The final nails have been hit smack dead center but essentially, its just a mere confirmation of the 1000 page doping report that USADA released a couple of weeks back. The latter in turn a kind reminder to the relentless journalistic pursuits from David Walsh, Paul Kimmage and many others who staked their health and their jobs to go after the Protected One.
While Armstrong now battles his own personal demons and fights to pay back the people he wronged, I have to say I really don't have much more to write on him. I think all of us must just stop talking about Lance, think of it like a bad dream that never happened. By continually lending platform yapping about him, we're wading in the stagnated cesspool of cycling along with other blinded fans. In a past that never should have been.
Let the people who are the stakeholders in this mess deal with this guy. I do have one point to make - the Church of Lance Armstrong is now like the flat earth society. And there are people who still believe in the flat earth society! So people will ultimately be people. Fan boys will be fan boys. Let's move on.
I will be more interested to discuss lessons learned. What will be put in place to prevent this kind of a catastrophe from happening again? At the coaching level? At the industry level? At the non-profit charity level? At the governing body level? And even at media commentary levels? A whole slew of bodies in cycling need reform. Let's not kid ourselves. This really isn't over, is it?
* * *
No, it will never be over. So long as there is an edge to be gained, some people will try. I worry that future dopers will be caught only to rationalize their behaviour by saying c'mon, its a first offence, its not like I'm Lance or something...
ReplyDelete"I think all of us must just stop talking about Lance, think of it like a bad dream that never happened. By continually lending platform yapping about him, we're wading in the stagnated cesspool of cycling along with other blinded fans."
ReplyDeleteAMEN!
When phat & Tygarth talk of a Truth & Recon. Comm. very few want to listen , but when John Fahey of WADA inaugerates the " AMNESTY for ALL SPORTS " , let us ALL hope , that Athletes both , past & present , take the opportunity to clear their misdeeds !
ReplyDeleteSport is just about controlled by the Criminal Elements and this is the only way Any Athlete can get out from Under !
When Sport is once again CLEAN , then the future generations will be able to INSPIRE rather than entertain !
We should never forget the Dark Ages of Armstrong. If we do, then we're bound to make the same mistakes, and will it only be a matter of time before another Lance takes the sport into another Dark Age.
ReplyDeleteIt's clear the sport needs restructuring. The idea of UCI both promoting the sport and being responsible for anti-doping has proven to be fatally flawed. Anti-doping should be the responsibility of an independent body, and WADA and the national ADAs naturally comes to one's mind. WADA for the pro teams, the national ADAs for the amateurs.
There also needs to be another look at globalization, and how it's currently shaped. Do we really care for the Tour of Langkawi, Oman, or Beijing? I think it would be far better to support the local cycling communities in those countries, and help them work their way up with their events to a continental status. I'd much rather have the Tour of Bourkina Faso included in the ProTour than the Tour of Oman, as the former has proved itself over time.
Thirdly, there needs to be transparency. At the moment, who gets to be in the ProTour is at the whims of UCI. For instance, there is no guarantee that any party who is interested in the Rabo team will get to be licensed, even then they pass every rule and regulation.
And there's way too much emphasis on men road racing. Apart from the obvious that women also race, there are other disciplines in cycling that so far have fallen by the way side. that's not only unfair to those athletes, but it also promotes tunnel vision.
The Armstrong era is downright ugly and scary. If I think about him , essentially it is one wondering when he'll offer a public apology to his fans and to the athletes he forced into doping. It will truly be beyond disgusting to sit on and be quiet in hiding. That is the true nature of a coward who can't own up to his mistakes.
ReplyDeleteLance has lost everything. He lost his self-respect, his reputation, his medals, his money, his friends and thousands of his fans. A conflicted individual who destroyed himself through greed to win at all costs. If my kids learn anything about cycling, it will be this.
ReplyDeleteAustin TX should rename the Lance Armstrong byway. Not a good reminder to be having in these times...
ReplyDeleteLarry says: As Greg LeMond has said, cycling has a great opportunity here, even better than the last big one - The Festina fiasco. An opportunity to clean things up. Sadly, the bike industry, by continuing their support for the charity set up by the cheater is not helping, nor is the UCI, blaming the whole deal on, well, ANYBODY who is not the UCI. I fear the same response as in the Festina mess..."The wicked witch is dead folks, nothing to see here, move along, we'll take care of everything and make it all right again." while it's business and corruption as usual for the teams, crooked docs, dope suppliers, etc. that plague the sport.
ReplyDeleteNascsr. Stop watching that ugly aesthetic . Stop buying that ugly crappy tacky gear. Go outside in real clothes and ride a real bike.Oraganize local races for kids instead of pretending to be a racer. Act this way in your crappy SUV as well.
ReplyDeleteI really don't have to much more to write on him. I think all of us must just stop talking about Lance, think of it like a bad dream that never happened.
ReplyDeletepsychology thesis writing
Cozy - Apologies after the fact but i used your wonderful image in my post at The Northern Myth today. No credit other than the watermark ... but happy to amend if necessary. The unfortunate side-effect was when a friend said that the pic reminded them of me as a feckless, pockmarked youth ...
ReplyDeleteAnd again, thanks. Bob
Post here: http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2013/01/17/ten-australian-questions-for-the-cancer-jesus/
I really trusted that guy...
ReplyDeletemicrorrelatos