A place for the discussion of all things not closely related to the sport and its competitive side. (Locked down several times a year during the major championships)
Commenting after the UCI's release earlier in the week, Merckx said: "I'm sick, only for my sport. I met Lance many times, he never told me about doping, physicians or other things. He did not need to report to me, it was his problem but I fell into the trap. I am amazed at him, especially after what he went through." he told Le Soir.
Commenting after the UCI's release earlier in the week, Merckx said: "I'm sick, only for my sport. I met Lance many times, he never told me about doping, physicians or other things. He did not need to report to me, it was his problem but I fell into the trap. I am amazed at him, especially after what he went through." he told Le Soir.
Is he for real or is he doing his best Inspector Renault impression?
Shocked, shocked!! Yea, pretty moronic. All Armstrong's fault. The Tour is now the equivalent of a Child's Birthday Party only dirtied by LA.
General Ripper: Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake? Children's ice cream!...You know when fluoridation began?...1946. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual, and certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works. I first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love...Yes, a profound sense of fatigue, a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence. I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women...women sense my power, and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Mandrake...but I do deny them my essence.
Commenting after the UCI's release earlier in the week, Merckx said: "I'm sick, only for my sport. I met Lance many times, he never told me about doping, physicians or other things. He did not need to report to me, it was his problem but I fell into the trap. I am amazed at him, especially after what he went through." he told Le Soir.
Is he for real or is he doing his best Inspector Renault impression?
Although Merckx is undeniably the greatest cyclist ever, he did get popped for doping 2-3 times during his career, even in the era in which there was very little testing.
POE = EPO, the nickname the cyclists used for it, or Edgar
Wrong answer, Dookie! But a good try. Conor posted a quote (rant) from Gen. Jack Ripper from Dr. Strangelove. Minutes later, after the crazed General offs himself, Mandrake is puzzling over a piece of paper with various permutations of P O E on it (P O E , O P E, Peace On Earth, On Earth Peace, etc) figuring the recall code must be some variation of those three letters.
bambam wrote:Everyone will be asking for their money back, and to keep it he will end up having to fork it over to the lawyers instead. Why I think he will be headed for a new Chapter in his life, so to speak.
I assume you mean Chapter 7.
That wouldn't surprise me at all.
It turns out that Mr. Armstrong has salted away a good amount of money and may be able to fend off bankruptcy in spite of these actual and potential claims against him.
bambam wrote:Everyone will be asking for their money back, and to keep it he will end up having to fork it over to the lawyers instead. Why I think he will be headed for a new Chapter in his life, so to speak.
I assume you mean Chapter 7.
That wouldn't surprise me at all.
It turns out that Mr. Armstrong has salted away a good amount of money and may be able to fend off bankruptcy in spite of these actual and potential claims against him.
I have read other reports that put his net worth at about $25,000,000 or so. Who knows how accurate this information is. He probably will remain rich. But, I think he is still open to lawsuits from the likes of Emma O'Reilly, Betsy Andreu, and Greg Lemond (should they think about going that route) and others he has bullied and vilified in press, for defamation of character, etc. He also may be subject to punitive damages as well from some of these lawsuits, and who knows how much (if they happen) they might be.
from his column this morning, Scott Ostler's "Knucklehead Of The Week"
<<Knucklehead of the week: Lance Armstrong Reportedly, Armstrong is considering a confession of his doping sins. What, he's weary of the deception? He's guilt-stricken for all that cheating? He wants to be a role model for contrition and redemption? Nah. Lance wants to get cleared so he can return to competitive sports. He wants to wipe away years of selfish cheating with a self-serving apology. It will have to be a hell of an apology to make folks forget the self-righteous pit bull, denouncing and threatening doubters and accusers. Proposed: a televised debate between Juicer Pit Bull Lance and Seen-the-Light Lance.>>
gh wrote:from his column this morning, Scott Ostler's "Knucklehead Of The Week"
<<Knucklehead of the week: Lance Armstrong Lance wants to get cleared so he can return to competitive sports.
This must be a stupid question, but . . . why would they let him compete again?! Isn't a life-time ban the suitable punishment for all the cheating and lying?
Would not triathlon (presumably his next option) make him unwelcome also?
USADA head Travis Tygart on Showtime's 60 Minutes Sports tomorrow night, talking about Armstrong and his intimidation tactics - including death threats
My guess is that he plays (and wins with) the full-on sympathy card.
Oprah: "Whatever motivated you to take these drugs?"
Lance: "You've got to remember, I was coming off a scary case of cancer. At one point I didn't even know if I was going to live, let alone ever ride again. After all that agonizing chemo and radiation, there were times when I felt like I wanted to die. When my health started to return, I was willing to do everything and anything to feel like a normal human-being again. And then I realized that not only could I be normal, I could be super -normal. And I didn't have to do anything that all my peers weren't doing anyway, so at the time it didn't seem like such a bad thing to do. I now realize what a terrible decision that was."
And he doesn't have to say another word: that wins him the public's heart back, just like that.
(and it's possible—maybe even probable?—that all that made-up speech is true, save for the final sentence of course)
gh wrote:that wins him the public's heart back, just like that.
We'll see, I guess. While the cancer ploy has some weight, I can't believe it will be that easy to "win the public's heart back," if it is possible at all. The cycling world wrote him off quite some time ago--in part for his bullying and ultra-aggressive personality (which will not be changed). The general public doesn't care hugely about the technical details of any of this, but I would presume that his coming-to-Jesus will be too little and too late.
gh wrote:(and it's possible—maybe even probable?—that all that made-up speech is true, save for the final sentence of course)
But that confession would seem to imply that he wasn't doing drugs before he got cancer which is not true. About the only questions I can think of that I'd like to have answered is who first introduced him to drugs, when did he first start doping.
As kuha alluded to, the sympathy card is going to be hard to play considering Armstrong's bullying tactics and incessant threats. The hard questions will be related to those issues. Let's see if Winfrey asks them - and if so what he has to say for himself.
gh wrote:My guess is that he plays (and wins with) the full-on sympathy card.
Oprah: "Whatever motivated you to take these drugs?"
Lance: "You've got to remember, I was coming off a scary case of cancer. At one point I didn't even know if I was going to live, let alone ever ride again. After all that agonizing chemo and radiation, there were times when I felt like I wanted to die. When my health started to return, I was willing to do everything and anything to feel like a normal human-being again. And then I realized that not only could I be normal, I could be super -normal. And I didn't have to do anything that all my peers weren't doing anyway, so at the time it didn't seem like such a bad thing to do. I now realize what a terrible decision that was."
And he doesn't have to say another word: that wins him the public's heart back, just like that.
(and it's possible—maybe even probable?—that all that made-up speech is true, save for the final sentence of course)
Don't forget:
Q. So why all the vehement denials? Why not just come clean right away?
A. Because I was afraid doing so would damage the credibility and effectiveness of my [cancer] foundation. Some people--and companies understandably worried about their image--would unfairly tie the organization to their personal feelings about me and withold their [financial] backing in the future. Now it doesn't matter; people have already made up their minds.
[Again, as gh said, who's to say this isn't really the truth of it? If two of us--both with media ties, btw--thought this way, perhaps it is indeed accurate.] .
Just hope his delivery is better than Wood's .. wonder why he never did an "Oprah" ... could even she have things she would not touch ... or was he scared of her white hot grilling ...
GMH454 wrote:Just hope his delivery is better than Wood's .. wonder why he never did an "Oprah" ... could even she have things she would not touch ... or was he scared of her white hot grilling ...
guru wrote:As kuha alluded to, the sympathy card is going to be hard to play considering Armstrong's bullying tactics and incessant threats. The hard questions will be related to those issues. Let's see if Winfrey asks them - and if so what he has to say for himself.
He might just write that off on the omertà that existed in the peleton long before he became a pro cyclist.
guru wrote:As kuha alluded to, the sympathy card is going to be hard to play considering Armstrong's bullying tactics and incessant threats. The hard questions will be related to those issues. Let's see if Winfrey asks them - and if so what he has to say for himself.
He might just write that off on the omertà that existed in the peleton long before he became a pro cyclist.
Not so eaily "written off" - his lawsuits, or mudslinging at Travis Tygart and USADA
