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Lance Armstong - Oprah Interview

The interview was far more entertaining than I expected. I couldn't turn it off, and a new Archer episode was on! (No worries; DVR). He admitted more than I expected, but a lot less than I had hoped. I agree with Rick Reilly, it was a little strange seeing him just sit there and calmly admit that he was a terrible person for the way he treated all those people.

Now, for my opinion on Lance's doping. There is a little bit of a conundrum, to consider that he probably would not have become famous but for the doping. I'm not 100% certain that's true. Obviously he would not be AS famous, and people who don't follow cycling might never have heard of him. But he was known among US cycling fans before he even got cancer. He won a world championship (while doping, of course). He signed an endorsement deal with Nike before he was even diagnosed with cancer. Once he determined he could get back into racing, he managed to join his friend George Hincapie on the USPS team and even become part owner. He was the focal point of that team starting in 1999.

What really bothers me about all of this, is that in 1998, the cycling world was rocked by doping scandals, and that is when WADA was formed and the UCI started testing riders for doping. With sponsorship money and a cancer story backing him, Lance and the USPS team could have become leaders in trying to clean up the sport of cycling, and instead with the complete opposite direction.

I am still curious about Lance's true motive in coming forward this way. Some say he wants to get back into competition, but talking to Oprah isn't going to accomplish that. He will have to go under oath with USADA and UCI, admit everything, provide details, and name names. Even then, it is questionable whether they will reduce his sentence shorter than 8 years. Is this a PR move to try to imrpove his public perception? Probably, but I think they should have practiced his answers a little more. I don't think this interview is doing much to improve his image at all.

I think he is just trying to control the narrative. USADA laid out a pretty strong case of Lance as some type of criminal mastermind and drug pusher, and it sounds like he doesn't want that to be the story. He is willing to admit cheating, and being a tremendous jerk, but he doesn't want to be labelled as the worst drug cheater of all time. The dude is weird.
 
Rusty said:
The interview was far more entertaining than I expected. I couldn't turn it off, and a new Archer episode was on! (No worries; DVR). He admitted more than I expected, but a lot less than I had hoped. I agree with Rick Reilly, it was a little strange seeing him just sit there and calmly admit that he was a terrible person for the way he treated all those people.

Now, for my opinion on Lance's doping. There is a little bit of a conundrum, to consider that he probably would not have become famous but for the doping. I'm not 100% certain that's true. Obviously he would not be AS famous, and people who don't follow cycling might never have heard of him. But he was known among US cycling fans before he even got cancer. He won a world championship (while doping, of course). He signed an endorsement deal with Nike before he was even diagnosed with cancer. Once he determined he could get back into racing, he managed to join his friend George Hincapie on the USPS team and even become part owner. He was the focal point of that team starting in 1999.

What really bothers me about all of this, is that in 1998, the cycling world was rocked by doping scandals, and that is when WADA was formed and the UCI started testing riders for doping. With sponsorship money and a cancer story backing him, Lance and the USPS team could have become leaders in trying to clean up the sport of cycling, and instead with the complete opposite direction.

I am still curious about Lance's true motive in coming forward this way. Some say he wants to get back into competition, but talking to Oprah isn't going to accomplish that. He will have to go under oath with USADA and UCI, admit everything, provide details, and name names. Even then, it is questionable whether they will reduce his sentence shorter than 8 years. Is this a PR move to try to imrpove his public perception? Probably, but I think they should have practiced his answers a little more. I don't think this interview is doing much to improve his image at all.

I think he is just trying to control the narrative. USADA laid out a pretty strong case of Lance as some type of criminal mastermind and drug pusher, and it sounds like he doesn't want that to be the story. He is willing to admit cheating, and being a tremendous jerk, but he doesn't want to be labelled as the worst drug cheater of all time. The dude is weird.
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To the bolded section; To compete in competitive cycling, yes, he has to do that. To compete in competitive triathalons, he does not.
 
War Eagle said:
To the bolded section; To compete in competitive cycling, yes, he has to do that. To compete in competitive triathalons, he does not.
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If wants to compete in events governed by USA Triathlons, or the Olympic governing bodies of other countries, then he will need USADA clearance. He can compete in un-sanctioned triathlons anytime he wants.
 
Rusty said:
If wants to compete in events governed by USA Triathlons, or the Olympic governing bodies of other countries, then he will need USADA clearance. He can compete in un-sanctioned triathlons anytime he wants.
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That is correct, but USADA is well known to reduce sanctions drastically with nothing more than a confession of usage. IMO, his ploy here is to reduce his ban down, so that he can soon compete again. I was referring to the names, details, etc part of your post. It's all there in the open, has been for years, all he has to do now is say, "It's true."
 
I didn't watch the whole thing, from what I saw he didn't seem all that genuine. I don't mind the juicing, I know it was running rampant in the sport, but they lying and malicious acts towards other people are simply unforgivable until he shows true remorse.
 
War Eagle said:
That is correct, but USADA is well known to reduce sanctions drastically with nothing more than a confession of usage. IMO, his ploy here is to reduce his ban down, so that he can soon compete again. I was referring to the names, details, etc part of your post. It's all there in the open, has been for years, all he has to do now is say, "It's true."
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You really think Tygart will offer him that now? That was the offer he got last May, before he sued the USADA. Plus, Lance said last night that it isn't all true, so at the very least he will have to compile a list of admissions and denials and present testimony as to why he claims some of it isn't true. Obviously, USADA will need to offer him SOMETHING to make his admissions worthwhile, but I think its too late to just lift his sanctions for other Olympic sports.
 
Psychopathic douche-bag, he tried to destroy the sport that made him.......good riddance.
 
teed-off said:
Psychopathic douche-bag, he tried to destroy the sport that made him.......good riddance.
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Not just the sport but also the people who wouldn't lie for him, got in his way, he generally didn't like, those who wouldn't dope with him, etc. He lied last night in the confession. He cheated before cancer then used cancer as part of his defense for post cancer cheating. It is widely reported that he's a less than wonderful person. From what I can tell from afar those reports appear to be generous.
 
I really don't have any desire to watch tonight! Anyone else?
 
I watched part 2 because there wasn't much else on TV tonight......and I found Lance far less believable. Lots of talk about the process of redemption, and how this is just the start, seeking therapy, yada yada yada, and a few instances where he was clearly lying. He says he was not doing the interview in an attempt to get back into competitive sports, but that he was doing it for his children (que crocodile tears). Also says he thinks he "deserves" a chance to compete again.

And a few instances where I think he was lying. He says when he came back in 2009, he promised his ex-wife he would race clean. He says he believed that the new "Bio Passport" method of detecting cheating would clean up the sport. Now, in 2009, Lance may have actually believed this system would clean up the sport, but he was obviously wrong. In fact, Lance himself was detected as a doper in 2009 and 2010 based on the bio passport method.

But here's where I don't believe him. In 2009, Lance joined Astana racing, which was managed by his old USPS manager Johan Bruyneel. The team's top rider in 2008 was Alexander Vinakurov, who immediately received his second career suspension for drug use (Vinakurov won a gold medal in the London Olympic games, and the NBC announcers mentioned his two earlier career "retirements"). In fact, the team had taken over so many people from the disgraced Liberty Mutual team that they were not allowed to compete in the TdF in 2008, and Alberto Contador could not defend his 2007 title. So, Lance joins this disgraced team, and finishes 3rd in 2009 while his teammate Contador won. Lance claims he was able to finish 3rd because the sport was now clean.....but he cannot say the Bio Passports worked, because that testing method says Lance was cheating in 2009. Then the 2009 winner, Contador, gets busted in 2010. It is certainly possible Contador was clean in 2009, but it seems unlikely. So Lance finished 3rd on the same team as the 2009 winner, that winner was most likely doping right in front of Lance, but we're supposed to believe Lance was clean?

I also don't believe he is on any type of path to redemption. He admitted the twitter pic he sent out last October of him with his 7 yellow jerseys was a "mistake" and was committed by the arrogant, jerky Lance. That was only 3 months ago. When did he allegedly change? Why are we to believe he is any different than the guy he was last October?
 
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