Lance Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs? Behold our shock!

[AJ Skatefan]

I don't disagree that a positive attitude is a good method of coping. But it's the "you *can* beat this" part that's problematic IMHO. People die of cancer, and that outcome often has nothing to do with how positive their attitude is or isn't.

The other issue that I see with the message of positivity is that it doesn't leave space (for lack of a better word) in people's experiences to be scared, sad, depressed, in pain, and so on - which are inevitably going to happen, no matter how positive-thinking you are. IME what this leads to is people being encouraged, implicltly or explicitly, to ignore or downplay emotions that should really be recognized as part of the experience and managed as such, not treated as something wrong that wouldn't happen if they were positive enough.

This^ I have a friend who had breast cancer. From what I saw she always seemed to be a positive person who lived a healthy lifestyle. She somehow managed to feel guilty for getting cancer. She said it was because she stifled her emotions and had bad thoughts. WTF? She'd read all these alternative healing books and somehow concluded that it was her fault.

[judgejudy27]

I hope somehow he ends up going to jail. It is certainly what he deserves. He deserves to go to jail 1000x more than Marion Jones who actually served some prison time.

[made_in_canada]

Found this article which sums up the fallout from his confession pretty well.

[Vash01]

Armstrong said at one point during the interview that other athletes who took drugs get only a 6 months ban before they were allowed to compete again, but he got a "death sentence". When you consider how long he lied, throughout his 7 Tour de France championships, and how many people he ruined along the way by bullying them and suing them, his transgressions are much more serious than those of the other athletes who got caught doping.

Plus, as Anderson said, he did not get a "death sentence". He cannot compete, that's all.

Armstrong is the epitome (sp?) of arrogance.

He is going to live a luxurious life- not just a comfortable one-, even if he pays everyone that sued him.

[Zemgirl]

Frankie Andreu answered some questions for VeloNews - a really classy interview.

Armstrong said at one point during the interview that other athletes who took drugs get only a 6 months ban before they were allowed to compete again, but he got a "death sentence". When you consider how long he lied, throughout his 7 Tour de France championships, and how many people he ruined along the way by bullying them and suing them, his transgressions are much more serious than those of the other athletes who got caught doping.

Plus, as Anderson said, he did not get a "death sentence". He cannot compete, that's all.

I think he means death sentence in the sports sense - like the "death penalty" SMU got in college football back in the 1980s. Being a Texan, he's probably well familiar with that scandal.

FWIW, there are people who doped and covered it up for as long as Armstrong did and indeed received lesser punishments. The difference being their willingness to cooperate with investigators eventually. And I think Floyd Landis soliciting donations to fund his defense against his doping ban was as bad as some of what Armstrong did.

[Cachoo]

Armstrong said at one point during the interview that other athletes who took drugs get only a 6 months ban before they were allowed to compete again, but he got a "death sentence". When you consider how long he lied, throughout his 7 Tour de France championships, and how many people he ruined along the way by bullying them and suing them, his transgressions are much more serious than those of the other athletes who got caught doping.

Plus, as Anderson said, he did not get a "death sentence". He cannot compete, that's all.

Armstrong is the epitome (sp?) of arrogance.

He is going to live a luxurious life- not just a comfortable one-, even if he pays everyone that sued him.

The higher the climb the harder the fall.

[bmcg]

You would think a cancer survivor would have a little more perspective about death sentences (even in the sports sense).

[Vagabond]

Hello WADA, hello USADA,
Here I am doing nada
Life isn’t entertaining
and they say shut up and stop complaining.

You remember David Millar
He crashed into a pillar
You remember all the winners
They all got poisoning last night after dinner.

All the lawyers hate the bikers
And they say we all are pikers
And the lab tech says something’s missin’
He’s been handing me a cup to piss in.

Now I don't want this should scare ya
Come on and test me, come on, I dare ya.
You remember Floyd Landis
You should see where his hand is.

Take me home, oh WADA USADA, take me home, I hate doin’ nada
Don't leave me out in the cold where life is rotten.
Take me home, I promise I will not make noise or shoot up Clear with
other boys, oh please don't make me stay, I've been here one whole day.

Dearest USADA, darling WADA,
Please call me on my home numbah
Let me come home if ya miss me
I will even let Betsy Andreu hug and kiss me.

Wait a minute, I admit I’ve been doping,
Turns out I’m the dope that I’ve been roping,
Without me, cycling’s been getting better,
WADA USADA kindly disregard this letter.

[my little pony]

Plus, as Anderson said, he did not get a "death sentence". He cannot compete, that's all.

assuming he's have to do it drug free from now on, would he really still be competing w/o the ban?

[allezfred]

I hope somehow he ends up going to jail. It is certainly what he deserves. He deserves to go to jail 1000x more than Marion Jones who actually served some prison time.

Marion Jones didn't go to jail for doping. She was convicted of cheque fraud.

[4rkidz]

Lance is a narcassist and a bully.. I have been involved a little in the cycling world and was ironically involved in the world cycling championships here in canada with the anti doping.. and it was then I had my eyes opened to the realities of elite cycling.. they ALL do it!! The winner of one of the races - may have been the time trial - British guy Miller - failed his doping.. the Canadian girl - failed her doping.. then I observed first hand juniors informing us about blood transfusions etc., It reminds me of the sprinters - the Ben Johnson era - where they were ALL doing it.. Maybe some good will come from this and for once the mess gets cleaned up.. the coaches who allow and encourage this should be banned for life.. and bullies like Armstrong should never again be allowed to compete in an Olympic sport.. IMHO..

[Aussie Willy]

Finally got to watch the interview. I think Oprah did an excellent job of it.

I am with those who think the worst thing Armstrong did was to sue the people who had accused him of doping. This whole thing about defending to the hilt was just unacceptable behaviour. It was interesting he didn't make any comment about David Walsh, the journalist who had been saying for so many years that Armstrong was a drug cheat.

For him to say that he has received a "death penalty" with regards to not being able to compete again is just a load of BS.

[Scintillation]

Yeah his behavior in the interview pretty much coincided with his characterization in the report that came out last summer. He bullied his teammates in to doping, he bullied other riders if they dared to speak up about the corrupted cycling culture, and he became outlandishly offended if anyone dared suggest he was doping too. As others have said, it's not so much that he doped. He was and still is a giant asshole.

[overedge]

It reminds me of the sprinters - the Ben Johnson era - where they were ALL doing it.

Funny, I was just thinking last night whether Armstrong confessing would lead to Carl Lewis confessing. Another one who claimed that he was the only clean athlete in the sport, and everyone around him was doping like crazy to keep up with his great natural talent etc. etc.

[heckles]

Plus, as Anderson said, he did not get a "death sentence". He cannot compete, that's all.

Can he be a sanctioned coach and/or official?

[4rkidz]

Can he be a sanctioned coach and/or official?

who the hell would want him

[BittyBug]

Marion Jones didn't go to jail for doping. She was convicted of cheque fraud.

She was convicted of perjury, not check fraud.

[allezfred]

She was convicted of perjury, not check fraud.

There was cheque fraud in there somewhere as well wasn't there?

[Erin]

Frankie Andreu answered some questions for VeloNews - a really classy interview.

Thanks for sharing - I agree that it was a classy interview. He did a good job of conveying that there is still some anger towards Lance without coming across as bitter and if anything, was overly fair in a number of his comments towards Lance. Pretty remarkable, considering the way Lance treated the Andreus.

[sequins]

Funny, I was just thinking last night whether Armstrong confessing would lead to Carl Lewis confessing. Another one who claimed that he was the only clean athlete in the sport, and everyone around him was doping like crazy to keep up with his great natural talent etc. etc.

Oh I am waitin' for that day. I feel like the U.S. puts him on a pedastal and I know what Ben Johnson did was wrong, and I have no sympathy for the choices he made but he was annihilated by the media, by Canada and I don't believe for a second Carl Lewis was any better, just didn't get caught. While I don't know if you can trust what Ben says I just remember him saying in an interview years later that he knew for a fact everyone that started on the line with him that day, except for one individual who he wasn't sure of, that all of them were doping. Fess up Carl.

As for Armstrong, never been a fan and always believed he was doping. He's also an ass, what a jerk. It's like he still doesn't get it.