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Downhill Race on ABC
Question:
Mike, Thanks for sharing your story. To me it’s another example of growing pain in the sport. Your experience with TV people is what all reporters and photographers have experienced at "major" sporting events. It may be new to mountain biking, but it’ll only get worse if the popularity curve continues on the upswing. As a former reporter (seven years at a national mag, much of that time as a baseball reporter), I can say that I never had a locker room interviewing experience that wasn’t made more difficult by TV reporters. And for what? The crap they get isn’t worth the effort. Without their deadline constraint, I was usually able to hang out until the TV and dailies had gotten their stuff and have a more leisurely conversation, but photogs have to be where the action is. I hope you, or more appropriately the editors you work for, have communicated the situation to NORBA. Their job is to balance all the concerns, not that they won’t sell out to TV in a second, but at least the meat and potatoes media should try to protect itself. TV wouldn’t be there if the rest of the media hadn’t done a good job of making the sport popular in the first place. End of rant, James Rodewald, online editor, Outside magazine http://www.starwave.com/outside
Response:
I also saw the downhill racing on abc and I was really disappointed with the coverage.. I had to sit through the slam dunk fest and some other thing and when it finally came, it was only about 20 minutes long!!! I would have liked to see more of the men’s coverage… Jeff
Response:
My biggest complaint about the ABC coverage started while at the event and now I’m just fuming! For all the advantages ABC got at Worlds, and the way I was shafted on arrival, I can’t believe they pissed it all away on 10 minutes of lame coverage. My story: I went to Vail to cover the event for the mags – like a bunch of my fellow freelancers did – especially when the Worlds are in our back yard. I arranged for credentials through NORBA, to shoot for NORBA News and afterwards to sell to any other mags with $$$ to spend on pix. My usual schtick. When I got to Vail the credentials were not there, and when I made a new request for pass access, the woman in charge flatly said that "I already have enough photographers," and with the TV people clamoring for shots, she would not grant credentials to any more photographers. AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!! It never got to the stage of trying to tell her WHO I WAS – as if that would have gotten me in. I could have pointed out the copy of VeloNews right in front of her on her desk with my cover photo of Tinker Juarez at Nationals (gushing beer shot, if you recall). That kind of DONT YOU KNOW WHO I AM crap is demeaning to me, and I refused to pull it. My editor at VN even tried to fax her a last minute request, but to no avail. After pissing and moaning about for the rest of the day, I got myself back in gear and went out to the course like any spectator, and got my shots ANYWAY! ABC went about its business of getting in the way of spectators (like they always do), and the "stills" folks fought for position with ABC folks who always think the TV shot is more important than anyone elses. To you folks it may seem like sour grapes and grousing, but it’s my livlihood. I usually have no trouble getting the access I need, here or abroad, and I expect people who are press liasons to be just that – someone who smoothes out the problems of access and information transfer. I have to work shoulder-to-shoulder with video folks at almost every national event (TdP, USCF and NORBA national events). We take care of each other. We at least try to work together to keep out of the other’s shot (except at the podium shot, where there’s always some video guy who has to cut in front at the last minute instead of staking out a nice spot like WE do), and when we can’t, we sometimes have to resort to drastic measures (like snaking the video guy’s cables – stepping on the wires or tugging, pushing and shoving to get the position back). It aint pretty, but it has to be done. I don’t relish going back to Vail for the NORBA stop this year, and its not because I don’t like Vail. I think Vail was wonderful and the competition amazing. I just hope the woman who was in charge of the press at Worlds is now flipping burgers somewhere, not being the amazingly good people-person she was at Worlds. And if ABC is there? You can guarantee I wont be getting out of any TV guys way, unless they ask REALLY, REALLY NICE! No, we photogs are not being big babies, it’s just the perceived IMPORTANCE those TV people think they have. WE WORK FOR ABC, DAMMIT! GET OUT OF OUR WAY YOU INSIGNIFICANT FLEA-LIKE STILL PHOTOGRAPHER CREATURE! WE CONTROL WHETHER OR NOT YOUR SPORT WILL EVER BE GIVEN ANY RESPECT! UNLESS I CAN STAND RIGHT HERE – IN YOUR WAY – FOR THIS SHOT, THE ENTIRE WORLD OF CYCLING WILL COLLAPSE. Sheesh! Had to get that off my chest sooner or later. BTW – Does anyone know if ABC ever plans to show the rest of the coverage? Will that redeem their efforts in cyclists eyes? Will I ever stop being pissed off at that woman from Vail? Who knows? Better yet, who cares. Mike Gladu – Photojournalist Infinite HangTime Photography Voice/faxmodem (713)681-6293 5914 Greenmont Drive Alternate voice line (713)681-5595 Houston, Texas USA 77092-2330 – "It never got fast enough for me" – Hunter S Thompson’s proposed epitaph –
Response:
: What a wate of time that was. I’m glad to see more racing on TV and : all, but that was not what I would call covered. How many rides did we : actually see, four, five?. Lame, what the hell was that with the super long : interview, show us some action. And then, no mens coverage? Whathfu!?! : I am glad to see racing but they didn’t even post the results for : the mens rce and only the top three, with the rest of the american riders. : What a farce. I enjoyed the horse race before hand more. : Congrats to Larry the Legend : Jamie : J Bennett Yeah no kidding it was bad. But it was ABC. ABC thinks that mountain biking is the epitomy of Insane Waynes ideals. They failed to mention that this was only part of the Worlds coverage, what little there is. For once why doesn’t a network like ESPN or ESPN2 pick up the coverage so that we can really show it off. BTW check VeloNews for response address for ABC and write the shit out of their lousy coverage. Operadude of WNYMBA
Response:
> I forgot to ask about this race. The one thing I really wanted to >know was the final results , especially in the mens division. I haven’t >found them on the web. Does anybody know, could you post them? > I’m really looking for how Andrew Shandro did. Seeing he is not >American there was no chance of finding out from ABC.
*Men’s Downhill* 1. Francois Gachet France 2. Tommy Johansson Sweden 3. Carrado Herin Italy 5. Myles Rockwell U.S.A. 81. John Tomac U.S.A. (30 sec. penalty for uniform, orig. 9th) *Men’s Cross-Country* 1. Henrik Djernis Denmark 2. Tinker Juarez U.S.A. 3. Bart Brentjens Netherlands(?) 10. Jose Brenes Costa Rica 15. Ned Overend U.S.A. *Men’s Dual Slalom* 1. Brian Lopes U.S.A. 2. Myles Rockwell U.S.A. 3. Mike King U.S.A. That’s about all I’ve been able to dig up.
Response:
I forgot to ask about this race. The one thing I really wanted to know was the final results , especially in the mens division. I haven’t found them on the web. Does anybody know, could you post them? I’m really looking for how Andrew Shandro did. Seeing he is not American there was no chance of finding out from ABC. Bitte.r Jamie J Bennett
Response:
Absolutely dumbfounded by the lack of men’s coverage. Oh well, I guess now we know how women have felt all these years. I would’ve liked to have seen one of the top men’s runs from top to bottom though to see what the fastest do differently. rock on. erik z.
Response:
: What a wate of time that was. I’m glad to see more racing on TV and : all, but that was not what I would call covered. How many rides did we : actually see, four, five?. Lame, what the hell was that with the super long : interview, show us some action. And then, no mens coverage? Whathfu!?! : I am glad to see racing but they didn’t even post the results for : the mens rce and only the top three, with the rest of the american riders. : What a farce. I enjoyed the horse race before hand more. : Congrats to Larry the Legend : Jamie : J Bennett It was like ABC was doing the advertising for the video tape that one of their ABC owned companies is putting out. In any case, we all know ABC knows that mountain biking was the draw for the program, thats why it was the last segment. J.S. 
Response:
For those of us who missed it, when was this on? My gf’s work tapes everything on all channels, so I will be able to get a copy of it.
Response:
>For those of us who missed it, when was this on?
It was on Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm Central time, on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.
Response:
What a wate of time that was. I’m glad to see more racing on TV and all, but that was not what I would call covered. How many rides did we actually see, four, five?. Lame, what the hell was that with the super long interview, show us some action. And then, no mens coverage? Whathfu!?! I am glad to see racing but they didn’t even post the results for the mens rce and only the top three, with the rest of the american riders. What a farce. I enjoyed the horse race before hand more. Congrats to Larry the Legend Jamie J Bennett
Response:
> What a wate of time that was. I’m glad to see more racing on TV and >all, but that was not what I would call covered. How many rides did we >actually see, four, five?. Lame, what the hell was that with the super long >interview, show us some action. And then, no mens coverage? Whathfu!?! > I am glad to see racing but they didn’t even post the results for >the mens rce and only the top three, with the rest of the american riders. >What a farce. I enjoyed the horse race before hand more. >Congrats to Larry the Legend >Jamie >J Bennett
The weather here is so bad and I’m so starved of biking that I thought it was the greatet thing. I even taped it and have watched it 2 more times already (while showing it to friends who are bike-clueless). Call me pathetic if you will, but it was better than nothing. I kinda liked the interview with Missy. I had no idea what kind of person she was, only that she made some comment about her ovaries (comparing them to balls). She reminded me alot of the main character in that strange movie, "Tank Girl". Yes, I would have loved to see more, but beggars can’t be choosers. When will stuff start to be on ESPN, Prime, MSG, etc…? -Greg — Greg Burger | I can niether confirm nor deny that, |
Response:
: What a wate of time that was. I’m glad to see more racing on TV and : all, but that was not what I would call covered. How many rides did we : actually see, four, five?. Lame, what the hell was that with the super long : interview, show us some action. And then, no mens coverage? Whathfu!?! : I am glad to see racing but they didn’t even post the results for : the mens rce and only the top three, with the rest of the american riders. : What a farce. I enjoyed the horse race before hand more. : Congrats to Larry the Legend : Jamie : : J Bennett It was like ABC was doing the advertising for the video tape that one of their ABC owned companies is putting out. In any case, we all know ABC knows that mountain biking was the draw for the program, thats why it was the last segment. J.S. Apparently ABC is looking for some sort of women’s sport to put on the air. I don’t think that they are to concerned about quality just the fact that it is a women’s sport with go potential for rating from both men and women viewers. I came to this concusion after watching the 1/2 hour show and then reading that they will be showing the women’s 1994 XC championships some time in June. However this show is also slated to be 1/2 hour long. ABC needs to get real. You can’t show a pro XC race in a 1/2 hour.