Should I support Wiggins?
Comments
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Crankbrother wrote:Feck no!!!
He has a yellow helmet on already ... Tit!
EDIT: Turns out it's ASO's fault ... I'll get back to you with another reason to hate Wigg'o'ins shortly ...
Actually, his stupid nickname/third person nonsense will do ... He's not in the WWE regardliss of the garish lycra and the missuse of drugs ...
Yes ASO have decided as the leaders of the team comp then that team can wear yellow lids. Which is actually a great idea, I am always wondering who leads that competition.+++++++++++++++++++++
we are the proud, the few, Descendents.
Panama - finally putting a nail in the economic theory of the trickle down effect.0 -
rodgers73 wrote:I'm not asking you to tell me who to support, he missed most of last year's Tour so I've had relatively little exposure to him, so for all I know he's an ars*.
I was looking for comments on what he's "really" like
Read the title of your thread - now tell me you are not asking strangers who to support?! If I said, yes, support him, does that make it better? Would you like to support an Englishman, in an English team, trying to make history? Or would you prefer to have a lottery of all the names at the local WI meeting? Sure some old dear would pick you a name out to follow.
Do you ask your mum what to wear in the morning? Or is she too busy tossing a coin to decide what's for breakfast?0 -
Scrumple wrote:rodgers73 wrote:I'm not asking you to tell me who to support, he missed most of last year's Tour so I've had relatively little exposure to him, so for all I know he's an ars*.
I was looking for comments on what he's "really" like
Read the title of your thread - now tell me you are not asking strangers who to support?! If I said, yes, support him, does that make it better? Would you like to support an Englishman, in an English team, trying to make history? Or would you prefer to have a lottery of all the names at the local WI meeting? Sure some old dear would pick you a name out to follow.
Do you ask your mum what to wear in the morning? Or is she too busy tossing a coin to decide what's for breakfast?
Oh so now it's an ENGLISH team - or is it that old chestnut he's english when he wins and british when he loses...try telling that to geraint thomas.0 -
Gazzetta67 wrote:Scrumple wrote:rodgers73 wrote:I'm not asking you to tell me who to support, he missed most of last year's Tour so I've had relatively little exposure to him, so for all I know he's an ars*.
I was looking for comments on what he's "really" like
Read the title of your thread - now tell me you are not asking strangers who to support?! If I said, yes, support him, does that make it better? Would you like to support an Englishman, in an English team, trying to make history? Or would you prefer to have a lottery of all the names at the local WI meeting? Sure some old dear would pick you a name out to follow.
Do you ask your mum what to wear in the morning? Or is she too busy tossing a coin to decide what's for breakfast?
Oh so now it's an ENGLISH team - or is it that old chestnut he's english when he wins and british when he loses...try telling that to geraint thomas.
I think this 'old chestnut' is a well known myth. The use of the word British or English, Scottish, Welsh or whatever is pretty interchangeable in the media. Often changed just to avoid repetition in a column. I've made this point before that fleet street and the media in general is full of people from all corners of the world. To think that there is some victimisation based on being from a minority nation is pure paranoia. If you disagree, there's Wimbledon and the Tour to test your theory.
Wiggo (and Murray) seems like a decent enough guy to me. He has a pretty dry sense of humour and is obviously a little bit spiky but I like the approach as its honest and better than the usual 'say nothing' interviews. I hate to think how I would come across in a media interview. Especially in the heat of the moment... In Millar's book he didn't paint a great picture of Wiggins as a person but I'm not that bothered. I'll be hoping he does well and also hoping he comes across well in the post stage/race interviews. He's a British rider performing at the highest level and potentially has the power to get on the podium and make some serious headlines in the UK. Why wouldn't you support him? Same with Cav really. Might not be everyones cup of tea but can't understand why anyone would actively dislike him.0 -
I'm quite happy to support Brad and in return he's quite happy to mail order me stuff for my bike...hang on that's Wiggle.0
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ddraver wrote:Only british people could have a thread like this... Shame
Damn right.
Could you imagine an American forum asking if they should support a US rider against the rest of the world?
It's a shame how we always seem to try and knock down any of our sporting champions.
But, oh how we like a good loser.Cube Agree GTC Pro
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fwiw I support him, not that I know him personally I just admire what he has achieved and his work ethic, cant believe the bollocks people say and call him a knob? For someone who calls a person they do not know a knob, well it makes them look a knob. Cannot juadge a person by their tv appearances only. Anyway supoort who you want why ask?0
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So he didnt come across well in saint david book? :-) now theres a surprise after he left garmin :-) This is the same St David who was done for doping and now seems to think he is some sort of hero for admitting doping? Not sure I would want his approval of me as a rider to be honest.Heavymental wrote:Gazzetta67 wrote:Scrumple wrote:rodgers73 wrote:I'm not asking you to tell me who to support, he missed most of last year's Tour so I've had relatively little exposure to him, so for all I know he's an ars*.
I was looking for comments on what he's "really" like
Read the title of your thread - now tell me you are not asking strangers who to support?! If I said, yes, support him, does that make it better? Would you like to support an Englishman, in an English team, trying to make history? Or would you prefer to have a lottery of all the names at the local WI meeting? Sure some old dear would pick you a name out to follow.
Do you ask your mum what to wear in the morning? Or is she too busy tossing a coin to decide what's for breakfast?
Oh so now it's an ENGLISH team - or is it that old chestnut he's english when he wins and british when he loses...try telling that to geraint thomas.
I think this 'old chestnut' is a well known myth. The use of the word British or English, Scottish, Welsh or whatever is pretty interchangeable in the media. Often changed just to avoid repetition in a column. I've made this point before that fleet street and the media in general is full of people from all corners of the world. To think that there is some victimisation based on being from a minority nation is pure paranoia. If you disagree, there's Wimbledon and the Tour to test your theory.
Wiggo (and Murray) seems like a decent enough guy to me. He has a pretty dry sense of humour and is obviously a little bit spiky but I like the approach as its honest and better than the usual 'say nothing' interviews. I hate to think how I would come across in a media interview. Especially in the heat of the moment... In Millar's book he didn't paint a great picture of Wiggins as a person but I'm not that bothered. I'll be hoping he does well and also hoping he comes across well in the post stage/race interviews. He's a British rider performing at the highest level and potentially has the power to get on the podium and make some serious headlines in the UK. Why wouldn't you support him? Same with Cav really. Might not be everyones cup of tea but can't understand why anyone would actively dislike him.0 -
Ringo 68 wrote:ddraver wrote:Only british people could have a thread like this... Shame
Damn right.
Could you imagine an American forum asking if they should support a US rider against the rest of the world?
It's a shame how we always seem to try and knock down any of our sporting champions.
But, oh how we like a good loser.
Well, I would have liked to think that the passport that someone carries alone doesn't automatically mean that they are worthy of an entire nation's unquestioning support.
Does the person's character or previous actions not have ANY bearing on whether you wish them well? I'd hope it does or otherwise we're into some pretty unpleasant nationalism.
I haven't followed cycling that closely for long enough that I have much of a clue about Wiggins. He dropped out of the Tour early last year and that's really the only event I've followed where he featured. I didn't see much of him in the Giro - did he even enter? or did he drop out? - so he is to a large extent a mystery to me. I have heard a few vague things about him being awkward or difficult in interviews, but nothing solid enough to draw any conclusions from. So, I was asking if anyone can fill in the gaps here for me.
I'm aware that it is almost impossible to "know" a famous person, given that you only get to see them in a handful of interviews, but the Joey Barton example is a good one. Some famous people are clearly complete tw*ts, some are clearly very nice guys, the majority are largely unknown quantities and most likely just a bit bland (or secretly great/awful but covering it up well!).
If he fits into the 2nd or 3rd categories then all the best to him, but if he's an arse then the fact that he's British doesn't mean I'm going to hope he wins, because I'm not a blindly patriotic person. Neither (before anyone starts) am I anti-British. I just don't think unpleasant people should be supported because it's not a good thing that they enjoy success and adulation.0 -
Scrumple wrote:rodgers73 wrote:I'm not asking you to tell me who to support, he missed most of last year's Tour so I've had relatively little exposure to him, so for all I know he's an ars*.
I was looking for comments on what he's "really" like
Read the title of your thread - now tell me you are not asking strangers who to support?! If I said, yes, support him, does that make it better? Would you like to support an Englishman, in an English team, trying to make history? Or would you prefer to have a lottery of all the names at the local WI meeting? Sure some old dear would pick you a name out to follow.
Do you ask your mum what to wear in the morning? Or is she too busy tossing a coin to decide what's for breakfast?
Well if you read beyond just the title and saw what I'd posted in the first and subsequent posts then you see that your reply was a bit silly.0 -
Yellow Peril wrote:I'm quite happy to support Brad and in return he's quite happy to mail order me stuff for my bike...hang on that's Wiggle.
Love this post!!0 -
ddraver wrote:I'd suggest you need to form some opinons of your own...
Yes, I'm trying to do that but it's hard in the absence of any information at all on what the bloke is like - hence the question. For all know he could have said some pretty shocking stuff in the past and have a terrible attitude. On the other hand he could be kind to animals and do a lot of good work for charity.
I was asking the people in this sub-forum if there was anything like that they know about him.0 -
rodgers,
Over the next three weeks Wiggins will be interviewed quite a lot. It is clear that his every utterance is going to lead you into hours of introspective angst as to whether his words fall within the parameters of your moral code. To avoid such handwringing stress I would advise that you don't support Wiggins. Support someone like Jerome Coppel instead, you probably won't hear much from him.Twitter: @RichN950 -
I think you should have a look on youtube and type in "Monty Python's Room for an Argument" and try and upgrade your technique
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RichN95 wrote:rodgers,
Over the next three weeks Wiggins will be interviewed quite a lot. It is clear that his every utterance is going to lead you into hours of introspective angst as to whether his words fall within the parameters of your moral code. To avoid such handwringing stress I would advise that you don't support Wiggins. Support someone like Jerome Coppel instead, you probably won't hear much from him.
The flip side of this seems to be that if Adolf Hitler were riding the Tour wrapped in a Union Jack I should be putting up the bunting and cheering his every pedal stroke...
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To fill in the gaps for you he has been busy winning the Paris-Nice, Romandie and the Dauphine week long stage races this year and didn't enter the Giro as it's very difficult to be at your best for the Tour if you do.rodgers73 wrote:I haven't followed cycling that closely for long enough that I have much of a clue about Wiggins. He dropped out of the Tour early last year and that's really the only event I've followed where he featured. I didn't see much of him in the Giro - did he even enter? or did he drop out? - so he is to a large extent a mystery to me. I have heard a few vague things about him being awkward or difficult in interviews, but nothing solid enough to draw any conclusions from. So, I was asking if anyone can fill in the gaps here for me.
With regards to his media dealings he has rubbed people up the wrong way in the past and let his frustration with being asked the same inane questions show to readily for some people's liking.0 -
I'm fairly sure Wiggins hasn't killed 6 millions Jews, so you should be OK.rodgers73 wrote:RichN95 wrote:rodgers,
Over the next three weeks Wiggins will be interviewed quite a lot. It is clear that his every utterance is going to lead you into hours of introspective angst as to whether his words fall within the parameters of your moral code. To avoid such handwringing stress I would advise that you don't support Wiggins. Support someone like Jerome Coppel instead, you probably won't hear much from him.
The flip side of this seems to be that if Adolf Hitler were riding the Tour wrapped in a Union Jack I should be putting up the bunting and cheering his every pedal stroke...Twitter: @RichN950 -
+1 to what Rich said. The TdF is about the biggest sporting event in the world and the French in particular are obsessed with it. The top riders get interviewed endlessly and the followers hang on their every word. This is particularly true for the Yellow Jersey wearer, hence Brad being content with Cancellara wearing it for now.
Don't know about you but if I'd just raced in 40 degree heat up a mountain I would probably lose my cool when asked yet another dumb question.Ecrasez l’infame0 -
Romandie interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XBsK_yc ... e=youtu.be0 -
Wiggins has got rediculous sideburns though.
If ever there was a reason not to support him it is those lamb chops.Cube Agree GTC Pro
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I did see him on TV the other day (nothing controversial or Holocaust-related mentioned) and thought he looked absurd. His hair looks like a helmet!0
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My 16 year old daughter says that is trendy.Cube Agree GTC Pro
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You're asking a load of folk you don't know whether to support someone you don't know?! What's to say these folk responding to the thread aren't arses? Bide your time and form your own opinion - there'll certainly be enough interviews with Brad over the next few days to do just that.
For the record, I'm supporting him because he lives in Eccleston, which is where I live and was brought up.... and also because I'm patriotic - which you seem to have a minor issue with.
Hope that helps.0 -
there have been some ridiculous threads on these fora, but this is right up there...!
I am now off to self flagellate for even reading/getting irritated/bothering to comment...
fwiw my opinion of the guy?
Always remembered this interview with him from 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/sep/30/bradleywiggins.cycling?INTCMP=SRCH (edited to add link)
he seems like a ......normal human being with all the ups, down, and foibles and weaknesses that go with his positives. Frankly, this has endeared him (and similarly Cav) to me much more than say - oh I don't know - John Terry, Wayne Rooney - or Joey Barton
Also more endearing than the bland fare offered up by Stevie G, Michael Owen, David Beckham etc
Although I always liked Calamity James for some reason...0
