Lance Armstrong is not an Athlete

[Anthony]

Or so says this guy

http://www.msnbc.com/news/785267.asp


Next week, he will have an article about why every child on the planet dreams about winning the Super Bowl.

[benine]

Originally posted by Anthony
Or so says this guy

http://www.msnbc.com/news/785267.asp


Next week, he will have an article about why every child on the planet dreams about winning the Super Bowl.


Key phrase:
"Ron Borges writes regularly for NBCSports.com and covers boxing and the NFL for the Boston Globe."

boxing

and pro football

yep, he's an expert on what it takes to make an athelete. the dip.

[joseph pakovits]

So this guy is an idiot? As if there's any shortage of idiots among the US sports media that we have to haul this cokcroach out into the light.

I mean, really, this is too easy. First he lists Marion Jones as a great athlete and then he says...

"Athletes, for my money, must do more with their bodies than pump their legs up and down."

Isn't that what people like Marion Jones and Carl Lewis do? Sweet Jebus, my five year old nephew can take this moron's article apart.

[BlueMeanie]

Originally posted by Anthony
Or so says this guy

http://www.msnbc.com/news/785267.asp

And this guy at MSNBC says Lance <i>is</i>...

http://www.msnbc.com/news/785614.asp

Geeks at MSNBC are probably doing some point-counterpoint gimmick or something...

[otterulz]

If you want some enjoyable crap to read and quite possibly get your blood pumped up, go read anything written by Phil Mushnick of the New York Post. He is truly one of the most unusual "journalists" you'll ever find, sometimes writing about the most insignificant things ever. www.nypost.com

[PSU92]

Originally posted by BlueMeanie

And this guy at MSNBC says Lance <i>is</i>...

http://www.msnbc.com/news/785614.asp

Geeks at MSNBC are probably doing some point-counterpoint gimmick or something...

He also has told Soccer Haters to shove it.

[Ian McCracken]

The guy is a pinhead. Lance Armstrong, in my mind, is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He's up there with Muhammad Ali, Pele, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, Wayne Gretzky. He stands as their equal.

[ThreeApples]

Originally posted by joseph pakovits
Isn't that what people like Marion Jones and Carl Lewis do? Sweet Jebus, my five year old nephew can take this moron's article apart.

Yes, he also implies that marathon runners are not athletes, but lauds Marion Jones. I don't know why one kind of running is athletic but another is not.

Well, it got him some hits from some soccer fans with too much time on their hands.

[Mr. Cam]

Originally posted by Ian McCracken

The guy is a pinhead. Lance Armstrong, in my mind, is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He's up there with Muhammad Ali, Pele, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, Wayne Gretzky. He stands as their equal.



"Lance Armstrong, in my mind, is one of the greatest athletes of all time."

Listen here pinhead, Lance can't even carry Eddy's SHOELACES!!! BTW Bud Greenspan stated that Eddy may have been the greatest athlete of the 20th Century!!!

Once Lance wins his fourth Toue de France, he will've equaled Greg LeMond's achievements.

"He's up there with Muhammad Ali, Pele, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, Wayne Gretzky. He stands as their equal."

Sorry moron, but Jim Thorpe is THE greatest AMERICAN athlete of ALL TIME!!! He was voted greatest athlete in the world from 1900-1950.

[Real Ray]

Originally posted by Mr. Cam
"Lance Armstrong, in my mind, is one of the greatest athletes of all time."

Listen here pinhead, Lance can't even carry Eddy's SHOELACES!!! BTW Bud Greenspan stated that Eddy may have been the greatest athlete of the 20th Century!!!

Once Lance wins his fourth Toue de France, he will've equaled Greg LeMond's achievements.

"He's up there with Muhammad Ali, Pele, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, Wayne Gretzky. He stands as their equal."

Sorry moron, but Jim Thorpe is THE greatest AMERICAN athlete of ALL TIME!!! He was voted greatest athlete in the world from 1900-1950.

No, Mr. Cam, once again you're the moron.

First off, if your talking about Eddy Merckx-it's simply a different era. You just can't compare his era to today. Simply put, cycling is now a sport of specialization; you're not going to win 2-3 Spring Classics and the Tour ala Coppi, Merckx, Anquetil, etc. That era was put to rest once and for all by Indurain. And I'm not going to into the level of dubious "team tactics" of that era. It's a different sport. The only knock I would make against Lance is the depth of his era vs others. He lacks the great rival many of the other greats had in their eras.

Secondly, by any measure he most certainly is one of the great athletes of all time-which is all that Ian said. And re: Borges, odd that considering how often-told Lance's story is, that he doesn't realize that Lance began as a triathlete.

Lastly, here is a classic. Borges says,
For my money, being the greatest athlete in the world involves strength, speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, mental toughness and the ability to make your body do things that defy description.
If that doesn't describe what it takes to win a Tour de France-Jesus! And then for him to get out of this nose dive by then writing
Chief among them is not pumping your legs up and down while your feet are strapped to bicycle pedals.

Well..he's either an absolute idiot, or just suffering from a really bad case of of writers block/summer blues.

[metrocorazon]

Originally posted by joseph pakovits


Isn't that what people like Marion Jones and Carl Lewis do? Sweet Jebus, my five year old nephew can take this moron's article apart.
They also jump which may look like they are only using their legs but they use their whole bodies.

This guy had a good argument in that Armstrong is a good athlete but NOT THE BEST. He's good at 1 thing and thats riding a bike. He cant jump, lift, push, or run. Saying that he's not an athlete and that the sport of cycling is crap was where he lost me.

I didnt know if I was reading a anti cycling or anti soccer article.

[Ian McCracken]

Originally posted by Mr. Cam

Listen here pinhead, Lance can't even carry Eddy's SHOELACES!!! BTW Bud Greenspan stated that Eddy may have been the greatest athlete of the 20th Century!!!

Once Lance wins his fourth Toue de France, he will've equaled Greg LeMond's achievements.


Well, Real Ray already took you to the woodshed so I'll go easy on you. First off, Lance has accomplished something that not even Merckx could do...win 4 Tour de France's in a row (and still going). Second, Greg LeMond won 3 Tours, not four. So, Armstrong has already bested LeMond as far as titles are concerned.

[Mr. Cam]

Originally posted by Real Ray

No, Mr. Cam, once again you're the moron.

First off, if your talking about Eddy Merckx - it's simply a different era. You just can't compare his era to today. Simply put, cycling is now a sport of specialization; you're not going to win 2-3 Spring Classics and the Tour ala Coppi, Merckx, Anquetil, etc. That era was put to rest once and for all by Indurain. And I'm not going to into the level of dubious "team tactics" of that era. It's a different sport.

Secondly, by any measure he most certainly is one of the great athletes of all time-which is all that Ian said.

Dear Real Ray

Please cite three internationally respected cycling historians, commentators, or correspondents that have stated or substantiate what you have ASSerted!

When you can do that, then you can call me a moron. Otherwise, keep your infantile temper tantrums to yourself!

11 tour victories, 3 world titles, the hour record, seventeen Six Day victories, and numerous spring classics. Lance WILL NEVER equal this record. Eddy won on the Track or Road, it did not matter.

Remember, just the facts ma’am.

[Real Ray]

Originally posted by Mr. Cam
Dear Real Ray

Please cite three internationally respected cycling historians, commentators, or correspondents that have stated or substantiate what you have ASSerted!

When you can do that, then you can call me a moron. Otherwise, keep your infantile temper tantrums to yourself!

11 tour victories, 3 world titles, the hour record, seventeen Six Day victories, and numerous spring classics. Lance WILL NEVER equal this record. Eddy won on the Track or Road, it did not matter.

Remember, just the facts ma’am.
1. Samuel Abt, Greg Lemond, and Phil Liggett, to name a few. But...how about Eddy himself
If I had raced in my days the same way as Lance Armstrong, Jan Ullrich and the other do now, I would have been very unhappy. I love riding my bike too much to concentrate everything on the Tour de France only.

...“This doesn’t mean that I don’t respect Armstrong. Of course I do. Very much. Lance is the best. He is a pro, 100 per cent. When he needs A+B+C to get fit, he won’t miss B. When I heard how he prepared for the Tour de France: riding the time trail course seven times, doing some of the steeper climbs three times in a row! Fantastic.

http://www.queens.co.za/Interview.htm

2.It's self-evident-look at the last two great Tour riders, Armstrong and Indurain. Indurain has two Giros, and a couple of time trial championships; Armstrong the World title.

3. Read what I wrote: You just can't compare his era to today. Simply put, cycling is now a sport of specialization; you're not going to win 2-3 Spring Classics and the Tour ala Coppi, Merckx, Anquetil, etc. So, yes, of course he's not going to equal Mercyx-do I have to make it any clearer? That's the point. The days where you win the Tour, the Giro, and 2 Classics in a season are long gone. If your a fan of the sport, you would know that.

[Doctor Stamen]

Originally posted by Noah Elliott


Yes, he also implies that marathon runners are not athletes, but lauds Marion Jones. I don't know why one kind of running is athletic but another is not.

Well, it got him some hits from some soccer fans with too much time on their hands.

Because Lewis and Jones run at around 10 seconds-this guys concentration level. Halle Gabrisalissie, Lance Armstrong etc. aren't considered athletes because their specialities take time, endurance and graft. They're just in sexy sports because of the above reasons.

Anyone who wins consecutive Tour-de-France yellow jerseys without drugs after having bollock cancer is a pretty f__king good athlete in my opinion.

[Real Ray]

One last point re: Merckx-Armstrong eras.

Merckx in a 13 year career raced in over 1800 race-in 1972 alone he won 50. In some years he raced 200 times. Armstrong in 1999 only raced 19 times; in 2000, 14 times. Indurain, Riis and Ullrich also raced similar schedules.

Just a different era. Expectations of sponsors and how it has changed the sport alone, is a topic for a cycling thread. Hinault was probably the last of the Merckx-like riders.

[condor11]

miguel indurain is better than armstrong

[statoman]

What a silly column!

[phats_away]

i'm sorry but if you consider an athelete great in a sport where john kruk was revered.... you lose your argument

[ElJefe]

Originally posted by phats_away
i'm sorry but if you consider an athelete great in a sport where john kruk was revered.... you lose your argument
It was a stupid column, but that's also a stupid comment.

John Kruk "revered" by baseball? Are you kidding me? It's quite ironic that you made that dopey comment on the day where Ozzie Smith, a true athlete, was being truely revered by baseball with his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.