Even USADA head Travis Travis Tygart admits that athletes have to be "dumb" to get caught with a positive test

Tygart is a full-of-himself fool. He won't put money into property testing. Instead he "negotiates" deals to catch cheats. If Tygart thinks you are guilty, but you're not, you must confess to avoid having your reputation destroyed by this fool. Sure, Tygart will catch a few drug cheats and catch a few non-drug cheats. But, many drug cheats will be set free because they negotiated.

Edit function on LRC: missing...

...money into PROPER testing...

yes, and this is why anti-doping is mostly a scam for scientists who can't otherwise compete against top athletes. Tygart is a bigger farce than Armstrong is.

The implication is that it is easy to that it is easy to dope and get away with it.

Despite running being a relatively minor sport, there is plenty of money to be made for a successful road racer or track runner.

This raises the question: what is the likelihood that many, or even any, of the top road racers and track stars are clean?

! jr wrote:

This raises the question: what is the likelihood that many, or even any, of the top road racers and track stars are clean?

That anyone even bothers to ask this is the only reason athletics still exists.

Is there any way to get rid of Tygart, who comes across as psychotic?

The USADA should only ban what is actually proven to enhance performance. The banning of things that do not enhance performance, because they might hurt you, but no one really knows for sure, is a complete sham. The banning of more things only results in the USADA needing more funding, which is what Tygart is really seems after.

Good point, Lance!

Travesty Tygart wrote:

Tygart is a full-of-himself fool. He won't put money into proper testing. Instead he "negotiates" deals to catch cheats. If Tygart thinks you are guilty, but you're not, you must confess to avoid having your reputation destroyed by this fool. Sure, Tygart will catch a few drug cheats and catch a few non-drug cheats. But, many drug cheats will be set free because they negotiated.

Please explain what "proper testing" you think is needed to catch people using PED's. If you mean 24 hours of video surveillance, including when athletes use the washroom etc. then I agree that would work, but I wonder where the money would come from? it seems very expensive, no? If you mean something else, then you are an idiot. I'm betting you're an idiot.

If do not understand what a proper testing is then you are the idiot.

Tygart's obvious remarks are as silly as you guys giving props to Korir for his "stance". There's no off-season testing in Kenya or Ethiopia, there never has been. Stop bitching about yanks doing nothing while being ever so careful to be PC and handling E. Africans with kid gloves because they're Africans.

Gotta love Travis Travis Tygart

Travesty Tygart wrote:

Tygart is a full-of-himself fool. He won't put money into property testing. Instead he "negotiates" deals to catch cheats. If Tygart thinks you are guilty, but you're not, you must confess to avoid having your reputation destroyed by this fool. Sure, Tygart will catch a few drug cheats and catch a few non-drug cheats. But, many drug cheats will be set free because they negotiated.

I am confused...

1) USADA has a finite amount of money. It allocates some to research and some to outreach and education, but it is not an unlimited pot of money. So how much should be put forth for testing? (And do this without looking up how much it actually spends or has in its annual budget). Now I think it has stretched a bit beyond its mission with some aspects like True Sport (a noble idea, but I question the benefits).

2) Tygart cannot just think you are guilty, he must have evidence either through testing or other means (records of drugs being shipped to your house or records at places like BALCO that implicate you). He long thought that Landis, Hamilton and Armstrong were doping and all confessed to it.

3) Pretty funny that someone on Letsrun would be concerned about an athlete's reputation considering so many here post allegations that are probably based on less evidence than Tygart has when he seeks punishment.

4) Negotiating with drug cheats can be advantageous if it leads to stopping someone from being involved in cheating. Sort of like giving a petty criminal a deal to roll over on a network of criminals.

Full disclosure I know Travis. We are not friends, but we know each other. At one time I thought he was crazy to go after Armstrong, but at some point I learned enough to realize that Tygart was on solid ground to pursue him. If you cannot put away arguably the greatest doper in the history of sport, then you are not going to credible in getting others.