scribe said:
I've got this feeling there was no limit to what he would have asked for. It's really difficult to sate some individuals under certain circumstances. I'm not convinced LA goes down for this, but we shall see. If he doesn't, it was a shrewd move and probably the last possible hurdle for him to get bagged himself.
Is there an alternate universe for doping apologists where the laws of physics and logic are different than the universe the rest of us reside in?
First off, the e-mails released by RS show that Kay and FLandis were looking for one big win so that Landis could leave the sport with his head held high. Even the Tour of California would have been sufficient. There is no evidence that Landis would ask for more. Even if he did then Armstrong and Bruyneel would be in the exact same position they were before giving Floyd a job; and Floyd would be in a much better financial position and have less reason to throw everyone, including his friends, under the bus.
Second, how can this be described as shrewd? Even if no prosecution against Armstrong or Bruyneel goes forward, FLandis' allegations will stick around forever. The mainstream media has already made an equivalence between Conseco and Landis. That is a simple explanation that is intuitive to all American sports fans. Sports Illustrated, the most influential American sports publication, is running stories about FLandis' allegations.
Every bit of evidence is cummulative. In 2012 or 2013, when Hamilton talks, the new information will fit together nicely with Flandis' information. Eventually riders like DZ will retire and not have a reason not to talk about Postal's doping program.
Armstrong could have easily prevented or delayed the Landis blow up. Even delaying it until he had retired for a second time would have reduced the volatility of the situation. As it is now, he is threating to beat up fans who call him out at races. He could have reduced his profile for a year or so and then blown off any allegations as something that happened a long time ago in a different era of cycling that is no longer relevant.
It was just plain stupid not to throw Flandis a bone when someone else is paying for that bone.