Never Gonna Give Up Blogging

If you haven't noticed yet, the Columbia team is really unique. There are many different definitions of unique. This is unique. So is this. And this. Oops. I forgot that riding a fixie in skinny jeans no longer qualifies as unique. But THIS sure does. Anyway, my point is that we've got the grit of New Yorkers, even though some of us may have grown up on a farm and still have the urge to join in the "Slowing! Turning! Drinking!" frenzy when in a WoB crit. We are still more likely than most to take you out for not holding your line. Unique. Define it as you will.

We recently chose a team theme song, which is really great. You should check it out. Notice that it is linked rather than embedded. It appears that some people (namely, Rick Astley) have a stick up somewhere about this little thing called copyright. Whatever. Now, you might be thinking, what has this got to do with Columbia cycling? A lot is the correct answer. We go to college. College means taking a second look at things, going deeper than the surface level (unless you are an engineer, in which case, you do the math). So let's look into how this song could possibly be the perfect musical representation of Columbia cycling.

Let's first look at the first few lines of the song: "We're no strangers to love...you know the rules, and S-Oh do Iiiiiiiiiiii." We'll then skip to "I just want to tell you how I'm f-EEL-ing..."
1. If you know anything about our team you know that we are plagued by inter-team-relations. We are no strangers to love. Platonic or otherwise.
2. We are specially trained to talk about our feelings. We're from New York. Even dogs have therapists.

Now let's move on to the chorus: "Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run A-round and DE-ssert [sic] you...ect., etc."
This obviously refers to our killer team time trialing abilities. It's all about teamwork and trusting one another. Also, note the diction, "never gonna run." That's right, because we don't run. We ride.

If you watch the video, you will notice some key symbols which also make this so clearly meant to be our theme song. Notably, the fashion-forward late '80's apparel, which obviously points to what a killer style we have as a team.

There is also a tumbling bartender. For this last one, I'll let others make the inferences that they will. I can't give you all the answers.

Now, while I've got your attention, let's take a second look at this photo. Columbia (we're unique, remember?) decided to go on a training trip to Pennsylvania the last weekend in January. Remember that weekend? You were inside on the rollers probably, because it was roughly 15 degrees outside (in NY, NJ, and PA). This riding in 15 degree weather prompted some really fantastic fashion choices by the entire team.

This prompted me to declare 2010 the year of the"outfit of the season" competition. Each week, I will be taking photos of some of the best outfits every weekend (probably mostly Columbia, but watch out, ECCC). Others will be encouraged to submit their entries I will then declare a fashion-forward winner of the weekend. In May, there may be a winner for the season. They may win a prize. It may be this.

Stay classy, San Diego.