cycling and sports columnists

Jake Bigham

2004-07-27





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I mean, if Payton could run up and down that Arlington Heights hill to

get in shape for NFL beatings, don't you think he could have withstood

a cyclist's workouts?

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Mike- you don't really know much about cycling, do you?

Are you an athlete yourself? I don't mean a pro athlete or even a good

athlete, I mean do you participate in any sports just for the fun of it

yourself?

I don't think Payton would have made a very good all around (or GC)

cyclist. Big guys are better sprinters and are generally at a

disadvantage in the hills. The physics is just against them. Little

guys are at a disadvantage on the offensive line in the NFL. The

physics is against them. Sports writers who write about things they

have little familiarity with are at a disadvantage too. Their ignorance

just works against them. Maybe you could write about monetary policy in

sub Saharan Africa or the behavior of electromagnetic energy in the

vicinity of gravitational anomalies.

But seriously Mike, every summer right around the time the Tour is

finishing up a few sports writers from around the western world do

columns about how cycling is overrated and cyclists (especially

Armstrong) don't deserve to be called great athletes. Then a bunch of

cycling enthusiasts, like me, write them letters telling them how

stupid they are. It works out well for everyone; I am sure you must be

aware of this grand tradition. I am just happy to carry on this

tradition with you and add another email to your overflowing mailbox.

You can them show them all to your editor as evidence of you column's

popularity and ask for a raise! However the next time you are in

Portland Oregon, I reckon you owe me a beer.

Cheers



Jake Bigham

2774 SW Summit Dr.

Portland, OR 97201

h/ 503 228 1338

c/ 503 419 8012

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<fontfamily><param>Verdana</param><smaller>I mean, if Payton could run

up and down that Arlington Heights hill to get in shape for NFL

beatings, don't you think he could have withstood a cyclist's

workouts? </smaller></fontfamily>



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Mike- you don't really know much about cycling, do you?



Are you an athlete yourself? I don't mean a pro athlete or even a

good athlete, I mean do you participate in any sports just for the fun

of it yourself?



I don't think Payton would have made a very good all around (or GC)

cyclist. Big guys are better sprinters and are generally at a

disadvantage in the hills. The physics is just against them. Little

guys are at a disadvantage on the offensive line in the NFL. The

physics is against them. Sports writers who write about things they

have little familiarity with are at a disadvantage too. Their

ignorance just works against them. Maybe you could write about

monetary policy in sub Saharan Africa or the behavior of

electromagnetic energy in the vicinity of gravitational anomalies.



But seriously Mike, every summer right around the time the Tour is

finishing up a few sports writers from around the western world do

columns about how cycling is overrated and cyclists (especially

Armstrong) don't deserve to be called great athletes. Then a bunch of

cycling enthusiasts, like me, write them letters telling them how

stupid they are. It works out well for everyone; I am sure you must be

aware of this grand tradition. I am just happy to carry on this

tradition with you and add another email to your overflowing mailbox.

You can them show them all to your editor as evidence of you column's

popularity and ask for a raise! However the next time you are in

Portland Oregon, I reckon you owe me a beer.



Cheers





<fontfamily><param>Helvetica</param>Jake Bigham



2774 SW Summit Dr.



Portland, OR 97201



h/ 503 228 1338



c/ 503 419 8012</fontfamily>

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