The Yellow Bandwagon
I don't know about you, but I don't wear the yellow braclet because it's cool...or because...it's the coolest. I rock the "Livestrong" because I'm a fan. It goes beyond a simple respect for the man because of what he can do with two tires and some metal bars. I actually enjoy the sport. It's fascinating. Don't feel bad if you want Lance to win his 7th, because that is not the bandwagging issue. The Tour de France is an international event, so we all have to pull for the Texan (he is the only american with a legitimate shot at winning). So you are not fairweather if you pull for him. What makes you fairweather is if you talk about how much you adore LA, yet you don't know what OLN is. Hold on a minute, I'm pulling out my soap box.
The yellowness on thousands of American wrists today is a fashion statement. My guess is that 95% of the wearers couldn't even tell you what month the Tour de France is held in, and probably don't even know why the color yellow is used. But that is okay, it doesn't bother me that much. What frustrates me is that I am automatically lumped in with the other fashionists who sport the "Lancey." Don't get me wrong, it's not like I was the first one wearing the braclet or the innovator of the concept, but I do wear it for a different reason that most the rest. First, I truly wanted to support Lance's cancer foundation (laf.org) by purchasing braclets, so in Destin, FL, I bought twenty of them...kept ten and distributed ten. And second, I am a true fan of the sport and of His Cycleness. Look at it from this analogy: It is a completely different thing for a young man that has grown up two blocks from the Staples Center to be wearing a Kobe jersey every other day than it is for a person in Lexington to be wearing that same jersey the week after the Lakers had won their third. Or a person in Chi-town wearing the yel' and purp' Kobe because it matched his yellow and white Reebok Classics. I do admit that there a smidge of "fairweatherness" in all of us Lancists, because nobody really knew who he was until he started winning. I'm willing to admit this...but, you see, Smitty has evolved into a legit fanatic.
Another is issue I would like to address is the group of modern day Pharisees who not only ignore his accomplishments, but condemn those who support him. My cousin was devastated that I rocked the yellow because of LA's unfaithfulness to his wife. She believed that I shouldn't support that kind of person. I asked her what this world would look like if we refused to support the people who had sinned...the people who had messed up. I told her (respectfully) that his unfaithfullness was no worse that her religious arrogance, and that if sin kept her from supporting certain people then she better not go hear her father preach the next morning. Before she left for church the next morning, I quitely offered her a braclet, she slipped it on, smiled, and drove off.
For those who care: After stage 8, Lance is leading the overall standings by exactly 1 minute. The only stage win he has accumulated was the team time trial (stage 5) in which the Discovery Channel team edged out Team Mobile by two seconds...very exciting. The tour ends on July 24 with the 21st stage in Paris. There is one stage per day showing live on OLN at 8:30 each morning. Check it out...it's history in the making. 7 is unheard of.
And don't forget that you won't find Smitty in the Peloton...he's leading the pack. I'm out.
i like the guy and all and think he is probably one of and possibly even the greatest all-around athlete i've ever seen but he has got to have better taste in women...sheryll crow is BROKE!
Posted by
Anonymous |
9:47 AM
i think crow is OKAY... his old wife was hotter. Good assesment of LA.
Posted by
SMITTY |
9:50 AM
dude, sh's like 40 and still hot. give her a break.
Posted by
dc |
5:22 PM
sheryll crow is a bona-fide honey, so as my good friend dustin likes to say, get off of her or i will cut you.
Posted by
Wes |
9:05 PM
have you seen her wrinkled up, nasty busted up face looking like she smokes 2 packs of cigarettes a day and smitty this man is a freakin idiot...i checked out his ex-wife and that is what i would call a "bona-fide honey" or whatever the heck that means. This man made a huge mistake!
Posted by
Anonymous |
10:18 PM
told you
Posted by
SMITTY |
10:41 AM
john, it's too bad you think sheryl crow is busted b/c she and i have a mutual friend and, well, things havent been so great for sheryl at home she tells me. Lance is always getting mad and riding his bike to the park and making out with other girls in the dugout. Anyway, I was telling this mutual friend of ours about this great guy i knew and that sheryl should really think about giving him a chance. Sheryl said she would love to at least go out sometime and so I told her I would hook it up. But forget it now!! You could been with a rich fine honey, but not after those comments. Fortunately I haven't showed my friend our blogs yet. If you change your mind let me know, but you're really gonna have to apologize and mean it from your heart.
Posted by
dc |
3:08 PM
I think Sheryl is alright. I remember reading an SI article about their marriage a couple years ago. Apparently they're both really competitive at everything and a good match.
Lance is not a Christian, as I understand. He never gives credit to God for his overcoming cancer, and I think it's a shame. But, as an American (and Texan) that dominates something that the French say is theirs, I root for him every time. He's the best at what he does and defines the word dominate.
Posted by
JTapp |
6:56 PM
i will pass dave, thanks though!
Posted by
Anonymous |
10:08 PM
good comment, tapp
Posted by
SMITTY |
9:55 AM
I think you guys miss the point--except jtapp! The article is about sports and being the best and overcoming, but of course the men turn it into a 'honey lookin good.' Can you guys ever get past the sex---give me a break! Thanks you Jtapp!
Posted by
Anonymous |
1:09 PM
what about the dudes morals...didnt he pretty much run out on his wife and family for some washed up lady rock star? wow let me hurry and go get a bracelet that supports that kind of man and message!!!
Posted by
Justin |
6:29 PM
you know what justin, you're right. lets not support any lost people at all because of thier morals. In fact, any body who has messed up...lets just boycott anything they ever do. Hey man, I can start listing the places that you have messed up if you'd like me to. Then we call all ignore anything you ever do in ministry because of the dirty stuff we know about your life. I bet lance has done more ministry with the sales of those wristbands than you have ever dreamed of doing. 100% of the money goes to people with cancer...so good job on being a part of that...jerk. Don't bring your arogant attitude to smittys blog.
you know what...lets not give a damn about the lost...lets never support them because they are not like us. hell, jesus never did. when confronted with the prostitute, i think i remember him turning his back and walking away because of all the sin that was in her life. we do need to act as jesus did, right? it's comments like these that make everyone avoid serious discussion with you. you need to evaluate some stuff.
Posted by
Anonymous |
9:57 AM