[moki]

What a bunch of whining, poor sportsman. Like it or not, it's the Tour de Lance now, not the Tour de France.

I mean, seriously. If they are going to take down someone like Lance Armstrong, and the incredible things he's done, what hope is there that any of these idiots will ever endorse anything from the US. Welcome to the new Anti-Semitism.

from: http://slate.msn.com/id/2104322/

.....

Tour De Lance
The international press snipes at America's superhero.
By Susan Daniels
Posted Monday, July 26, 2004, at 2:44 PM PT


After Lance Armstrong's sixth Tour de France win on Sunday, he got a call from the president of the United States, who told him, "You're awesome." And while the European press largely agreed with that characterization, among the plaudits were plenty of sour grapes.

An editorial in Madrid's El Pais rehashed unsubstantiated rumors of drug use by Armstrong, remarking, "The triumph of Terminatour comes ... as questions are asked in various quarters if he won these six Tours cleanly or with the help of stimulants," and characterizing him as "arrogant, cold, machine-like."

And in Switzerland, La Tribune de Geneve scorned Armstrong as haughty and described the U.S Postal Service team's effort as "a typically American business that scorns humanity." It went on to chide the cancer survivor: "Mankind is not fond of those who gorge themselves on success without suffering and without showing compassion for their fellows." (Translations from Spanish and French courtesy of BBC Monitoring.)

Liverpool's Daily Post reported that a poll conducted by a French newspaper "placed Armstrong behind only Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher and footballer Nicolas Anelka in a list of the most disliked sportsmen in France" and drily commented, "The reasons are unclear, but in the wake of the US-led war in Iraq, his nationality may be a factor."

"Maybe it's not national but personal," speculated Alastair Campbell in the London Times. "[A]nti-Armstrongism, anti the fact that he keeps winning their game. They respect him. They admire the way he came back from cancer. They see in him a strong character who has devoted his life to their Tour. But Chirac's France wants French winners and, if it can't have them, other Europeans. But Americans? Non, merci."

Susan Daniels is a Slate copy editor.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by moki:
Welcome to the new Anti-Semitism.

You ****in' moron.

I'm sorry, but really.

[angaq0k]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
You ****in' moron.

I'm sorry, but really.

It is very disappointing to see some badmouthing over an athlete's achievement, especially of the like of Lance.

But to start accusations of anti-semitism based on comments that are not mentionning anything about anti-semitism...

As the article said, the European Press "largely agreed with that characterization" (Lance being "awesome", as per Bush). For me, that is sufficient.

I agree with Spheric Harlot here, except for the being sorry.

[BRussell]

Wow, everyone in the world is writing about Lance right now, and they found four statements that were negative. Next thing we know, it's the Holocaust all over again.

[Lerkfish]

he rides a bike like...really fast. this does not mean bullets bounce off his chest.

[Timo]

Look, without the Tribune de Genève (truly the definition of a provincial paper if ever there were one; and yes, I've read it before) and its ilk we would have no useful examples of "sour grapes." So, in a way, we owe them thanks!

[and although the point has already been made rather forcefully, I do agree that this isn't really a new anti-semitism, analogous or otherwise. Why? You know the drill: to suggest so is really to denegrate the seriousness of real anti-semitism, while simultaneously conferring some vague idea of "victimhood" upon Americans, who as a group in the world, in broad terms, are not really victims of much of consequence. Et cetera. If the point is at all confusing, just e.g. ask some Sudanese.]

[Timo]

Originally posted by Lerkfish:
he rides a bike like...really fast. this does not mean bullets bounce off his chest.

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised. Go Lance!

[Invictus]

Everyone loves Lance and is happy for him.

What does moki do? He searches the web for hate and wants us to share it with him.

No thanks.

[Troll]

Anti-Americanism, anti-semitism. Oh, the waves of disappointment that must have enveloped you when scouring the web didn't turn up a negative comment by a French newspaper...

[angaq0k]

Originally posted by Troll:
Anti-Americanism, anti-semitism. Oh, the waves of disappointment that must have enveloped you when scouring the web didn't turn up a negative comment by a French newspaper...

In other words, Hate-Seeker without real targets.

[Mastrap]

Originally posted by moki:
"placed Armstrong behind only Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher "

So are we also welcome to the new anti Teutonism? Sorry Moki, that truly was an idiotic remark to make.

[badidea]

I hate Michael Schumacher!
I am German!
Does that make me the Anti-German-German now?? Anti-Christ?

[yakkiebah]

Originally posted by badidea:
I hate Michael Schumacher!
I am German!
Does that make me the Anti-German-German now?? Anti-Christ?

No, but it makes you the new anti-Semite.

Welcome to the new anti-logic. (No, not you )

[Troll]

Okay, I finally found the infamous list. It was done by Stade 2, the television program, not a newspaper. They gave 1006 people a closed list of athletes (10 choices) and then asked them, "Of these sportspeople, who do you like least. They were allowed to vote more than once. Here are the results:

Michael Schumacher (GER) 27%
Nicolas Anelka (FR) 22%
Lance Armstrong (USA) 20%
Williams Sisters (USA) 19%
David Beckham (ENG) 18%
Richard Virenque (FR) 16%
Mary Pierce (FR) 13%
Marcel Desailly (FR) 12%
Anna Kournikova (RUS) 12%
Marion Jones (USA) 10%
Other (No suggested response) 1%
No opinion 11%
TOTAL 169%

"But Chirac's France wants French winners and, if it can't have them, other Europeans. But Americans? Non, merci."

That's funny. Richard Virenque, record holder for most polkadot jerseys ever on the Tour de France and France's greatest hope of a Tour victory is only 4% points behind Armstrong! Oh my, that screws up Campbell's reasoning doesn't it? After all, if Armstrong's appearance on the list means French people don't want American winners of the Tour, then Virenque's appearance must mean they don't want French winners! Oh and there are 4 Frenchmen on the list. French people hate French people more than any other country!

I wonder how many people actually knew everyone on the list. How many people put a tick next to the only names they had heard before. Notice how the list mirrors notoriety. The most well known sportspersons feature at the top. Marion Jones comes last despite her husband having testified that she took drugs at the Olympics in Sydney. You think maybe she comes last because no one knows who she is or is it because French people dislike Americans less than any other nationality?

[villalobos]

Originally posted by moki:
What a bunch of whining, poor sportsman. Like it or not, it's the Tour de Lance now, not the Tour de France.

Of course you have personally been to France and know exactly what people think of him. Right. You are free to believe anything you read on the web or hear on TV.
You people amuse me.

just to give you an idea about a subject you obviously are totally ignorant about, people dislke Armstrong for the same reason people in the States dislike the Yankees. Rooting for the underdog : it's that simple. Really really close to anti-semitism, ain't it?