Monday, July 21, 2008

A$$ CLOWN!

Here's why I don't turn to mainstream American news outlets (did I really just call Yahoo! a news outlet?) for Tour coverage. I think profanity is the only reasonable response. This guy is a total dip-shit. Really. Wow! If you click through, I hope the hundreds of responses/comments are still viewable. Many of the respondents write well and make solid arguments against Johnson's piece. Some respondents sound about as moronic as Johnson, but still get the gist.

To sum up, I tend to agree with the general point that Americans would be absolutely flabbergasted (and would then spiral into a disgusting state of denial) by what proper and aggressive doping controls in the major leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, etc.) would yield. Would we stand to have the Super Bowl and NBA play-offs put on hold for two years if stringent testing revealed a handful of cheaters? Naht bloody lahkley!! But somehow a total douche like this Johnson joker gets his drivel published on Yahoo!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Darn You, Paul Weller!!

I often suffer the problem of getting a really, really terrible song stuck in my head during my rides. They play on repeat in my cranium for hours and hours and hours. Last year at Coppi, for example, a coupla kids (I think they were Human Zoom or Waste Management riders from out of town, though that's largely irrelevant) hanging out in the parking lot were blasting Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson and all sorts of other poppy, sappy goodness during our prep period. Not sure how I survived the race with 'Hey, hey, you, you, I don't like your girlfriend! No way, no way, I think you need a new one!' circling in my head relentlessly. I managed...somehow.

My latest malady? Not being able to shake that friggin' 'Brand New Start' song from my head. Someone make it stop!!!!! Please!!!

On a related note... Maybe I'm crazy, but I believe that commercial's earlier incarnation showed David Millar among the convicted or suspected or admitted dopers. Can someone confirm? If he was part of v. 1, I find it quite interesting he no longer appears. I wonder who ordered the removal and how it all went down. Zabel is there and he still rides. Millar's shtick has, at least recently, been to not hide his past. Maybe being lumped with Ullrich and Landis and Vino was just a bit too much for him to stomach. Of course, maybe I'm making up what I saw in v. 1.

UPDATE: I'm not crazy. There is a different version. Included? Pantani, Riis, extra footage of Landis, and...Millar.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=36350237

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Sqoil

All my years on the bike, I've feared that moment when a squirrel would get caught somewhere (front wheel, rear wheel, chain ring, chain, etc.) in my bike. Well...it finally happened.

6AM. Gorgeous weather. Starting my ride and rolling down Idaho toward Cathedral (rolling at about 20 mph), a squirrel darted out of nowhere and I didn't even see it before it was wrapped up in my front wheel. I probably broke its neck, but the bladed spokes somehow didn't cut it open. It flopped around in my wheel once or twice before it kicked out, went flying in the air, and landed on my right thigh. Then it fell to the ground. I shrieked like a 12 year old girl. Holy crap. Quite a start to the morning. I feel lucky I didn't hit the deck and injure myself. The sqoil, however, was not that lucky.