Not that I'm bitter or anything...
Jul. 26th, 2010 06:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenayDear British media,
There's this little chap, Mark by name, who has been doing really rather well in the Tour de France. Yesterday he won his fifth stage this year, the stage into Paris that is one of the most hotly contested stages in the most prestigious cycling race on the planet.
By fifth stage this year, I mean that he won 5 stages in the 2010 Tour. Bringing his total to 15 stages over three Tours. It's actually rather an amazing achievement. The great Eddy Merckx won 34 stages in his career; Cav could surpass that if he continues to win at his current rate. If he were from any European nation except Great Britain, he'd currently be the darling of the country with parades in his honour and every sporting award being handed to him on a golden platter. His face would be plastered over the front page of every newspaper after each stage win. He wouldn't be able to move for autograph hunters.
Sadly, he's British. So you ignored him in every paper and news website this morning. A few of you managed brief mentions of Contador winning the Tour, Brad Wiggins not winning the Tour and Armstrong retiring (again). Apparently one paper did manage to remember that Mark Cavendish (for it is he) didn't win the green jersey. Even the BBC Sport site focused more on Wiggins and Contador with Cav's achievements a mere side note in Brad's story.
Why is it, oh mighty media, that random footballers transferring to other European clubs merit more column inches than one of the most successful British athletes currently out there?
In other words, it's business as usual in British sporting journalism and why did I expect anything different this year? Still, well done Mark Cavendish! You're exactly as fast and brilliant as you think you are :-D
There's this little chap, Mark by name, who has been doing really rather well in the Tour de France. Yesterday he won his fifth stage this year, the stage into Paris that is one of the most hotly contested stages in the most prestigious cycling race on the planet.
By fifth stage this year, I mean that he won 5 stages in the 2010 Tour. Bringing his total to 15 stages over three Tours. It's actually rather an amazing achievement. The great Eddy Merckx won 34 stages in his career; Cav could surpass that if he continues to win at his current rate. If he were from any European nation except Great Britain, he'd currently be the darling of the country with parades in his honour and every sporting award being handed to him on a golden platter. His face would be plastered over the front page of every newspaper after each stage win. He wouldn't be able to move for autograph hunters.
Sadly, he's British. So you ignored him in every paper and news website this morning. A few of you managed brief mentions of Contador winning the Tour, Brad Wiggins not winning the Tour and Armstrong retiring (again). Apparently one paper did manage to remember that Mark Cavendish (for it is he) didn't win the green jersey. Even the BBC Sport site focused more on Wiggins and Contador with Cav's achievements a mere side note in Brad's story.
Why is it, oh mighty media, that random footballers transferring to other European clubs merit more column inches than one of the most successful British athletes currently out there?
In other words, it's business as usual in British sporting journalism and why did I expect anything different this year? Still, well done Mark Cavendish! You're exactly as fast and brilliant as you think you are :-D
no subject
Date: 2010-07-26 10:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 07:53 pm (UTC)