Big Bikes

Serious

Today started off on a bit of a low note. I went on the internets this morning where I was confronted with the news of Tony Kornheiser's comments about running down cyclists. Something like that wouldn't usually get under my skin, but shortly afterward I received an email on the 29er Crew list about the hit and run accident that left Fisher rider Adam Little dead. On any other day I would have brushed aside any anger I felt toward a moron like Kornheiser and gone for a bike ride...not today. I got all worked up and fired off an angry email to ESPN:

The other day Tony Kornheiser, during a tirade against cyclists, said "it's all you can do not to run them down!" At another point in the show he said more directly: "Run em' down!"

Like this Tony?
http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12155467

There's dead cyclist for ya, how does that make you feel? He was a good dad and husband. He was just trying to get to work and stay fit and now he's dead because of an irresponsible driver.

I ride a bike in Boston just about every day, and I know from experience that there are plenty of people out there who are ready to literally run cyclists down. I've had cars aimed at me more than once. These people don't need someone to whip them up into a frenzy or validate their antisocial, belligerent attitude toward cyclists.

Cyclists are people — humans made out flesh and bone, they break easily, and often people driving their armored SUVs forget that. Please don't encourage them to do so.

In a perfect world, a copy of this email would end up on Tony Kornheiser's desk.



So that's what I wrote. If you want to tell the ESPN management what a douche bag you think Kornheiser is you can go do it HERE. The guy is catching some serious heat though, and it's coming from the direction of Lance Armstrong. Hopefully this is the nail in the imbecile's coffin. Hell, his employer suspended him for two weeks just a month ago for saying something obnoxious about his coworker's tight skirts. He had just gotten back to work and he goes off on a rant about killing people with cars. This is guy is a frickin' genius.



Oh, it's about freedom of speech is it? How would people react if some other radio personality "joked" about killing human beings in another manner.

"Shoot drivers in the face...with a gun!"

That would go over well. How about:

"Take a cinder block and smash roller bladers' skulls in!"

Thing is, someone could joke about committing acts like that on the radio, because no one would ever do anything like that (well, most everyone). Drivers do turn their cars into weapons, swerving 6,000 pound SUVs at and into cyclists on a regular basis. But unlike picking up a desk stapler and wielding it at your boss, this behavior goes unnoticed and un-prosecuted unless it results in serious injury or death.