Lance appearing on Oprah next week

[trailrunner]

During the interview, Oprah will probably show some scenes of him powering up the mountains, doing a TT, hanging out with his family and handsome kids and beautiful celebrities, riding in Paris with the American flag, and a podium shot.

I want her to play the scene where he chased down Simeoni, and her to ask: "I want all the viewers to see this scene. For those of you who don't know about bike racing, this is late in the 2004 tour, and a second-tier rider name Simeoni is riding up the road, trying to get a bit of glory. He is no threat to Armstrong winning, and these types of things happen often in the later stages of a bike race. Usually the race leader, in this case Armstrong, let them ride away for most of the day's race since his spot is secure. But I want to show you this, because this is what went on behind the scenes, that most of the non-cycling public isn't aware of. Lance - is it true that you chased him down, and told him to zip his lips [show this scene] as an act of intimidation? Is it true that when he drifted back to the peleton, all the riders, which you effectively have control over through omerta, spit on him? [show this scene] Lance, have you no shame?"

This is what the general public NEEDS to see. LA the intimidating bullying a-hole. Instead of the women fawning over him, they would be disgusted, as they should be.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Looks like a shrink's consultation.

 

[TheEnoculator]

What do you think most likely Oprah will do to Armstrong? Coddle him gently and go after him full force?

 

[Tom375]

LMAO - His head should be in her lap though and she should be stroking in his hair - maybe a blood bag hanging from a coathanger on the wall..

 

[the asian]

Just another PR exercise for Wonderboy. At most, he will give a half arsed confession like Marion Jones.

Will claim that he didn't know he was injected EPO. It's all the doctor's fault

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Oprah's OWN network, and her own personal ratings have been a disappointment and on a slide ever since leaving her syndicated show that mostly appeared on NBC stations across the country.

She has an opportunity to make herself important again here, to put herself in the limelight. How? Start cramming, start with USADA's Reasoned Decision Then talk with Tygart. Talk with others prominent in cycling and know the case (oh, how about RR?!). Then when the interview happens, go Murrow, hard news on Lance, completely drop the hammer on him, pressure him and don't let up.

That would get some attention. That would get her ratings way up. It would get reported widely, and she has nothing to lose here.

Odds of it happening? Zero. She's stuck in the last millennium, and will view getting him to talk about doping a watershed, which it clearly is not.

 

[cineteq]

Apparently this interview has all been done.

RR said it, but I haven't seen any sources stating the interview has bee recorded already.

 

[Microchip]

This:

http://m.guardiannews.com/sport/blog/2013/jan/09/ten-questions-oprah-wilfrey-lance-armstrong

Spot on and hilarious

really funny!!!

 

[Willy_Voet]

Salvodelli is still owed money and has repeated it lots of times. I bet wonderboy and wonderhog kept lots of the prize money.

Cedric Vasseur, too.

 

[del1962]

Omerta Fotheringham 10 years too late.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/blog/2013/jan/09/ten-questions-oprah-winfrey-lance-armstrong

Acually some things Fotherington said in 2004

Lance Armstrong, showing all the diplomatic skills of a playground bully, stamped his authority on one of the rebels of the peloton, Filippo Simeoni, yesterday.

Armstrong said simply: "I was just protecting the interests of the peloton." If the common interest of the riders is that whistleblowers in drug trials are ostracised, perhaps he was but it is not a widely expressed sentiment among his fellows.

Source : 2004 Report

 

[Joachim]

I'm not sure I can bear to watch this.

 

[armchairclimber]

"Would you like to see an uplifting montage of slow-motion footage of you looking triumphant and sad, soundtracked by Love Lift Us Up Where We Belong by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes?"

 

[AngusW]

The interview is on Lance's turf, so Oprah plays by his rules.

Fat appearance fee in advance for exclusive "interview".

All her questions in advance. LA's PR team to edit questions, delete any hard questions and add more soft questions where applicable.

Lance's legal and PR teams have full editorial control of final "interview".

Flattering footage of Lance racing and Lance meeting cancer patients for Oprah to coo over just prior to commercial breaks.

Interview to be shot in Lance's basement room with his yellow jerseys displayed on the wall.

Lots of talk about his new book, co-authored by Sally Jenkins.

Special appearance by Sally Jenkins to talk about the book and how much she respects Lance, despite all the "rumours".

Special appearance by a cancer survivor who credits Lance with his/her survival.

Finally, flown in from Europe at Oprah's expense, three extra special guests.

5 time tour winner Miguel Indurain, to talk about how, for him, Lance is still the winner of those 7 tours.

5 time tour winner Eddy Merckx, to talk about how, for him, Lance is the best cyclist ever.

Disgraced former top rival but still likeable Jan Ullrich, to talk about how, for him, Lance was always the stronger rider when they raced. Jan will give Lance a big hug at the end of the "interview". Awwww!

Commercial breaks sponsored by Nike, Trek, Giro, Oakley and Michelob.

 

[Fatclimber]

I'm not sure I can bear to watch this.

Aw, come on. Of all the events we've witnessed in this circus called "pro cycling" and you're giving up now?

I'll reserve judgement on Oprah until after the show. Earlier she got mad as hell at some dude for embellishing his stories in a book she raved about. She got him back on the show and confronted him, transcript here:

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprahs-Questions-for-James

Oprah: Why did you lie? Why did you have to lie about the time you spent in jail? Why did you do that?

Oprah: I acted in defense of you and as I said, my judgment was clouded because so many people seemed to have gotten so much out of it. But now I feel that you conned us all. Do you?

Oprah: It's not sad for me. It's embarrassing and disappointing for me.

She is capable of being tough and asking the right questions, let's hope she does so.

 

[The_Z_man]

I doubt he can use the normal LieStrong talking points, but it would be hilarious if he went that route.

What I really think will happen is he "Isn't there to talk about the past." He gives some BS line about putting it all behind him. He doesn't say he did, or he didn't. All in all, I think it will be a waste of time.

 

[Joachim]

The man is mega-tough and I don't believe this will be on anything other than his terms. I just don't want to hear the disingenuiness and the mendacity and see Oprah acceding to it.

I'll be glad when all of this is over. Very few of the people involved on either side come out of this without some kind of unpleasant stain. Greg Lemond is an exception, but many of the others such as Hamilton and Landis are pretty odious.

 

[Microchip]

I wonder if the audience reaction will be from previous recordings.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Aw, come on. Of all the events we've witnessed in this circus called "pro cycling" and you're giving up now?

I'll reserve judgement on Oprah until after the show. ....
She is capable of being tough and asking the right questions, let's hope she does so.

As for the guy she tore into, the guy scuffed/dinged her brand. It was either that or worse, litigation, for the guy. So, he falls on his sword knowing in advance exactly what would happen.

I don't know how many of you know how these things work, but it's all loosely scripted. Wonderboy knows what she's going to ask in advance, probably in the order it will be asked. There's room for improvisation, but I don't see how that happens. If she wanted a show, she'd call Betsy to appear too. But, that's not how it will work.

There's plenty of material to rip Wonderboy a new you-know-what at her level of knowledge, but that's not what it is.

He will keep the lies up and has made some good money doing it. If it plays well, he'll probably do a few more and make good money doing so.

I promise it will be easily summarized in 10 words or less after the show. I fully expect it to be less suspenseful than the LeBron James show when he chose the Miami Heat.

 

[D-Queued]

Oprah's OWN network, and her own personal ratings have been a disappointment and on a slide ever since leaving her syndicated show that mostly appeared on NBC stations across the country.

She has an opportunity to make herself important again here, to put herself in the limelight. How? Start cramming, start with USADA's Reasoned Decision Then talk with Tygart. Talk with others prominent in cycling and know the case (oh, how about RR?!). Then when the interview happens, go Murrow, hard news on Lance, completely drop the hammer on him, pressure him and don't let up.

That would get some attention. That would get her ratings way up. It would get reported widely, and she has nothing to lose here.

Odds of it happening? Zero. She's stuck in the last millennium, and will view getting him to talk about doping a watershed, which it clearly is not.

Agree with your odds, and love the Murrow wishful thinking.

She is who she is, and that is the media definition of "Soft". Lance is who he is, and that is a hard sociopath.

The show cannot be more predictable.

Dave.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Oprah's OWN network, and her own personal ratings have been a disappointment and on a slide ever since leaving her syndicated show that mostly appeared on NBC stations across the country.
...

It's no longer a straight-across ratings race. Oprah is the perfect example of the current entertainment business model. Her viewers spend substantial sums of money based on her influence/recommendation/whatever. The name has value way, way above whatever ratings happen. More than 1 million viewers is huge in this climate anyway.

That would get some attention. That would get her ratings way up. It would get reported widely, and she has nothing to lose here.

Except that's not the deal Wonderboy will sign to do the show. He'd have to have done the deal ignoring absolutely everyone he asks/pays for guidance for this to happen.

 

[frenchfry]

It's the narrow eyes, close together that do it for me.

Someone on this forum mentioned before that in the animal kingdom the predators have eyes close together to home in on their prey whilst the nicer more friendly animals have their eyes spaced wider apart to survey the Savanah.

My eyes are very close together. This confirms that I am not a nice person.

Mostly it is very difficult to find glasses that work, most are far too wide.

 

[mewmewmew13]

My eyes are very close together. This confirms that I am not a nice person.

Mostly it is very difficult to find glasses that work, most are far too wide.

Lol..frenchfry that is prolly not the whole picture re wonderboy...his eyes are close-set, also tiny and beady like lizard eyes...as well as shifty!

 

[orbeas]

Lance Armstrong

will Phil Liggert anf Paul sherwin be flying onto the show from Africa ????

 

[trailrunner]

Oprah's OWN network, and her own personal ratings have been a disappointment and on a slide ever since leaving her syndicated show that mostly appeared on NBC stations across the country.

She has an opportunity to make herself important again here, to put herself in the limelight.

I disagree. Armstrong is going to try to reinvent himself to the mainstream, which is exactly the same market that Oprah taps in to.She has a lot to lose if she comes out aggressively. She is not Dan Rather - she is one of the feel-goods who bring fluff in to the world. Armstrong tapped into the same network with his Livestrong empire and all the products with the Livestrong logo. If she comes out an attacks Armstrong, all the feel-gooders will think she's a shrill going after a guy like Armstrong, who is basically nice but made a single bad decision (like all of us have done at one time) and who in fact is a victim - a victim! On the other hand, if she comes out soft, she will appeal to all the feel-gooders, and at the end of the show, everyone will feel like a slightly tragic situation has turned out for the better - he admitted his transgression (which weren't really his fault anyway, did no real harm (everyone else was doing it), had a positive benefit (his charity), and he was a victim after all), but now in front of Oprah he has promised to live a clean life (including endorsing a line of clean-living juices, exercise DVDs, and clothing, which you can buy by calling this 800 number), so life turned out well after all. We can all go to sleep feeling good about the world.

 

[ElChingon]

The other shows should line up anyone from the Reasoned Decision to be on their show for the review and or counter points.

David Letterman: Floyd Landis
Jimmy Kimmel: David Zabrinski
Jay Leno: Levi (boring show, boring guest)
ESPN's ex-Racist Commentator: Ricardo Ricco (not in RD but fits in)
...
...
Local Austin News Channel: Kevin Livingston