Chloe Dygert: I'll do anything to heal before Olympic Games

[zachateseverything]

Candace Owens banks on the perception that Republican views don’t appeal to black people in America, at the same time that she banks on the perception that black people are irrelevant in America if they are “just” Democrats. If her goal has been to think for herself and preserve her identity as a free thinking individual, she has instead become a product constructed by a society that has no space for someone like her. So instead she makes her way by negation of what she is supposed to believe in and rhetorical daredevilry on the tightrope of what she is not supposed to believe in.

One of the articles linked above (the one that also profiles Kate Courtney) describes Dygart as someone who is driven and either inured to pain or somehow thrives on it. She has broken her body many many times, far more often than I knew, to the point where certain sports are off-limits to her now. She says that covid isn’t going to be a big problem for her because she already lives alone and prefers (I think that’s the word) being alone anyway. Her relationship is over. Her close friend committed suicide. She also says that the concussion she got has changed her personality - for the worse - and she knows she comes off angry or rude to others when that is not her intent. Cycling starts to sound less like a passion than an form of self-annihilation. Or a vehicle to escape the gravitational pull of some other issue. She seems a bit lost is what I’m saying. Driven and lost.

I guess I am also saying that I have a problem with just throwing away people. I also don’t think that people with racist views should be elevated in spite of those views. And I definitely don’t believe they should be elevated because of those views. Silence is acquiescence. There are wrong views that should be abhorrent in civil society. But I also wonder, after the condemnation, when & how does reconciliation begin.

Candace Owens is a classic example of a political grifter. She makes a lot of disingenuous attacks and sows controversy in order to get the attention of political donors. Originally she was trying this tact with black lives matter and anti-bullying campaigns but found the space too crowded to attract donations. She then shifted gears. Young, black, conservative is enough of a unicorn to get her a profile. Her role in politics is explicitly to provide cover to proto-bigots, they'll point to her and say "see this viewpoint I have that you say is racist is being parroted by a black person. it can't possibly be racist."

It's particularly telling that someone who sued her school district for racist threats made against her spends so much effort talking up how racism doesn't really exist anymore and downplaying the need for racial and social reforms.

I wish I didn't know who she was, but if you spend any amount of time on forums that discuss politics you'll see someone link to her.

[thollandpe]

I'd tend to agree when it comes to human being but I think calling out publicly a company/brand is still a great tool and Inthinknthe canyon-sram team has shown us a shitload of hypocrisy with their public statements.

That. Is. Where. I. Came. Into. This.

What do you think is the best way, or a better way, to hold the team accountable?

[e-RICHIE]

What do you think is the best way, or a better way, to hold the team accountable?

That's up to the team. It has the right to draw a C.O.C. and anyone who is part of the team had to adhere. It's pretty simple. You deviate, and you pay a price. CD signed a contract. I have no idea why the team needed to craft that press release that way, such that her name was singled out. In essence, without it I doubt this would be a news story because 1) we don't know the C.O.C. and, 2) whether in one week of employment she or anyone violated it.

And adding - If I don't like or agree with the team or any brand or any athlete, I don't spend my money or time with them.

[j44ke]

Candace Owens is a classic example of a political grifter. She makes a lot of disingenuous attacks and sows controversy in order to get the attention of political donors. Originally she was trying this tact with black lives matter and anti-bullying campaigns but found the space too crowded to attract donations. She then shifted gears. Young, black, conservative is enough of a unicorn to get her a profile. Her role in politics is explicitly to provide cover to proto-bigots, they'll point to her and say "see this viewpoint I have that you say is racist is being parroted by a black person. it can't possibly be racist."

It's particularly telling that someone who sued her school district for racist threats made against her spends so much effort talking up how racism doesn't really exist anymore and downplaying the need for racial and social reforms.

I wish I didn't know who she was, but if you spend any amount of time on forums that discuss politics you'll see someone link to her.

Yep. Political grifter is a more succinct way to put it. She is a type. Politics are rife with these people, drawn to the insane amount of cash and possibility of momentary notoriety. They have no views of their own, only a rhetorical facility.

[zachateseverything]

My general view on Chloe Dygert is that she's someone that can really pedal a bike but her political views are very much in line with what someone would expect of most people coming from very religious households in Indiana. I've also heard not very nice things about her from former teammates. I'm not going to "cancel" her but I'm also not going to ever be very interested in what a self-proclaimed anti-feminist that's benefitted greatly from feminism has to say about tax policy or social justice issues. I'm also not going to ever be very emotionally invested in her race results.

[JoB]

My humble opinion: I've said some pretty dumb $H!t in my life. I am beyond grateful that most of that stuff wasn't made public.

But "I agree with the guy who calls White supremacists 'good people', separates little kids from their parents, and puts these kids in cages only to lose the ability to reunite them with their parents" and "I agree with the guy would like for the police to not shoot Black people at exorbitant rates" are not remotely the same thing. There are consequences following one statement that aren't matched following the other. (Saab, I'm not saying you are claiming this but I hang out with some folks who do.)

Black folks in the US have been told "shut up and ..." for centuries. The message isn't sent at LeBron James. It's aimed at Black folks on the background of slavery, segregation, redlining/GI bill racism, civil rights violations, three-strikes laws for urban crime, for-profit prisons, etc. etc.

Why I ought to buy a Canyon because Chloe Dygert (or anyone else for that matter) rides one is beyond me so it won't move the needle much. But it sure doesn't draw me to their web site.

Recently several high profile sports figures endorsed the sitting president of the US for the election. It's not something I would have chosen to do if I were in their shoes but that's their decision and their right. Denigrating someone for having a different viewpoint is a slippery slope towards the thought-police state. A while back LeBron James had some opinions and was told by a Fox News commentator to "Shut up and dribble", which is a terrible thing to say. While I don't agree with the ideas of the riders in question, how far are we from saying "Shut up and ride"? Am I supposed to tell Jack Nicklaus to "Shut up and golf"?

These cyclists are young people. How many of us haven't said or done something we later regretted? We all have. In fact, many of us have come around to having very different opinions on a lot of subjects due to thoughtful discussions with people of a different viewpoint who were able to sway our thinking.

In a culture where any kind of deviation from a certain viewpoint is condemned we are treading on thin ice I think. Something about glass houses may apply here.

This whole thing is another lesson about the hazards of social media and echo chamber thinking. Social media can definitely bring out the worst in us.

[vertical_doug]

What do you think is the best way, or a better way, to hold the team accountable?

Ultimately, the business is about making money. You want to hold a business accountable, organize a boycott, hurt the bottom line and presto...

Even Nike blew out Salazar once the Mary Cain story was going to hurt the bottom line over bullying.... although they still probably support doping and dopers.

[johnmdesigner]

My parents taught me 50 years ago that you are responsible for your own actions.
They taught me to acknowledge my mistakes and to learn from them.
They were good parents.
Anyone who says that a 19 year old is a "boy" is probably not much more than a "boy" himself.

[snotrockets]

I think it depends on how bad the stuff is you like. Obviously, cancelling someone doesn't really advance dialogue either. I think we need to ask how society is creating a whole new generation of Millennial Millies. I've seen enough racist/intolerant 20 yr olds to know we how a problem down the road.

Was someone ever cancelled? Because the only ones I keep hearing from about this "cancel culture" thing are those who claim to be cancelled. Baffles a bit, because I'd expect the target of such a campaign to be silenced, but somehow, the only ones silenced are from trans*, Blacks, and all those "cancel culture" screaming tends to be against.

A fu*king mystery wrapped in an engima, this is.

[miguel503]

I really only like to comment when the velosal dialogue gets spicy

[theflashunc]

Chloe's entitled to believe whatever toxic, retrograde views she wants. Free country and all that.

What I can't square is Canron/SRAM abandoning any pretense of their "values" in the service of hiring someone who's faster than hell leather on a bike. As always, comes down to who's going to win races, and the values really are just public faff.

So yeah, want to let them know you're not happy? Don't rage against Chloe. That's just pissing into the wind and furthering a victim-complex on the right that should not exist. Let Canyon and SRAM know how you feel.

Money is speech after all. Thanks Chief Justice Roberts.

[e-RICHIE]

Chloe's entitled to believe whatever toxic, retrograde views she wants. Free country and all that.

What I can't square is Canron/SRAM abandoning any pretense of their "values" in the service of hiring someone who's faster than hell leather on a bike. As always, comes down to who's going to win races, and the values really are just public faff.

So yeah, want to let them know you're not happy? Don't rage against Chloe. That's just pissing into the wind and furthering a victim-complex on the right that should not exist. Let Canyon and SRAM know how you feel.

Money is speech after all. Thanks Chief Justice Roberts.

[Thad Pasquale]

I wonder then, does this thing extend to Rapha? Are they extending their relationship with Canyon/SRAM or is there an EF woman's team coming online in 2021? I've not been keeping up with this kind of news, but would assume they would be moving their support over if that's the case.

[gregl]

I wonder then, does this thing extend to Rapha? Are they extending their relationship with Canyon/SRAM or is there an EF woman's team coming online in 2021? I've not been keeping up with this kind of news, but would assume they would be moving their support over if that's the case.

Rapha has weighed in. They slammed Dygert, but are continuing their sponsorship:

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rap...media-conduct/
https://cyclingtips.com/2020/11/raph...ot-sufficient/
https://www.velonews.com/news/road/r...ot-sufficient/

Greg

[Marvinlungwitz]

This is eye opening.

Lip service isn’t good enough. Time to rethink what I have on my bikes and make some changes.

[acorn]

Rapha has weighed in. They slammed Dygert, but are continuing their sponsorship:

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rap...media-conduct/
https://cyclingtips.com/2020/11/raph...ot-sufficient/
https://www.velonews.com/news/road/r...ot-sufficient/

Greg

Dayum! Those articles are a real eye-opener for sure. Shame on Chloe Dygart. Cycling should be about inclusion and not divisiveness. Black athletes don’t get equal representation in sports like cycling because of multiple socio-economic factors. Instead of spouting hate, athletes should use their platform for good. When they start race wars with minorities, that’s when they deservedly get cancelled.

[dashDustin]

Rapha has weighed in. They slammed Dygert,

Good.

but are continuing their sponsorship:

Weak.

My response for Quinn's handling is the same.

[72gmc]

I'm glad someone is working with her (and him?). I'd like to see people doped on empathy in 2021.

[ides1056]

Thread drift, sort of:

This Los Angeles Team Wants to Diversify Cycling. They’re Starting With Its Podiums.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/s...--8RXw8_2HZJsY

[j44ke]

I'm glad someone is working with her (and him?). I'd like to see people doped on empathy in 2021.

I agree. I still find her discussion of the prolonged affects of the concussion - including personality changes - and preferences for isolation concerning. I hope those around her who depend on her success for their success are paying attention to the person inside the driven athlete.