All But Ignored

We are fortunate to have cycling-specific media outlets on the Internet, because without them we would get very little news about our sport from the mainstream American media. Have you ever tried to find it? Here’s what I found today on America’s leading sports websites.

Bleacher Report – No cycling, but you can get coverage of the WWE. That’s right, folks: In America, the real sport of professional cycling ranks below the make-believe sport of professional wrestling.

CBS Sports – Also no. But click the unobtrusive little ellipsis where the miscellaneous interests reside and you’ll see not just pro wrestling, but also the World Series of Poker. So, cycling isn’t even worthy of mention but playing cards is a sport. Really?

ESPN – Let’s see if “Bicycling” is in this alphabetized list. No. How about “Cycling” instead? No. Wait! Cricket? esports? For fuck’s sake.

FOX Sports – More pro wrestling, more ellipsis for the sports not even as important as pro wrestling, more no.

Sports Illustrated – Surely, we can count on the venerable gold standard of American sports journalism, can’t we? No. SI can’t see past football, baseball, and basketball. Same as it ever was.

Of the big mainstream American sports media outlets, only NBC Sports is giving cycling some love. “More” is a real word, more respectable than weak, cowering ellipsis. And when we click More and click Cycling, we get cycling! Finally.

It shouldn’t be this hard.