Offical 2013 Lance Armstrong/Oprah Winfrey Interview Discussion Thread

Standard Bearer wrote:

He's 42, he's not going to a factor in any big Triathlons or marathons.

I think his motivation is to come clean, move on.

But, I have been wrong about LA before.

Wouldn't it be great if that was possible?

Cycling was/is such a convoluted Den of Thieves...

The whole thing needs to come down, in every country.

rojo wrote:

I didn't get the "I'm happier today" than i was then comment. What?

On an unrelated note, i liked this David Esptein tweet.

David Epstein ‏@SIDavidEpstein

"EmmaO'Reilly diary showed Lance had lowish redbloodcell% which suggests more room to dope than the next guy. equal doping is a myth "

Lance has a blood profile which meant that he benefitted way more from doping than others.

The idea that he was on a level playing field is totally false.

Most cycling insiders say he'd never have won a tour even if everyone was clean.

Of course they would sat that. It is like trying to prove a negative.

All of them are competitive, most of them doped.

The whole sport is probably as crooked as any sport ever.

Tor wrote:

bladerunner wrote:

I agree. I don't care what he took. He is a talent and most people in his position would have done exactly the same thing.

He was also doped to the gills. He would have been remembered as an average cyclist if he hadn't doped. Actually, none of us would have ever heard of this "talent" had he not used PEDs.

Yes, and we can say that about what, 50 other name riders who were caught or admitted doping?

The whole pro cycling sport was rotten to the core.

lance armstrong is a disgrace to the integrity of sports.

love,

barry bonds

Sprintgeezer wrote:

What has been missing has been a discussion of the systemic, and sanctioned, nature of doping, in cycling and elsewhere.

It's about MONEY. Follow the MONEY. It's the oldest game in the book, a scam. All that is needed is to find chumps like Lance--and they're a dime a dozen.

Nobody really significant has yet had their involvement detailed.

Ding, ding, ding, finally.

The first question Oprah should have asked was: "When did you first become aware of doping and how old were you."

And then marched through year by year, names, accomplices etc.

He's never telling all until he can't be sued anymore.

The only way he'd ever tell all is if he had immunity from any prosecutions.

Imagine how big, and twisted, the net of accomplices is/was over that many years and that many countries.

There is no way he can tell the truth... The whole situation is crazy.

Tygart is crazy too.

They may have "got him," but what would have been great was a multinational effort to get them all.

agip wrote:

Old Man by the Sea wrote:

There is nothing to the guy. He is incapable of feeling true remorse. He is empty.

that's the thing - he isn't doing this out of remorse - he is doing it so he can compete again. Just another thing he has to do to get back in the race.

Probably the best thing for LA as a person would be a lifetime ban. Then he has to think about who he is and what he can do in real life.

Hey, if michael milken can recreate himself in a different field so can LA.

He should have started a "Livestrong League" of competitions... What he is doing now is delusional.

7 time "EQUAL PLAYING FIELD" Tour De France Champion!

absolute wrote:

rojo wrote:

why do you give hundreds of thousands of dollars to a group "you are not a fan of?"

Why do you continue to post on a website that isn't a fan of you?

Lol, the Brojo's are in denial about their filthy slandering forum and how many elites and real runners hate this place and then by extension.

I've seen video interviews they've done, when the runner see's their credential and realizes who they are and where they are from, they end the interview and move away fast.

The only exception is when they are with a group of reporters/bloggers ...flotrack etc.

Pewow wrote:

Blood Doping wasn't illegal when Viren competed.

It sure as hell wasn't seen as okay to do either.

dopers r us wrote:

On the other hand, I'm not going to feel sympathy for the doper and the doper's wife (Frankie and Betsy Andreu). At least in relation to this whole issue that mostly is about sports. Armstrong is not an admitted doper, just like Frankie. They are pretty much equals in that regard.

Agreed, some of these guys want to be off the hook because they told the truth before others.

How about they told the truth the first time they were introduced to the culture and offered dope?

Sprintgeezer wrote:

He really regrets coming back, because if he hadn't, "we wouldn't be here."

His only regret is that he got caught.

How typical.

Could it be cos he knows there are a thousand guys out there as guilty as he?

I think he still has influence/friends but this is a federal prosecutor our in CA - which is liberal ville. Check out this story which just came out.

Looks like both dems and reps could both possibly involved :

Lance is a bad dude for sure. No arguing there. But I think you could also say he's a victim. His story was too perfect: hometown kid beats cancer and takes on the world, winning the hardest race on the planet 7 times through pure guts and determination. The UCI knew that and took advantage of it. People say the UCI helped him beat tests...I'm not commenting on that but it wouldn't surprise me. It's probably also likely that Nike was in on it too, or at least conveniently turned their heads away in order to maintain the reputation of their Livestrong brand. In a lot of ways, his story was perpetuated and encouraged by bigger players than himself. And as far as his use of PEDs goes...everyone in cycling doped, so when Oprah asked him if he thought he was cheating when he used drugs, he meant it when he said, "no." He really *didn't* think he was cheating. And once you make that realization--that it's no biggie to use EPO because the 200+ guys riding next to you are doing the same thing--there was absolutely nothing to hold him back from embracing the larger-than-life story he had become. This might also explain some of his denials: if the public really knew how dirty cycling was then they wouldn't think he was cheating either. But since they weren't in the know, since they *couldn't* be in the know, he would have to make that decision for them. "Drugs are good for sports," they say. And when you have big men like the UCI, NBC, and NIke helping you reach this mythical status and use you for their own agenda, I think it's a little myopic to say there aren't larger, more systemic issues that need to be dealt with. I hope this serves as a wake up call. Professional athletes use PEDs.

Now, beyond that, what he did to Emma O'Reilly and other innocents like her is inexcusable.

Sprintgeezer wrote:

Listening to 2 morons having this conversation is somewhat excruciating.

And Being Sober--Every good scam needs not only chumps, but suckers as well.

So you admit you've posted drunk at other times.

rojo wrote:

Sprintgeezer wrote:

Federal prosecutors dropped the case.

You know why?

One word:

Bush.

It got dropped in 2011 maybe even 2012. Bush was long gone.

Bush was dead?

Rojo, you are so freaking stupid it is stultifying.

Read up on how many Federal judges Bush "fired" and replaced with his own appointees. It was a massive overhaul of federal judges -all across the nation- to Bush/Republican appointees.

Old crony network. Bush would not have needed to be Prez to put in a few phone calls, or have someone make some calls.

I doubt he did, but it is conceivable.

A Duck wrote:

The whole pro cycling sport was rotten to the core.

Cycling should be BANNED!

rojo wrote:

That was much better than I thought. And tmw will be worth watching. I never thought about the practicality of it all. He and Kristing (ex-wife) were lying to the kids all this time. I guess they kind of had to but wow.

Imagine if you are 13 and you think your dad is the kickass hero and now this.

If Lance is smart, he'll put some money in an untouchable trust for the kids.

This just illustrates your low mentality and complete inability at true ethics.

You want him to put ill-gotten money someplace safe for his kids????

Do you not see the insanity in that?

If true justice in this situation meant that Lance had to give ALL the money back...that tough bricks.

Sure, I feel for his kids, but your suggestion is despicable.

Sprintgeezer wrote:

rojo--

Do you honestly believe that Bush is "gone" and wields no influence?

Of course I have no idea if he intervened or not, but to suggest that he COULD not is the height of naivete. The federal prosecutorial ranks are not very large, and not very independent, contrary to what you might believe.

Wow, you are right again. Especially after Bush and co., did everything they could to flood the federal courts with their hand picked peeps.

Buggers.. wrote:

more lies...he's lied about what he took, that it wasn't any more of sophisticated program, that he didn't pressure teammates, refused to implicate Ferrari, denies the Tour de Swiss positive, and Betsy Andreau's deposition.

SO everyone else was lying and Lance is suddenly telling the truth about these things? Sure. I don't understand why you would do a tell all interview and not tell all.

You aren't considering context or delusion. It's possible that in the circles he got into...that it all seemed "part of the culture." I. E. Normal.

--That is what I always believed -- that the culture of cylcling was filled with doping.

He was through the looking glass.