Official Lance Armstrong Thread: Part 3 (Post-Confession)

[9000ft]

I heart the clinic, especially when the subject is Lance Armstrong. He just seems to bring out the best in people

 

[D-Queued]

you couldn't make it up.

then to realize that that bit about lance being an atheist is preceded by this:

"Lance is a symbol of all that is wrong in sports and in our society

macur fail

I get your point, and am surprised by the atheist bit as well.

Actually, however, if you read that line from Macur as statement of fact rather than as her conclusion, then it reads pretty accurately.

It would be really hard to argue the converse; that Lance is not seen by a number of people as a symbol of all that is wrong in sports and in our society.*

Moreover, in large segments of US society, even the bit about being an atheist is likely seen as a serious character flaw.

Remember, this is someone who once voiced aspirations to become Governor of Texas.

Some Texans might care about that stuff.

And, some Texans might even connect the two concepts.

*I have long argued that Lance was the symbol of success through doping in cycling and that unless he was pursued and dealt with, you could never hope to address doping in cycling. This may not be all sport, but that is still a very broad characterization. Again, however, I think that it was a reasonable statement of fact even if it was conclusion.

Dave.

 

[86TDFWinner]

So true, Mike. Lance is not intelligent, brilliant or smart. He surrounded himself with smart e.g. Stapleton, highly intelligent with no moral compass, the mastermind behind lance. Now that they've left him we see the daft ignorant guy for what he really is - daft and ignorant. The evil and mean which instilled fear in the past is no longer considered such a brilliant tactic mistaken for smarts.

DW, get back to work!

Exactly!!!

 

[86TDFWinner]

Wonder what will happen when those two guys start playing for the other team?

LOL, Wouldn't that be hilarious. Wonderboys so stupid, he'd probably try suing them too, or something like that.

 

[MonkeyFace]

Sorry, but I disagree. He's astonishingly simple minded.
Stapleton, on the other hand, is intelligent. A truly objectionable waste of DNA and space, but not stupid.
Knaggs--also possesses a light that burns brightly in his noggin.

The trio were doomed to fail. Two smart guys put all of their money on a half-wit horse--half-way to gelding--who cannot be controlled nor counselled, and who has a mouth and ego the size of the state where he was born. Sadly, the half gelding's IQ is more the size of Lichtenstein than Texas.

It's a wonderful tragedy of hubris, greed, incompetence, and overmisunderestimation of the collectivity stupidity of the U.S. Government.

Purely, my assessment.

Love,
Mike

Lance Armstrong is a wet noodle when he doesn't have his entourage supporting him. He is about as intelligent as a poker buddy who goes all in everytime with a rigged deck. Take away the rigged deck and your poker buddy looks like a clueless idiot. The guy knows more about a very narrow subject than most but that isn't intelligence. I have a friend who knows the words to every single Gaga song but no one would claim that is a sign of intelligence. Lance has made almost every possible mistake you could
make. Not giving Landis a job. Not working with Travis in exchange for a slap on the wrist. Bleeding money on lawsuits that just should be settled. Terrible Oprah "confession". Forcing your foundation to force you out. Try to get politicians to clip the wings of the USADA. Trying to intimidate a federal witness. Joining unsanctioned athletic events to somehow show people what? Antagonizing Landis to the point that he files a whistleblower lawsuit against you with the help of the federal government. It just goes on and on. If you want to talk about a smart doper, Indurian, comes to mind. He was on the gear and never took things to such a stupid level. Lance has a bad hand that he should have just folded on long ago.

 

[mewmewmew13]

And kale might be poisonous!

Let me get in touch with the merch director at Andreu Strategies. I think a jersey might be better.

oh for sure!
maybe a chicken leg on the back

 

[Race Radio]

more evidence that Lance is the work of satan.

Ahhh, the latest talking point is Travis is a religious nut. You should have linked the entire article.

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/...r_who_took_down_lance_armstrong_is_on_a_missi

 

[Scott SoCal]

It's All Betsy's Fault

I want my T-shirt

Done.

 

[Race Radio]

Done.

Order some XXXLs for Boss. Hopefully someday she will be able to wear T-Shirt's..... right now she is stuck in her Muumuu phase

 

[DirtyWorks]

oh for sure!
maybe a chicken leg on the back

I think maybe a whole roasted chicken. Roasted pig maybe?

Betsy, what do you think?

 

[mewmewmew13]

I'd love to see the temper tantrum that ensues when Mr Gunderson realises he's been sold down the river.
Or maybe it's already happened. Remember--no honour among thieves.

I'm investing in the popcorn market.

the late show hasn't started yet

 

[mewmewmew13]

Order some XXXLs for Boss. Hopefully someday she will be able to wear T-Shirt's..... right now she is stuck in her Muumuu phase

Black has a slimming effect

 

[Race Radio]

Or maybe it's already happened. Remember--no honour among thieves.

........maybe

 

[mewmewmew13]

........maybe

hopefully there are photos

 

[blackcat]

Lance has made almost every possible mistake you could
make. Not giving Landis a job. Not working with Travis in exchange for a slap on the wrist. Bleeding money on lawsuits that just should be settled. Terrible Oprah "confession".

i dunno about that Oprah confession, i thought it was quite the success. atleast he did not call andreu fat.



asterisk might have to add an "a" into the spelling there.

 

[blackcat]

Order some XXXLs for Boss. Hopefully someday she will be able to wear T-Shirt's..... right now she is stuck in her Muumuu phase

needs to solve the dyslexia first and settle on the spelling of the surname.

a or no a. merely the e, or the ea, or the eau. kramer with an e kramar with an a.

 

[Archibald]

Sorry, but I disagree. He's astonishingly simple minded.
Stapleton, on the other hand, is intelligent. A truly objectionable waste of DNA and space, but not stupid.
Knaggs--also possesses a light that burns brightly in his noggin.

The trio were doomed to fail. Two smart guys put all of their money on a half-wit horse--half-way to gelding--who cannot be controlled nor counselled, and who has a mouth and ego the size of the state where he was born. Sadly, the half gelding's IQ is more the size of Lichtenstein than Texas.

It's a wonderful tragedy of hubris, greed, incompetence, and overmisunderestimation of the collectivity stupidity of the U.S. Government.

Purely, my assessment.

Love,
Mike

kind of like Fozzie Bear taking over the Muppet Show from Jim Henson and Frank Oz, then going full *** meglomaniac on them all.

 

[sniper]

Ahhh, the latest talking point is Travis is a religious nut. You should have linked the entire article.

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/...r_who_took_down_lance_armstrong_is_on_a_missi

the tone of the article certainly doesn't help me increase my respect for Tygart.
the religious metaphors in that article are pretty hard to digest.

and let's be real, how is Tygart 'on a mission to end cheating'?
I don't see him chasing the US members of the propeloton?
Not to mention he's personally vouched for the truthfulness of Leipheimer's, and Garmin's including Hesjedal's affidavits (although he doesn't even have jurisdiction over Hesjedal), but let's face it you have to be pretty darn gullible to believe those affidavits where truthful.

Great mission.

 

[sniper]

I get your point, and am surprised by the atheist bit as well.

Actually, however, if you read that line from Macur as statement of fact rather than as her conclusion, then it reads pretty accurately.

It would be really hard to argue the converse; that Lance is not seen by a number of people as a symbol of all that is wrong in sports and in our society.*

Moreover, in large segments of US society, even the bit about being an atheist is likely seen as a serious character flaw.

Remember, this is someone who once voiced aspirations to become Governor of Texas.

Some Texans might care about that stuff.

And, some Texans might even connect the two concepts.

*I have long argued that Lance was the symbol of success through doping in cycling and that unless he was pursued and dealt with, you could never hope to address doping in cycling. This may not be all sport, but that is still a very broad characterization. Again, however, I think that it was a reasonable statement of fact even if it was conclusion.

Dave.

If Macur would have phrased it like that I would indeed have been perfectly ok with it.
The way it reads now is as if it is her opinion that atheists form part of 'what is wrong with society'.
It could be about the way the article is written, so I have to be careful here.
But if she did say it like that, I think it's a faux-pas. You can't say that kind of stuff as a New York Times journalist.

 

[frenchfry]

John Cleese sums up the situation (with video):

“The problem with people like this is that they are so stupid that they have no idea how stupid they are. You see, if you’re very, very stupid, how can you possibly realize that you’re very, very stupid, you’d have to be relatively intelligent to realize how stupid you are.”

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/john_cleese_fox_news_viewers_are_too_stupid

 

[86TDFWinner]

Order some XXXLs for Boss. Hopefully someday she will be able to wear T-Shirt's..... right now she is stuck in her Muumuu phase

LOL, I think she'll like these. LMAO

 

[sniper]

Careful...as while he is a lot of things that rank as undesirable, I assure you unintelligent isn't one of them. But of course, being intelligent and being smart are very, very different things...

from what i've seen/heard, i'd go with this view as well.
intelligent, yes (at least compared to the gist of procyclists out there).
smart, less so.

 

[86TDFWinner]

John Cleese sums up the situation (with video):

“The problem with people like this is that they are so stupid that they have no idea how stupid they are. You see, if you’re very, very stupid, how can you possibly realize that you’re very, very stupid, you’d have to be relatively intelligent to realize how stupid you are.”

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/john_cleese_fox_news_viewers_are_too_stupid

Hahahahahahaha, You gotta love JC

 

[sniper]

John Cleese sums up the situation (with video):

“The problem with people like this is that they are so stupid that they have no idea how stupid they are. You see, if you’re very, very stupid, how can you possibly realize that you’re very, very stupid, you’d have to be relatively intelligent to realize how stupid you are.”

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/john_cleese_fox_news_viewers_are_too_stupid

knowing Cleese, by 'people like this' he's more likely to refer to Tygart than to Lance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl8acXl3qVs

 

[Race Radio]

the tone of the article certainly doesn't help me increase my respect for Tygart.
the religious metaphors in that article are pretty hard to digest.

and let's be real, how is Tygart 'on a mission to end cheating'?
I don't see him chasing the US members of the propeloton?
Not to mention he's personally vouched for the truthfulness of Leipheimer's, and Garmin's including Hesjedal's affidavits (although he doesn't even have jurisdiction over Hesjedal), but let's face it you have to be pretty darn gullible to believe those affidavits where truthful.

Great mission.

USADA did close to 2,000 tests last year. While guys like Horner were clearly target tested cycling is not their only job. I think it is great that Salazar's runners are also targeted. Rupp was tested 19 times in 6 months. Swimmers like Phelps, Franklin, Lochte....all target tested.

Ryder's affidavit does not exist. I share your frustration on Levi, George, etc. I don't believe Levi stopped doping in 2008 or George in 2006. These guys did pretty much everything lance did and walked with little consequence.

It sucks, but those are the rules. USADA did not give them a special deal as the WADA code clearly spells out 6 month. Lance could have got the same deal. The positive part of deals like this is they break the Omerta. They expose the Doctors and DS' that run these programs. The result is guys like Cassoni and Santuccione are pushed from the sport. Lienders is facing jail time. Teams administered programs are rare because the risk is too high.

After a steady stream of organized doping programs (Festina, USPS, Oil for Drugs, Puerto, Humaplasma, Mantova, etc) what have we seen in the last 3-4 years? Riders willingness to flip, coupled with enforcement, is part of the reason.

The religious angle is just that, an angle. Lance pushes it as it paints Travis as motivated by lance being an atheist. Reporters like it as they think it adds context to a story. In the end it is nothing more then a talking point.