Cobb

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July 23, 2004

The Last Pure Sport

I have been enjoying myself tremendously whenever I get a chance to watch the Tour de France on the Outdoor Life Network. It's the last pure sport left. It has always fascinated me that so many can compete for so long and at the end the difference between them is measured in seconds. But not this year.

Lance Armstrong is so dominant in this year's tour that it's frightening. At this point he is four minutes into the lead. That's insuperable. He could fall twice and still win.

If you get a chance, do check out the coverage. You will recognize that this is what sports are supposed to be. The commentators are not throwing quips all over the place, they are experienced, knowledgeable and articulate in English and French. There are no beer commercials. There isn't speculation about who's getting traded or paid the most. The camera isn't always focused on the battle for first place. Crowd idiocy is not considered colorful and there aren't gratuitous shots of people who make cardboard signs with network call-letter acronyms. It's all about the athletes and the sport itself.

That's the way it should be.

Posted by mbowen at July 23, 2004 07:28 AM

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Comments

Posted by: molotov at July 23, 2004 08:13 AM

Posted by: Cobb at July 23, 2004 09:14 AM