# OLN=Only Lance Network?



## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

OLN has officially become the "Only Lance Network"  

The will go out of business next year when there is no more Lance.


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## redrider (Jun 21, 2004)

I like "Official Lance Network" better...a thread that was already started a year ago on RBR. Sorry. And BTW, the Disco Channel has plans to carry more Lance programming. It only makes sense.---rr



bas said:


> OLN has officially become the "Only Lance Network"
> 
> The will go out of business next year when there is no more Lance.


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## Old_school_nik (May 21, 2002)

*Only Lance Network better than OCCIUVIIT network*

OCCIUVI = Only Cycling Coverage in US Available Via Internet In Text, network. I don't care if they talk about LA as long as they show enought of the stage. Beats the 80's when the New York Times would feature Day old results in the form of top 10 on G.C. and top 10 from stage and that's it. Once in a blue moon they would let Samuel Abt get an article in about Lemond or Boyer.

-Nik


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

The only reason I had cable was to watch cycling. When OLN started only showing the TDF and Lance specials, I cancelled the cable.


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## Fredke (Dec 10, 2004)

MikeBiker said:


> The only reason I had cable was to watch cycling. When OLN started only showing the TDF and Lance specials, I cancelled the cable.


I must disagree. I don't have time to watch 2 hours a day of cycling during the week. I have to work, train, and take care of my family. 2 hours of Giro on Saturday and Sunday was as much as I had time for in a week. Their coverage of Paris-Roubaix, Dauphiné, Tour of Connecticut, and USPRO were all good. Not perfect, but good, and a far cry from all-Lance all the time.


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## magnolialover (Jun 2, 2004)

*Pretty sure...*



bas said:


> OLN has officially become the "Only Lance Network"
> 
> The will go out of business next year when there is no more Lance.


I'm pretty sure they won't be going out of business next year when Lance isn't around. Since they only do a very small percentage of cycling coverage compared to everything else they show. Take what you can get fer cryin' out loud. Nobody is ever happy with the coverage OLN provides. But like someone else said, I don't have time to watch it every single day when it is on. Work, training, and other things kind of get in the way. Just ride your bike more, and you'll forget about the so-called "bad" coverage. Which is still about a million times better than having John Tesh summarize the entire Tour de France in 30 minutes backed up with his crappy music.


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## cydswipe (Mar 7, 2002)

*Lance on OLN?*

Really? Is that who that is a cuttin' inta my bull ridin' shows? I wonder if on OLN's message boards there aren't angry bull riders/bass fishermen who are complaining that Lance and cycling are on so much. Does anyone know if that PBR season ever ends? It's on a lot! Gotta go, there's a tape delay of the PBR championships from last week on the 2-hour recap show.


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## JohnGalt (Oct 19, 2004)

*Yeah, but at least The Fish is back*

I can't believe they are bringing back The Fish. Gimme Kirsten Gumm anyday. She is an idiot also but at least she's better to look at than Trautwig.


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## wayneanneli (Jul 8, 2004)

bas said:


> OLN has officially become the "Only Lance Network"
> 
> The will go out of business next year when there is no more Lance.


Gee, what do you think Outside Magazine will do? July 2005 issue has named Lance "The Greatest Athlete in the World", again. This is why I literally gave my subscription away, Outside has sucked for the last few years and without Lance, would not have anything else to write about. They have probably had 2-3 covers of Lance every year since his first TDF win. Talk about lack of creativity and catering to the masses


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

*Why the name change?*

Why the name change? It was the "Official Lance Network" previously. I must have missed the press release...
Watched Road To The Tour yesterday and just about threw up. Nice segment on Jullich but that's about it. Everything else was Basso compared to Lance, Ullrich compared to Lance, Lance and his current degree of Lanceness. In the Ullrich segment, they mentioned Lance more than Ullrich. At least Merckx got mention as the greatest cyclist of all time. That must have really hurt the producer to let it into the scripting...


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## moving up (Feb 18, 2003)

wayneanneli said:


> Gee, what do you think Outside Magazine will do? :



It is just GQ with an outdoor photo shoot instead of a loft. No one writing for the magazine now even knows who Reinhold Messner is.


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## magnolialover (Jun 2, 2004)

*Ooh, ooh...*



moving up said:


> It is just GQ with an outdoor photo shoot instead of a loft. No one writing for the magazine now even knows who Reinhold Messner is.


I know who he is. I know! I know!!


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## Rich_Racer (Jul 12, 2002)

I enjoyed the highlights show on the Tour of Switzerland and thought that the coverage was pretty good. It's good that they package it up for me because I don't have time to watch much more. I just don't watch the "road to the tour" stuff because it's so Lance-centric. But I don't watch the bull riding either - I find it too bull-centric.


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

moving up said:


> No one writing for the magazine now even knows who Reinhold Messner is.


Messner was a childhood idol of mine. They didn't have posters of climbers back then so Greg LeMond was alone on my walls as a kid. Met him when I was 14 when he gave a talk and slide show at the local junior college. It was the same year as his solo ascent of Everest and he was promoting Crystal Horizon, a good read despite the chronology of gripes with his girlfriend at the time.


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## wayneanneli (Jul 8, 2004)

Fogdweller said:


> Messner was a childhood idol of mine. They didn't have posters of climbers back then so Greg LeMond was alone on my walls as a kid. Met him when I was 14 when he gave a talk and slide show at the local junior college. It was the same year as his solo ascent of Everest and he was promoting Crystal Horizon, a good read despite the chronology of gripes with his girlfriend at the time.


Hey Foggy, 
Long time since we've mailed... One of the next books on my shopping list is this one by Messner called "La Montagne Nue" or "The Naked Mountain". I'll probably buy the French version just because of the paper quality and the fantastic photography. Check it out.
Cheers, Wayne

http://www.editionsguerin.com/product.asp?intProdID=13&intCollectionID=1
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...9/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/002-5345453-4787264


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*I remember the days*

of live GTs (all 3) Bike TV for my free riding fix, classics you name it on OLN. we cyclists just ain't important enough anymore. I'll take what I can get but have a bad feeling for the future.


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

atpjunkie said:


> of live GTs (all 3) Bike TV for my free riding fix, classics you name it on OLN. we cyclists just ain't important enough anymore. I'll take what I can get but have a bad feeling for the future.


I hear you. Sad when the owner can make 4 times the ad revenue showing Fishing with Roland Smith than he can showing the Giro. The TdF coverage only went into the black in 2002 for them. He lost his shirt the first couple of years on the tour and never made a dime on the Giro or Vuelta. With America's only legitimate future tour contender on a career ending suspension, I don't see how we'll get decent coverage in the future. Hopefully by then da Junkie and I will have our cheese shop in Provence and can close down the month of July to follow the tour like a couple of teenaged groupies...


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## FondriestFan (May 19, 2005)

Man, I hope Bob Roll doesn't sit in the commentator booth with Phil and Paul. I like Bob, but he's the king of the Armstrong crotch-sniffers.


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

I don't know what all of your are talking about. It seems to me that Lance will be in the team discovery support car next year. OLN will interview him more than ever on his newest team leader. His face will be in the TV screen more than ever, just off the bike. Liggett will say "Lance's hopes for a win all lie on this man", and so on. They will comment on how great Lance was on that climb. Lance vision will remain until Armstrong leaves the support team, which will be a long time.
Buckle in boys, PBR aint goin anywhere either.


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## moving up (Feb 18, 2003)

*OLN program/infomercial*

Buckle in boys, PBR aint goin anywhere either.[/QUOTE]

How about getting it over with and just rolling the whole thing into one - Jan and Lance riding bulls on Mt. Ventoux with a shotgun in hand, commercials for Pearl Izumi chaps, Stetson helmets, and Lucchese's riding shoes, TT bikes by Lincoln with the worst soundtrack in history, and jumping into the bass boat with Kirsten Gum in a swimsuit?


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*Cheese Grommet!*

no see we open the cheese shop here in the US. then we go to the Tour to watch bike racinmg and to sample the various regions offerings. see tax deductible that way.
We'll set up on Mt Ventoux with a nice Neuf de Paup and a couple stout bleus.
mmm mmmm can ya taste it already?


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

moving up said:


> Buckle in boys, PBR aint goin anywhere either.


How about getting it over with and just rolling the whole thing into one - Jan and Lance riding bulls on Mt. Ventoux with a shotgun in hand, commercials for Pearl Izumi chaps, Stetson helmets, and Lucchese's riding shoes, TT bikes by Lincoln with the worst soundtrack in history, and jumping into the bass boat with Kirsten Gum in a swimsuit?[/QUOTE]
This would be awesome, something for my Tivo to ignore, much like the doping forum...


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## ClimbElYunque (Jun 21, 2005)

*PBR vs TdF*



moving up said:


> Buckle in boys, PBR aint goin anywhere either.



Hey,

PBR vs TdF, cycling will not win that battle...Let's move all to Europe!
 Just Kidding!

I agree, Too much Lance. I don't mind if the show is focused
more on bike stuff than individuals, But some times they forget
that cyclist dont want to hear a "E! true Hollywood story"
of Lance and any other cyclist to be honest. At least they
are not doing the "Lance Chronicles". 

Another thing OLN is doing wrong is recycling segments
(i.e., LT improvements, training, anyway most of the
Lance's trainer segments). Same as last year. Lack 
of creativity.

The problem with the compress GT coverange is 
that is stuffed with commercials ( more than before
when the GT was transmitted everyday). Their
cut was horrible. Actually on the Giro I enjoyed
more the Text updates in cyclingnews.com than the 
TV covarage which did not present most of the climbs and decends
and too many comercial interruptions. After commecials
they skipped a big chunk of the race. I hardly saw any
attacks, all them were presented after the fact.
Althought there has been good coverages, they
are the exception than the norm.

BTW, is BOB ROLL Lance's personal spokeman? I thought
a commentator should be a bit objective. I always laugh
when Phil L. asks Bob a question about his opinion
of something...Hint: count how many times he mentions
"Lance", "crush the competion", "Nobody
will catch him today". GEEE!!!!!!

About Traugwig....I don't know why is he there,
he was bored after couple of stages last year because
he doesn't know a thing about cycling sport. He was
lost.


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*what do you want????????*

Look, this is an exercise in the absurd at best folks.

First, you get: Aww Gee, we do not get enough cycling Coverage. BUMMER. SO, OLN comes on the scene. Cycling coverage predominantly by cyclists. 

BUT NOOOOOOOO

Its too Lance centric. 
It does not do blah blah blah. 
I hate the rodeo commercials.
The coverage is not there for race x, so, OLN sucks etc etc etc etc etc 

What do you want? Mints after the meal? Shaken not stirred? Why not harken back to ABC and 20 minutes a month. Otherwise, ride away, far far far away. If you can read this post, you are still too close. Keep riding, riding away..............


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## Bryan (Sep 19, 2004)

Trautwig is back because the NHL season was cancelled. 

I say enjoy what OLN is showing now, because once Lance is gone, we have one, maybe two seasons of televised cycling before they fill the timeslot with a BASS Tournament pre-game show.


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## 97 Teran (Feb 17, 2004)

*Disagree*



Fogdweller said:


> I hear you. Sad when the owner can make 4 times the ad revenue showing Fishing with Roland Smith than he can showing the Giro. The TdF coverage only went into the black in 2002 for them. He lost his shirt the first couple of years on the tour and never made a dime on the Giro or Vuelta. With America's only legitimate future tour contender on a career ending suspension, I don't see how we'll get decent coverage in the future. Hopefully by then da Junkie and I will have our cheese shop in Provence and can close down the month of July to follow the tour like a couple of teenaged groupies...


Aside from 2003, and maayyyybe this year if there was no suspsension, Hamilton's not a contender except for Giro or Vuelta. The guy's older than Armstrong, and has been racing pro for longer. He can certainly be a Jens Voigt-type, but 'contender' is a label that most likely doesn't suit him anymore- again, assuming he wasn't out of competition.


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

atpjunkie said:


> We'll set up on Mt Ventoux with a nice Neuf de Paup and a couple stout bleus.
> mmm mmmm can ya taste it already?


Mmmmm Junkie... pass me some smoked Traut....


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

97 Teran said:


> Aside from 2003, and maayyyybe this year if there was no suspsension, Hamilton's not a contender except for Giro or Vuelta.


I'll half agree with you but the point was less about who can win the tour and more about the future of full coverage for the tour in the states. My point was that Levi, Landis and Hincapie are a stretch/gamble to justify daily coverage. In the broadcasting business, the stakes are high, especially with a three week event where poor viewership can destroy your bottom line and ad relationships. Tour winners are either awesome climbers and decent time trialers, awsome time trialers and decent climbers or awesome at both. These three are neither compared to Hamilton which makes the broadcasting gamble even greater.


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## 97 Teran (Feb 17, 2004)

*Gotcha*



Fogdweller said:


> I'll half agree with you but the point was less about who can win the tour and more about the future of full coverage for the tour in the states. My point was that Levi, Landis and Hincapie are a stretch/gamble to justify daily coverage. In the broadcasting business, the stakes are high, especially with a three week event where poor viewership can destroy your bottom line and ad relationships. Tour winners are either awesome climbers and decent time trialers, awsome time trialers and decent climbers or awesome at both. These three are neither compared to Hamilton which makes the broadcasting gamble even greater.


Yeah Hamilton has pulling power (media-wise) far above any of them, you're right. Although there's a micro chance Landis, if he ever improves significantly, could surpass Hamilton- but I doubt it.


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## sweetnsourbkr (Jan 10, 2005)

All u guys that are complaining about excessive Lance-ness and not enough coverage about Euro riders need to move to Europe. He is the premier American cyclist of today, and if it gets them better ratings than doing a show about Italian Ivan Basso, they will.

It's just business.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

*Trautwig the trout*



Bryan said:


> Trautwig is back because the NHL season was cancelled.
> 
> I say enjoy what OLN is showing now, because once Lance is gone, we have one, maybe two seasons of televised cycling before they fill the timeslot with a BASS Tournament pre-game show.


He's just finished the season as an Arena Football League commentator.


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## JM714 (Jan 22, 2004)

*Eurosport Tv*

What all the people complaing about coverage need to do is contact their local cable/satalite provider. Eurosport has a ton of cycling coverage on their network, but we mis it here in the states. I contacted Direct Tv to see if I could get it for the month like some people do with that Italian Station RAI(?), but they told me that at this time they couldn't. However they are always evaluating their station line-up and taking suggestions from viewers. They already offer BBC Tv so it's not impossible, we just need to get our voices heard.


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