelsea, why on earth should I switch my allegiance to them in Europe just because they are British? They're a shower of b*stards on Saturday/Sunday and that doesn't change because it's midweek!

Haha you must be a Manc...........but anyway i agree with what you say up here a lot of football fans hate the Old Firm and everything they stand for and when they play in europe on a Weds nothing changes about them they are still a disease.

moray_gub

BdeB wrote:

I suspect some people revel in the previously 'cult' following cycling has had in this country and don't like the idea of it going mainstream which sky are threatening to do.

On a selfish point the biggest problem i have with going mainstream is Sky now having a cycling tab along the bottom on Sky Sports News and that is going to play havoc with me in the weeks and months ahead when i have recorded something and have yet to watch while i catch up with the football scores .

sing_for_absolution

shakey88 wrote:

cos some people are d*cks

How rude

afx237vi

The Prodigy wrote:

Thats fine you don't have to love them, but why do people seem to dislike them so much?

There is no need for some of the sniping about sky on this forum. I don't see other teams getting criticised at every opportunity. Why bother?

Just concentrate on what you like and let Sky fans do the same. Of course there always people who want to have a pop at something new just because they need something to moan about. Few of those idiots on here.

I'm not sure this is true either, tbh. Start a thread about Lampre or Katusha or, heaven forbid, Rock Racing and see how long it goes before someone brings up some cold hard truth.

The difference between them and Sky is the fact that none of those teams have fans on the forum willing to defend them. And I'm not saying Sky are the same as those teams, btw. It's just that I think when all the teams are "neutral" to British fans, people are more willing to take things with a pinch of salt.

RichN95.

It's just because we're British and they're British. Everything's either wonderful or terrible. Some people thing everything British is great, others think it's all awful. We don't really do 'all right'.

Look at the England football team. Either they're going to win the World Cup, or they're all degenerates who should be locked up. There's no 'Quarters finals? That seems about par for the course'.

Tim Henman - 'He's going to win Wimbledon' or 'He's just a huge loser'.

NHS - 'Great British Institution' or 'Granny killing house of horrors'

Marmite - well most people are indifferent about that.

Etc, etc...

andyp

Moray Gub wrote:

Haha you must be a Manc...........but anyway i agree with what you say up here a lot of football fans hate the Old Firm and everything they stand for and when they play in europe on a Weds nothing changes about them they are still a disease.

A Manc? Go and wash your mouth out with soap! :evil:

iainf72

Isn't it simply because we're bored slagging off the Shack?

As I said in other thread, I'm just not a fan of any particular rider on the team. I also find the whole "support the team" thing a bit weird. If Wiggins rode for another team, would you still be a fan? Yes, I expect so.

Would I prefer a rider from Sky or Footon win a race? Probably Sky because they don't seem as creepy as Footon. But here's a question, would the Sky fans prefer a Johnny Foreigner on Sky to win, or that British lad on Footon?

Tusher

BdeB wrote:

I suspect some people revel in the previously 'cult' following cycling has had in this country and don't like the idea of it going mainstream which sky are threatening to do.

Yes, I would second this. And I'm not proud to say that.

I wish Sky well, I'm thrilled that there is finally a substantial British team out there, but I'm not particularly over board about them either. Following individual riders (McEwan, Cippo, Cav, Boonen) through their careers means far more to me than following a team as such. (ahem, apart from Garmin, that is)

But (and this is based solely on the gossip of one hospital canteen) recently, I have been inexplicably irked by fans of sports in general suddenly becoming all knowing on the subject of cycling. Oh, how I laugh at them, because most of them can't tell a Vuelta from a Giro. "You want to have tried being a cycling fan in ye olden days, even before t'interweb was invented" I mock.

And I am superior in mocking them. None of them have even heard of Robert Millar, for example. (Or even Hinault, for that matter.) They have no appreciation of the Christmas morning delight when finding a programme solely devoted to cycling, an article in a newspaper, the monthly arrival of Procycling/Cycle Sport and the weekly arrival of The Comic. The secret joy of following a minority sport year after year. One of the nurses lives for cross country, and she feels exactly the same way about 'her' sport as I feel about pro-cycling. Her Winter Olympics were my Tour. The mysteries of a clique, I suppose.

And these newbies are following 'their' Team Sky in exactly the same way as they follow Rangers, Celtic or Caly Thistle.

We should welcome them. Sooner or later, they'll evolve as fans. Some will follow Sky no matter who is riding, others will start taking weekend trips to Belgium.







pause.



thinks.



Staring into my crystal ball, I can see into the future, a future when cycling is a major sport on these islands.

The day when Endura race the cobbles with their own large Tartan Army following, bag-pipes and Belgian beer de riguer.



The day when riders fight to get to the summit through a throng of Orange-clad RabidBank supporters, patriotic Basques and legions of kilted men who nicked their kid's face paints before leaving, resplendent with their Saltire faces and tartan tammies. All singing. All pi$$ed.



The day when....................well, you get the picture.

Bring it on.

moray_gub

Tusher wrote:

BdeB wrote:

I suspect some people revel in the previously 'cult' following cycling has had in this country and don't like the idea of it going mainstream which sky are threatening to do.

Yes, I would second this. And I'm not proud to say that.

I wish Sky well, I'm thrilled that there is finally a substantial British team out there, but I'm not particularly over board about them either. Following individual riders (McEwen, Cippo, Cav, Boonen) through their careers means far more to me than following a team as such. (ahem, apart from Garmin, that is)

But (and this is based solely on the gossip of one hospital canteen) recently, I have been inexplicably irked by fans of sports in general suddenly becoming all knowing on the subject of cycling. Oh, how I laugh at them, because most of them can't tell a Vuelta from a Giro. "You want to have tried being a cycling fan in ye olden days, even before t'interweb was invented" I mock.

And I am superior in mocking them. None of them have even heard of Robert Millar, for example. (Or even Hinault, for that matter.) They have no appreciation of the Christmas morning delight when finding a programme solely devoted to cycling, an article in a newspaper, the monthly arrival of Procycling/Cycle Sport and the weekly arrival of The Comic. The secret joy of following a minority sport year after year. One of the nurses lives for cross country, and she feels exactly the same way about 'her' sport as I feel about pro-cycling. Her Winter Olympics were my Tour. The mysteries of a clique, I suppose.

And these newbies are following 'their' Team Sky in exactly the same way as they follow Rangers, Celtic or Caly Thistle.

.

some good points there but i take issue with this

And these newbies are following 'their' Team Sky in exactly the same way as they follow Rangers, Celtic or Caly Thistle

Rangers and Celtic fans are brought up and thrive on bigotry hatred and sectarianism and have been for 100 years to compare any cycling fans of whatever team to them is ........well its just not cricket

William H

I support Team Sky, but the BBC's near inability to write a cycling headline which doesn't relate to Sky is getting on my nerves

Tusher

Yes, you're correct there, Moray. Although maybe that's improving.

(and I speak as someone who comes from a family where no-one follows football at all as a direct result of this. In Primary One, I thought The Sash was a skipping song until a sharp clip to the ear by my father put me right.)

I thereby post-edit my comment to erase Rangers and Celtic and substitute Partick Thistle and St Johnstone instead,

mr_poll

I followed the debate when Team Sky launched and IMHO the main reason that Sky polarises opinion is people's perception of how they approached the sport. The 2 main gripes seem to be:

1 - Sky is buying its way to success, some teams (i think Cervelo was mentioned although i stand to be corrected) have started very small and over time worked their way up to becoming a pro-team that competes in all the grand tours. To keep with the football analogies a bit like Wigan coming up for non-league to the Premiership. Sky have literally created a team and then bought a place in the Premier league (or they hope to by getting a wildcard to the TdF)

2 - Contract breaking - the whole Wiggins fiasco of him walking away from Garmin and Sky paying him big bucks to do so has also riled a lot of people as this isnt the done thing in cycling, you sign a contract and stick with it. Cycling isnt football you cant tap up Christiano Ronaldo then wave a fat cheque in front of his team, but Sky basically did.

I am not commenting on the merits or otherwise of this, I wrote a much bigger piece on my blog about the whys and wherefore's but if you want an answer to your question then I think the above are the main reasons. Hatred of Murdoch and the anti-Brit sentiment follows after.

Jez mon

afx237vi wrote:

The Prodigy wrote:

Thats fine you don't have to love them, but why do people seem to dislike them so much?

There is no need for some of the sniping about sky on this forum. I don't see other teams getting criticised at every opportunity. Why bother?

Just concentrate on what you like and let Sky fans do the same. Of course there always people who want to have a pop at something new just because they need something to moan about. Few of those idiots on here.

I'm not sure this is true either, tbh. Start a thread about Lampre or Katusha or, heaven forbid, Rock Racing and see how long it goes before someone brings up some cold hard truth.

The difference between them and Sky is the fact that none of those teams have fans on the forum willing to defend them. And I'm not saying Sky are the same as those teams, btw. It's just that I think when all the teams are "neutral" to British fans, people are more willing to take things with a pinch of salt.

This, furthermore, the "sky bashing" is far more noticeable as there are a higher number of threads about team sky, than other teams.

Tbh, I also think that sometimes some of the more seasoned posters on this forum like to wind the newbie Sky fans up a bit...

Tom Butcher

I think it's the Sky fanboys that create most of the dislike rather than the team itself - maybe an element of anti Murdochism too but mainly the fanboys.

mroli

1) English rider (inc Isle of Man)
2) British rider
3) "British" team (ie Sky or Endura or Rapha/Condor or Raleigh).
4) Fav other riders
5) Fav other teams

Absolute stone cold last anyone involved in doping. As such David Millar despite his "rehabilitation" probably comes in at a 4.8.

Hate Murdoch, like Brailsford.

shockedsoshocked

BdeB wrote:

I suspect some people revel in the previously 'cult' following cycling has had in this country and don't like the idea of it going mainstream which sky are threatening to do.

I would love cycling to be once again in the mainstream. It's resurgent at the moment, but still a long way to go. Imagine, the police cooperating with race organisers and support from the general public! Utopia...

andrewgturnbull

andyp wrote:

andrewgturnbull wrote:

I'm thinking it's kinda like watching European football... I'd always want a British club team to do well, even if I supported a different team (not that I know anything about football...).

This attitude makes my blood boil. I can't abide Chelsea, why on earth should I switch my allegiance to them in Europe just because they are British? They're a shower of b*stards on Saturday/Sunday and that doesn't change because it's midweek!

Wow. Your blood boils easily...

Why would anyone want to hate another team (in any sport) so much?

Cheers, Andy

FJS

There's polarization because some treat Sky as a national team, which everyone British is supposed to support, while others are sceptical of this football-style team support thing introduce din cycling.
It's not something new though - in the Netherlands Rabobank has a similar role, and they consciously constructed that with the orange team colours. In July most Ducth casual cycling followers support Rabobank, pretty much in the same way as now is happening with Sky.

There is currently quite a bit of excitement and respect for Sky as a new team and of their 'new' approach in the continental European cycling world, just like there was last year with Cervelo in the Spring, or Riis' earlier CSC years.

South Bound

For me it started off positively as an opportunity to breathe life into an enthusiastic scene in the UK without the superstars. There was an opportunity to expose some younger Brits to the tours with the support they need to achieve theire potential.

Unfortunately, it then turned into a spend-money-fest at the risk of making cycling team loyalty as meaningless as it is in football. Buying Wiggo out of his contract just reduced the gentlemanly image of the sport in my eyes. Everyone chasing the big bucks, hey ho.

Additionally, with notable exceptions, it is not a British team, just one sponsored by a company that uses the Union flag on its strip.

iainf72

mroli wrote:

1) English rider (inc Isle of Man)

Can you define "english"?

Is someone born in Belgium with an Australian father, for example, English? Or are they "british"?