BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

That idea has already been floated with other Steelers... but Hines would be perfect!

I love the idea & am also wondering if the sports franchises in town would be possible corporate sponsors of the new bike share program. the color of the bikes could probably be changed up :-)

This has been tried before by the Steelers and no one cared http://youtu.be/pKp7I6tqEkY

I cared :( I loved that piece. It wasn't actually the Stillers pushing that was it? I thought it was something someone else put together and it just happened to feature a Steeler. I don't really give a rat's about the Stillers, they just keep a few A'holes off the roads for a few hours on certain Sundays. I would not however feel any remorse whatsoever manipulating peoples "sensibilities" to my own ends.

He doesn't have to qualify, he was given a spot. Screw Hines Ward and screw the WTC. These celebrity spots are bullshit. How can you claim that something like this helps to legitimize the sport? No one from the NFL is inviting an MLB team to play in the Super Bowl, no one is saying "Oh hey, you're kinda popular, want to compete in the Olympics?" So why would you give someone, who admittedly isnt a good swimmer or cyclist, an entry into the Ironman WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?! He should have to qualify just like everyone else. I'm not usually this spiteful but I really hopes he DNF's.

@boostuv: Um, its called "marketing"... Invite the celebrity, and maybe people familiar with him or his sport or former team will watch your event. And maybe, just maybe they'll become fans of the sport your event represents. And maybe they'll watch it again next time without that celebrity. Maybe they'll even be inspired to try it themselves. It's not about "competition." It's about making it interesting to people so they'll watch it on TV. Specifically, making it interesting to people who would not have watched it otherwise.

He was a pretty fair dancer though, and I'm pretty sure he was doing that Russian woman, so win for everybody, there.

AtLeastMyKidsLoveMe wrote:@boostuv: Um, its called “marketing”… Invite the celebrity, and maybe people familiar with him or his sport or former team will watch your event. And maybe, just maybe they’ll become fans of the sport your event represents. And maybe they’ll watch it again next time without that celebrity. Maybe they’ll even be inspired to try it themselves. It’s not about “competition.” It’s about making it interesting to people so they’ll watch it on TV. Specifically, making it interesting to people who would not have watched it otherwise.

Perhaps I just have a more pessimistic view on the real outcomes. I doubt its going to have a profound effect on participation (which is growing at incredibly high rates as is) nor do I see it as beign any more of a motivation for people to get healthy. Why would seeing a person who has been an athlete all their life, with limitless resources, compete in a sport make you want to get healthy? I don't see this as a way to grow triathlon popularity, I see it as something that cheapens the sports image. Give him a free spot to any of the other dozens of races WTC puts on, if he qualifies for Kona then I'd be more than happy to see him there. I won't support someone who hasn't done anything to prove themselves in the sport but still gets a run at the title.

@boostuv: Then why did they invite him to participate? But really, does his being invited to compete really cheapen the event? I say no. Had they tinkered with the format to give him an advantage? Then, yes THAT would have cheapened the event. But merely allowing him in the field, who cares. He's another dude out there huffin' and puffin'.

(but back to the original topic...) I think a Hines Ward/Cycling PSA is a fantastic idea. I think they (who they? whomever) should jump at these opportunities. Eventually the message will gain traction.

AtLeastMyKidsLoveMe wrote:@boostuv: Then why did they invite him to participate? But really, does his being invited to compete really cheapen the event? I say no. Had they tinkered with the format to give him an advantage? Then, yes THAT would have cheapened the event. But merely allowing him in the field, who cares. He’s another dude out there huffin’ and puffin’.

We obviously arent going to see eye to eye here. I think it cheapens the event because its the world championship. They are letting him compete in the equivalent of the Olympics or the SuperBowl without having any merit other than his name. Have you ever watch a triathlon on tv? I'm guessing not. Kona is a 10+ hour event so I dont see how anyone is going to say "I love Hines so much I'm going to plant myself here for 12 hours to watch the entire thing." Instead they'll wait for Sports Center to run a 15 minute highlight reel and move on to the next stupid celebrity event.

But to get back on topic, I too agree that a PSA from a respected and well liked celebrity is nothing but a great thing.

Looking at this objectively, if Hines finishes Kona ahead of anyone, then giving him a spot in the race without making him qualify for it will be justified because he will have proven himself better than someone who actually did qualify. So, unless Hines gets a DNF or finishes dead last, extending him the courtesy of not having to run qualifiers is exactly that: an extension of professional courtesy. The organizers know what caliber athlete he is, so instead of making Hines go through that rigmarolle, they say "okay, we believe you are at least as capable as the least qualified triathlete in the field." I see no problem with that. What does concern me is that any sport the Lance touched is forever tainted. WTC? should be WDC...smh.

I think a few PSAs showing celebrities riding bikes would be fantastic for getting people out on bikes. It would tap into the “it’s cool” factor instead of the usual bikes are for people who can’t afford cars mentality. I don’t think it will make cycling any safer though. Jackass drivers will always be with us. Also, I think a Hines Ward or Steelers sponsored bike ride would be even better. How about having a half dozen Steelers/Penguins/Pirates lead the start of Pedal Pittsburgh?

@boostuv: If it was all about the purity and qualifications of the field, why does the Ironman Kona offer lottery entry? "The IRONMAN Lottery allows athletes of all abilities the chance to compete at the world’s most prestigious triathlon, the IRONMAN World Championship." Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/02/why-we-love-lottery.aspx#ixzz2NKi1drYe Plus, there have never been 10 hours of live TV coverage. I remember Al Trautwig hosting a condensed show of maybe two hours, with a live finish.

boostuv wrote:Have you ever watch a triathlon on tv? I’m guessing not. Kona is a 10+ hour event so I dont see how anyone is going to say “I love Hines so much I’m going to plant myself here for 12 hours to watch the entire thing.” Instead they’ll wait for Sports Center to run a 15 minute highlight reel and move on to the next stupid celebrity event.

Have you ever watch le Tour de France? Giro d'Italia? Vuelta a España? Every stage is multi hour event. From 4 to 6 (TTs and prologues are different beasts). And TV shows most interesting moments usually in a couple of hours. I watched triathlons on TV. It's also usually a 2 hour show with a lot of shots at end of swim, transition zone to bikes, and then suddenly end of biking and transition zone for running. And finally, finish. So, nobody is going to plant themselves for 12 hours. 2 hours may be. Would it bring more popularity to the triathlon itself? I think it would. In terms of Olympics. Do you know that to qualify to Olympics you need to be (usually) best or second best in the season? But what if your country does not have anyone in a particular sport? Then you are qualified with any result. I understand why you do not like the way it happened but I think Hines is not going to be close to winning it.

Marko82 wrote:Also, I think a Hines Ward or Steelers sponsored bike ride would be even better. How about having a half dozen Steelers/Penguins/Pirates lead the start of Pedal Pittsburgh?

I like it. Even more why we don't have something like Steeler's 5K run/walk only for bicycles?

"The 2012 IRONMAN World Championship telecast on NBC Sports will air on Saturday, October 27th from 4pm ET to 6pm ET (Check your local listings). Featuring an updated style that provides Ironman fans with an inside look at what the pros go through during race week, this year’s NBC telecast of the IRONMAN World Championship presented by MyList provides an “all access” experience of this year’s race in Kona. “For the first time we’re presenting this show just two weeks after the race,” says show producer Eric Begley. “The race was so exciting, it demanded an action-packed show with more race coverage than ever before.” Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2012/10/2012-nbc-show-preview.aspx#ixzz2NLAVBgti" A two hour show. On NBC Sports. Two weeks after the event. I'll be watching. I love that sh*t.

2 things; triathletes like to complain. boostuv is just staying true to the sport. im only into a HW psa if he also says something about not texting (or drinking) and driving since he's had repeated issues with both and shown absolutely ZERO remorse for either.

This is America, remorse is for losers, USA, USA!

I wont pretend like I'm not biased being as how I race triathlons. Obviously doing so has made me appreciate the sport in a different way than I did prior to doing them and Kona is like the Mecca of triathlon so seeing someone who hasn't earned their spot there irks me. Still undecided on the lottery/legacy spots but you also have to realize those might not be as "random" as they appear. A good portion of those picked have a cool story or triumph. While I think going to Kona would be awesome I havent entered the lottery and as of now don't really plan to. I know I'm not ready for it and I think it would mean a lot more to earn a ticket myself. There's not really much else to say to it than that.

@boostuv: I totally respect the whole "its only worth doing because it is really f-ing hard." And as great an athlete as Hines Ward is, he's not a triathlete, and I'd be shocked if he finishes anywhere near the money. Won't that enhance the stature of the sport and further demonstrate how challenging it is?

We'll see if we can get an "in." We're trying to design a PR campaign right now that this could fit into potentially. We're awaiting on art work next week. It might work. If not there's a possibility we could work with him separately. We just need an intro.

I think the olympics for triathlon is well.... the triathlon event in the olympics.

steevo wrote:I think the olympics for triathlon is well…. the triathlon event in the olympics.

For short course yes. An Iron Man race is roughly 3x longer than the race in the Olympics.

boostuv wrote:

steevo wrote:I think the olympics for triathlon is well…. the triathlon event in the olympics.

For short course yes. An Iron Man race is roughly 4x longer than the race in the Olympics.

If Hines wants to do an Ironman and qualify for Kona, I wouldn't be surprised if he does it. He is an amazing athlete, but moreover he is also a very strong willed guy. Ironman races are not only physically tough, they require a certain mindset. I have a feeling Hines may qualify if that is his goal.

In another more positive note, in case anyone was paying attention, an American on an American team took second in the Paris-Nice, and another American on a different team took fifth. So this seems like a good way to get past the LA era - win stuff.

yes its a shame that he was amore and vita previously.

JaySherman5000 wrote:Looking at this objectively, if Hines finishes Kona ahead of anyone, then giving him a spot in the race without making him qualify for it will be justified because he will have proven himself better than someone who actually did qualify. So, unless Hines gets a DNF or finishes dead last, extending him the courtesy of not having to run qualifiers is exactly that: an extension of professional courtesy. The organizers know what caliber athlete he is, so instead of making Hines go through that rigmarolle, they say “okay, we believe you are at least as capable as the least qualified triathlete in the field.” I see no problem with that. What does concern me is that any sport the Lance touched is forever tainted. WTC? should be WDC…smh.

Looking at the results from his race today, still standing by my statements that he hasn't done anything to prove himself of being a Kona worthy athlete.

Yeah but... google "Hines Ward triathlon," it is clear, the media loves him (which is why he is there...).

They want to capture interest by having a name known outside racing in the field (and hope that money follows). He's a very good athlete and determined guy, but totally outside the field. There's no particular reason to think he'll be a serious contender, but he's an unknown quantity. It will be interesting for many outsiders (most potential viewers) to see how he does. So it's not fair of course, but you can't argue that it's irrational. They just have motivations other than to broadcast the direct competition of only the best in the sport. And we already knew this given the random selection slots, they just decided that picking a famous football player was an interesting thing to do with one of them.

@boostuv: can you post a link or at least tell us if he finished the event? I googled "Hines Ward triathlon" and several other iteration and couldn't find any results, only pictures. It's like the people that run the event want to keep the outcome secret for some reason. Why not just post the highlights already? On another note, I'm glad that adding Hines to the field has made you take a greater interest in his race yesterday. I guess the marketing is already paying off.

Ive watched Kona once. It is a boring sport. I love bike racing, but ironman has no tactics, no teams.... just seeing how hard a person can push themself. Pretty freaking boring to me and Im an athlete. When I watched it, there was lopsided coverage on: Old people, the dad who pushed his handicapped son.... under dog stories. That is what people like. Most people watching Ironman on NBC or whatever, dont give 2 shits that some doped up guy pushed 367 watts for a 3:42 bike split. They have no idea what that means and probably couldnt name a city that is 112 miles away.. The Hines Ward thing is cool to them. It is somebody that they think they know and think that they like trying to overcome something they believe to be very difficult. The ultimate underdog.

steevo wrote:some doped up guy pushed 367 watts for a 3:42 bike split

Agreed. 160 km for less than 4-hours alone -- it looks very unrealistic.

steevo wrote:It is a boring sport. I love bike racing, but ironman has no tactics, no teams….

To be honest, I think bike races are the same for many people. They just don't understand it (I don't pretend I understand it completely). At previous work I tried to watch big three races while I was in gym. Did not work well. People prefer judge Mantis or similar crap.

I watched several hours of Irish cooking shows while vegging out. I did not realize the Ironman was on. It probably would not have changed anything.

@edmonds59 -- As someone who is both Irish and cooks, there is enough good Irish cooking to fill up several hours worth of time on cooking shows??? Who knew? Faith and Begorrah!! Bring me a stout!! I need one (or two) after this revelation. :)

Any endurance sport is fairly boring to watch be it running, cycling, triathlon, etc... I only watch Kona to support the huge number of PGH athletes that go there every year. It might not be well known but there is a number of professional triathletes in our area who do a lot to help the sport. We probably have one of the best triathlon clubs in the country. As for his results, here you go. http://www.geminitiming.com/posts/superseal-vi-seal-sprint-iii/ 1:27:47 I did my first triathlon ever in 1:19 without a coach or a $12k bike and I'm a middle of the road athlete. So I'll say it again, he has no business racing Kona.

So that time placed him 92/263. But seriously. And I know nobody likes to hear this: get over it. It's ok. It's just marketing. The people who run the race obviously think his involvement will bring attention the the event. But here's the real reason why you need to let it go. It's not an affront to your ability to compete. It doesn't undermine your or anybody's achievements competing in triathlons, or Kona in particular. Inclusion is fundamental to the event. That is why they have a lottery for participation. Therefore, it is not, strictly speaking "the best of the best": "A mainstay in the history of IRONMAN, the IRONMAN Lottery began in 1983 thanks to the vision of one of IRONMAN's founders, John Collins, as a way to provide athletes of all abilities the opportunity to qualify for the world's most challenging one-day endurance event. Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/02/ironman-lottery-and-legacy-closing-soon.aspx#ixzz2NywRkbtQ "Athletes of ALL ABILITIES." That presumably includes former Super Bowl MVPs/Dancing With the Stars dudes/35 year old retirees with too much time and a need for attention but that organizers think people still care about. By the way, Got Chocolate Milk?

The day that the Olympics let millionaire athletes compete against everyone else, for ratings, is the day that "sports" finally and fully died. Pursuing some purity of purpose in the realm of athletics is nonsense in our $$ driven capitalist society (also see "Lance"). Go out and run, ride, swim, whatever for yourself and your own well-being. I'm going to go to Walmart now and buy myself a Timex Ironman (Tm) watch and some boxer shorts to satisfy my desperate need to feel like I belong to something (snrk).

Sports + TV = Entertainment. Sports on TV is entertainment first, advertising next and competition somewhere lower on the list.

boostuv wrote:I did my first triathlon ever in 1:19 without a coach or a $12k bike and I’m a middle of the road athlete. So I’ll say it again, he has no business racing Kona.

Well he has a little bit too much of muscle mass to be a good endurance athlete. But he was trained for different type of activity -- explosive one. you don't see sprinters as skinny as stayers. After all you have to have a lot of oxygen and ATF saved in muscles to be able to borrow it during sprint or other exclusively anaerobic activity. Top notch 100 meter sprinters do not even breath during these 10 seconds. So heed to lose muscle mass. Just losing 30 pounds will give him a good boost in biking and running. And he is 92 in 263 after 6 month of training? I don't give damn sh@t about H.Ward but c'mon do you know a lot of people who can do it?