What's the matter with you people? Do you only support someone who wins, wins, wins? Did you scream "I luuuurve you, Andy!" with teenage tears running down your face while he scooted up Alpe d'Huez, but now you turn away, sneering, because he hasn't won anything in a while?
Pff! *dismissive gesture*
"A true fan is not one who was there at the beginning, but one who was there until the end."
So it is said, and I don't think we have reached the end yet.
Yes, of course I want to see Andy win the Tour, "on the road" as he said. Yes, I want to see him storming up mountains and standing on podiums.
But if he never does that again, I will still be supporting him, wearing my Lux Ensign socks (third generation: memo to self, must buy some more and put them away for when these ones wear out) and waving my home-made Andy-flag.
I am constantly amazed at the vitriol from the - entirely anonymous - people on FaceBloop, Twatter etc. Anyone would think that Andy had personally stuck a knife in them, they are so antagonistic.
Do they never think how much he must be suffering, physically and mentally? He must be beating himself up every day, every night: "I must win again, I must get my form back". Coming from a family of professional athletes, he is extremely aware that you only get the money while you are performing well, he knows that the career of an athlete is short, he now has a wife *shouts "Marry her, Andy, marry her!" over shoulder* and baby to support: I would imagine that he is fully aware of his position, and fully aware of the concern about getting a pro contract for next year. The last thing, the VERY last thing, he needs is some anonymous person on a blog, or on social meedja, telling him that he has "let them down".
Where does it say that it's the duty of the riders to support us, the spectators? Surely it's our duty to support them! These negative Schleck-schlappers are letting Andy down, not the other way round!
So, what sort of fan are you? I don't support Andy because he's a star - I started supporting Andy (as all Schlecklanders will know) at Stage 15 of the Tour, 2010 when I saw the famous "stomach of anger" interview: any other rider would have been effing and blinding, in any sport other than cycling there would have been fisticuffs, but instead he spoke to journalists politely and concisely, clearly very angry but not spitting mad, not declaring that it was unfair, not demanding that the results be changed, just stating that he would not have ridden like that, and that he would have his revenge, by which he meant that he would ride even harder, not that he would lie in wait round the back of the doping tent and brain Contador with a tent peg.
It seems to me that a lot of fans - especially male ones - have a sort of cave-man approach to it: their "chosen" rider is somehow representing their malehood, and if the rider doesn't actually win, then somehow it reflects badly on the fan. As though it makes them look stoopid for picking the wrong person as their representative.
Huh? I just don't get that. It stands to reason that only one person can win each stage, each jersey, each sprint, so why do these aggressive fans take it so personally if "their" rider doesn't win? Did they bet their entire life savings on them? In which case, more fool them. Did they tell all their friendies "Hey, my man XX is going to win, and he's going to flatten your bloke"? In which case, blimey, how old are you, 12? What is this, the playground? Grow up!
The Frandy Fan Club will continue to run and thrive, proper fans will continue to support one or other or both of the Schlecks, flags will be waved, roads will be written on.
And my Twatter account managed to get another follower or two over the Classics, so I allowed myself a new photo or two: here's Andy looking happy at the Amstel Gold presentation - love that nose-tan!
(PS, it that's you in the photo, then I apologise for the "aged auntie" thing...)
I believe Andy will win TdF 2015.
ReplyDeleteCollecting all the positive energy that'll be there for him.
Loyal Barbara Loyal for ever or something like that...
Fans can be one of the worst things about following a sport sadly. To many forget that these are REAL people playing games for our entertainment.People whose feelings can be hurt, have family's to care for, don't want to be maimed or killed doing a JOB anymore than any of us.One can be unhappy about someones performance without being nasty. And thanks for voicing this and staying a fan.
ReplyDeleteI feel badly for Andy. I know he must be disappointed and discouraged.
ReplyDeleteI read an interview where he said something like "I used to be a winner. I used to be Andy Schleck. I want to be that again." That put tears in my eyes.
I hope he ignores all the hateful, hurtful things people say and that he is able to come back. If not, I think he realizes there is more to life than winning a bike race and will go on to enjoy his life with his lovely family.
emjay
I read that interview too, most cried... I do hope he comes back to his best, but I agree with this post, if he doesn't, it doesn't matter, he's still always going to be a hero of our sport and to me anyway
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