Houses of cards in the sports landscape

The coach schrob the days of an alleged new German national team jersey and casually mentioned the collapsing house of cards cycling. Of course, I immediately objected that this coincidence only applies to the German cycling, because the theme do two seemingly quintessentially German quirks: Germany is not represented, no sow interested in the events (UN Security Council, perhaps as exceptions, but there are German politicians on the ball haha!) And if the Germans do something, always very good and very thorough. For as it was already too imperial times, is to recover the German character the world . To date, a great plan.

So no one is more interested in the sport of cycling. And the reason is, of course, monocausal, Jan Ullrich is all to blame. How Didi Thurau once he caused a sudden general interest in cycling and with his departure to / from the tour in 2006 it broke away. From then on he served media, politicians and drug hunters just as the cow had to be milked for attention to be paid to and / or a target. This happens only in Germany, Italy and France, Pantani and Virenque are still popular hero, but this country is not such worship there. (The only exception would be now in a settlement, which prohibits always.)

The case shows Fignon in my opinion, for I will not make a speech about doping, it is unfortunately part of every sport that only doctors should be, which should give an opinion about the health risks. But this aspect of German peculiarity seems to me the smaller proportion of the collapsing house of cards to have. The whole cheating allegations have Schumi his public image even more than just hurt.

Usually - and probably not alone here - breaking the interest of the general public away completely in a sport when German athletes are there no longer represent promising. Does anyone remember in tennis? The hunt for the small tennis ball? Boris Becker once the job before it is operated only as a supplier of headlines for the tabloids? Or jumping, great by Martin Schmitt and Sven Hannawald and now forgotten? (I admire the way Schmitt that he has never thrown.) And I guess at some point I will also investigate that the audience is the Formula 1 since Michael Schumacher's retirement no longer the same. Only the football seems to be immune, which I attribute to the broad fan base, but only at club level. Should Germany in two, three international tournaments in a row no longer be there also remains the Love Parade ... empty the fan mile in Berlin. Of course, a different level, but I postulate the same symptoms in the case of the case.

So we wait for the next prominent cyclists, as we wait for the next track of the football team. It is interesting how close the last two successes were together!

PS: jerseys? The 96-jersey with the beautiful serif font - rare in the sport - remains unbeaten noble and the Gerolsteiner jersey simply pleasant.