Phil Liggetts opinions on BMX/MTB at the Olympics

Tenzor07

It appears long time cycling commentator Phil Liggett believes XC Mountain biking and BMX'ing should not have got in the way of other Olympic cycling events!!

http://www.examiner.com/article/phil-liggett-criticized-for-opposing-mountain-biking-and-bmx-olympics?fb_comment_id=fbc_10151043071172418_22954370_10151043284437418

Phil, have lost all respect for you...

Lusk Doyle

Tenzor07 wrote: »

It appears long time cycling commentator Phil Liggett believes XC Mountain biking and BMX'ing should not have got in the way of other Olympic cycling events!!

http://www.examiner.com/article/phil-liggett-criticized-for-opposing-mountain-biking-and-bmx-olympics?fb_comment_id=fbc_10151043071172418_22954370_10151043284437418

Phil, have lost all respect for you...

Why? Why should one form of sport be forced to suffer so that another can be accommodated? Why not just include additional disciplines?

lazycyclist

I agree with him that it is a loss not to have the individual pursuit or the kilo there any more. They were traditionally the glamour events, much the same way that the 100m sprint is the event everyone wants to see in track and field.

It doesn't mean though that BMX or Mountain biking should be omitted just to keep some of the "traditional" events. Like the article says, these are disciplines that people are flocking to when developing an interest in cycling. Whether they turn to the road isn't relevant, they are cycling and that's what matters.

Phil is obselete at this stage.

Junior

You should get his opinions on women's road racing as well..

kincsem

I prefer the traditional cycling events.
That article is full of emotion. Some of the comments are wild - "Anyone that watches BMX falls in love with it."

Beasty

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Why? Why should one form of sport be forced to suffer so that another can be accommodated? Why not just include additional disciplines?

Because that's the way the IOC operates. To gain something you've got to be prepared to lose something., They are basically at saturation point in terms of getting everything into the timetable (which is why they've already had to start the Football and Archery tournaments). If they had left those 3 track events in they would have had to remove 6 medals from elsewhere in the Cycling programme (as they would need to include equivalent women's events). It's frustrating given the amount of time allowed for swimming and athletics, but they are the most popular events - it's also a big shame that the velodrome will lie idle for half the Olympics

What bugs me about this is we now have Tennis and next time will have Golf replacing sports that possibly consider the Olympics the pinnacle (and let's face it, this actually counts against the mens road races - at least Olympic track events are considered the ultimate goal, but that's not the case with men's road racing).

kumate_champ07

Having only recently seen BMX racing I think it deserves to be an olympic sport, pity about the kilo being taken away. Beach volleyball Im not so sure about

Beasty

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

Beach volleyball Im not so sure about

I'll provide more feedback on this on 8 August;)

emtroche

lazycyclist wrote: »

Phil is obselete at this stage.

Absolutely.

doozerie

That's a shambles of an article. Describing Ligget as "cycling's leading television commentator" makes me flinch for a start (I can't abide him as a commentator), and it goes on to talk about what the writer seems to think is some kind of battle between cycling disciplines with phrases like "There is little or no record of top track racers converting to and succeeding in BMX" and "BMX and mountain biking are pinnacles within cycling". I find the article incoherent, and nonsense in many respects.

ednwireland

i agree with phil, i never understood why track cycling had to lose events because of bmx and mtb, (i remeber somebody saying this when bmx came in).

the track program has been completly nuetered with the current rules (doesnt stop me wanting tickets mind)

must be shame if your winning an olympic gold and potentially not coming up against the best in the world

chris hoy used to bmx

on_the_nickel

Phil Liggett's opinion ceased to be valid when he became an employee of Team Armstrong.

Tenzor07

According to the UCI "Nearly twice as many fans have followed Mountain Bike Cross-Country events on the Internet in 2012 compared with 2011"

Link here: UCI.CH

Lumen

I would like to see Phil attempt the Olympic BMX course.

He can use as much body armour as he likes and have an ambulance on standby.

I'm sure his Livestrong bracelet will protect him.

C3PO

For me, if the Olympics is not the "Pinnacle Achievement" for a sport then it probably shouldn't be included! Soccer and tennis for example should not (IMHO) be Olympic sports. Much as I'm looking forward to the Road Race the same thing would probably apply?

Russman

C3PO wrote: »

For me, if the Olympics is not the "Pinnacle Achievement" for a sport then it probably shouldn't be included! Soccer and tennis for example should not (IMHO) be Olympic sports. Much as I'm looking forward to the Road Race the same thing would probably apply?

Totally agree

ednwireland

rio 2016 golf anyone :rolleyes:

ThisRegard

kincsem wrote: »

Some of the comments are wild - "Anyone that watches BMX falls in love with it."

I watched it early one morning a couple of weeks ago. It was only ok. While it could be exciting at times it was over all too quickly, and many riders were wiped out of it by crashes not of their own doing, more so than any other cycling events I've watched. While it made for good viewing, the winners weren't necessarily the best on the day.

Lumen

ThisRegard wrote: »

I watched it early one morning a couple of weeks ago. It was only ok. While it could be exciting at times it was over all too quickly, and many riders were wiped out of it by crashes not of their own doing, more so than any other cycling events I've watched. While it made for good viewing, the winners weren't necessarily the best on the day.

A bit of peril goes a long way.

I've always thought that javelin/hammer/discuss and football events would be improved by combining them all.

ThisRegard

Yip, regular stuff like when the judge got speared by the javelin at the Golden League event 5 years ago or so will bring up the audience numbers, although the producers and sponsors of You're been framed wouldn't be too happy

ednwireland

ThisRegard wrote: »

I watched it early one morning a couple of weeks ago. It was only ok. While it could be exciting at times it was over all too quickly, and many riders were wiped out of it by crashes not of their own doing, more so than any other cycling events I've watched. While it made for good viewing, the winners weren't necessarily the best on the day.

+ 1 was watching shanaze read didnt think it was that exciting to watch, and as to the olympic mtb'ing (stifles yawn) and i love mountain biking just dont think anyone has ever done it justice on the telly (over to you london 2012)

DirkVoodoo

Totally agree. Seeing Craig Bellamy lining up next to athletes who have worked hard and struggled to make it into the olympics is a bit stomach-turning. Most undeserved awarding of the title "olympic athlete" in my opinion.

The fact that Gareth Bale also turned down a place because he was "injured" shows how footballers view this tournament. It's getting in the way of pre-season training for a lot of them and they don't want to risk an injury before the season starts.

Plus we already have an U20 World Cup and a U21 European Championships.

But I still bet John Terry will turn up to collect a medal.

Contrast that with Irvine whose entire career over the last few years has been building up to this point and it makes me a little annoyed that football takes up a big chunk of the schedule.

kumate_champ07

Lumen wrote: »

I would like to see Phil attempt the Olympic BMX course.

He can use as much body armour as he likes and have an ambulance on standby.

I'm sure his Livestrong bracelet will protect him.

its the equivalent of the athletics 200m sprint mixed with steeplechase on steroids*



*(in a much more powerful or extreme form)

Beasty

The Olympics actually give a boost to a lot of sports that may normally be considered "on the fringe", including the likes of BMX. It does absolutely nothing for football and tennis or indeed basketball (and will do nothing for golf).

I can see why football and basketball was in when the Olympics were for amateur sports, but it has moved on considerably over the last 20 years or so, and now we don't have the farce of the Eastern Block swamping events with "full-time amateurs".

It would be much better if they stuck with those sports that still see it as the pinnacle with full-time athletes who are devoted to their sports because they want to compete at the highest level rather than just wanting to take home the highest pay cheque.

Tenzor07

ednwireland wrote: »

just dont think anyone has ever done it justice on the telly

If people think this then they have not been watching MTB'ing online at all!

Here's just one example of XCO MTb'ing from the Red Bull site: LINK

ednwireland

Tenzor07 wrote: »

If people think this then they have not been watching MTB'ing online at all!

Here's just one example of XCO MTb'ing from the Red Bull site: LINK

how many slow mo's of people bouncing over rocks can you watch ? and as far as the olympics go didnt absalon get away after at first lap or so and that was that (its 4 years ago but thats all i rememver)

Tenzor07

ednwireland wrote: »

how many slow mo's of people bouncing over rocks can you watch ? and as far as the olympics go didnt absalon get away after at first lap or so and that was that (its 4 years ago but thats all i rememver)

Hello Phil, is that you?

Loads of video's on the site, DH XCO and XCO Eliminator, people can make up there own minds...

www.redbull.com/en/bike/categories/1326300799043/mountain-bike

Pherekydes

Lumen wrote: »

A bit of peril goes a long way.

I've always thought that javelin/hammer/discuss and football events would be improved by combining them all.

I, for one, would pay good money to see David de Gea attempt the Javelin catch. :pac:

A match between Manure and some east European throwers would be great. The Manure players try to score goals, while the throwers try to spear them. Dodgeball with an added "point".

kumate_champ07

Ive always thought golf with a football would be a great game. just make the holes bigger so the football fits.