Jacobs speaking for all?
Hey everyone. As I mentioned in the comments section earlier today, I got a good laugh from something Jay Jacobs said during his Q-and-A with Columbus Ledger-Enquirer ace Andy Bitter.
What's so funny? This section, which deals with the athletic department's apparel deal with Under Armour:
It doesn't take much searching to find someone at Auburn who isn't thrilled with the apparel deal. Under Armour is a non-player in the world of college basketball, where top prospects become aligned with shoe companies at an early age. College coaches also are aligned with shoe companies -- and there's often a commonality there when players sign with schools.
Dan Wetzel and Don Yaeger wrote an entire book about this subject.
Tony Barbee is a Nike guy. Always has been. Now he's at an Under Armour school that gleefully signed away all flexibility associated with its shoe contract. So Barbee now is, in some ways, the odd man out at prospect camps that often are sponsored/funded by shoe companies.
(Read: Nike and adidas.)
Here's what Barbee had to say about this situation in May:
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.
What's so funny? This section, which deals with the athletic department's apparel deal with Under Armour:
"It's been fabulous. It's been great for us. And it's been great for Under Armour. And we'll renegotiate that contract with them and hopefully extend that sooner than later."
It doesn't take much searching to find someone at Auburn who isn't thrilled with the apparel deal. Under Armour is a non-player in the world of college basketball, where top prospects become aligned with shoe companies at an early age. College coaches also are aligned with shoe companies -- and there's often a commonality there when players sign with schools.Dan Wetzel and Don Yaeger wrote an entire book about this subject.
Tony Barbee is a Nike guy. Always has been. Now he's at an Under Armour school that gleefully signed away all flexibility associated with its shoe contract. So Barbee now is, in some ways, the odd man out at prospect camps that often are sponsored/funded by shoe companies.
(Read: Nike and adidas.)
Here's what Barbee had to say about this situation in May:
- Will you have any flexibility with the deal? South Carolina is Under Armour, too, but (Darrin) Van Horn was able to strike an independent deal with Nike.
``The Under Armour deal is an all-school deal. It's already in place. That's where we are." - Does that complexity to your recruiting tasks?
``It does just from my perspective because I've always been with Nike. All my relationships and contacts are there. In college basketball, unlike any other college sport, show companies have a big influence on where prospects end up. This (the Under Armour deal) adds a different dynamic for me because it's outside my comfort level, where I've been." - Is there any way you can get out from under that?
``To my understanding, we're with Under Armour through 2015-16. That's a ways down the line." - Does that create a backlash against you and the program from the Nike people?
``They understand that I have no options, that I have no choice with it. I hope it's not a problem. This business is about relationships -- not just with the sneaker companies. It's recruiting, coaches, AAU coaches, contacts. It's about building relationships and maintaining them. I'll stay close with those people even if Auburn is with with Under Armour. Even though you may not get the first (prospect), you may get the second one. You never want to burn bridges."
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.
posted by Jay G. Tate at
11:52 AM
151 Comments:
First ?
That contract really puts Barbee in a bad position, but you couldn't really expect Jacobs to say "It sucks for Barbee", although it would have been very entertaining.
I predict the Chiz will speak for 20 minutes at media days and say absolutely nothing. I can't wait for it.
Jacobs alludes to the UA deal as an elixir when actually it causes more headaches than it should.
I mean, do you think soccer and track feel that strongly about Under Armour? Do you even see Under Armour at the Penn Relays or the World Cup?
Answer: No.
Auburn got into business with UA because of Tuberville.
Wow Jay, why was Tuberville interested in Under Armor?
He knew Kevin Plank and liked the attention UA gave to Auburn ... at least initially.
I can't really get a sense for how involved UA is with Auburn these days.
I'm not saying that Under Armour is a cancer that's undermining Auburn. Not at all.
Under Armour is a player in the football world. So that's good.
My point is -- the deal certainly isn't fabulous from Barbee's perspective. There are drawbacks.
come on, API, say it like you mean it!
Jay
I had heard that alot of it came up when Borges' wife starting working in the Athletic Dept- -and her perspective was that the current deals (with Russell maybe?) were antiquated and didn't give AU the sort of $$$ that a program with AU's stature deserved. And then she picked Under Armour because they were eager to get into the SEC and would give AU alot up front.
But now you are saying it was Tubs?
Unrelated note:
Football Fan Day will be held Aug. 15 from 2-4 p.m. CDT inside Auburn Arena.
I suppose the contract specifics aren't public information? There are always "outs"; some more costly than others.
Nikki Borges was the main contact, yes, and played a major role in negotiating the UA deal.
Tuberville was the initial contact.
FAN DAY...I AM THERE HOMES!
Gotcha. As they say
Click. Clack.
Why couldn't deals be sport specific instead of university-wide?
they certainly can be. Just happens this one isn't, much to the alleged detriment of the AU basketball program.
ehyou, that's how it is at many schools.
Auburn sold out for Under Armour.
I drove by the new arena Saturday. It's gorgeous. I'll definitely try to make that fan day. Thanks for the heads up.
For me, the issue that draws my attention much more than Under Armour undermining Auburn's basketball recruiting is...that shoe companies wield so much power in basketball recruiting that we have to worry about who our coach and team is aligned with.
How ridiculous is that? I get that I just to have accept it is reality, but it just seems so wrong.
E-Bro, I'm in total agreement! I think the power the shoe companies have is ridiculous. That's why college sports is becoming unfun these days. Too much big business and not enough college students, IMO.
The NCAA needs to get involved in this show company and AAU business.
Chip,
From you post on the previous thread I get the impression you are saying someone in the Chris Jones circle wants special treatment of some kind. Therefore Auburn backed off. By saying that then you are also saying that other teams (UAT) being one may be doing something improper to keep his attention.
Cincy, Where is the Golden rescue in Bham? What are the average ages of the dogs? What is the cost of adoption?
FYI, Under Armour will be launching their basketball shoe line for the 2011-2012 season. they had production issues this year and had to push their launch back a year. it hurts us at work too b/c we don't have Nike or Adidas. all the kids want to wear those.
E-bro, I concur. To think that a shoe company can sway where a prospect attends college, and thereby affect the success of the program is beyond sensible.
it's the American way!
speaking of basketball, was anyone else as surprised as I was about how far the students will be from the court? Nowhere near as close as I expected.
i don't know why this would matter at auburn. the kids wear UA jerseys & Nike shoes. do they have to match everything? sounds to me like a best of both worlds scenario. can't they market it that way to these kids?
JGT - it looks like the end zone bleachers are already extended, and they're close to 10 yards away from the court. Is that an accurate perception?
This is for you Apple lovers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn-YesqzvNk
Under Armour makes great apparel. From a fan perspective I love the stuff. It's expensive but so is everything else.
I'd be a lot more stoked about the deal if we were involved more in their national ad campaigns and special events.
Re: basketball and other sports. At the end of the day, football pays this bills. And while I feel for the basketball issues, I feel like eventually UA will be in that race as well. They are still really new on the scene in the sports world and will continue to develop the brand.
Ch,
There isn't a rescue in Birmingham. The one I am talking about is the Middle Tennessee Golden Retriever Rescue in Nashville. You can find them online at rescueagolden.org.
They range in price from $150 to $300 depending on the age and if they are purebred. They have all ages from puppies to seniors. Most are already neutered (and if they are not old enough you have to sign that you will have them neutered) and all have had their shots and been checked out by a vet. They are great dogs.
And Baldy, don't tell Norm, but I just let him think he changed my mind. I really still don't like Cool Hand Luke. But that is our little secret.
cincy - I'm greatly disappointed. It's like I don't even know who you are anymore.
Who's next after Florida investigation?
umm......LSU!
Nah, LSU is on the downslide. Unless their offense picks up this season, Miles will be out and they will be off the radar for a bit.
as long as it's not A-U in trouble then i'm good with whoever.
I agree that UA is still new in the world of sports apparel. Look how quickly their clothing caught on. Just wait till they get their shoe line released and all the kids will love it. Hopefully in the long run AU will benefit from getting on the bus early.
WTC,what do you know about this Denson kid from Hoover? Looks like a good prospect who comes from a great high school program. Just wondering why we are the 1st to offer. Do our coaches know something the others don't or is he a "project".
Hopefully this is just a kid that hasn't gotten a lot of exposure. It is while I like the camps in the summer. Coaches get to actually see what the kids have to offer. Coaches don't shop for players at rivals or scout.
In the case of some I hope it is because another player suggested them to the coaches, such as Sammy Coates. Maybe Moseley pointed the coaches at him because he saw what he could do. They come from a small school that big programs might overlook.
I'm not gonna lie, I danced a little jig when I heard UF was potentially under investigation.
I HATE THOSE GUYS
Norm,
I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about.
SteveFC - you brought up a memory from way back. In'72, I wrote Bart Starr several months before the NFL draft and suggested the Packers draft TE Rich McGeorge from tiny Elon College (it was NAIA back then), which was 5 miles from where I lived. Imagine my shock when they did just that. I've never met Rich McGeorge, and I'm sure he doesn't know how much he owes me for that favor...with interest.
Wake, where are you getting the UF info from?
Wake, where are you getting the UF info from?
THT...
Are you making up stories again?
you don't have to answer that twice.
Well you didn't ask my source CHB, but it's Pat Forde.
CB:Denson was a back up last year. He has had two very good camps. He will be getting more offers shortly. I believe he played TE lastyear also, so he did not shine as a WR.
Just got back from a short vacation, so just caught up on threads. The upper level seats in the new arena remind me of Memorial Gym at Vanderbilt. They are pretty steep there, too. They have a pretty good home court advantage with it feeling like the fans are right on top of the court, so maybe we'll eventually have the same thing (or better).
The Jonse kid is a mistry. H enow says UF is his clear leader. He will not say why AU is off the board now. I can't find out why just yet, but I will.
AU has backed off Woodson. I think he has some academoc concerns. I hear UAt would like for him to get a committable offer from another program and they would not argue with him not comitting to them. Two folks I know of have said Woodson wanted to commit to AU this weekend and they would not let him. Very Interesting.they feel REAL good about Coates and Denson and Richardson.
ehyou - The story about the time I went up to Bart Starr's hotel room in Baltimore in '66 to sell him 2 extra tickets we had (NFL rules did not allow us to give them to him, so he had to pay full face value of $6 per ticket), and his roommate, the late Henry Jordan (NFL Hall of Fame DT) was sitting on his bed in his boxers.... no I couldn't make that up. Y'all are inspiring some fun reminiscences.
i'm kinda disturbed that THT was actively seeking Bart Starr and had no intention of implementing any form of bodily harm.
what gives?
I'm about to try and clean my office. I just hope I can finish before kickoff.
Ehyou, thanks for the UF link.
Wake: I'm a gator hater also, but if this story is correct, it would be unfair for UF to get penalized. I'm not sure how a university can keep agents away from kids that are about to go pro. The kid takes a prepayment and even though the university discovers and self-reports, they get penalized.
Writing laws to punish the agent and student would require establishing criminal harm and that doesn't seem possible. The NCAA could force the schools to rewrite the scholly agreements and make it easy for the schools to sue the student-athlete to recover financial damages. Of course the NCAA would then need to force the schools to actually sue to recover, otherwise the schools wouldn't want to get a bad rep with the athletes.
Wonder if there's law that could be written to set up the schools to sue the agents for damages caused by the purposeful interference in the contract between the school and the athlete? The damages for probation could be in the 10s of millions. If a school sued an agent would that school then get blackballed by all of the other agents? Getting blackballed would affect recruiting. I guess the NCAA would have to force this lawsuit also.
It seems unfair to the school.
sorry about that, Scottie B. Don't tell Jet, but I <3 Bart Starr. Despite one very bad decision, he is one of the most super duper people on the planet. Ranks right up there with Felipe Alou.
THT, i'm just going to pretend this little post never happened, ok?
:)
Thanks ehyou and WTC. I guess by getting Denson we are pretty much done at receiver, but I'm sure if a really big name wanted to commit we would figure something out.
THT = The second most interesting man in the world.
he doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, he drinks Dos Equis.
He doesn't always eat watermelon, but when he does, he eats it spiked with coconut rum and melon vodka.
I tried that over the weekend. It didn't make me any more interesting, but it made some other people more interesting to me.
I have no idea where to start. Instead of trying to file it all away, maybe I should just throw it all away. I really do want to get done before football season.
Cool brush with greatness THT. I haven't had many. I have ran into people like Jared from Subway and Norman Schwartzcoff, but never talked with them.
I did talk to and shake hands with Mercury Morris back in the mid 80s. He was traveling to junior colleges giving talks about the danger of drugs.
Love your avatar Scott C. Some poeple call it a tragedy. I just say "Bull Wins"!!!
Bull Honkey!
Bull honkey!!!!
Nice one, Norm! I definitely had a "wait for it" vibe going on following SFC's last post.
Didn't see the double "Bull Honkey" coming, though!
That's the spirit. Even though the bull has shoved his horn up you rectum, lifted you off the ground, and is in the process of sending you flying through the air, don't give up. You can take him. Never say die!!! Remember the Alamo!!! Don't give up the shift!!! Keep swinging!!!
By the way, the reality TV world has entered a new era. There is a new family feud show starting next month called American Chopper: Junior vs Senior. It seems that Junior has opened his own shop. Now that is quality disfunctional family programming.
If I can't do it, it can't be done.
Well, you killed the blog nicely :)
Yikes!!! did JG kill the thread as Cincy so adeptly noticed? ..or is that just rampant speculation on my part?
Cincy,
Can you find out more about Teddy Bear? He is in foster care but isn't ready for adoption because he is still under the care of a Vet.
I am watching a replay of the Outback Bowl. How in the heck did we have to go to 3 overtimes to win this game? We should have won it easily in regular time.
Zac Etheridge has the appointment with his doctor tomorrow. Hope he gets the answers he is wishing for.
Northwestern had an outstanding offense and did very well with their up tempo. Without a lot of depth, the up tempo was the perfect thing against us.
CHB - another option for you
Cincy,
A tired D with very little depth, key turnovers when we had chances to get more points and more importantly run the clock out, and an offense that struggled at times to get first downs.
Man, I love watching Tate run. I am going to miss him this season.
The southern media has only picked the correct SEC champion 4 times since 1992. That's 4 out of 18.
I sure hope they pick Bama to win this year.
Looks like Spurrier may be the only entertaining coach in Bammerham this year. Kiffen is gone. The Fulmer-Bammer feud is history. Meyer is docile and protecting his heart. Chiz knows how to do coachspeak and say nothing at all. $aban can't whine about his schedule because he knows Auburn has 7 opponents playing D-2 teams the prior week.
Maybe Ol' Nutt will get wound up about sumpthin'
According to AUC, Jaylon Denson committed today.
Nutt would be a good choice as someone to make a unique comment.
I can't believe I re-watched the end of the Northwestern game and was still nervous. There is nothing more frustrating than hearing "Auburn wins" and then "wait a minute". The finish to that game was just incredible.
PMarsh has a nice short story about Otis Mounds and the Dillard 5
First day of Football Practice = August 4 = football substance
Interesting Carl "Trooper" Taylor high school era newspaper story
you want substance, I'll show you substance...
BEASLEY!!!
That call for Otis Mounds to come to the locker room is one of the things that stuck in my mind. It was amazing. I had never heard of anything like that happening before.
Thanks Norm that was a good site too.
We were jobbed a few times in that bowl game.
Snapper with lima bean succotash and shrimp/corn bisque @ the Fairhope Inn. Don't hate.
that sounds waaaaaaaaaaay to yummy!
I'm hungry.
The ESPN rumor mill lists Jeremiah Masoli as possibly going to Ol' Miss.
Masoli has graduated from Oregon and is free to play whereever someone will have him this year. What a dichotomy he is--graduated in 3 years, is a heck of a playmaker and has little respect for the law.
Masoli to Tennessee would be a slam dunk if Lane Kiffen was still there.
If Nutt is going to take the chance on Masoli, he should at least wait till after media days ...cause ..you know
Gov. Pappy's slummin' at the Fairhope Inn?
I'm jeolous.
CH,
Send me your email address. Mine is on my profile. Got some information for you.
Ole Miss, where QB transfers go to flop.
Brent Schaffer
Jevan Snead
Hoopie,
Nutt will never have a opening line like he did a few years ago when he started off with "Cedric Cobbs can't be here today, he's in jail."
Sent you an email Cincy.
I'd qualify Snead as half a flop. 2009 was very flop worthy. 2008 saw him play a lot of the year at All-SEC calibre.
Snead really made his name at Ole Nutt in the first place, but 2009 was definitely a big flop, or at least in terms of the expectations of the media.
Anybody have a remedy for sun poisoning? This sucks...
All I can say is lots of aloe. I feel asleep on the beach once and was doing my impression of a red bell pepper for a week. Not fun.
Andy Gribble has an article saying Gus drew up a bunch of trick plays for Alabama. Ummm, nope. In general, most of it was just our normal offense.
any updates on buckethead jgt?
i wasn't saying anyone in any specific recruit's inner circle is asking for "special consideration". that is just a good reason that a recruit's long time favorite may suddenly fall from his grace. extending offers to heretofore unrecruited prospects at his position or his fav not accepting his commitment may also offend. unscrupulous family members or friends unfortunately play a big role in some guys' recruitment and certain schools have a colorful and documented history of willingly playing along.
i don't know about you guys, but i'm kinda pumped at AU's recent wr commits. i've read some national scouts (not coaches) say both have looked very good at camps and they expect their recruitment to pick up in the near future. hopefully to no avail.
i like how chizco is getting big names and under the radar guys into the camps to evaluate in person. bbq inc never seemed to get the big boys to show up and ended up taking project guys that performed well at camps. chizco has seemed to find a happy medium in the recruiting process. it has also been interesting to hear that there are a lot of highly regarded recruits that are not very high on AU's board for whatever reason.
Tuberville had several top 10 classes and most of the classes were at least top 15. He did good getting the kids and the proof is the number of players that showed up in the NFL.
The problem I had was the huge number of recruits that never played a snap and the number of 5 star flops we had. It seems as though CTT did a poor job of judging the maturity level of players, or something like that, but several of the coaches on the staff were known as the best recruiters in America, including Hugh Nall, believe it or not.
It is fine to get top 10 or top 15 recruiting classes, but when only 17 or 18 actually make it to the team and then others get dismissed, it causes huge problems.
That, coupled with the disastrous 2004 recruiting class, really hurt. There are lots of things that went into the issues. Some can be blamed on the previous staff. Some can be blamed on the administration. Some can be blamed on the fans.
Fortunately, we seem to no longer have those problems and I hope we don't see them again when Chizco has a disappointing season. Booing players, recruiting a new coach behing the head coaches back, bashing your own players and staff are all examples of disjunctive emotions that destroy a football team.
5 day summary please.
How does Auburn have a different baseball cap sponsor, but can't get a different basketball shoe sponsor? Aren't those basically the same thing?
- New receiver commits.
- Jay thinks some SEC coaches are good guys.
- Mel Gibson is an idiot.
- Vandy may not be up to there normal level.
- Saban spent time with Carroll.
- USCe has a player that the NCAA is talking to.
- Les Miles hasn't been fired yet.
- All of the residents of Athens, GA have been arrested on alcohol related charges.
SteveFC: When Eddie Gran was at Tennessee, he commented that if all the people at Auburn got on the same page at the same time, Auburn would be virtually unstoppable. I thought it was quite a testament to the divisiveness, power plays, and various interest groups that wanted a hand in how things were run. I didn't get the feeling he was grinding his axe, just making a statement.
API, that is exactly how I picture the situation. It doesn't mean any individual wasn't at fault to some degree, but it was the atmosphere created. I think there was enough insightful comments from players to make it clear that was the case.
This is okay for women, but please keep it away from men.
Night hotties. I predict that THT will be the first waking, posting hottie in the morning - unless Cincy checks before boot camp.
CIncy is checking in before boot camp! Good morning, Hotties!!! We're getting closer. Stay tuned and THT will tell you how close. Have a great day!
Feng is pumped.
Brutal day on the Tour de France yesterday for Andy Schleck. Holder of the yellow jersey, he was launching an attack on Contador and then the chain came off his bike and Contador looked down and saw this and took advantage of the situation (dodgy sportsmanship if you ask me) and sped past him without thinking twice. Now he has the yellow jersey and Schleck wants some revenge today.
I know the American media doesn't care about le Tour b/c Armstrong isn't doing anything, but this Tour is filled with drama and is as good as any in recent memory.
API - sorry to let you down. I've been awake about 2 hours, just a little slow getting to HABOTN this morning.
Good job, Cincy!
46 days til kickoff!
GO TIGERS!!!
WARRRRRRRRR EAGLE!!!!
Want to get rid of Under Armour at Auburn? Introduce all blue or all orange football uniforms. The blue-bloods will march with yellowwood pitchforks on the AD's office and there will be a ritual burning at midfield.
I think the blue bloods and the blue collars can agree on that one.
morning hotties. 46 days.....
****Auburn's players will report for practice Tuesday, Aug. 3. The first day of practice will be Wednesday, Aug. 4.****
My Droid Incredible finally arrives today. I'm kind of excited.
I want some lima bean succotash.
Mornin', hot ones!
Back from vacation.
I loved the Dillard 5 and Trooper stories. Thanks for sharing them, THT.
Can't do lima bean succotash this early in the morning.
When is the UA contract up?
Maybe we can get exclusive with MacGregor or Spalding.
WILSONNNN!!
succotash is good any time of day!
"They had a will to win, they also had a Wilson."
do we know what time Zac Etheridge goes to the doctor today?
One of the most beautiful pieces of art you will ever set eyes on.
This is a call for all Georgians to go vote in the primaries today.
Sthuferin' Sthucotash! I don't like Lima beans ..oomph
Scottie ..I'm withya. Big day for T-Zac.
I don't buy yellowood, but I certainly "wood" if that was needed to prevent colored uni pants.
that's a great Chiz pic ehyou. wonder if he'd autograph it for you. ha.
kinda excited Fan Day will be in the new arena. anybody else going? i know Eddie & Norm went last year.
Morning Hotties
Hoopie - I took advantage of the early voting last week. That was a treat. From the time I got out of the truck until I got back in to leave was right at 5 minutes.
sending some love to #4 today. hope we hear some good news today.
that last post wasn't written very well but you get the point.
i need some caffeine.
i guess everybody's resting up for Media Days tomorrow....
look who's the cover boy for CFN today:
AUBURN QB CAM NEWTON
Scottie,
I've been to a few fan days, and usually they are a disorganized mess.
RK, the 07,08,09 Fan Days were fairly well organized and lots of fun.
the autograph session after this year's A-Day was the worst thing i have ever seen.
when there are single-file lines it makes things much better. hopefully they continue to use this extremely complicated procedure.
Scottie,
The CFN write up got off on the wrong foot with me.
"Considering how controversial, and somewhat bizarre, the hiring of Gene Chizik was after his 5-19 stint at Iowa State (which looks a bit worse in hindsight after the Cyclones went bowling last year)"
Since they went bowling last year with Chizik's players in place, that should make it look better, right?
I don't think I've been to fan day since 05.
I may or may not make Fan Day this year. But one thing I absolutely guarantee you, if we do go, we will not go sharing space in my truck with the same family who went with us last year.
at least the author recognizes the importance of beating....you know who.
yes Norm. dump those peeps this year.
RK, last year at the stadium they had 3 lines. 1 for Chiz, 1 for the Offense, & 1 for the D. if you got in either line you were good. i actually make it through the O & 1/2 of the D before they left. hopefully they do the same thing this year. the basketball teams & Barbee will be there too.
i think Norm spent all his time with Aubie & the women's soccer team. :)
What are the date and times for this year's Fan Day?
Last year, by the time we got there, ScottieB is correct. We didn't have time to line up for anything football related. It really didn't help that it was in the heat and we had two 2 y/o boys one (not mine) extremely cranky and ill-behaved. So, Aubie and hot chicks it was.
it's Sunday, Aug. 15th, from 2-4pm CT at the new Auburn Arena.
How early do lines typically start forming for football peeps?
well, it depends on how they organize it at the new arena.
previously when they had it in the coliseum they had the doors open & lines started forming 2 hours before it started.
last year at JHS they opened the gate when it started & people just flooded in & went to the lines. i would expect it to be more like it was in the BEMC.
my sis & broNlaw got signed posters & their picture with the Chiz last year after they went through the line for the offense. having it on sunday afternoon keeps the crowd down a little bit i think.
WERK-I think jay said it was up in 2016.
Tour was fun to watch today (if you like watching a LONG bike race). I will not spoil it, but it was an impressive day for certain riders.
E-bro-the problem with Cantador's response to the media was that he saw the chain come off, he was at least 50 feet behind Schleck, and he is stating he never saw it happen. (Liar) He rode right past him and stared at him and the bike as he went by. I think several are having trouble with it because you supposedly do not attack when the leaders have a mechanical failure and you are that far out from the finish. Cantador is a much better time trial rider and will win anyway, so why turn the pelton and the media against you.
That is the difference between a great rider and a champion.
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