I was apprehensive about writing anything at all about this, plus I don’t have all day to go over this Lance announcement. I have a couple doctor’s appointments in different cities, and depending on how they go, I would like to try to ride my bike some too.
So, what I have to say right now about this Oprah/Lance confession is that the guy must of lost his mind. I can, sort of, understand Lance’s denials all these years. At least I can conceptually understand his thought process. But, after all these years of denials, law suits, fuck you’s to nearly everyone in the sport, including the fans, I have no idea why he would “come clean” now.
“I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the skeptics. I’m sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. I’m sorry you don’t believe in miracles. But this is one hell of a race. This is a great sporting event and you should stand around and believe it. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I’ll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets – this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it. Vive Le Tour.” Lance Armstrong after winning his 7th Tour.
There are 100’s of quote like these. No one forced the guy to say them. He could have just went about his business racing his bike and kept his mouth shut. But, no. Lance has no ability to do that. It truly wouldn’t surprise me if the Lance outs everyone involved in this whole thing. That would confirm my believe that he is a complete, selfish, ass. Not that I didn’t have enough information to come to that conclusion already.
I read somewhere that Dick Pound said that cycling might lose its’ Olympic eligibility from this whole mess. That would be a tragedy. But, I wouldn’t blame anyone. The people watching the chicken house seem to have been eating chicken dinners for a long while now, so they might have to go vegan for a bit.
Someone once left a comment on one of my posts that Lance was a sociopath. I didn’t really know what that was, but after looking it up, it fits his actions exactly.
I don’t know if I even get the Oprah channel. I guess I will watch the interview if I do have it. I wish they did it in one shot, instead of dragging it out over two nights. But, after saying that, I realize it will be a complete waste of time. I know that much of what he says, if not all, is going to be warped and half-truths at best. The really sad thing is that I think he is going to believe, as always, what he says is the truth.
Here’s a radio interview with Al Trautwig, longtime commentator of the Tour de France. Al sums up pretty much exactly how I feel.
And here Lance is explaining the tactics involved in screwing your ex-team mates here.
They are removing the “LieStrong” logo from Sporting K.C. stadium this morning. Apparently dopers don’t bring in the crowds anymore. Or maybe its, guests from Oprah’s network don’t bring in crowds…..
http://www.theonion.com/articles/lance-armstrong-admits-to-using-performanceenhanci,30912/
Lance is the product of a boy who grew up without a major father-figure in his life. Having a father in a boy’s life, especially during the formative years, is vital. If the father is a good father (responsible, caring, loving, involved, etc) then the boy usually grows up to be a good man and follows the examples set forth to him by his father. This is the whole problem with Lance (and mix in some Texan attitude with it). When someone goes to extremes and treats others the way Lance has, you can always look at how the person was raised, and a majority of the time, there will be something vitally wrong or missing from their upbringing. That’s all there is to it, folks. I’m not making an excuse for him, because he ultimately had the choice on how to conduct himself, but he is missing some important “wiring” in his brain that he never received as a result of having no father figure. Very sad. Forget all his cycling and celebrity…the man has deeply rooted issues that have nothing to do with sporting competition. T.H. hit that nail on the head in his book.
I know he’s not your favorite admitted-doper-who-now-runs-a-team, but Vaughters said a while ago that Armstrong was the most ruthless, sociopathic cyclist he ever met.
Assuming feelings like guilt and regret aren’t at work, Armstrong’s motivations for an admission are hard to figure. For someone who seems so invested in being the top dog, though, you have to wonder if a lifetime of being on the outside looking in was more than he can bear.
If Armstrong is really seeking redemption he could do worse than commit a portion of his dwindling fortune to funding a women’s team and putting Nicole Cook back to work.
Impressive level of certainty up here ^ regarding brain wiring of single patent children. Thanks for the insight.
I for one will not watch the interview. I will not help boost his ratings(ego)in any way. The only people watching will be the middle age women that O and Lance now market to. They may like to forgive, but personally I don’t give a shit. Fool me once shame on you….
Oprah has apparently struck GOLD and may well be able to spin this Event into a series of programmes , that will keep Non Cycling People , entertained through until the Giro , if not the TDF !
Unrelated to this the ” Independant Commission ” are seeking witnesses to testify , re the UCI , now that CCN , USADA & WADA are refusing to testify whilst the current ” Terms of Reference “exist ! Link.
http://editor.des07.com/vo/?FileID=03a7278b-0340-4cfd-93d1-2680e094d3f6&m=494e59b2-ac98-4e59-84b0-ee2d35309d4c&MailID=25854363
In other news , Sky news , used a clip of Contador , last night , thinking it was Lance , NO KIDDING !
CNN ‘s Pedro Pinto , ran a clip from 2001 , in which he reported that the ” Well known French Racer , LeMond , had disputed matters with Lance !
Can you now see why Oprah was chosen by Lance ?
Sure you could identify some correlations between parental involvement, father figures present etc, and adult behavior, but to draw strong, singular causation as Dan does above is reckless. “That’s all there is to it, folks.” Such a blanket statement does a disservice to so many hard working single parents out there whose adult children have never behaved so egregiously. Further, plenty of involved, two parent households have yielded scheming, cheating adult criminals, example= Bernie Madoff.
Dan, my wife lacked a father figure during many formative years, and I’ll wager that she’ll ride you into the ground– zero drugs involved 😉
Speculation about psychological causes has little utility– its merely entertaining parlor talk. Fact is, this guy is the al capone of doping in the last decade.
Thanks Steve for sharing your thoughts on your blog.
No need to look up the channel.
She has enough ego to have her own internet streaming service.
(actually because no one watches her channel)
http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/Lance-Armstrong-on-Oprahs-Next-Chapter
That stadium deal in K.C. is a perfect example of how scammy liestrong.com/.org thing really is.
No money up front, but a portion of most revenue generated inside the stadium, went to “cancer awareness.” What was the .com’s cut of the “cancer awareness” action? No one will say.
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/08/2707798/sporting-kc-teams-with-armstrong.html
That livestrong thing smells bad. As bad as the USACDF.
I was thinking the same thing. As a child of a single mom who was a drunk and a drunk ass dad who wasn’t around I don’t think I turned out all that bad. Hell I raced for 10+ years had some decent results and never did PED’s. That has to count for something.
that’s a tough call..my dad and all my uncles , most of my friends dad’s grew up without a father, fatherfigure?…. their dad’s never returned from WWII. My grandma, my dad’s mom hated war and all about it, never remarried, her husband was reported as missing, 4 kids, no dad around. Millions of men went thru this growing up without a dad or fatherfigure and they grew up and never committed any crime or other unethical business…..so that’s a weak excuse to be made for Armstrong
I second that. Mr. Hill turned out quite well. I, on the other hand, with two good parents, am still trying to figure out how to tie my shoes.
I will watch the interview thursday and friday, guessing a 90min /60min split will be broadcast.
What will not be broadcast is the “good old stuff”:after the interview and this will not be broadcast, Lance and Oprah relaxed in the Hotel jacuzzi hot tub, where the Olson twins wiped of Lance’s tears and Sheryl Crow and scottisch singer Susan Boyle sang Cowboy Carols
On the other hand, I hope Lance will get only 6 month, i want to see him have fun in some triathlon’s, I want to see him suffer and enjoy Hawaii, like rain and sunshine
Life is to short not to be entertained
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
Bernd Faust (p.s i never took Lance serious or for real..so i am not mad at him or any other so called sports hero..there are no heroes just goofballs )
But “Doping” has no place in sport !
Why would dropping cycling from the Olympic games be a tragedy? Everything about the Olympics is a travesty, from site selection to team selection to television rights and on and on. The games are all about MONEY, and lots of it. That’s why illegal, unethical deals are so integral to the jingoistic display. Training for four years or more to be a part of such a competitive cancer is sick.
Any idea why the O channel? My assumption is that they are paying the most and agreed not to verify the “facts”. Does anyone have any intel. On this?
– Bernd Faust- I hear you on the entertainment value, I can almost here Lance Quoting a Scene from Gladiator saying, “Are you Not entertained!!”
– Steve the best quote of the day or maybe even during this entire debacle:
The people watching the chicken house seem to have been eating chicken dinners for a long while now, so they might have to go vegan for a bit.
Pretty much sums it up, Hate Lance if you want, but if the powers that be continue to turn a blind eye, then shame on all of them!
Good luck with your recovery!
Back then when this happened the moms were the father figure. Your grandma must have filled the void nicely.
Doping is everywhere in sport. They give football players major drugs, just to keep them on the field. All the people that hate Lance, are delusional. And most of the cyclists (not all) that didn’t do the fancy PED’s. Simply couldn’t afford them, or didn’t have access to them. And that’s really why they don’t think it was fair. Well how about the Black kid, who could be the next Tiger Woods, but his parents are poor, and he can’t even get a set of golf clubs. Is that fair? Life isn’t fair people!. Someone will always cheat, and at least Lance beat a bunch of guys in Europe, who were all cheating as much as he was. I would be willing to bet, that everyone on this blog, has told a lie. But everyone is so indignant that Lance was telling lies. Good grief, what an effed up country we live in.
This interview belongs on Jerry Springer.
and at least Lance beat a bunch of guys in Europe, who were all cheating as much as he was.
This is a lie of convenience to lessen the impact of the awful truth. The clean riders just left the sport, Lemond-level talented riders, not just domestiques too.
The UCI and IOC have a doping problem and neither one of them is interested in stopping the doping.
The ARE interested in minimizing the doping controversy. But it’s still game-on for the doping. Sky 2012 race-fixing through doping scandal will break in a couple of years.
i was a single mom for most of my son’s formative years, and i find your comments about Lance’s lack of father figure insulting and ignorant.
To the mom who thought my remarks were insulting and ignorant – please remember this is MY OPINION, not a personal attack against moms. I think in Lance’s case, the lack of a father figure was a big deal in his life. He’s remarked about that himself. Of course I think that a child should have BOTH PARENTS involved in raising a child. Both the mother and father instill values and ethics in a child as a cohesive team – I was merely saying how I think it’s important to have a Dad around (as well as a Mom) because a father does give unique input to a boy’s (or girl’s) life, as does a mother to a boy or girl. Not trying to draw generalizations.
And Ryan, not trying to be ‘reckless’. I am only stating a theory that might partially explain Lance’s behavior. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, and look deeper into how their lives have gone; things they went through to mold them into the people they became. That’s all.
Sounds like your wife is a really strong rider!
It’s all about money. Plain and simple. Lance wants more money. The UCI let him dope and many others dope too. All the riders that gave testimony against him doped too so they should share his fate, no deals no exceptions.
The trouble with having a father around these days is that more and more of them probably have prescription Androgel sitting in the medicine cabinet for junior to get into.
Dan,
Your comments are way off base and do a disservice to the many single parents who manage to raise good children who grow into responsible adults.
I know that you put an asterisk on your post and added “It’s just my opinion” but that opinion is very ill-founded. I am positive that there are scores of people who grow up into good or bad adults regardless of their family situation or environment.
Maybe you need to do some research on sociopathy and find how many traits are evident in Lance.
Steve-I would be ok if you never discused LA on your blog going forward. The damage he has done cannot be undone with an apology in my book. It went on for far too long and his behavior was inexcusable. I obviously question his motivation. It is not because he feels bad but rather this control freak has found he is no longer in control of his life not to mention his “wish” to race triathlons again. He has to pay the price no matter his excuses or justifications as there are none. The guy is a class a bully full of hubris that continues to show, even during his “sincere” apology.
I also am wondering what his motivation to “confessing” is. I don’t see being able to compete in Tri’s again being enough to “confess”. Don’t think he’ll give us the real reasons on Oprah either.
I don’t think it is guilt or regret either. Is it because he is persona non grata in most areas and that is too much for him and his lifestyle long term – that he needs to be back in ‘the club’ even if on the periphery? Or does he really need the general public’s approval, to salvage some of his potential business opportunities / be able to make a living 5-10 years from now, for his kids well being? Combo of some of those?
Sorry for the rambling. The quick turnaround in Lance’s attitude on this seems odd or suspect to me.
Bill/others-
No where in my remarks did I write anything stating that I think single parents cannot raise good children. People drew those conclusions themselves. People are missing my point, and this is a debate that is now going down paths that I never intended. Of course single parents can do a wonderful job with their children! I never said they can’t!
All I was saying is this: IN LANCE’S LIFE, I think he may have been a less ruthless person if he had grown up with both a mother and a father. He himself has commented several times how he was ‘angry’ at life sometimes because his biological Dad wasn’t around. It’s in his books. He says he used that anger to fuel him on the bike – although we all now know there were other things fueling him.
So, I was simply drawing a parallel between what he has written in his books, and his behavior towards others as being consistent with the behavior of many other people that I have met during my life, who grew up in less-than-desirable home situations.
True “money talks” in all sports in all businesses…not to change the subject, but guncontrol still takes the lead over Lance in PR these days and nobody ever mentioned it’s all about the money and everybody uses the 2nd amendment as the keyfactor….BS or better nonsense….
No doubt : there is more to life than money!
Dan, the point is none of us has to make excuses for Lance Armstrong. He made all those decisions as an adult 18 years and older. He had great advisers, guys who had a positive influence on him as a kid. People who helped him to get a bike, a car when he was a teen, etc…..he had good guys in his life , it’s in his books…
Lance is Lance and that’s a fact, everything else is hypothetical…and Lance is a father of 5 himself. He is an interesting character for sure. I think what screwed him up was the Michelob Ultra Beer Commercials he did himself and the Budlight/Budweiser Commercials he had to endure as a kid and growing up…LOL
Life is to short to drink cheap beer.
If you have a chance to purchase it, try the Ettaler Klosterbraeu Curator, the Beer, das Bier ist ein Gedicht, priceless!
The whole thing is sad and it sucks all around. It’s shitty for the sport. But I will keep riding/racing my bike and having fun with it, the way it’s supposed to be.
Roberto, your command of the platitude is astonishing.
Good article at the New Yorker – everyone cheated and everyone lied? The author points out what everyone doesnt do but Lance did – small excerpt: Everyone doesn’t earn thirty million dollars a year, nearly all of it from endorsements based not just on athletic prowess but on the golden aura of a man so pure, so dedicated, that he would bear any burden and endure any pain to win the world’s most gruelling athletic contest again and again and again.
Everyone doesn’t react repeatedly with outrage and vitriol when accused of violating the rules even though he knows he’s guilty, and then denounce and sue journalists who imply that he might have applied makeup to conceal needle marks on his arm. (Everyone doesn’t accept settlements from such publications, either.)
Everyone doesn’t make a commercial for Nike in which he ridicules any suggestion that he was ever “on” anything other than his bicycle, “busting my ass six hours a day.”
Everyone doesn’t raise hundreds of millions of dollars for their vanity cancer foundation, a foundation that—no matter how much good it has done, though there is some debate about that—was created and sustained by the image of a survivor who defeated his nearly fatal disease with a grace and dignity that he would never relinquish.
Everyone doesn’t get paid tens of millions of dollars by the United States government while representing that government (and its people) by leading a cycling team that was sponsored in large part by (and named for) the United States Postal Service.
Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sportingscene/2013/01/what-lance-armstrong-did.html#ixzz2IB8f7LuD
I drive a lot for work and listen to Talk radio ,, both sport and npr… The coverage across the airwaves of an interview that has not even happened yet is crazy? Cancer Jesus is in a lot of Trouble and he is going to drag every one down with him.
Everybody should go for a ride instead of watching the interview. Lance doesn’t deserve our time focusing on him.
I rode my bike instead!!
Why Oprah? Because Lance wanted the toughest interviewer!
And that person was busy. So Lance went with Oprah…
It is just a pathetic situation to be sure, but lets not forget the effects of a cancer diagnosis and its treatment on the mind and psyche. The decline in cognition, and increased rates of depression, anxiety and PTSD are all well documented. Chemotherapy has negative effects on brain function that can be life long. We are talking about a person whose was struggling for his life, where as we are just cyclists or cycling fans. Cycling saved Lance. As an extremist, he made mistakes, exercised poor judgement he took it too far. He was uninhibited. It was hard for him to seperate his battles. His judgement was entirely lacking. It is really now, by confessing that he is able to heal. Hopefully he will be able to live a fuller and happier life . Its a wierd and sad public journey, but its real. Hopefully he has a good therapist.
Just an FYI Robert, but the Armstrong personality of cheating, lying and arrogance was already well established prior to him being diagnosed with and treated for cancer. He has been accused of paying off the competition to allow him to win the Triple Crown of East coast races in the ’90s (Philly/Core States, Pittsburgh/Thrift Drug and Tour of West Virginia. Talk to Stephen Swart. The Armstrong race pay-off info is pretty well accepted and has been out there for a long time. In addition, based on the Andreau’s testimony, Armstrong admitted to his doctors in 1996 that he had taken Steroids, EPO, and HGH in the past. Again, the data suggest long term lying, cheating, and manipulating.
Bill,
Do you think, in general, it is “better” for a child to be raised by two parents, or a single parent?
My manager at work saw the interview and has read the all the articles on the Lance and the Postal team. He said that it was like Lance and the boys were in a reaching contest and everyone else had 8-inch high heels on so they just bought themselves some 10 inchers…..i laughed at that one.
It’s a bit of a fallacy you propose here, Roberto. Yes, you need golf clubs to compete at golfing. If you can’t afford clubs, you can’t play.
On the other hand, you *don’t* need drugs to compete in bicycle racing. Plenty of people race without using drugs. You do, however, need a bicycle. If you can’t afford a bicycle, you can’t race.
On the other hand, it turns out that professional golfers like Gary Player say that performance-enhancing drugs use is endemic in top players in *that* sport: http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2007-10/golftechsteroids and that the tours have started testing almost five years ago – with the usual results: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ycn-8472813
Drug use in both sports is a way of cheating, of obtaining an artificial advantage over the competition. Cheating is not a necessary part of sport.
Kind of pointless for him to admit anything at this point. What he’s done to our sport and TDF is unforgivable. Worse than that is how he trashed so many other people along the way. Wonder if he’ll be writing a book after this, too; like the other cheaters. Above all, I feel bad for his kids because of the legacy they will inherit from him.
The Onion: “Seven lucky members of the viewing audience will have yellow jerseys under their chairs.”
Haha
“Without doping, Armstrong would just be another guy running a bike shop in Austin, Texas, trying to promote the place with special discounts for his 200 Twitter followers. Without doping, he would work his butt off to pay the mortgage every month and hope he had a little extra to give to the American Cancer Society.
Without doping, Armstrong would explain to his bike-shop customers that there is a difference between a Cannondale and a Trek, and he might even talk them into buying a Le Mond. He would tell his customers that yes, the rumor around town is true: He did finish the Tour de France a couple of times, and it wiped him out … and yes, he knew the top cyclists were doping, but he decided it wasn’t for him … and anyway: Would they like to test-ride a Cannondale? Yup: Without doping, Armstrong would be just another working man, trying to convince the customers in his shop that it really is about the bike.”
story above from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20130117/lance-armstrong/?xid=ob_siwriters