• Mailbag

Friday’s Mailbag: Regarding those awards. . . .

by VeloNews.com

• December 22, 2006
• Comments Off

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submitting authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, Inside Communications, Inc.

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Who picked Landis?
Editor:
Who’s the Einstein that picked Floyd Landis as top North American? I’ve got some suggestions for your next VeloNews awards. How ’bout Mark Foley as “Best North American Congressman?” He did do a lot of good before he was accused of his recent behavior. Michael Richards (Kramer) would be a great choice as “Best North American Comedian” — should a man be judged on one bad night?

Jack Francis
Venice, Florida

Hey — he isn’t convicted yet
Editor:
I would like to say that there is nothing controversial about selecting Landis as North America’s best rider. He is not guilty until otherwise proven, and in light of the Inigo Landaluze ruling, VeloNews’s accolade may be the first in many more to come for Landis. Good job sticking with what is right.

Charlotte Hart
Merced, California

Commercially driven cynicism
Editor:
Landis? Unbelievable. Audacious. Outrageous. Symptomatic? “(H)e outperformed….” Yeah, no kidding. VeloNews has sacrificed its credibility on the altar of commercially driven cynicism.

Bob Tamburri
Chaplin, Connecticut

More O’Grady Awards, please
Editor:
I love the O’Grady Awards. I only wish there were more. What about the industry folks forcing all their crap down our throats, like carbon-fiber chainrings, multi-thousand-dollar wheelsets, or jive-ass seat masts on road bikes. Keep up the good work!

Doug Pickett
Taos, New Mexico

Yeah, but if we let O’Grady attack the industry, nobody would give us free carbon-fiber chainrings, multi-thousand-dollar wheelsets, and so on. Remember, we’re commercially driven cynics here. — Editor

A qualified okay, kinda, sorta
Editor:
If only because there was no gratuitous swipe at Republican elected officials, I enjoyed this year’s edition of the O’Grady Awards more than any in recent memory.

Brendan P. Cullen
Palo Alto, California

Brilliant!
Editor:
Patrick O’Grady has captured the entire 2006 racing season in one short article. I am a believer in cycling, the grand tours, the UCI, dope testing and the sport at all levels and categories of competition. I will support cycling to the end.

That being said, it needs to be fixed. To be fixed, the problems need to be pointed out candidly and corrections made. Corrections cannot be made without the cooperation of all parties involved.

Articles like this makes the arrogant people running the sport and the participants involved in the negative activities look like clowns. I hope the humiliation and embarrassment causes them to look in the mirror and change or get out. Brilliant!

Ric Howland
North Bend, Washington

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The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submitting authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, Inside Communications, Inc.