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Kornheiser versus Lance: Who Wins?
For the umpteenth time in the last five years, a radio show host who is paid to be controversial decides that picking on cyclists would be funny. He makes all the usual comments about spandex, and cyclists being in the way, and not belonging on the road. Then he crosses the line and says that “tapping” a cyclist from behind is OK. You know the drill. Except this time, the commentator in nationally syndicated bad boy Tony Kornheiser, the radio station is ESPN, and his remarks got the attention of a certain Lance Armstrong.
Not surprisingly, Lance gets pissed off and tweets his millions of followers to share their outrage. He calls Kornheiser to put him straight. That’s what we all want to do. We are all thinking “How could anyone be so stupid and say that, even if they think they are just being funny.” We want to go on the show and put the record straight. Get an apology. Remind people we’ve got a right to the road. Ask for some respect out there. All credit to Lance for doing that and for getting the apology; I heard he did a great job (listen here). We’ve been on the phone with the station managers since it happened last Friday – Lance clearly has pull!
My anxiety is this. Kornheiser got all the attention he wanted and so did the show. That’s what he’s paid to do. He got Lance Armstrong on his show – how cool is that? With a little controversy thrown in for good measure. We’ve learned from numerous previous incidents – one as recently as two weeks ago in the Raleigh area – that the only way to deal with this kind of nonsense in the longer term is with the station managers and owners directly. Five years ago, Clear Channel instituted a strong disciplinary policy on this topic after a series of horrible incidents on their stations, and it worked. Since then we’ve done battle with Entercomm – local Boston retailers Landry’s set them straight – and others. Some of the “personalities” have been taken off the air and disciplined.
I probably would have encouraged Lance to call the ESPN owners to say he wouldn’t appear on their networks again until Kornheiser not only apologized but also was taken off the air and made to do some PSAs and public appearances (maybe even in spandex…) at local charity bike events; maybe until ESPN agreed to sponsor Bike to Work Day or a Safe Routes to School initiative… As plenty of people have said, if he gets two weeks off the air for criticizing a colleague’s fashion sense, surely exhorting people to potentially kill cyclists ought to generate some kind of meaningful punishment. More meaningful than getting to chat with one of the greatest sports personalities on the planet.
Credit to WashCycle for being all over this story.
Andy Clarke
League President
Andy Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director. Before joining the League in February 2003, Clarke was on contract to provide technical assistance to the highly regarded Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center on site at the Federal Highway Administration. He is on the Board of Directors for America Bikes, and a member of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals.
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March 19th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
[...] Andy Clarke, the president of the League of American Bicylists, was anxious about the outcome. [...]
March 19th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
I called ESPN. The guy on the phone listened. I told them I’d be happy to describe in detail what it’s like to be bouncing under a pickup truck and dealing with the serious injuries incurred.
He said he’s pass along my concerns.
I think Lance was too conciliatory.
March 19th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Andy–You say you would have encouraged Lance to tell ESPN he wouldn’t appear on their networks until they severely punished Kornheiser–why not do that??
Kornheiser needs more than some neat publicity and a slap on the wrist!!
Yes, he should do some PSAs. He should lose a month’s pay.
Andy, do it!! Call Lance!
March 19th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
My impression is Lance didn’t see this as a win-lose situation. He repeatedly tweeted that we’re all in this together and need to get along. If the bike wars come down to giving the finger or shaking the hand, I’ll take the latter every time.
March 19th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Worse, rather than serving the public interest under their FCC charter, Clear Channel instead issues this memo:
“In light of Tony Kornheiser’s comments, please be clear with your staff(s): With NO exceptions, our personalities should NOT engage in conversation or commentary about the world of cycling, professional or recreational,”
Lodge your complaints against ESPN and Clear Channel here:
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/oip/process.html
March 19th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Lance has to be the WORST bicycling advocate ever. He let him off way too easy. Screw ESPN, Kornheiser and Lance’s advocacy skills. Advocacy FAIL.
March 19th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Some credit needs to go to Bob Roll as well – Bobke’s beef on VS was published about the radio show on the 11th yesterday morning. I don’t think it was coincidence that a couple hours after it was posted was when all the uproar started.
For Lance and the interview – I think it was an ok job; I do wish that Lance had emphasized that the person on the bike was a person; a son or daughter, possibly a father, mother, grandmother, grandfather – teacher, doctor, priest, etc – not something to treat as an inanimate object.
March 20th, 2010 at 6:55 am
Great article guys.
Tony K’s show was an orchestrated effort to get people to hear his show. I like LAB’s suggestion for how to handle it. Dealing with management and working to reduce his listeners is the only way to make this a losing proposition for Tony K and “personalities” like him.
What’s next for Tony? Dropping the “N” word and some racial jokes in his show in an effort to get Oprah to call in?
He’s seriously wasting the gift that is the First Amendment.
Great comments folks. Thank you for your passion.
Pete
March 24th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
I have been very surprised at Lance’s silence up to now on the persecution of American bicyclists on the road and in the popular media, particularly on the radio.
I’m quite sure Lance has been a victim of these shenanigans while riding. Imagine where his career would have been if he had been shunted off the road by some careless if not purposely malicious driver?
If he loves cycling as much as I believe he does, I’d suggest he become more vocal in making American roads safer for all users just like he has done in the fight against cancer.
March 29th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
I quit listening to radio’s political personalities a long time ago. I can just as easily dump ESPN and forget there’s anything on the dial but NPR. They don’t need to shock to get your attention, and I don’t need to be shocked to give it.
April 10th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
I keep returning to the idea of why is it okay or even funny to threaten cyclists? Why do some drivers get angrier at a cyclist than at an inconsiderate driver? I don’t understand the hate. There is something really primitive about it.
And these aren’t harmless comments; they are indicative of a careless self-centered society. In recent years there have been incident after incident of runners and cyclists getting injured and killed by drivers who get a slap on the wrist. I don’t understand this at all.
April 15th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Don’t really care what his angle is/was he’s a F**king Kook. I applaud Lance Armstrong for speaking out on ALL our behalf however, had he not (let’s pretend) would this really have gotten the attention it did? Would Kookheiser still have staged an apology?
Maybe he should commute to work on a bike for a while and experience first hand what he seemed to so carelessly advocate.
I know the Shop/Club I ride with make a concentrated effort to educate EVERYONE who rides w/ us, EVERYONE who purchases a bike as to what is expected and required of them on the road.
It’s a bit ironic that I have raced criterium’s on both the Richmond and Langley, VA speedways in the past month.
April 16th, 2010 at 1:29 am
I guess we are moving into 3rd World America now. Just like China: 4 wheels Rich/ 2 Wheels Poor. Doesn’t matter, unless you are in The Party, and have guards with you, you are just a peon to the drivers.
Its all about status: Get out of my way, you don’t have the right to make me slow down for 2 seconds.
I saw someone almost kill a cop to pass me narrowly, and I was going 35!
May 6th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Lance is happy to stay quiet on his twitter when his team mate gets busted for Clenbuterol… He should have shown the same discretion and not given this radio chump any extra publicity.
August 10th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
my God, i thought you were going to chip in with some decisive insght at the end there