lal_truckee wrote:
DZN wrote:

Nobody mentioned them.


Absolutely. Lame-ass made for TV spectacles with half-assed performances
by untrained (maybe untrainable?) children. And this is the very same US
TV that can't find time to show World Cup skiing.

Or WC moguls.

Or WC snowboarding.

Or WC telemarking.

What are we to make of such pathetic silliness? As a sporting event
these activities are the equivalent of reality TV survival type shows -
total schedule filler with no redeeming value.

But I don't actually have an opinion. Nevermind.


Yeah, there are some silly events at those games, but I don't see it as
all bad. It is some publicity for winter sports (using the term loosely)
that may even result in some fat kid getting off the couch to try
skiing, snowboarding, or inverted snow motocross (but hopefully not so
much the last one). That being said I'd much rather watch the events you
listed but I have a feeling I'm in the minority of the TV-watching
public. I only got cable to watch The Tour anyway...

I worked at Crested Butte for the couple of games they held there and it
was quite a spectacle. The crowd turnout was usually pretty poor, so the
ESPN2 guys would go to where there were a few people milling around and
hand out banners and cowbells to all of them. Then they'd make them all
squash together and cheer madly at someone coming by. They'd film it and
when watched on TV it would actually look like more than the actual 15
people (ten of whom were ski area employees on break). Kind of funny I
thought.

My friend Jesse who won that "Race to Everest" thing on TV last year
told me a great quote the president of OLN told him (my version may not
be 100% accurate).
"TV is like sausage. The end product can be enjoyable, but not usually
if you've seen how it's made."

Matt