Moment of truth finally arrives for Lance Armstrong

[minir]

Looks like his time is finally up. Simply too much evidence for his BS to overcome imho.
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Tyler Hamilton’s book, The Secret Race, is a thoroughly damning document. It is not a prosecution of Lance Armstrong, exactly; it’s a precisely remembered memoir, from a cyclist who was in the thick of the toxic swamp professional cycling had become when Armstrong was the sport’s alpha male. It explains doping — the mechanics of secrecy, the biology of effectiveness, the disposal of evidence, the pressures of the sport. It is packed with detail. And most damning of all, it includes interviews with eight other former U.S. Postal Service team riders. It is not a lone gunman. It is a fusillade.

It may also be a preview. This week, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is expected to make its evidence against Armstrong public, a little more than two months after Armstrong uncharacteristically dropped his fight against the USADA’s case. Armstrong blasted the process, which has a lower standard of evidence than a federal court trial, but it was essentially an admission that he was not going to win. All that was left was to call the USADA “unconstitutional,” muddy the waters, and sidestep the evidence in order to diminish its legitimacy.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/10/ ... -of-truth/

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minir

[minir]

Nike draws the line between acceptable and unacceptable athletic misbehaviour


It appears to me that it is all over for Armstrong as the bricks start to fall & his deniles are now falling on deaf ears.

Nike Quote
“Due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade, it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him,” Nike’s statement reads. “Nike does not condone the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs in any manner. Nike plans to continue support of the Livestrong initiatives created to unite, inspire and empower people affected by cancer.”

Throughout all the tawdry revelations about his sex life and marital problems, Nike stood by Tiger Woods, offering its support, filming new commercials and introducing new products. But on Wednesday it revealed it’s not willing to do the same for Lance Armstrong: the sports gear company announced that “with great sadness” it was parting company with the disgraced cycling superstar.

Almost simultaneously with the announcement, however, Armstrong revealed he was stepping down as head of his cancer-fighting charity, “to spare the foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career.”

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... behaviour/

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minir

[RaisinCain]

Sorry, but who cares? Just more media distraction BS.

[Joe]

Although i think armey knew but when..strong is a fraud, and deserves everything he is getting; I think its pretty sad for nike to come out and act as if they had no idea he was juiced out of his mind. Not if they knew, but when... i believe they knew for a long time. Every single one of his teammates fessed up... Yet here he is still denying everything... What a joke.

[DV]

Sorry, but who cares? Just more media distraction BS.

I care, minir cares. A slew of massive sponsors that have stood by him through it all wouldn't have just dropped him if nobody cared. And I don't think Lance would have stepped down as the chairman of Livestrong either.

As a cyclist and a fan of the sport I am glad to see the code of silence finally busted wide open. I realize this won't clean up the sport overnight, but in my opinion it will make a big difference.

I think its pretty sad for nike to come out and act as if they had no idea he was juiced out of his mind

I couldn't agree more.

Brian

[Humboldt]

As much as I cheered for the guy in the past and am hesitant to say he doped, if he did I hope it's proven and comes out. A sport like this has little to gain and a lot to lose from cheating. It's such a hard core challenge, physically and mentally, that shortcuts such as doping just piss on if you win the easy way.

Raisin, after your last trolling comment I almost spit out my beer over this one.

[minir]

Sorry, but who cares? Just more media distraction BS.

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I think there are many, many who care as it is a major sporting event which has drawn huge attention over the years. Also many individual riders & sports enthusiasts i'm convinced care as well RaisinCain

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Larry

[minir]

Although i think armey knew but when..strong is a fraud, and deserves everything he is getting; I think its pretty sad for nike to come out and act as if they had no idea he was juiced out of his mind. Not if they knew, but when... i believe they knew for a long time. Every single one of his teammates fessed up... Yet here he is still denying everything... What a joke.

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I think many people thought that Armstrong was up to no good for a long time, but thinking and proof are 2 different things Joe. Many supporters invested heavily in him over the years & without definitive proof accepted his word on not using drugs. The side of the coin that gave hope to many cancer survivors was also huge in this regard.

Once the documented tests & acknowledgment by teammates came out these supporters could now in good conscience do what they had juggled with doing in the past. Never forget Armstrong in his quest to keep the image was very litigious and underhanded in dealing with all who posed a threat to him & the dollars he made.

I agree perhaps it could have been done in a more timely manner, however i am not privy to all that went on behind the scenes.

The finger pointing is over now & the facts are there for all to see & imho He Is Guilty as charged. Sad!

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Larry

[minir]

I care, minir cares. A slew of massive sponsors that have stood by him through it all wouldn't have just dropped him if nobody cared. And I don't think Lance would have stepped down as the chairman of Livestrong either.

As a cyclist and a fan of the sport I am glad to see the code of silence finally busted wide open. I realize this won't clean up the sport overnight, but in my opinion it will make a big difference.



I couldn't agree more.

Brian

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Hi DV

I agree with what you say DV & concur that this will at long last clean up this sport and take it back to its intended from. Athletes competing in one of the most grueling sports i know of & doing so clean.

There is a followup post i am about to place once i finish my individual replies.
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Larry

[minir]

As much as I cheered for the guy in the past and am hesitant to say he doped, if he did I hope it's proven and comes out. A sport like this has little to gain and a lot to lose from cheating. It's such a hard core challenge, physically and mentally, that shortcuts such as doping just piss on if you win the easy way.

Raisin, after your last trolling comment I almost spit out my beer over this one.

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Hi Humboldt

I don't think there is much room for doubt left as to his guilt Humboldt and the doping charges laid. Too bad he has been so reluctant to come clean on this but his income & ego have been at the front of his reasoning since day one it appears.

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Larry

[minir]

Rabobank ends sponsorship of professional cycling team

Rabobank is ending its sponsorship of its professional cycling team following the Lance Armstrong doping revelations.

The Dutch bank's decision follows a United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) report which concluded that Armstrong engaged in "serial cheating".

"We are no longer convinced that the international professional world of cycling can make this a clean and fair sport," said Rabobank's Bert Bruggink.

After 17 years in the sport, Rabobank will end its deal on 31 December.


The news follows the decisions of sportswear giant Nike, cycle maker Trek and Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch to sever their ties with Armstrong, who has had his seven Tour de France victories stripped by Usada.
The American has always denied doping, but gave up his fight against the charges in August.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20001685

Sad it had to come to this but i do believe the sport will be better off for it in the long term. It is after all a great sport with some of the worlds greatest athletes involved. It will take time to bounce back but i think it will over time become one of the great sports again. Lets hope so.

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minir

[YARDofSTUF]

At least hes done the right thing in stepping down from Livestrong to help keep that organization going well.

[minir]

At least hes done the right thing in stepping down from Livestrong to help keep that organization going well.

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Hi YARDofSTUF

I really don't think he had much choice their either YARDofSTUF. The heat is really on now & he's still trying to make the best of it by denying & doing what appears to be an honourable thing to do. From what we are seeing i do believe it will get worse before it gets better for him.

There could be all kinds of lawsuits coming his way if he is not careful as some powerful people are not at all pleased being embarrassed by him and having both themselves and their respective companies put into question over this scandal. They maybe putting on a public face but deep down they must be seething over this.


Just a really sad situation as he let so many people down for his own aggrandisement & profit.
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Larry

[Joe]

I still think nike knew... You dont need cold hard proof to know for certain someone is up to something. Sort of like when mark mcguire and barry bonds were nailing home runs.... did anyone actually believe they were clean? Nike stayed with him because he was a cash cow.. once all the juice had been squeezed they dumped him. They probably knew this day was coming long ago.

[minir]

I still think nike knew... You dont need cold hard proof to know for certain someone is up to something. Sort of like when mark mcguire and barry bonds were nailing home runs.... did anyone actually believe they were clean? Nike stayed with him because he was a cash cow.. once all the juice had been squeezed they dumped him. They probably knew this day was coming long ago.

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Hi Joe

One can assume & think what they like but in order to cancel most high end contracts one must have certain proof to do so or face enormous court costs and the likelihood of even further payments to the one in question.

Armstrong whose worth is estimated at $100 Million Dollars was no shrinking violet & had & has been known to threaten legal action against any who oppose him and had the finances to do so, thus most companies would i'm sure need the proof positive to sever and ties with him.

This they now appear to have and Nike & many others are using this to separate as quickly as possible. This they can now do without fear of reprisal from him it would seem. Whether they knew or suspected really does not matter if they where locked into a contract & him giving his word he was clean.

Below is an update i saw tonight of those who are disassociating themselves from him now the legal threat is pretty much over.

Where they all working with a wink & a nod with Lance? I find that doubtful but that is just my opinion. It would appear to me that they did the honorable thing by standing by someone who made them money over the years and added to the luster of their products & he had assured them he was clean and doing things in an honest manner.

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Armstrong made about $17.5 million in endorsements in 2005, the last year his earnings were tracked by Sports Illustrated's Fortunate 50 list of the top paid active athletes. Nike began its relationship with Armstrong in 1996.

Lance Armstrong is set to lose at least $50million in sponsorship deals over the next five years after a string of companies followed Nike's decision to ditch the disgraced cyclist.

Bike sponsor Trek Bicycles and helmet sponsor Giro are among the glut of companies who have distanced themselves from the cyclist.

Technology retailer Radioshack has also reportedly decided to have nothing more to do with the 41-year-old as has food maker Honey Stringer and health club franchise 24HR Fitness.

Energy drink manufacturer FRS said Armstrong had been 'on its board for several years but had resigned.'

Just two hours after Nike said it was terminating its contracting with the star yesterday Anheuser-Busch followed suit.

With his career and reputation in tatters the athlete seemingly no longer offers sponsors the image or publicity they desire from a sportstar.

Sunglasses manufacturer Oakley said it was withholding judgment until the International Cycling Union decides whether to challenge the USADA's findings.

In a statement, 24 Hour Fitness said: 'Given the evidence surrounding Lance Armstrong's alleged actions, we have determined that our business relationship with Armstrong no longer aligns with our company's mission and values.

'Over the coming weeks, we plan to remove the Lance Armstrong brand from our six co-branded fitness clubs and further improve these facilities to enable and inspire our members to achieve their fitness goals.'

Trek Bicycle's said it was disappointed with USADA's findings: 'Given the determinations of the report, Trek today is terminating our long term relationship with Lance Armstrong.'

Honey Stinger added: 'We are in the process of removing Lance Armstrong's image and endorsement from our product packaging.'

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Larry

[minir]

Armstrong’s Wall of Silence Fell Rider by Rider

From todays NY Times
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Floyd Landis, the cyclist who had denied doping for years despite being stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for failing a drug test, went to a lunch meeting in April 2010 with the director of the Tour of California cycling race.

As they sat down at a table at the Farm of Beverly Hills restaurant in Los Angeles, Landis placed a tape recorder between them and pressed record.

Landis finally wanted to tell the truth: He had doped through most of his professional career. He was recording his confessions so he would later have proof that he had blown the whistle on the sport.

“How do you expect people to believe you when you lied for so long?” Andrew Messick, the race director, asked Landis. “Have you told your mother? Have you told Travis Tygart?”

Landis, raised as a Mennonite, said he had not yet told his mother. Nor had he told Tygart, the chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, with whom he had clashed for more than two years as Landis publicly fought his doping case.

But, Landis said, it was time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/sport ... ml?hp&_r=0

http://cyclinginvestigation.usada.org/

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minir

[Joe]

Under no circumstances would nike have ever cut lance so long as he was making them cash. He could have been clubbing baby seals to death in his free time and as long as the public wasnt certain of it nike wouldnt of cared.

[minir]

Under no circumstances would nike have ever cut lance so long as he was making them cash. He could have been clubbing baby seals to death in his free time and as long as the public wasnt certain of it nike wouldnt of cared.

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Hi Joe

And you know this for a certainty, How?

It also appears Nike was not alone in support of Armstrong and it appears many other prominent supporters dropped their association with him once there was sufficient proof to offset his denials and a certainty of drug abuse was established.

They too where in the same position as Nike...open to lawsuits etc. for wrongful termination of contracts owing Armstrong. Once this was no longer a threat or at least gave credence to them to do so ,They did.

Anyway it is a moot point as Nike & others have separated themselves from Armstrong and whatever credibility he had is finished.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and this is mine, as you are entitled to yours.

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Larry

[minir]

This i read today and i think goes to show he went to great lengths to cover up or threaten & win against those that would insinuate other. I guess the finale will be Mon when they decide whether to strip him of his wins & medals or not.

A portion which is part of the article that struck me

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Speculation over a confession by Armstrong has been growing although he could face perjury charges if he admitted to doping during his career.

The Texan is also likely to face financial consequences if the UCI ratifies the USADA decision.

Promotional company SCA, which paid $7.5 million to Armstrong after he provided sworn evidence he did not use performance-enhancing drugs, could seek to recoup the money.

Meanwhile, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, which lost $1 million in an out-of-court settlement following a libel suit, could sue the American.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/21/d- ... -armstrong

It truly is a sad situation that money & thus cheating has become so much part of Sports in general that the damage done to the word sport has made all who compete and win suspect.

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minir

[RaisinCain]

Funny though. Levi Leipheimer is from my hometown.

[minir]

Funny though. Levi Leipheimer is from my hometown.

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It seems as if your hometown man is showing some courage in coming forward RaisinCain.

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Larry

[RaisinCain]

Stripped and banned.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/22/cy ... ?hpt=hp_t1

[minir]

Stripped and banned.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/22/cy ... ?hpt=hp_t1

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That was an appropriate decision RaisinCain imho. He deserved no less for all the harm he caused so many people with a total disregard to all but himself.

Lets hope it cleans up this sport & perhaps sends a strong message to other sports as well.

I think defending against lawsuits will now become a large part of Mr. Armstrongs days.

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Larry

[Mad_Haggis]

That and the town that the story/sorry, "Moby Dick" is from?

[Philip]

I have not followed the whole process very closely, however, it pretty much sounds like modern day burning to the stake, with its equivalents of crowds throwing rotten tomatoes, etc.
Yes, he doped. Many high-stakes professional athletes do, and they have done it historically as long as they can get away with it.
Before blood testing, some Olympic teams, supervised by a doctor used to switch their own urine using catheters to avoid detection.

[minir]

I have not followed the whole process very closely, however, it pretty much sounds like modern day burning to the stake, with its equivalents of crowds throwing rotten tomatoes, etc.
Yes, he doped. Many high-stakes professional athletes do, and they have done it historically as long as they can get away with it.
Before blood testing, some Olympic teams, supervised by a doctor used to switch their own urine using catheters to avoid detection.

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Hi Philip

Personally i do believe he deserves all he gets, not so much for just doping but in the way he doped. He dragged others into this practice by intimidation, threat and any other means at his disposal, many who where really not into doing so given a choice.

Any who tried to stand up to him where threatened with his legal team and the money he had at his disposal to apply extreme pressure on them, up to & including ending their careers.

He lied to all, sponsors, press, the public and all who had questions about his amazing performances. He did so while knowingly doping and accepting millions of dollars from companies who not only trusted him but in some cases had his written guarantee that he was clean thus exposing many, many others to whatever negative fallout might come to them.

As to doping i do hope they can erase it from all sport through actions like this so once more the playing field is level and people compete for the right reasons. I'm 71 years old Philip and go back to a time where drugs where unknown at least to my knowledge and the Olympics were amateur athletes only & whatever payday might befall the winners was not so much the goal of most, rather the prestige of competing with the worlds best and succeeding for themselves & their respective countries.

As more money to be made hits sports more are willing to endanger themselves and others by doing drugs & on the other side of the coin those willing to help them to do so for monetary gain.

As to his Cancer contributions in giving others hope & millions raised by his organization it is great, but also it is fruit of the poisonous tree imho. Is that how we as a public wish to help by building on something rotten to start with?

I'm not naive enough to think this kind of public outing will stop drugs in sports totally but i do believe it will slow things down dramatically & open the door to look much closer at performances way outside the norm through improved testing.

Where it not for the arrogance shown & the giant ego of this individual who apparently would stop at nothing to gain prestige and the dollars resulting with absolutely no regard for others he might well have gotten away with it after his retirement, but now shown for what he truly was i have no sympathy for him at all.

One only need to look at Canada's Ben Johnson to realize how a public can turn a Hero into a Zero in the blink of an eye where cheating is involved and the reputaion of a country is put in question. He has never been able to gain forgiveness by Canadians in general even though his main competition was Carl Lewis who many, many believe got away with drugging for years.

Just my opinion.

Larry

[Mad_Haggis]

The don't call it ash wednesday 4 nothing?
How can you pick days/week/nice

Like Zombies?

Like Frozen Zombies?...all credits go to SG from now on.

Do?
You?
Really?
Like?
Moskitos/maringuien

Troubling now are they?

Birds/ foul ball is on foul when it's foul

centigrade?

h2o Freezes at....

[Mad_Haggis]

ken take over?