BBC cycling numpties?

careful

I watched 2 programs that had a cycling theme this week - together they demonstrated fairly predictable ignorance and antagonism toward cycling and cyclists. The first was New Tricks (yeah I know but I'm an old git myself). The opening theme was investigation of the death of a bike courier who was hit by a car. "Some boy racer going too fast" was the initial suspician. But no, of course the cyclist turned out to be one of a gang of drug smuggling nutters, hell bent on ridding the world of cars. Pretty much reinforces the views of many viewers I guess.
The second was an interview of Cav. When asked what made him such a great sprinter, of course he said it was all down to his team. Great I thought, the next question will be along the lines of "What team will you be with next year". But no, it was "do you ever cycle to the shops".
What other sport would be treated in such a trivial and superficial way?

ju5t1n

I like the shops question. What was Cav's answer?

Pross

careful wrote:

I watched 2 programs that had a cycling theme this week - together they demonstrated fairly predictable ignorance and antagonism toward cycling and cyclists. The first was New Tricks (yeah I know but I'm an old git myself). The opening theme was investigation of the death of a bike courier who was hit by a car. "Some boy racer going too fast" was the initial suspician. But no, of course the cyclist turned out to be one of a gang of drug smuggling nutters, hell bent on ridding the world of cars. Pretty much reinforces the views of many viewers I guess.
The second was an interview of Cav. When asked what made him such a great sprinter, of course he said it was all down to his team. Great I thought, the next question will be along the lines of "What team will you be with next year". But no, it was "do you ever cycle to the shops".
What other sport would be treated in such a trivial and superficial way?

Did you actually watch the programme or jump to the same conclusion as the lazy coppers? He was actually involved in diamond smuggling (Hopefully I won't get called up for the lack of a spoiler warning I thought it was an accurate portrayal of fixie riding commuters in the big city myself.

martinwitnam

Cav's answer was "No! If the shop is over a kilometre away I try to get a lift there!"

geoff_ss

I thought the interview with Cav on the 'Today' programme was excellent.

He very well put over the point that competition cycling is very demanding and riders race far more frequently than top class athletes in other sports. Apparently Rebecca Adlington was going to take 2 weeks off after the swimming world championships but Cav was racing again a couple of days after the end of the Tour.

careful

Pross said

He was actually involved in diamond smuggling

Oh thats ok then. It was drug smuggling at the point where I fell asleep!!

careful

Geoff_ss said

I thought the interview with Cav on the 'Today' programme was excellent.

Nothing wrong with Cavs answers to some pretty dumb questions.

mouth

If journalists ask stupid questions, they they're gonna get stupid answers. The same guy would have probably asked Addlington if she ever gets in the paddling pool at her Nan's on a Sunday.

As for smuggling, I used to know a guy who 'couriered' stuff around on his bmx for as long as I can remember. Less risky than a car, he used to say.

CiB

Adrian Chiles once interviewed one of the Olympic Gold Medallists - forget who to be honest; might have Hoy, Rebecca or one of the others. One of his insightful questions was 'do you ever fall off?' - the interviewee reported afterwards that it had been like being interviewed by a child.

To be fair, on a mass-audience programme you're never going to get proper questions that us cycling-nerds want to know about, like what HR do you hit, what's your particular optimum cadence / gear size, what's your clue to go? It's always going to be dumbed-down questions, of the 'oooh aren't you special. We could never even think of doing what you do could we eh audience?' nature.

tarquin_foxglove

CiB wrote:

Adrian Chiles once interviewed one of the Olympic Gold Medallists - forget who to be honest; might have Hoy, Rebecca or one of the others. One of his insightful questions was 'do you ever fall off?' - the interviewee reported afterwards that it had been like being interviewed by a child.

To be fair, on a mass-audience programme you're never going to get proper questions that us cycling-nerds want to know about, like what HR do you hit, what's your particular optimum cadence / gear size, what's your clue to go? It's always going to be dumbed-down questions, of the 'oooh aren't you special. We could never even think of doing what you do could we eh audience?' nature.

Also now there has to be some editorial balance, so after a dumbed down but 'favourable' piece on cycling one of the presenters will have to make a comment on how dangerous it looks or how all commuters don't wear helmets or hi-vis, lycra louts etc.

rolf_f

CiB wrote:

Adrian Chiles once interviewed one of the Olympic Gold Medallists - forget who to be honest; might have Hoy, Rebecca or one of the others. One of his insightful questions was 'do you ever fall off?' - the interviewee reported afterwards that it had been like being interviewed by a child.

To be fair, progammes like The One Show are effectively childrens television. You'd have to interview at the level of your audience and it is difficult to overestimate how low that level is likely to be.........

Redhog14

Re OP: Talk about chip on the shoulder! Does Lewis Hamilton when appearing on the BBC Breakfast show get asked about tyre pressures, compression ratios, dpwnforce etc - No! he will get the same question about what do you drive to the shops in... As for watching Old Gits TV New Tricks If you don't change the direction you are heading in, you'll end up where you're going!-Confucious. Try listening to the radio more often...

LorneC

CiB wrote:

Adrian Chiles once interviewed one of the Olympic Gold Medallists - forget who to be honest; might have Hoy, Rebecca or one of the others. One of his insightful questions was 'do you ever fall off?' - the interviewee reported afterwards that it had been like being interviewed by a child.

To be fair, on a mass-audience programme you're never going to get proper questions that us cycling-nerds want to know about, like what HR do you hit, what's your particular optimum cadence / gear size, what's your clue to go? It's always going to be dumbed-down questions, of the 'oooh aren't you special. We could never even think of doing what you do could we eh audience?' nature.

Think it was Nicole Cooke in the 2007 SPOTY.

alan_sherman

I thought this was going to be a thread about the standard of riding around Wood Lane...

CiB

Rolf F wrote:

CiB wrote:

Adrian Chiles once interviewed one of the Olympic Gold Medallists - forget who to be honest; might have Hoy, Rebecca or one of the others. One of his insightful questions was 'do you ever fall off?' - the interviewee reported afterwards that it had been like being interviewed by a child.

To be fair, progammes like The One Show are effectively childrens television. You'd have to interview at the level of your audience and it is difficult to overestimate how low that level is likely to be.........

Apposite comedy on that very subject, from Armstrong & Miller.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wHKBavY_h8