INSTIGATING LOGIC
Tour is good for Georgia
By JARED PUTNAM Union Sentinel Editor

I typically try to refrain from writing a lot about what I think is or is not "good" for the nation, state, or county, but in this case I'm going to make an exception.

Why? Because without question, the Tour de Georgia is good for the state. It's good for the area. It's good for all of us.

Not only does the event have a positive economic impact, it provides something different, something unique for locals to see, all the while placing our area on an international stage for the world to see.

Don't worry, I'm sure that everyone watching won't all move here. At least, not right away.

Those sentiments are coming from a mainstream sports fan. Football, basketball, baseball, that's usually it for me.

I don't care for Nascar and since I am not Canadian, I can't sit through more than a few minutes of a hockey game without flipping the channel. Not that many Americans don't love hockey too, its just that Canada seems to legally obligate citizens to love the sport.

The point is, if I tried to sit down and watch cycling on a screen I would probably be equally bored.

But the Tour de Georgia is something to experience, not to watch from afar. In covering the race the past two years have gained the utmost respect for the strength and stamina these athletes possess.

They're every bit as tough as any football player I've ever seen. Though, to be fair, each athlete should probably stick to his respective sport. I doubt that the cyclists could take those bone crunching hits, and I'd hate to see a 350 lb. lineman try to ride a bicycle up Brasstown Bald.

All kidding aside, we only benefit from positive, unique events such as this, and I can only hope that the race continues for years to come.