JoeyBike

I don't think pro football players (American) wear ENOUGH special gear! I would need a lot more padding.

indyfabz

I have to agree with him.

For example, why would a cyclist who is not racing want something like arm warmers that he/she can pull down once the 40 degree temperature you started out the morning in has risen to 60 after a couple of hours and that he/she can also pull back up when at the start of a descent after a long climb? That's just dumb. Much more convenient to stop, reach into panniers and trade a long sleeve cotton t **** you got cheap at Walmart for a short sleeve one.

indyfabz

Have you been playing American football without a helmet?

rsbob 

Stirring it up, are we? Ha!

Eric F 

Don't you think that the people participating at the sport at its highest level might have a good idea about the right amount of special gear they need?

livedarklions

If they're not impaired by brain injuries.
Some sports might not have a right amount.

rsbob 

You mean “drain bramage”?

rsbob 

Why do people wear cycling specific clothing? Probably none if you only ride short distances. But if you do 20+ miles there are certainly many advantages:

https://www.eriksbikeshop.com/blog/p...ific-clothing/

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-a...othing?share=1

https://www.sooperarticles.com/shopp...r-1578536.html

https://www.sportsrec.com/541013-the...ng-shorts.html

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/what-ar...erseys.663443/

https://cyclinghow.com/benefits-of-w...cycling-shoes/

Gee, I can’t figure it out…..

Eric F 

My comment wasn't necessarily related to just football. I'm always puzzled by people who offer opinions about how things should be done, but don't participate in the activity anywhere near the same level, if at all.

livedarklions

Sorry, I just saw a story on Tua Tagovailoa this morning, and it really bothered me. I've gotten to the point where I'm not sure I can justify to myself watching the NFL.

I don't care what people choose to wear while cycling as long as they're happy with it. I do think there's not particularly good correlation between performance and kit except at the competitive level.

Eric F 

Understood about Tua.

If you're looking for statistical data to validate the amount of money spent on cycling clothes, I would agree that there isn't much correlation. It's hard to measure subjective factors, especially when it comes to things like fashion preferences.

livedarklions

Comfort is also almost completely subjective.

These arguments always degenerate into "You're wasting your money if..." vs. "You're not really riding if you don't....", both of which are utterly stupid and indefensible positions.

Eric F 

Agreed. On all of it.

JoeyBike

Aaaaand...We have a WINNER!!

Maelochs

Not true Scotsman would use the "No True Scotsman" gambit.

seypat

A lot of them are just dancing chickens at the fair/carnival.

Maelochs

I have no idea what this means.

How are top-level pro athletes "dancing chickens at the fair"? Does this apply to all athletes? What about professional dancers, who often do permanent damage to their bodies to keep at the top levels of dancing? What does this mean in any case?

The idea that a pro football player can be a muscle-bound idiot might apply in high school, but at the pro levels, those guys have to be smart and quick-thinking, as well as being fierce competitors and have high pain thresholds. For a pro lineman, for example, they have less than a second to decide what is going on, and to choose the best of many possible responses, all the while a 300-pound giant in armor is bashing into them ... they have to be able to analyze what the play is. what thee feints and misdirections might be, and form a rational response in the time it took you to read the first five words---while being beaten by a giant. The guys, however strong, who can only push in one direction get cut before college. By the time people are getting drafted, the people who don't deeply understand football are long gone.https://www.latimes.com/sports/story...uvernay-tardif

https://www.nfl.info/nflmedia/Kickof.../Page%2026.pdf

“The NFL’s 46 percent graduation rate tops the rest of the world when it comes to earning diplomas, and the league is perfect when it comes to high school graduation. The United States has a 31 percent college graduation rate for students ages 25-34, second among all nations (Norway graduates 37 percent) according to a report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.”

https://www.zippia.com/professional-.../demographics/

Not saying these guys are all rocket scientists, but I do say they are a bit more than "dancing chickens."

Really not sure exactly what you meant, so i am not trying to start a fight here.

seypat

https://themindofstevesears.wordpres...ancin-chicken/

growlerdinky

Nope.



Discuss.

Maelochs

I wholly reject this.

Most people who play pro sports have tremendous passion for the sport .... nothing else provides the motivation which gets them u when they are sore and tired, to go to another practice, another bunch of drills, another training run or ride.

I photographed a couple bike races last weekend, and "passion" was an oft-repeated term when I spoke with riders. They were out here killing themselves for basically no prizes (maybe gas money if they won---and that was just the couple pro classes) and basically killed themselves all week every week to get into shape to hurt themselves on the weekends ... sending huge amounts of money and time on traini9ng, gear, travelling, and racing .... because they loved it.

Sure NFL-style money might get a player through mid-season burnout or add a couple of years to a career .... but those folks are passionate about playing or they wouldn't play.

The ones who cannot take the week of pain for the few minutes of playing on game day are the ones who long since jumped off the stage.

seypat

Did you play a sport like that at a high level? Been in the locker/training rooms before/after practice/games? When the players are getting shot up with drugs/chemicals just so they can play another down or go another quarter? Or even walk to the press conference under their own power? Nobody in the organizations gives a rat's ass about the player's well being. It gotten a little better in recent years, but don't fool yourself. The players are expendable commodities that are replaced the minute they can't perform.

bbbean 

That is one dystopian world you live in.

Maelochs

We are not talking about the management, Seypat ... we are talking about the players.

Yes, to the management the players are indeed commodities. But to the players ....

I spent many years as a sports journalist. I have interviewed many pro athletes. What is your source of information? Your imagination? Go talk to some pro athletes and get back to me.

seypat

I played college basketball in th 80s. Sharing the trainiing rooms with the the other sports teams. The main reason those athletes perform at the level they do is if they don't, someone else will. Now, there are plenty out there with huge egos. If they get famous, it's hard to leave the game and become an ordinary Joe. Look at Tom Brady. He can't walk away. It's going to cost him his marriage among other things. If that's what you call passion, then I guess he's got it.

Edit: We're getting far away from the subject of the thread. If someone wants to start another thread, go for it. Otherwise, better to stick to the topic of the original thread.

PeteHski

Yep, totally worthless I agree.