Betsy Andreu Appreciation Society

[eddiehawk]

28 of 132 teammates involved in doping - it looks bad and of course it is bad but I'm not sure that if you'd do a research on other riders from the nineties (ex Virenque, Beloki, Ullrich, Riis) I am afraid that it would look equally depressing.

I dont think for one second that Armstrong have competed clean all those years but I dont others from that era were any better.

This is absolutely no research, just a guess how many of the top 15 each year at the tour that's been doped:

1960 12 of 15
1975 8 of 15
1985 6 of 15
1990 7 of 15
1995 15 of 15
2000 15 of 15
2005 9 of 15
2009 2-3 of 15 (Astarloza and 1 or 2 others, take your pick)

 

[elizab]

What position do you think certain posters are dissenting from?

Come on Scribe - the mantra that I'm "jealous, hateful, bitter" yadda yadda yadda or that the hospital incident didn't happen, etc.

Great post Eddiehawk et al.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

But it would be perfectly natural to be annoyed with Lance for saying you misunderstood the incident and having to do that court case thing. Disputes are always bitter. What is so unusual about that? Yes you're having fun being a minor internet celeb who is cheered to the rafters by all Lance haters who are using you to get at him, but that doesn't change the fact you were upset with the whole thing.

Bitter:
Difficult or distasteful to accept, admit, or bear: the bitter truth; bitter sorrow.

Proceeding from or exhibiting strong animosity: a bitter struggle; bitter foes.

In your above comment you mention annoyed - that is a very different emotion than bitter - which is often used to describe Betsy.
I would assume Betsy is P'd off having to testify in the first place - and then having people bringing up irrelevant details.
If Betsy were to admit that she was P'd off, frustrated, even angry - so what?? What has that to do with what she and others heard in the Hospital?

Actually the word bitter might best be applied to LA - he might be bitter that Betsy has morals and integrity that cannot be smothered by intimidation or fear.

 

[Race Radio]

But it would be perfectly natural to be annoyed with Lance for saying you misunderstood the incident and having to do that court case thing. Disputes are always bitter. What is so unusual about that? Yes you're having fun being a minor internet celeb who is cheered to the rafters by all Lance haters who are using you to get at him, but that doesn't change the fact you were upset with the whole thing.

Your willingness to completely embarrass yourself in defending your man crush is impressive.

 

[Anonymous]

But it would be perfectly natural to be annoyed with Lance for saying you misunderstood the incident and having to do that court case thing. Disputes are always bitter. What is so unusual about that? Yes you're having fun being a minor internet celeb who is cheered to the rafters by all Lance haters who are using you to get at him, but that doesn't change the fact you were upset with the whole thing.

You are taking "yadda, yadda, yadda" to a new level.

I'm surprised you didn't refer to LA as "Him" instead of "him".

You are not having any luck with the "gotcha" strategy as Betsy is not going to take your bait so stop trying already.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

It's not that different an emotion. Usually this type of disagreement does result in some bitterness. That she has chosen to continue her campaign on the interest might also suggest bitterness...

Actually you raise an interesting point here- and indeed the above might be true.
But Lance and his supporters say that Betsy was bitter before testifying - which is a massive difference.

She hasn't chosen to continue her 'campaign' - when Sally Jenkins wrote the comments about her she responded - are people not entitled to defend their good name from someone who profits by writing books on LA?

 

[Deagol]

No gotcha strategy. Just being honest and not pretending she is a Jesus type figure as some here are doing. She's just an ordinary person.

You know, many die-hard Lance defenders act like he is Jesus..... Way more than anyone here has towards Betsy or anyone else for that matter.
And no, for the umpteinth time, we don't all hate him. Truth is, after reading the "defend Lance at any cost" posters around here after these few months, I am reminded of a bumper-sticker I have seen recetly:

DEAR GOD, PLEASE SAVE ME FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Books WITH LA.

Jenkins did not refer directly to Betsy from what I saw. Betsy was there in a flash to reprimand her though. She appears on the internet quite a lot to campaign against Lance. She is entitled to do what she wants, of course, I just don't buy all this integrity crap. I don't think this is the reason she does it.

You might want to get your eyes tested: this is Sallys first post in the comments box.

Hi there. It wasn’t Frankie Andreu who accused Lance, Frankie has never been his “primary accuser.” If memory serves, Frankie’s wife Betsy once said during a lawsuit Armstrong had filed to defend his name that she was in his hospital room during his cancer treatment when she heard him say something to his oncologist about drugs. The doctor flatly contradicted her and said no physician would have such a conversation in front of others. Also, no one else who was in the room has any such recollection, including Frankie. The jury ruled in favor of Armstrong to the tune of millions. Frankie has said he he believes his wife must have misunderstood something. Lance and Frankie were teammates for a long time, and as far as I know, Lance has always liked him. Does that pass as an insight?
Contador and Armstrong will play Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte in the mountains this weekend. Who pushes who down the stairs first?

 

[Digger]

Jenkins did not refer directly to Betsy from what I saw. Betsy was there in a flash to reprimand her though. She appears on the internet quite a lot to campaign against Lance. She is entitled to do what she wants, of course, I just don't buy all this integrity crap. I don't think this is the reason she does it.

The whole problem originated when the fiction writer Sally Jenkins said that Frankie Andreu had never admitted to hearing Lance telling Doctors he had used PEDs. The obvious implication being that Betsy was flying solo with her claim. However, Sally then admitted to the same interviewer that she had got that first claim completely wrong, but she waited until Betsy had quiet rightly corrected her, before this admittance.
BPC, what was wrong with that?

 

[scribe]

Come on Scribe - the mantra that I'm "jealous, hateful, bitter" yadda yadda yadda or that the hospital incident didn't happen, etc.

Great post Eddiehawk et al.

Maybe I am missing something, but have yet to see, in this forum, anyone who claims the hospital incident with you didn't happen.

 

[Digger]

Maybe I am missing something, but have yet to see, in this forum, anyone who claims the hospital incident with you didn't happen.

Doesn't stop the sniping from you and BPC

 

[scribe]

Doesn't stop the sniping from you and BPC

Thanks for your usual contribution. But let's not forget, BA is strong, she speak for herself.

 

[pmcg76]

No gotcha strategy. Just being honest and not pretending she is a Jesus type figure as some here are doing. She's just an ordinary person.

,

Having read all your posts, its surreal your mindset. Even ScottSoCal who usually defends Lance disagrees with you on this subject.

Why is it anyone who speaks against Lance is out to gain fame or something, thats just ridiculous, plus this is a very ironic statement as I have never seen another cyclist who seeks fame and attention like Lance other than maybe Cipo. Questioning Lance is more likely to bring more problems on somebody than fame, especially an ordinary member of joe public. Fair play to Betsy Andreu for always sticking to her story.

It reminds me of the poster who once claimed Filippo Simeoni was attacking in the Tour de France to gain notoriety by having Lance chase him down!!! imagine a cyclist trying to gain fame by trying to win a stage at the Tour, the cheek.

I think it was Jackhammer which raises another question which has been discussed elsewhere, is he still around. Seems like it.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Maybe I am missing something, but have yet to see, in this forum, anyone who claims the hospital incident with you didn't happen.

So if we all agree that it happened the way the Andreus said, is your only problem that she didn't have the "guts" to lie? Like everyone else around LA seems to be able to.

 

[Cobber]

You know, many die-hard Lance defenders act like he is Jesus..... Way more than anyone here has towards Betsy or anyone else for that matter.
And no, for the umpteinth time, we don't all hate him. Truth is, after reading the "defend Lance at any cost" posters around here after these few months, I am reminded of a bumper-sticker I have seen recetly:

DEAR GOD, PLEASE SAVE ME FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS

I have that bumper sticker! Well, it says - "God, protect me from your followers"

 

[Hugh Januss]

I have that bumper sticker! Well, it says - "God, protect me from your followers"

I want one, where did you get it?

 

[Digger]

Thanks for your usual contribution. But let's not forget, BA is strong, she speak for herself.

So you believing it's Betsy? Because it seems to change daily with you.

 

[Digger]

Yes she does mention her. But it's hardly calling her a liar. She just says she misheard. That's why it's a little strange that people keep going on about Betsy dending her integrity.

 

[Cobber]

I want one, where did you get it?

I got it from "Junkman's Daughter", a store in Atlanta. I did a quick search on Google Shopping and found an online retailer.

http://www.stickergiant.com/god-protect-me_b5811.html

 

[Race Radio]

Yes she does mention her. But it's hardly calling her a liar. She just says she misheard. That's why it's a little strange that people keep going on about Betsy dending her integrity.

RIGHT....no body has EVER questioned her integrity.

You need to work on some new shtick, this one is tired.

 

[Digger]

But where are all these mythical Armstrong defenders who wont have a word said against them? I haven't come across them. On the contrary, it's the completely irrational stance taken by so many of his critics that makes one want to back Armstrong more strongly. Check out the threads on this site. Yes we know he doped at one point, like everybody else did, but the strong impression you often get from the posts here is he was the only one who did it.

Aside from so many other things, what's your opinion on him bullying clean riders?

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Maybe I am missing something, but have yet to see, in this forum, anyone who claims the hospital incident with you didn't happen.

I assume what Betsy is saying here is her recollection of events at the Hospital.

Many posters on the other thread tried to dismiss what Betsy heard.

Also it should be noted this is what Lance said during his testimony-

Q Okay. Do you have any recollection while these individuals [the visitors] were there that a Doctor or Doctors came into the room and discussed with you your medical treatment or your condition?

LA "Abolutley not"

Q Okay.

LA "That didn't happen"

 

[Digger]

I assume what Betsy is saying here is her recollection of events at the Hospital.

Many posters on the other thread tried to dismiss what Betsy heard.

Also it should be noted this is what Lance said during his testimony-

Q Okay. Do you have any recollection while these individuals [the visitors] were there that a Doctor or Doctors came into the room and discussed with you your medical treatment or your condition?

LA "Abolutley not"

Q Okay.

LA "That didn't happen"

Dr, you're sport on here. But what is also interesting is what Lance's lawyer said about it. Lance said the above. Meanwhile, his lawyer said something entirely different, that there were doctors in the room with all these people present, but what Betsy heard was the cancer treatment drugs which he was to start taking. The only side where the story has never varied one jot is from Betsy, Stephanie and Frankie.
So

 

[Digger]

Haven't seen anybody question her integrity from my time on here. Maybe they all left just before I got here, but I can't think of any. The people that have a downer on her don't like the manner in which she relayed a private hospital conversation from a guy who was on his death bed, and has since fully joined up to the anti Armstrong crowd on the internet. That's where the problem is, not integrity. I in particular have a problem with this notion.

Look in the mirror. From your good self yesterday.

"I know you are obviously very bitter at Armstrong because of this court case thing".

 

[Digger]

I've never seen Betsy explain why she was in the room when such sensitive conversations were taking place. What's her theory on that?

Visiting - as happens at hospitals every day. As were all the other people present.
It was a teaching Hospital so there were doctors coming in and out every day. She asked Frankie if they should leave, when the doctors came in, as she felt that it was inappropriate for them all to be there. But Lance said that he was cool with everyone's presence, and Frankie reassured her that it was in fact okay to stay.