Wiggins interview in the Guardian

disgruntledgoat
disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
edited November 2012 in Pro race
Bit of. Puff piece for the book, but some nice stuff about the family in there, I recognise the clowning about to avoid taking stuff seriously too.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/02/bradley-wiggins-interview-tour
"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

@gietvangent

Comments

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,651
    It's a good read. The clowning around stuff is a pretty typical introvert response to being put in the limelight. All the best comedians grew up as the weird kids that never felt they fitted in. The ones that don't end up in IT or as axe murderers at any rate. I'm in IT....

    I can understand why he feels the way he does about doping rumours as well, though I'd have thought that a man with as refined a sense of cycling history would understand the concept of le patron a little better. Sorry Brad, but it comes with the jersey. It's not about getting on a soapbox, it's about the fact that you now speak for the entire sport - like it or not. I can't help thinking that the best option for him would be to actually sit down with someone like Walsh or Kimmage and talk about all the stuff he doesn't want to talk about, just to try and get it over with.
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  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Its a long one so if you haven't the time, read:

    http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13208 ... z2BAn8guBi

    Choice quote :lol:
    I wouldn't go to Monaco or anywhere like that. It's a shit hole. I couldn't think of a worse place to live

    He really is a normal bloke. Sometimes I worry at how hard a time he is having with himself with dealing with his new found fame.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,651
    According to the twitter taliban he's some sort of whingeing rich-boy now.

    And apparently I'm a bracelet wearing fanboy for suggesting he's within his rights to eat a pizza with his kids in peace.
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Oh That's YOU!!!!! Well Played sir btw!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,651
    ddraver wrote:
    Oh That's YOU!!!!! Well Played sir btw!

    I would have preferred "chapeau", but thanks anyway ;-)
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  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    According to the twitter taliban he's some sort of whingeing rich-boy now.

    And apparently I'm a bracelet wearing fanboy for suggesting he's within his rights to eat a pizza with his kids in peace.


    They can fark right off. Utter knob heads :evil:
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    That makes me angry... How can you believe a sportsman owes you something at the expense of his family?

    Although, however much a sh!thole Monaco is, it can't hold a candle to Wigan... As the old Warrington chant will attest
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • mike6
    mike6 Posts: 1,199
    I think he really is just an ordinary bloke. I read his autobiography and the problems he had dealing with winning gold/s at the Olympic track races. The fact that being the Olympic champion did not make him or his life different did his head in, but he got over it. So I think he will keep his feet on the ground.
    The problem is people expect top sportspeople to be extraordinary, whereas most, Wiggins especially, are just ordinary people who can do extraordinary things.
    We expect too much of our sporting stars. As long as they don't cheat, and I dont believe Brad has, they are ok with me.
    Let him be himself rather than a media slick automaton.
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    Just watching the tv program on him that Boulting narrated. Interesting that what he said in the Guardian is entirely consistent with what he said in 2007 - that he believes that his role as an ambassador in the sport is to continue competing and winning clean.

    The reason that Wiggins is great is because he is an ordinary bloke, who loves his sport, who loves his family and just happens to be fricking amazing at riding a bike.

    With the intrusion thing, I am mates with a minor tv "celebrity". We went to a funeral together in Cornwall and drove back and stopped at a motorway services on the way back. I went off to the bog and came back to see that he was being followed around by people filming him on their phones. He didn't say anything, but I just thought that even given the benefits of his work and lifestyle, that invasion of privacy would do my head in. If he snaps and tells a professional autograph hunter to f&*k off every now and then, so be it.
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Bit of. Puff piece for the book, but some nice stuff about the family in there, I recognise the clowning about to avoid taking stuff seriously too.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/02/bradley-wiggins-interview-tour

    I agree..it's a bit of a puff piece. Not offense to fans of Wiggo, but I don't think I can stomach this style of interview given recent developments in the sport. The journo who wrote this piece needs to go back to read all the Lance features, which were all rubbish it turns out. Again, not saying Wiggins dopes, but do not ever hit me with Brad the great family man and regular bloke drivel...am not interested!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    Dave_1 wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Bit of. Puff piece for the book, but some nice stuff about the family in there, I recognise the clowning about to avoid taking stuff seriously too.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/02/bradley-wiggins-interview-tour

    I agree..it's a bit of a puff piece. Not offense to fans of Wiggo, but I don't think I can stomach this style of interview given recent developments in the sport. The journo who wrote this piece needs to go back to read all the Lance features, which were all rubbish it turns out. Again, not saying Wiggins dopes, but do not ever hit me with Brad the great family man and regular bloke drivel...am not interested!

    With journalists up and down the country (and over the seas and far away) being charged with getting a story on Wiggo, maybe a touching tale of his devotion to his family (and it's roots) is all they could manage?
    What story would you rather be "hit" with?

    You've basically demonstrated the fuKcing impossible situation that exists with such figures and the media: and I particularly feel for the British cycling press right now. For years they knew that directly accusing Armstrong of doping would be catastrophic in terms of litigation and also damage readership figures (Armstrong on the cover of any publication meant increases in sales). Also, it would mean that Armstrong and his affiliates would blacklist them. So he couldn't be ignored and he couldn't be thoroughly investigated (unless you were one of a few renegades who were prepared to be ostracised).
    Now that the British have had a World Champ and Tour winner (amongst other successes), the same journo's aren't allowed a smidgen of jingoism and national pride without being accused of profound naivety of potential doping complicity.

    What's the story about Wiggins you would be interested in?
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Dave, every single cyclist winning big now is going to get dragged down by the whole Armstrong/doping stuff. I don't agree that the world has to stop and they all be sent into some kind of purgatory silence with blanket zero media coverage apart from race reports. Wiggo is probably the best thing going now to stop the non-cycling public in Britain at least (can't speak for the rest of the world) from thinking that every single cyclist riding now is juiced up to the gills. If Ryder H wasn't so bleeding dull they'd probably be doing the same with him in North America.

    Just don't read it if you don't want to. I can't bear Bertie or Valverde - I just choose not to read any features or interviews on them rather than rail at the media for publishing anything about them.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Was a decent read for what it was ...

    IF he can win the Giro then he goes down as a legend ... But if he wins next year's Giro it'll feel a bit by the numbers ... He needs to be humbled a bit on the bike ... and then come back a year or two down the line and show he has the guts for the fight, much like Evans ...
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Crankbrother wrote:
    Was a decent read for what it was ...

    IF he can win the Giro then he goes down as a legend ... But if he wins next year's Giro it'll feel a bit by the numbers ... He needs to be humbled a bit on the bike ... and then come back a year or two down the line and show he has the guts for the fight, much like Evans ...

    I really don't understand why people seem to expect more from Wiggins than any other rider!

    He comes 4th in the Tour, has two bad years then wins it and he needs to show he has "the guts for the fight"? Do you require all your other GT winners to be humbled before you think they're any good?
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,651
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    Was a decent read for what it was ...

    IF he can win the Giro then he goes down as a legend ... But if he wins next year's Giro it'll feel a bit by the numbers ... He needs to be humbled a bit on the bike ... and then come back a year or two down the line and show he has the guts for the fight, much like Evans ...

    I really don't understand why people seem to expect more from Wiggins than any other rider!

    He comes 3rd in the Tour, has two bad years then wins it and he needs to show he has "the guts for the fight"? Do you require all your other GT winners to be humbled before you think they're any good?

    Just a quick fix for you.
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  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    OCDuPalais wrote:
    Dave_1 wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Bit of. Puff piece for the book, but some nice stuff about the family in there, I recognise the clowning about to avoid taking stuff seriously too.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/02/bradley-wiggins-interview-tour

    I agree..it's a bit of a puff piece. Not offense to fans of Wiggo, but I don't think I can stomach this style of interview given recent developments in the sport. The journo who wrote this piece needs to go back to read all the Lance features, which were all rubbish it turns out. Again, not saying Wiggins dopes, but do not ever hit me with Brad the great family man and regular bloke drivel...am not interested!

    With journalists up and down the country (and over the seas and far away) being charged with getting a story on Wiggo, maybe a touching tale of his devotion to his family (and it's roots) is all they could manage?
    What story would you rather be "hit" with?

    You've basically demonstrated the fuKcing impossible situation that exists with such figures and the media: and I particularly feel for the British cycling press right now. For years they knew that directly accusing Armstrong of doping would be catastrophic in terms of litigation and also damage readership figures (Armstrong on the cover of any publication meant increases in sales). Also, it would mean that Armstrong and his affiliates would blacklist them. So he couldn't be ignored and he couldn't be thoroughly investigated (unless you were one of a few renegades who were prepared to be ostracised).
    Now that the British have had a World Champ and Tour winner (amongst other successes), the same journo's aren't allowed a smidgen of jingoism and national pride without being accused of profound naivety of potential doping complicity.

    What's the story about Wiggins you would be interested in?


    I agree with you,it's sure a tricky one for journalists. Just think it's too soon after the Lance/USADA stuff, for me, to be reading articles raising Wiggo or any of them on to a pedestal.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    According to the twitter taliban he's some sort of whingeing rich-boy now.

    And apparently I'm a bracelet wearing fanboy for suggesting he's within his rights to eat a pizza with his kids in peace.


    Hmmm. I'm not saying he's either right or wrong, but if Cav gave the same interview I think the forum's reaction would be a lot less favourable.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Dave, every single cyclist winning big now is going to get dragged down by the whole Armstrong/doping stuff. I don't agree that the world has to stop and they all be sent into some kind of purgatory silence with blanket zero media coverage apart from race reports. Wiggo is probably the best thing going now to stop the non-cycling public in Britain at least (can't speak for the rest of the world) from thinking that every single cyclist riding now is juiced up to the gills. If Ryder H wasn't so bleeding dull they'd probably be doing the same with him in North America.

    Just don't read it if you don't want to. I can't bear Bertie or Valverde - I just choose not to read any features or interviews on them rather than rail at the media for publishing anything about them.

    Yes, agree Wiggo is giving a huge boost to cycling in the UK now...and not saying he's doped..will see how articles are reviewed on here before I open the link..usually a fairly good sign of if it is worth a read
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    Dave_1 wrote:
    Just think it's too soon after the Lance/USADA stuff, for me, to be reading articles raising Wiggo or any of them on to a pedestal.

    Fair do's.

    It's a sorry stand off, though, ain't it!
    On one side, there's certain teams and rider's agents - along with one or two self-aggrandising riders (Voigt and Voeckler, anyone?) - clamouring to rekindle reputations of pro cyclists as heroes of the road once more, and clean to boot!
    On the other side, there's all us grumpy cynics with arms crossed, the lyrics 'Won't Get Fooled Again' running through our minds as we pronounce "bollokcs to your attempts to impress!".

    With all the column inches that need filling, maybe they should stick to photos...?
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    TailWindHome wrote:
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    According to the twitter taliban he's some sort of whingeing rich-boy now.

    And apparently I'm a bracelet wearing fanboy for suggesting he's within his rights to eat a pizza with his kids in peace.


    Hmmm. I'm not saying he's either right or wrong, but if Cav gave the same interview I think the forum's reaction would be a lot less favourable.

    Spot on, back of the net, hit out of the park, big 6 all of the way, touchdown, Ace etc.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver

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