French Connection

Sometimes sports commentators can be total idiots. OK, maybe all the times. I was listening to some commentary about the Tour de France. The commentators said the French were protesting Lance Armstrong claiming he had doped up, and now that he's gone, and they have their chance to win, then Floyd Landis comes around and wins another for the U. S. of A. How this must burn the French. Another American. Winning. Again.

Where do they get these ideas from? Do they know any French? Oh, no, it's just what they imagine the French must be like, what they surmise from the few who truly can't stand Armstrong, and generalize to the whole public (meanwhile, harassing Barry Bonds all day long, not realizing the hypocrisy). It's jingoistic flag waving at its worst, and speculation of the worst kind, completely ill informed.

The French weren't even particularly favored to do well this time around. The two favorites, outside of Landis, were Ullrich of Germany and Basso who is Italian. Indeed, there were two spaniards, a German, and a Russian ahead of the best French rider. Even the French weren't expecting the French to win the Tour. True, at one point, they used to win it every year, until other riders from other countries started getting good.

And, it's not as if Armstrong's winning teams were all Americans, because they weren't. Heck, Landis won cycling for a Swiss team. Things in Europe are simply more international. Armstrong, the American, probably spent as much time if not more living in Europe than the United States. He was far more attuned to European culture and the culture of racing than these ignorant sportscasters.

It would be like the French commenting on American football. It'd probably sound absurd beyond belief. These guys probably paid nearly zero attention to the tour, and then decide to weigh in on what the hypothetical French were thinking? I mean, get real.

It would be like black commentators saying "they want some white guy to win the home run record, and along comes Barry Bonds, and they can't deal with it" or some such nonsense.

Just stick to the sports you know and the countries you know. Maybe you can speculate on what Isiah Thomas is thinking about and how he has the ear of James Dolan, even though you've probably never said word one to Thomas. You can hypothesize about these imaginary conversations with the best of them. Hoorah.