Categories: Etiquette

Universal Message: Metal Horns = Awesome!

T-Bone gives the Metal Horns Salute; Photo: Roberto Bettini

It’s funny how malleable our definition of “local” becomes when emotion gets involved. Seattle is a fiercely independent town where “local” is meant to imply your immediate neighborhood and we struggle to consider people who inhabit a community less than a kilometer away to be little less than an étranger. On the other hand, I have yet to meet a cyclist in town who does not consider T-Bone Farrar a hometown boy, despite the fact that he hails from Wanatchee, which is quite a distance (and an entire mountain range) away from Seattle.

But such are the wonts of fans; we’re not required to be rational, and what a beautiful thing that is. In any event, I was delighted to see hometown boy T-Bone make an amazing jump at the line today. As the bunch approached the finish, he seemed hopelessly poorly positioned and likely to get closed out in the final dash. Cavendouche was in his usual spot, tucked in behind Matt Goss, and I almost walked away, taking another Cav’ win as a forgone conclusion. But, in a masterful jump that showed a combination of skill and power in maneuvering up from a relatively poor position, he accelerated past the front of the fastest leadout in the world to take his second stage of the race and demonstrate what an exciting bunch sprint can do for a race.

And, given his roots in the Hard Rock capital of Seattle, what would be more fitting than the Metal Horns Salute? The answer is, of course, “none”. It certainly is quite a bit easier to understand than the J-Rod Cyclops.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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Drew says:

Sep 19 2010 at 1:59 pm

I can support his continued victories if they mean he whines less.
Bertocq says:

Sep 19 2010 at 2:04 pm

J-Rod (Joaquim Rodriguez) made that pirate-like salute because the past day he was sting by a wasp near his right eye, and as a good follower of the #5 Rule, he finished the stage and also win!! So it was not a tribute to Pantani :) neither hehe
Bertocq says:

Sep 19 2010 at 2:07 pm

It's in spanish but easy to translate :) http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2010/09/11/ciclismo/1284227033.html
Cyclops says:

Sep 19 2010 at 2:16 pm

It certainly is quite a bit easier to understand than the J-Rod Cylops

He was just paying homage to yours truly.
Steampunk says:

Sep 19 2010 at 4:02 pm

Great sprint and great win to be sure, but the metal horns are a massive fail in my books. No connection to hometown roots and the metal horns have nothing to do with grunge (more to the point: Tyler, on the sunny side of the Cascades was nine when Kurt Cobain died). Weak. We've had some pretty poor victory salutes in 2010 from Cavendontlikethemediaandhowtheydish to J-Rod's sting (@Bertocq thanks for that!) and now this. Just zip up the jersey and raise your arms.
wvcycling says:

Sep 19 2010 at 4:08 pm

I have to disagree with the title of this post. Catholicism and Cycling go back a long ways; and while not a Catholic, I cannot support the metal devil horns as a victory pose.

I'm sticking to it.
Steampunk says:

Sep 19 2010 at 4:08 pm

Drew :I can support his continued victories if they mean he whines less.

I'd settle for fewer of the Transitions ads. Seriously, though: I want to like this guy"”really I do"”but what's to like? Cav's attitude (which I loathe) is almost preferable to T-Bone's whining. I'll take the classics-cum-sprinters types over these guys any day.
Brett says:

Sep 19 2010 at 4:36 pm

If he really wanted to do a metal salute, he should've pulled a bat from his jersey pocket and bitten its head off, spitting the blood at Cav as he looked back at him.

Bad tattoos too.

And is it just me, or does he look too fat to climb? No way is he winning the Worlds with that chub on...
Steampunk says:

Sep 19 2010 at 5:29 pm

Brett :And is it just me, or does he look too fat to climb? No way is he winning the Worlds with that chub on...

Couldn't agree more. Maybe we should change his nickname to "Corn-fed." Or Babyfat.
frank says:

Sep 19 2010 at 6:34 pm

More to the point: Tyler, on the sunny side of the Cascades was nine when Kurt Cobain died). Weak.

You kidding me? Kirk Cobain wasn't Grunge, he was the guy who figured out how to make it palatable for the mainstream. I'm talking about Alice in Chains, Soundgarden (before Superunknown), the Pixies, and the Melvins. I'm talking 'bout tuning down your guitars and slowing down the beat as far as it will go. I'm talking about Man in the Box, not about Teen Spirit.

But your point is well taken, what's wrong with just zipping up your jersey and putting your arms in the air.

In fact, the pros used to say, "put your arms in the air", not "give your salute". When did that change? I'd like to do a study to see how and when the changed.

On second thought, I'd like to oversee a study. That way, I don't have to do any of "the work" but still get to draw conclusions, which is the good part.