L Armstrong to be charged with being a dope fiend

Lance Armstrong is going to be charged by the US Anti-Doping Agency with being a doper.
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It will be interesting to see what evidence they present, as you would think it would only be witness testimony - what testing evidence would there be after this amount of time?

He did pass, as he says, all the drug tests given to him. So if he was a doper, that speaks pretty poorly about the testing program, or maybe to the ability of people to beat it.

I don't follow bicycle racing closely, but hasn’t almost every winner of the Tour de France either been proven to be a dope fiend, or at least has been charged with being one?

At this point, shouldn’t they just re-name it the Tour de Drug, and make it an unlimited class, like they have in auto racing, where you can use any engine you can fit inside the hood?

That way, instead of spending all their free time figuring out ways to inject themselves without leaving track marks, or how to get someone else’s blood in their body, riders could focus on how best to inject themselves during the race, practicing the movement of sticking the needle into their *** whilst cycling, without either breaking peddling form or their wind tuck.

Bicycle designers could engineer ways to hang IV bags of dope and other witches brews of performance enhancing potions actually from the bicycle, and minimize the wind resistance of the bag.

At least it would be honest, and would prevent the spectical of having to cross out the name of every winner for the last 15 years off the trophy. As it is, they should write it down in pencil.

I’m thinking of entering the race this year. I would finish every stage dead last, probably a day or two after everyone else. But I’d just wait 10 or 20 years, and after everyone else had been disqualified for being a fiend, I’d be the only one left to be able to hold the trophy.

 

He has passed every drug test taken and they have given him a lot of them.
At this point this is a waste of taxpayer's money that could be best used elsewhere.

 

I can't believe a taxpayer funded agency is engaging in such a witchhunt.
They should be attempting to police the current athletes.
There is not enough evidence to charge LA, as a two year federal investigation was recently dropped. It's hard to know the truth, but I'm pretty sure there isn't enough evidence in this case to prove anything, because no one has been more investigated.

 

I don't know for sure, but I will bet his teammates that have been busted have plead out and are throwing him under the bus as part of their plea. The bigger fish....

Non of this should be paid by the government, this should all be privately run and held.

 

I am sure the French would not feel it was a waste of money and encourage their politicians to continue to go after him. Geez, this is still going on? He is either the slickest cat in the world or did not do anything. If they don't have rock solid evidence without anything to counter it I wish he could get some form of restitution for defamation or something. Make it hit hard. He would likely give all money to Livestrong.

 

and I thought this was a closed book.

 

So did everybody else and more than once. I'm not even a fan of the guy personally but marvel at his accomplishments and his foundation. I want this over and him to be left alone.

 

For the Lance-haters, its same hymn, second verse. These guys are now focusing on Lance's coming-out-of-retirement Tour? Gimme a break. . .

 

I think these tax dollars could be best used for more important topics that to help some special interest groups pockets. For example just one item is that a forest expert said these fires have resulted in a large part due to careless lack of preparation. Hint hint.

 

Thanks, Bill. And yes, the enchiladas at Fernando's were outstanding last night.

 

scathing commentary. scathing i say!

 

That’s it? That’s all the Lance jock-sniffers have left at this point? That it’s a waste of tax payer money? And that some little girl in a third world county like Zimbabwe or Baltimore is going hungry because we’re spending money to hunt down poor Lance? What are you now, the Tea Party? And I’m pretty sure regardless of what the US Anti-Doping Agency decides to do, that money is not going to build firebreaks in Bastrop.

And it’s not really a witch hunt, as witches do not exist. While bikers who dope up with illegal chemicals most certainly do.

Look, the whole Lance Armstrong story was a nice one. Athletes gets cancer, battles it, comes back to win lots of racers, and raises money for cancer research. Plus he’s a figure of hope for others who are battling cancer. Problem is, it looks like it was all done with smoke and mirrors and needle sticks into his ***.

I can’t really blame Armstrong, as lord knows he wasn’t the only one doping, it seems to have infested every aspect of bicycles racing. And if anyone might have deserved a chemical boost it would be him after going through cancer treatment.

But either bicycle racing cleans up its act by hunting down dopers, or the sport remains nothing more than wrestling on wheels. Both are full of dope heads, and both sport are ultimately fake. Both provide entertainment, so if you enjoy it, crack open the beer and watch the figure four leg lock or the mountain stage.

That’s why my idea of an Unlimited Class of bicycle racing is so needed. You could have one series where the bikers just trained hard and did not dope, and some young rider isn’t forced to either stick his *** with needles or never win.

The other class you could have various freaks of the lab, shot up with horse serum and 2 extra gallons of blood, looking like Ben Johnson at the staring line of the 100 meters. It’s win-win I tell you.

 

Witches exist? How can you tell they are a witch?

 

A waste of taxpayer money on a witch hunt. Another clue is Roger Clemens. Hint hint.

 

Out country is 14 Trillion in debt and we are spending money on this. Ridiculous. Greece and Spain here we come.

 

Was LA doping at age 14? Because he started out as a triatholon prodigy at a very young age, before turning full time to cycling. It isn't like he was Joe Sixpack, doped up all of a sudden, and became a good athlete.
Sure, there's no way to prove he (or anyone else) never did anything wrong, but this is ridiculous. The guy has been checked more than anyone else in sport. Give it up you pack of angry chihuahuas.

 

texas_ex, they are not a government agency which means all they are is a puppet of the world doping organization working off the public's dime. They cannot bring a criminal complaint which means all they can do is ban the people the world organization wants banned. In this case the Euros (who could not even get a French criminal complaint against Armstrong) want no more of him and so they told the USADA to ban him without producing one new fact.

 

Viper,

I don't think you read my post correctly. The first thing I say is that you are correct...that are not a government agency. Obviously they cannot bring criminal charges against people.

However, and that's a big however, the taxpayers of this country finance them. Taxpayer money is spent on this case...a case that we both agree is a waste. The USADA is also not entitled to these government grants. And as the majority, 66%, of their support and net assets (the non-profit accounting equivalent to equity) taxpayers should have a say in how that money and capital is employed.

In the non-profit world pledges, support, grants usually come with covenants and restrictions. The government, as the taxpayers' agent, should be reviewing those covenants with USADA's management, put more restrictions on their support, or pull out completely if wasteful shenanigans like this continue. I can think of 1,000 better things to do with my taxes than to retry for the 20th time Armstrong. It's a witch hunt because there's no due process.

And while officially they are not a government agency, the financial relationship the USADA has with the government effectively makes them a subcontractor of the government and the government's proxy in the world anti-doping community and jurisdiction.

Are you happy with your taxes directly bankrolling these morons?

 

texas_ex, NO

 

Viper, are you saying you're not happy with taxpayer money funding USADA's witch hunt? Or do you disagree with my post. If you disagree, what specifically do you disagree with? You're not stating any facts.

1) The fact that 66% of USADA (FY04) operating support comes from taxpayers?

2) That by being 66% of the USADA net assets and operating support, the USADA effectively functions as the government's agent in the anti-doping community?

3) That covenants/restrictions on grants, pledges, donations from taxpayers should be thoroughly vetted and reviewed?

4) That if covenants/restrictions are not adhered to, that clawback provisions should be exercised?

 

No to federal taxpayer money being spent on anything other than national defense and border security. Anything else can be handled by the states.

 

CNN journalism efforts on 'why fans shouldn't forgive...' linky (already posted above)

 

It's almost impossible to ignore what appears to me to be a feeling of paranoia among the negative sports media, coming from the fear that Armstrong just might be right - and innocent.

It's not paranoia, if it's true. And if Lance gets by it this one more, and hopefully last, time, I hope the naysayers have the balls to do as they implore their readers to do, and GIVE. IT. UP.

 

There sure is a lot of smoke coming from this and you know what they say about smoke. Where there's smoke, there's mirrors.

 

Ahh the internet. It's like flypaper for stupid statements. Let's go over these gems:

I can't believe a taxpayer funded agency is engaging in such a witch hunt.

They should be attempting to police the current athletes.
There is not enough evidence to charge LA, as a two year federal investigation was recently dropped. It's hard to know the truth, but I'm pretty sure there isn't enough evidence in this case to prove anything, because no one has been more investigated.


If it was a witch hunt, well, that was correct, as Lance turned out to be green, with a long, warty nose. No, it was not hard to know the truth.


I am sure the French would not feel it was a waste of money and encourage their politicians to continue to go after him. Geez, this is still going on? He is either the slickest cat in the world or did not do anything. If they don't have rock solid evidence without anything to counter it I wish he could get some form of restitution for defamation or something. Make it hit hard. He would likely give all money to Livestrong.

Actually, he just cheated, and then lied about it, threatened those who told the truth, and got away with it for a little while. Don't really think he's going to get much money for “restitution for defamation or something”.


and I thought this was a closed book.


Nope, not really.


For the Lance-haters, its same hymn, second verse. These guys are now focusing on Lance's coming-out-of-retirement Tour? Gimme a break. . .


Gimme a break, gimme a needle, gimme some EPO, gimme some horse serum, I have a race to run.


I think these tax dollars could be best used for more important topics that to help some special interest groups pockets. For example just one item is that a forest expert said these fires have resulted in a large part due to careless lack of preparation. Hint hint.


Bill, I'm sorry your outhouse or whatever it was burned down in Bastrop a few years ago, but no matter what, none of the money for investigating L Armstrong was going to buy a shovel or a fire break or whatever.


Big government sounding name, but in fact is a non-government non-profit organization who serves as the enforcer of the "world drug code" in the US. For every person who provides evidence against Armstrong, Armstrong will produce someone who not only supports him, but who then casts doubts on the accuser. Some of the accusers have already said they used illegal substances, so you have Armstrong (who still has not flunked a drug test) saying he didn't versus a guy who could not compete against Armstrong accusing Armstrong of something the accuser did. This is going to go around and around and eventually will end up in civil court with Armstrong suing everyone who is accusing him


Probably not going to end up in civil court with Armstrong suing everyone. Now if you had said “end up in civil court with everyone who Armstrong accused suing him”, you might be right.


Was LA doping at age 14? Because he started out as a triatholon prodigy at a very young age, before turning full time to cycling. It isn't like he was Joe Sixpack, doped up all of a sudden, and became a good athlete.
Sure, there's no way to prove he (or anyone else) never did anything wrong, but this is ridiculous. The guy has been checked more than anyone else in sport. Give it up you pack of angry chihuahuas.


Actually, they did prove he was a dope fiend, hence his pitiful, semi-apology. I'd call the US Anti-Doping Agency more of a hyena – they bit into his ball(s) and didn't let go.



texas_ex, they are not a government agency which means all they are is a puppet of the world doping organization working off the public's dime. They cannot bring a criminal complaint which means all they can do is ban the people the world organization wants banned. In this case the Euros (who could not even get a French criminal complaint against Armstrong) want no more of him and so they told the USADA to ban him without producing one new fact.


Pretty sure they had some facts, hence the confession.


It's almost impossible to ignore what appears to me to be a feeling of paranoia among the negative sports media, coming from the fear that Armstrong just might be right - and innocent.

It's not paranoia, if it's true. And if Lance gets by it this one more, and hopefully last, time, I hope the naysayers have the balls to do as they implore their readers to do, and GIVE. IT. UP

Armstrong was not right, or innocent, or clean, or not a liar, or not a cheat.
But hey, it's the pitiful “sport” of bicycle racing, which I used to do with my friends when I was, oh, 14, when we'd race home from middle school. Then I got a car and that was the end of any fascination with a bike.

The problem with Lance wasn't that he cheated. Everyone did, does, and will do, in the spandex and needle infested world of bicycle racing. It was the venom that he spewed at all those who told the truth, a truth that he as the doper knew better than anyone.

Now look at him. Washed up, ridiculed, having to go on the 80 IQ Oprah show and try to salvage some trace of his image and career. Hopefully, at the least, it will keep him from trying to cut in line at the club.

 

I hope it gets even more bitter for him.
Some friends of mine named their son Lance after Lance Armstrong.
The presentation he made last night was pathetic.
I decided to forego watching tonight.