Jul 19

A BIG Bunch of Georges

Have you kept up with how the Tour de France is unfolding this year? It’s amazing that Lance Armstrong is on track to win a seventh consecutive Tour. That has never been done before. But I’m a little scared.

What am I scared about? That the fame machine will turn the story into one almost entirely about Lance, when there is simply no way he could win without an equally exceptional team around him. But maybe I don’t have anything to worry about.

For the first time in his six previous victories that a teammate won one of the 20 or so stages of the Tour. George Hincapie won Sunday’s race. Lance was seventh.

George is one of the guys whose primary job it is to plow the way forward for the team leader. In every race prior to Sundays, George would have been passed by his team leader, Lance Armstrong, some distance before the finish line so the stage victory could go to his teammate. I like that.

Why? Because it typifies the role most team players have. Most of us are not Barry Bonds (baseball), Lance Armstrong (cycling), Peyton Manning (football), Wayne Gretsky (hockey), Michael Jordan (basketball). No, most of us are the guys who plow the way for the more high-profile people to score, or at least make the play that will cover the newspaper sports section tomorrow. Most of us are not Lance Armstrongs. Most of us are George Hincapies.

I like that idea. Promise yourself you’ll remember that when, if all goes as is predicted, six days from now all the news has just one name in it, Lance Armstrong.

The man sure is talented. He certainly has the right combination of skill, poise and work ethic. And none of that would amount to a hill of trophies if it were not for a big bunch of Georges each year.

Three cheers for what’s-his-names…er…George!

Hip Hip Hooray!
Hip Hip Hooray!
Hip Hip Hooray!

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