Of course I am not surprised. Somewhat disappointed by the whole affair, but I had long ago concluded that Armstrong had “cheated.” I put “cheated” in quotes not because I think what he did was not “real” cheating, but because as far as I can tell, during his run cycling was more overrun with cheating than even baseball during the 90s. And that’s saying something.
Lance Armstrong confessed during an interview Monday with Oprah Winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the interview is to be broadcast Thursday on Winfrey’s network.
A source told ABC News that Armstrong is also talking to cycling authorities about naming names of others involved in illegal doping in hopes of reducing his lifetime ban.
Armstrong is also talking with authorities about paying back some of the money paid by the U.S. Postal Service for sponsoring his team, the source said.
via Lance Armstrong admits to doping in interview with Oprah Winfrey, report says – ESPN.
8 users commented in " Armstrong confesses "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI’m hugely disappointed. I hope he comes completely clean and finds a way to continue the positive things he’s been doing over years, namely save the Livestrong Foundation.
Dadman, everything I’ve read about the guy drives me to conclude that he’s a total and complete jackass. Jerk. Bully.
He tried to destroy any who intimated that he cheated. He bribed people. He threatened people. He ran a sophisticated doping ring.
He did this so he could win. Simple. He took these destructive actions against others to ensure that he would keep winning, and, after his time on the track was over, he kept attacking people, threatening people – because he needed to keep his image up.
Now, if I were to look at his actions over the bulk of his adult life, absent his foundation work, I would have to conclude that he has almost no redeeming qualities as a neighbor and human being and I would do everything in my power to make sure that I did not in any way come within his poisonous ambit.
So, when I look at his foundation work, I have to ask myself whether or not he actually was trying to do “good things,” or whether or not his motivation was no more pure than that of the Mafia don who contributes to the Church. (And, let’s not forget his obvious selfish motivation relative to his own cancer)
Therefore, I don’t give to him even the “Yeah, but he did good works,” excuse because those “good works” are merely a side effect of his attempt to either enhance his image (and his mega endorsements), find a cure for his own cancer, make money from the foundation, or just a way to somehow stay in the spotlight – or all of the foregoing. At no point do I attribute to him any altruistic motivation.
Now, with endorsements dried up, out of his foundation, stripped of his medals, he goes on his “apology tour.”
To what purpose? Is there any reason to believe that he is actually SORRY about what he intentionally did for decades, covered up for a decade more, destroyed lives in the process of doing so? NOW he’s “sorry?”
No, he, as he has fully established is the arc of his life, is selfishly motivated. He hopes to rehabilitate himself so to REGAIN some of those endorsements.
He doesn’t give a damn about the foundation or of its “good works.” All he cares about is himself. He’ll USE the foundation to further his ends (and tout his earlier “good works” as proof that, at heart, he’s a “good guy” and, thus, should be forgiven.)
Balderdash.
I hope that the FOUNDATION can continue to do good work. I hope that HE, on the other hand, disappears from the public stage.
Man, I get tired of all these “rehabilitated” people who are forgiven by so many even though their contrition comes only after being caught – and then only if it affects their pocket book.
Oh, and it’ll be instructive as to just what he admits to and when.
Because there’s some criminal liability if he admits to things he DID and the statute of limitations hasn’t run.
I’m sure he talked to a lawyer as to what he could freely admit to, you know, to pick and choose amongst those bad acts he’s “sorry” for – but won’t actually be forced to PAY for.
I will be interested in the details of his confession since there are a few legal liabilities that he is still threatened by.
I don’t want to get into a bash Lance thing because I really was a fan of his (and I have a Lance inspired bicycle jersey to prove it).
However, my first real reality check with Lance was when he and Greg LeMond feuded publicly. Having been a big fan of Greg LeMond that put me in the position of accepting that one of them had to be lying. That was when I started really paying attention to Lance’s actions and the more I read about his behind-the-scenes behavior, the harder it was to believe that he was the innocent victim.
In this day of performance enhancing drugs, I have a generalized belief that just about every elite athlete takes something in order to compete at the highest level.
But, at the same time, I don’t think that anyone should be accused of such without something which actually resembles evidence. Certainly, no one should be penalized or stigmatized without something which a reasonable person could admit was fairly compelling.
Results aren’t enough in and of themselves. Even though it is commonly accepted that cycling is rife with PED’s, the fact of success (even repeated and historic success) isn’t enough to make me CONCLUDE that someone is “using” although I would have my suspicions.
But, there’s been actual TESTIMONY from too many sources who were in a position to know and for too many years regarding Lance. Until fairly recently, that was all I was aware of. That was enough, when combined with his repeated and historic success, to convince me of his use of PEDs. The other, more despicable, acts against other people in order to protect himself merely made me believe that he is, in addition to being a “cheater,” is a truly despicable person. (I don’t view the USE of the drugs (or whatnot) as evidence of a bad “character” so much as I believe it to be evidence of a pragmatic business decision informed by flexible morals. Do the drugs if you feel it to be necessary to compete and make your millions. Hide it. Lie about it if necessary. Do whatever you feel necessary to protect yourself and your family. But, once you actively start to go after OTHERS and adversely affecting their lives, you’ve crossed the line from simply doing what you have to do to compete at the highest levels to being an actively bad person.)
Lance has some serious issues, has some serious soul-searching to do, and is clearly guilty of doping, but I don’t despise Lance, and I won’t pretend to understand all his motivations.
Maybe he is a thoroughly bad person…maybe he has a few redeeming qualities. I don’t know. I admit to being in the latter camp of thought and merely hope that whatever positive influence he may have had on the lives of others can be accentuated and continued in some way, if not be him personally then by others…
One of the things I would be interested in from Lance’s Oprah interview is whether he expresses any regret for any of the actions, legal or otherwise, that he took against those who accepted the possibility that some of the accusations levied against Lance by his teammates, ex-friends and ex-lovers might actually be true.
Not to harp on Greg LeMond, but when Greg was interviewed and was asked about some charges against Lance from a previous teammate, Greg essentially said that Lance had some explaining to do, and in response Lance had Greg LeMond’s fledgling bicycle business crippled by having Lance’s current bicycle sponsor withdraw distribution approval to Greg’s company. That was a devastating blow to Greg LeMond, both personally and professionally, and I frankly would like to see Lance address his actions there.
Yep, he seemed to be tenaciously vindictive in protecting his reputation. I hope he has a good shrink…someone other than Oprah.
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