OK, I know I'm gonna get roasted here, but as everyone else is offering their opinion of Lance Armstrong and his misdeeds after watching him on Oprah last night, I'll offer mine, too: *Yaaaaaaaaaawn*
He's made a lot of money from his job as a professional bicycle rider, but not a penny of it was from me. I'm told in many parts of the world (Europe 'cause it's so congested, and Asia where until now it was all they could afford) riding a bicycle is a big deal. It's how many people get to work. I get it. (If I lived in an area where everything I needed was just a short bike ride away I'd ride one too, but I don't.)
I can see why people "over there" might be enamored with Lance Armstrong and bicycle riding. That's why it's called the Tour de FRANCE. But just as I doubt they're too impressed with our World Series or Super Bowl, I'm not into their bicycle riding events or icons*.
Like most people my age I had a bike when I was a kid, but I never thought of riding it as a future career, and I outgrew it. To me riding a bicycle is about as relevant today as roller skating or jumping up and down on a pogo stick. If anyone feels it necessary to get doped up in order to be the best pogo stick jumper in the world, well, I feel very sorry for them. I'll be enthralled by their career and their personal life....umm....never.
Mhew....That's my take on the Lance Armstrong "scandal". :)
Happy weekend!
S
* I don't think I'm alone. Lance was born in the Dallas suburb of Plano, yet I don't recall ever seeing a sign that said, "Welcome to Plano, Texas, the birthplace of Lance Armstrong!"
My hometown team is in the World Series, and (nearly) everyone here is excited about it. I tried to be excited, too, but I just can't work up any enthusiasm. I dutifully turned on the TV at 7 last night to watch the game. After just a couple of innings K started yawning and wandered off to iron a couple of shirts while I sat there watching intently. After another couple of innings I was reading a magazine between pitches, hoping somebody would do something soon as I was rapidly losing interest. By the 7th inning I threw in the towel and turned it off.
I'm sorry, but I've failed as a baseball fan. It must be an acquired taste. I know many of you are avid baseball fans, and I'm happy for you. It is, after all, advertised to be America's Pastime...."baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, Chevrolet" and all that, but Jeez...it is SO boring. It's like watching grass grow. This is a sport where a "no hitter" is considered to be an amazing feat. If no one hits the ball, what's the point? Do they eventually just agree to turn off the lights and go home? (Kidding....I know the rules. It just seems like the last thing MLB should want is a game with no hits.)
I'm thinking I might need to learn something about hockey. It looks like a tough sport, one where you can get your nose broken playing it, which everyone knows is the deciding factor between whether something is a "sport" or a "game". Then I could have two sports to keep up with. (I know they call it a football game, but let's face it, you can get all kinds of body parts broken playing football. It's a sport. Checkers, chess, curling, croquet, golf, Monopoly....those are games.)
One thing I will say about baseball....they generally have excellent hot dogs there. :)
S
This is the day I've been waiting for. After enduring all those 100+ degree days, fall has finally arrived in north Texas. The low this morning was in the upper 40's, and the high today should top out around 67. Sweater weather for sure, but not anywhere near cold enough to get out he big LL Bean down parka. Warm enough to get outside and do something, but not warm enough to work up a sweat doing it.
And it's World Series time, too. I'm not a baseball fan, but to be able to participate in the water cooler conversation the next few weeks I'm going to have to be at least semi-well versed in the World Series. I've always been for whichever team wins the first game of the series in the hopes that they can win 4 straight and get it all over with. I personally think it was highly inconsiderate of Major League Baseball to schedule the World Series right in the middle of football season. They obviously didn't get my letter.
And finally, I read in the paper a quote from a long-time New York money manager (referring to the Occupy Wall Street movement) who said that "....he was disappointed that members of Congress from New York, especially Senator Charles E. Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, had not come out swinging for an industry that donates heavily to their campaigns. 'They need to understand who their constituency is,' he said." Duh....he might as well have just said, "They need to understand who's payroll they're on."
Happy hump day.
S
