Is Walsh on the Sky bandwagon?

[The Hitch]

Emma O'Reilly strikes me as a very impressive person. And its quite telling that out of this whole sordid affair Walsh is starting to look worse than Armstrong ever did. I look forward to reading her book.

That's taking things a little bit far.

 

[elduggo]

Are you serious? I understand that his failure to deliver the goods on Team Sky might piss you off, and that's fair enough - but he's worse than Armstrong?? - as in the Armstrong who 'dealt' with Simeone, Bassons, Betsy, Emma herself (I don't recall Walsh calling her a 'whore', for example), Hamilton's missus?? And who made millions upon millions doing it??

Really?? That seems a fairly stunning lack of perspective, man.

well I meant it in terms of Emma O'Reilly really. She had issues with both Armstrong and Walsh. But, now she has a 'human' relationship with Armstrong. Not so with Walsh, man.

QED

 

[thrawn]

well I meant it in terms of Emma O'Reilly really. She had issues with both Armstrong and Walsh. But, now she has a 'human' relationship with Armstrong. Not so with Walsh, man.

QED

Probably because she had a much closer relationship to Lance than Walsh.

 

[elduggo]

Probably because she had a much closer relationship to Lance than Walsh.

yeah, could be that, or could be that Walsh just isn't a very nice person. Worse even than, say, Lance.

 

[Pack Fodder]

yeah, could be that, or could be that Walsh just isn't a very nice person. Worse even than, say, Lance.

Worse than calling your former friend and colleague a whore? Worse than running a clean rider out of the peleton? Worse than phone harrassment and implied threats to women to keep their husbands' mouths shut?

Yes, indeed, serious perspective fail.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Walsh effectively made himself thanks to info from Emma, right? Wasn't it the interview that led to her being labeled all those things?

 

[Spencer the Half Wit]

yeah, could be that, or could be that Walsh just isn't a very nice person. Worse even than, say, Lance.

Think we've just found the cycling equivalent to Godwin's Law

 

[elduggo]

Worse than calling your former friend and colleague a whore? Worse than running a clean rider out of the peleton? Worse than phone harrassment and implied threats to women to keep their husbands' mouths shut?

Yes, indeed, serious perspective fail.

but she forgave him (at least enough to be on 'human' terms with him now). But, you know, didn't forgive Walsh. What does that tell you?

 

[elduggo]

Walsh effectively made himself thanks to info from Emma, right? Wasn't it the interview that led to her being labeled all those things?

right, and led to all the legal threats, etc.

thanks a bunch David.

 

[the sceptic]

David Walsh ‏@DavidWalshST

The news about Kreuziger and Impey is disturbing. But, as always, better the ugly truth than the beautiful lie.

Walsh still dreaming big

 

[Pack Fodder]

Walsh effectively made himself thanks to info from Emma, right? Wasn't it the interview that led to her being labeled all those things?

Are you seriously trying to argue that Walsh bares responsiblity for what Armstrong says about people telling the truth about him? Are you seriously backing up eldruggo' srgument on this?

I understand the backlash given people's views on Sky, it colours everything else they think about people like Walsh, and Vaughters and whoever, that's fine, but some of the rewriting of history is utterly, utterly bizarre, particularly in this instance.

 

[Pack Fodder]

but she forgave him (at least enough to be on 'human' terms with him now). But, you know, didn't forgive Walsh. What does that tell you?

That Armstrong went on a post-Oprah 'redemption' tour after his utter and complete public humiliation (see also Andreau, Betsy) and as part of it, turned on the charm to O'Reilly, who seems to have fallen for it - good for her, by the way, as long as she gets to feel better, who cares?

Whereas Walsh, not having need for a 'redemption' tour, got on wth his career? That however much the outcome was unfortunate for O'Reilly, the cause and source of that misfortune was, fundamentally, Lance, not Walsh.

I have to state quite frankly, that I'm having real difficulty accepting you truly believe this nonsense, and that it isn't just a cheap trolling attempt. It's bizarre to the point of incredible.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Are you seriously trying to argue that Walsh bares responsiblity for what Armstrong says about people telling the truth about him? Are you seriously backing up eldruggo' srgument on this?

I understand the backlash given people's views on Sky, it colours everything else they think about people like Walsh, and Vaughters and whoever, that's fine, but some of the rewriting of history is utterly, utterly bizarre, particularly in this instance.

Bears? Responsibility for what?

I asked a question. I am not 100% sure. Hence the ", right?' If I am wrong, tell me, I can take it. Unlike some I am happy to admit mistakes and learn.

But if you don't know, try to put a lid on the righteous indignation for a bit and see if you can confirm either way.

When it comes to what Emma went through I am leaning towards trusting her account of things vs someone like Walsh who clearly has an anti-Armstrong vendetta and probably happy to go after that story regardless of the cost. Something Emma alludes to in her recent book, right?

When he got his info, did David go to the authorities? Were there any? Did his publishing of interviews actually have any impact whatsoever?

I am guessing no - coz nothing happened. USADA and the reasoned decision would have happened thanks to Floyd even if you removed all of Walsh's guff, right? That's a question, and I am happy for speculative responses, naturally.

So you have someone who is conducting interviews with honest people, and the nett result is an increase in cache for him, and significant decrease in cache for Emma et al. And Lance continues on his merry way.

Feel free to point out the errors I am making, but that's how I see it.

 

[elduggo]

That however much the outcome was unfortunate for O'Reilly, the cause and source of that misfortune was, fundamentally, Lance, not Walsh.

thats a very simplistic way of looking at it. I consider the following;

Ironically, given Walsh’s depiction of himself as the white knight in the battle against the demon king Armstrong, the journalist comes out of her story poorly; O’Reilly ended up feeling that she had turned into a pawn in his campaign. She writes of Walsh: “He’d hung me out to dry – but worse than that, the publisher had even openly warned him of the impact this would have on my life and had recommended proper support. Something I feel I never got.” When Walsh later refers to the initial interview he did with her as “his Christmas”, O’Reilly rolls her eyes and thinks: “Yes David, your Christmas was at my expense.”

in the context of this being the story that made Walsh's name, and draw my opinion from that. It was self-serving, it was exploitative and it was disgusting.

And I do believe it. I have personal experience of Walsh and of how he shows little regard for those that may need to face consequences for things he writes.

 

[thehog]

Walsh still dreaming big

That is truly awesome! I love it!

 

[Dear Wiggo]

So you have someone who is conducting interviews with honest people, and the nett result is an increase in cache for him, and significant decrease in cache for Emma et al. And Lance continues on his merry way.

Still more chaotic is the legal fallout from the interview she gave to Walsh in 2003, which formed the central element in his and Pierre Ballester’s book LA Confidential, the beginning of the lengthy process ending in Armstrong’s unveiling by the US Anti-Doping Agency. The picture is one of constant legal wrangling, in which she was “trapped by egos on all sides: Lance, David, the lawyers, all trying to outsmart, argue against, influence and control each other while I was stuck in the middle of it. It was insane”

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/02/emma-o-reilly-lance-armstrong-cyclist-doping

 

[mewmewmew13]

That's taking things a little bit far.

You are right Hitchey! there are a lot of characters in this play..we shouldn't judge so harshly.
Remember Emma is also writing her story for money..at least it must be a partial factor...and now she is on Armstrong's team.

There are a lot of interplaying stories here

 

[Dear Wiggo]

You are right Hitchey! there are a lot of characters in this play..we shouldn't judge so harshly.
Remember Emma is also writing her story for money..at least it must be a partial factor...and now she is on Armstrong's team.

There are a lot of interplaying stories here

On Armstrong's team? If I don't hate Armstrong does that mean I am on his team as well?

 

[mewmewmew13]

On Armstrong's team? If I don't hate Armstrong does that mean I am on his team as well?

keep up
don't attack

 

[del1962]

OK for one minute lets put Walsh aside

In the guardian article Fotheringham says along with Walsh and Armstrong, that Tyler Hamilton and Bassons are also self serving in their books, but Emma isn't.

Why has he had a dig at Bassons?

Cycling’s lengthy battle with its doping demons has led to the emergence of a surprising variety of personal memoirs, but most have one thing in common: to a greater or lesser extent they are self-serving, with the writer – be it David Walsh, Lance Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton or Christophe Bassons – pushing an agenda of their own, either from the view of the campaigner, or the insider seeking to restore his reputation.

 

[TailWindHome]

Lance Armstrong ‏@lancearmstrong · 8m
Best wishes to @Emma_OReilly for her book launch today. I was honored and humbled that she asked me to write the forward. #theracetotruth

 

[the sceptic]

Lance Armstrong ‏@lancearmstrong · 8m
Best wishes to @Emma_OReilly for her book launch today. I was honored and humbled that she asked me to write the forward. #theracetotruth

Lance becoming more likable than Walsh.. Wouldnt have guessed it.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

keep up
don't attack

Attack? I am asking a question.

I have not understood the hate Race Radio has for Lance Armstrong. I must have missed some back story or something there.

Can you explain how Emma is on Lance's team? Did I miss her saying something obvious?

All I have read is she considers Lance a friend.

If that's not keeping up, I am not sure I understand.

Would prefer an unambiguous response, but understand that openly not hating Lance is a very unpopular stance here.

 

[TailWindHome]

Lance becoming more likable than Walsh.. Wouldnt have guessed it.

A lot of PR work has gone into that.
It's worked on some obviously.

 

[thehog]

Sadly the Hawaiian shirts have gone. Walsh has gone up a pay grade.

He certainly just writes whatever he feels provides the next paycheck.

I think the comparison to Lance is fair from the point of view that both Walsh and Lance say whatever provides them a payday. And whomever gets squeezed in between is collateral damage.

I don't think they were saying Walsh "is" Lance Armstrong. Just that he behaves the same in certain situations.

I mean you have to admit "Inside Sky" & "The Climb" is not far off "It's not about the Bike" & "Every Second Counts".