Great feat, but not a great athlete (Lance Armstrong winning Tour impressive, but it’s not athletic)

MSNBC ^ | July 24, 2002 | Ron Borges

[okie01]

"It's apparent this writer knows absolutely nothing about sports..."

You would be amazed at how many sportswriters don't...

[dirtboy]

As always, very well stated. It's kind of like the old saw, "I don't care what kind of publicity I get, as long as they spell my name right." But this jerk should change his last name to Clymer...

[HumanaeVitae]

What is this guy thinking...the Tour has got to be the most sadistic sports event ever. Weeks of biking in rain, heat, up mountains...

[VOYAGER]

CERTAINLY ARMSTRONG IS A HELL of a bike rider, but does that make him superior to Michael Jordan, Barry Bonds, Jerry Rice or Marion Jones?

Does it make him a better athlete than the Williams sisters?

Does the ability to sit on a skinny bicycle seat for hours on end and pump your legs like a madman make you a great athlete or merely a guy who does better without training wheels than most people?

If it is because he is not of that "superior" color who can argue against such a powerful position?

[Paul Atreides]

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.

Such as comeback from cancer? I have news for this author, though I have not had cancer, I have been at death's door and one just doesn't jump back on the horse the next day. My life has not been the same since. I am sure Lance Armstrong's life hasn't either. For some bucket of flab, whose biggest challenge is reloading the paper tray of his printer, to criticize and tear down someone who has made such a comeback, is shameless.

[jwalsh07]

One other comment.

Long before there were baseballs, hoops and pigskins, there were athletes. This guy is a machine, an athlete so finely tuned that his opponents think he's juicing. But the beauty is that he doesn't juice, he trains!

I tip my hat to Lance Armstrong although I hate bike riding.

[Banjoguy]

I can tell that you know absolutely nothing about serious bycicle sport riding. The form is part of the conditioning process. Since the riders are well conditioned, it looks easy but I can assure you that riding a bycicle at 18 to 25 mph, even for a short distance, is difficult. These superb athletes have been riding 80 to 125 miles a day up and around mountainous trerrain. I would challenge you to make even a moderate climb of 1 or 2 miles at 18 mph. You could not do it!

[mondonico]

And, for the record Borges, racing down a mountain on a bike at 60 MPH six inches from your competitors without killing yourself requires a whole bunch of agility and hand-eye coordination.

[cubreporter]

First of all Mr. Borges...none of those that you mention that I know of have overcome testicular cancer and and went on to his fourth (hopefully) victory in the Tour De France.

Second of all, why don't YOU get yourself on a skinny bike and just pump your legs up and down as you say and see how quickly you can get up the mountain! Doubt you could make it up an anthill since you sit most or all of the time in your job. So, don't knock it if you haven't tried it.

Lance Armstrong is a great and talented athlete. He has that old American work ethic and he got where he is today working his butt off. We're all pulling for him to win his fourth victory and when he does Mr. Borges...we'll all be happy that he rode that skinny bike and just pumped his legs but oh how he will have pumped his legs to greater glory. So...there!

[Clinging Bitterly]

What the heck...

Armstrong wins the Tour de France again (yawn).

He isn't a foot ball star or baseball star or anything like that, he's a star of big long bicycle races (better than soccer I suppose).

Dave in Eugene

[cubreporter]

Wonder if typing is as hard as riding a skinny bike and pumping your legs up and down...Ha,ha,ha.

[Paul Atreides]

Well, I have a saying that applies to a lot of people (though, not all): Those who can, do; those who cannot, criticize.

[pgkdan]

I'd like to see this nit wit pedal a bike...with or without training wheels...up a mountain. Any mountain, anywhere. What a jerk.

[cubreporter]

Wonder if typing is as hard as riding a skinny bike and pumping your legs up and down...Ha,ha,ha.

[cubreporter]

First of all Mr. Borges...none of those that you mention that I know of have overcome testicular cancer and and went on to his fourth (hopefully) victory in the Tour De France.

Second of all, why don't YOU get yourself on a skinny bike and just pump your legs up and down as you say and see how quickly you can get up the mountain! Doubt you could make it up an anthill since you sit most or all of the time in your job. So, don't knock it if you haven't tried it.

Lance Armstrong is a great and talented athlete. He has that old American work ethic and he got where he is today working his butt off. We're all pulling for him to win his fourth victory and when he does Mr. Borges...we'll all be happy that he rode that skinny bike and just pumped his legs but oh how he will have pumped his legs to greater glory. So...there!

[cubreporter]

First of all Mr. Borges...none of those that you mention that I know of have overcome testicular cancer and and went on to his fourth (hopefully) victory in the Tour De France.

Second of all, why don't YOU get yourself on a skinny bike and just pump your legs up and down as you say and see how quickly you can get up the mountain! Doubt you could make it up an anthill since you sit most or all of the time in your job. So, don't knock it if you haven't tried it.

Lance Armstrong is a great and talented athlete. He has that old American work ethic and he got where he is today working his butt off. We're all pulling for him to win his fourth victory and when he does Mr. Borges...we'll all be happy that he rode that skinny bike and just pumped his legs but oh how he will have pumped his legs to greater glory. So...there!

[Paul Atreides]

That reminds me of the guy on King of The Hill, they called Twigboy, who talked with a lisp, had a pasty complexion, held his latte cup with both hands, and considered his carpal tunnel syndrome a disability.

[cubreporter]

First of all Mr. Borges...none of those that you mention that I know of have overcome testicular cancer and and went on to his fourth (hopefully) victory in the Tour De France.

Second of all, why don't YOU get yourself on a skinny bike and just pump your legs up and down as you say and see how quickly you can get up the mountain! Doubt you could make it up an anthill since you sit most or all of the time in your job. So, don't knock it if you haven't tried it.

Lance Armstrong is a great and talented athlete. He has that old American work ethic and he got where he is today working his butt off. We're all pulling for him to win his fourth victory and when he does Mr. Borges...we'll all be happy that he rode that skinny bike and just pumped his legs but oh how he will have pumped his legs to greater glory. So...there!

[Paul Atreides]

Methinks, the author of this hit piece should get on a bike and show up Mr. Armstrong.....since it is so easy.

[LibWhacker]

Borges is truly the biggest ignoramus I've ever read on FR. Gotta be a democrat.