Today's announcement that the Discovery Channel cycling team was not able to find a new title sponsor and will be disband in 2008 is sad day for American cycling and sport. The Discovery Channel, which was once the U.S. Postal Service, is the only United States Pro Tour cycling team. The team has had an unprecedented amount of success in its ten year history and is currently considered one of the top three teams in the world. On cycling's biggest stage the American team has particularly excelled, winning 8 of the last 10 Tour de France's (with one of the two not won by Discovery/Postal being won by an American rider who was at the time on a European team). It would be appropriate to state that no professional team in any sport has had a greater run of success, which is what makes the announcement even more disappointing. While I appreciate all sports, including the great traditions that surround football, baseball, and basketball in the United States, the inability to find a new title sponsor shows the lack of appreciation that Americans have for European sports, which from a historical prospective have far longer established traditions. It also shows the arrogance and ignorance the Americans have, in that they are unwilling to embrace any sport that that we not been responsible for popularizing. As Americans we are simply unwilling to take the time to understand why sports such as cycling have captivated people around the world. While there were those of us who would have liked to believe that the increased interest in cycling caused by Lance Armstrong's achievements as a 7-time tour champion would be a platform upon which American cycling could grow, the reality we must face is that interest in the sport faded as soon as Lance Armstrong exited left stage. While today's announcement is a disappointment, it should not come as a surprise and it should serve as a notice to fans of other sports that they should not count on the popularity of individuals such as David Becham to increase Americans interest in global sports.
While some may treat the loss of the American pro tour team with indifference, they need to be aware that they do not have a global monopoly on great athletes, sporting events, or sporting traditions. If fact from a Global prospective the Super Bowl, World Series, and NCAA tournament are second tier to events such as the World Cup, Olympics, and Tour de France. Americans need to understand that more individuals line the streets everyday that of the Tour de France than can be packed into the largest stadium in America to watch a football game. In addition, American's have recently failed to demonstrate their superior athleticism on the world stage even in their own sports baseball and basketball. While those who are somewhat knowledgeable about cycling may state that the inability to obtain a new title sponsors is directly correlated with doping scandals surrounding the sport, I would argue that cycling is no more tainted by doping than the traditional American sports, which have doping problems of their own, but are less evident due to the level of testing. History has demonstrated that Americans have indifference toward doping. The truth is that Americans have a need to be the best. In sport this means that if we cannot compete in events such as the World Cup, we well belittle the sport of soccer rather then admit our inferiority. Even if we do have individual athletes who can compete in events such as the Tour de France, if the tradition is not ours we show a lack of respect.
Americans also need to understand that these facts I have presented transcend sports and are important in a far greater context. Namely, we as Americans believe that we are the best economically, politically, and militarily; and thus have a difficulty accepting defeat or admitting fallibility. Militarily the United States needs reconcile their apparent superiority with the fact that we have not been victorious in a major conflict since WWII (Korea, Vietnam, Sudan, and Iraq). We also need to realize that European nations are safer despite having open borders and smaller military. Politically, Americans need to realize that other 1st world nations have equally if not more effectively addressed issues such as crime, healthcare, and education, environment and poverty. And economically, the United States needs to realize that we are quickly losing ground to European and Asian countries. Rather then taking the time to understand these realities, American's are inclined to arrogantly find fault in other nations political systems, and continue to walk down our path of fading superiority.
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