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

[Benotti69]

In the mercenary corporate environment that Armstrong lived in, what matters more than any one man is the corporation. And the corporation is a self-perpetuating, whirling dervish of ingrained administrative corruption that feeds on itself and the sport like a zombie plague. And it must continue to do so or it will die.

This is why Pat McQuaid is campaigning for another term as UCI president on the basis of what he thinks is a job well done on the doping front. He actually believes this in his cynical, hypocritical, heart of hearts.

As the figurehead of the corporate entity that represents all that is wrong with cycling, he will never willingly step down nor admit any semblance of incompetence, corruption, or collusion with Armstrong and Bruyneel.

For some reason, and I have no idea why, Armstrong chose not to throw the UCI under the bus. He could have saved himself, but he didn't. For all of his brash bravado and disingenuous posturing, he went down by himself, and is now standing on the outside looking in. Meanwhile his boys "Fat" Pat and Hein Verbruggen go on as if it's business as usual.

Armstrong is left to flail against the virtual "echo chambers" he believes played a role in his downfall, while impotently calling for some face-saving truth and reconciliation panel that will never materialize.

Having on online panel discussion with Betsy, Jonathan, and whomever else will amount to nothing but another in a long line of failed PR stunts that will get him nowhere.

Trying to remain relevant in the public sphere without coming totally and completely clean isn't going to work. See the fallout from the Oprah interview. Armstrong has to expose Dr. Ferrari, the UCI, and the whole drug network in which he was a major player. Why he won't is somewhat of a mystery.

Maybe it's because, like a true bully, he only enjoys picking on people he knows can't and/or won't fight back. A true punk.

He still hoped to come out of it smelling of roses and is still trying.

He is now hoping that a T&R would show how many were doping and he could say that everyone was at it so it was a level field and he was still the best while telling a few tales to some T&R and getting back into whatever small town competition will let him enter to get some free publicity for their little event.

Aint going to happen.

 

[Oldman]

I don't think you can separate the two right now. He can't possibly take the risk of trying to heal the personal wounds he inflicted until his legal issues are resolved. I don't dispute that they are separate problems but the solutions are entangled.

Any full disclosure would involve Stapleton, Ochwicz and, above all; TW. He'd have a red target dot on his forehead before he could get the words out and he knows it.

 

[JRTinMA]

Armstrong is the one guy in this world that can remove McQuaid from the top of cycling. He knows everything and if he talks the federations will mobilize and get rid of FatPat. If he doesn't talk the Swiss and Irish will grumble a little and McQuaid will be reappointed.

 

[Fortyninefourteen]

Not sure McQuaid was in on the dealings. Verdruggen was for sure but he has moved on. McQuaid has a huge re-appointment boner right now and is taunting LA because he can. And McQuaid's contestations about the Peurto blood bags is strictly showmanship. Like WWF wrestlers groaning about the ref's.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Armstrong is the one guy in this world that can remove McQuaid from the top of cycling. He knows everything and if he talks the federations will mobilize and get rid of FatPat. If he doesn't talk the Swiss and Irish will grumble a little and McQuaid will be reappointed.

Sure, but then why wait?
If LA did disclose everything & McQ fell because of it then it would be a good move by LA.
The oddity is that the same cycling community that have been against LA so long would be the first to recognize what he has done.
He was a large part of a system that deceived the public, facilitated by the UCI - by exposing it would show his true role.

But he would want to hurry, McQ is in big trouble, no point telling a story when it's already old news.

 

[cathulu]

Yes, and I don't think toppling or grieviously wounding McQuaid and Verbruggen would impact Armstrong's ongoing lawsuits - the damage there is already wrought.

Whereas before Armstrong seized opportunity by any means possible or legal, now he seems willing to let whatever opportunity to somewhat rehabilitate his image dwindle away. Strange.

There will be nothing to Armstrong in the end - a sad half empty sack staring at the pool.

 

[Fortyninefourteen]

Yes, and I don't think toppling or grieviously wounding McQuaid and Verbruggen would impact Armstrong's ongoing lawsuits - the damage there is already wrought.

Whereas before Armstrong seized opportunity by any means possible or legal, now he seems willing to let whatever opportunity to somewhat rehabilitate his image dwindle away. Strange.

There will be nothing to Armstrong in the end - a sad half empty sack staring at the pool.

No pun intended....

 

[BigClinicIsGoingToJail]

Yes he can. I've seen it done. It does limit what you can do, but it does not foreclose the process completely, and not meeting with Betsy was the wrong thing to do.

She tried to lose him $6 million back in the day. Now he's losing $12 million in large part over her. Unless she is willing to meet him half way and admit it was a crappy thing for her to do, why should he meet her?

Remember even Hamilton says Betsy has the same personality as Lance.

 

[BigClinicIsGoingToJail]

Sure, but then why wait?
If LA did disclose everything & McQ fell because of it then it would be a good move by LA.
The oddity is that the same cycling community that have been against LA so long would be the first to recognize what he has done.
He was a large part of a system that deceived the public, facilitated by the UCI - by exposing it would show his true role.

But he would want to hurry, McQ is in big trouble, no point telling a story when it's already old news.

I believe Lance is more interested in laying out the wider truth about his era of the sport over spiteful vendettas against individuals.

 

[Random Direction]

Ha ha ha (10 chars)

 

[Huckleberry]

One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.
The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back.

Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.

"Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"

"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly.

"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!"

Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. "What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!"

"This is true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!"

"Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said the frog.

"Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!"

So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.

Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.

"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"

The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back.

"I could not help myself. It is my nature."

Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.




Armstrong is just like the scorpion........only fools would expect anything else from him..........

 

[thehog]

One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.
The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back.

Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.

"Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"

"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly.

"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!"

Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. "What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!"

"This is true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!"

"Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said the frog.

"Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!"

So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.

Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.

"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"

The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back.

"I could not help myself. It is my nature."

Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.




Armstrong is just like the scorpion........only fools would expect anything else from him..........

You need to watch the film the Crying Game.

Which this story plays out.

Brilliant movie.

 

[frenchfry]

I believe Lance is more interested in laying out the wider truth about his era of the sport over spiteful vendettas against individuals.

Indeed, the "wider truth" has always been an Armstrong trademark.

Spiteful vendettas, never. Just ask Betsy, Emma, Mike, Frankie, Walsh, Kimmage, .... Lancey-poo is all about the truth and only the truth.

 

[Race Radio]

She tried to lose him $6 million back in the day. Now he's losing $12 million in large part over her.

Really? Betsy forced lance to dope and lie under oath?

She is far more powerful then we all thought

 

[blackcat]

Armstrong never gave a damn about the sport. He only entered the sport as he could make more money than competing in triathlons.

this would be right. and it was not like he just started doping in cycling. triathlon is where it would have started (for mine)

 

[Fortyninefourteen]

She tried to lose him $6 million back in the day. Now he's losing $12 million in large part over her. Unless she is willing to meet him half way and admit it was a crappy thing for her to do, why should he meet her?

Remember even Hamilton says Betsy has the same personality as Lance.

#clueless.

 

[eleven]

Trying to remain relevant in the public sphere without coming totally and completely clean isn't going to work. See the fallout from the Oprah interview. Armstrong has to expose Dr. Ferrari, the UCI, and the whole drug network in which he was a major player. Why he won't is somewhat of a mystery.

Is that really a mystery? I don't think it is. The problem is that whatever "totally and completely clean" would entail, people wouldn't believe it. If he doesn't say, for instance, that his TdS test was a positive and got covered up, no one within this community will accept it. Except, there's some reason to believe it's the truth. But it won't matter.

He has put himself in a place where even a 100% true version of events would not suffice and would not be accepted. That's what he's created.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

She tried to lose him $6 million back in the day. Now he's losing $12 million in large part over her. Unless she is willing to meet him half way and admit it was a crappy thing for her to do, why should he meet her?

Remember even Hamilton says Betsy has the same personality as Lance.

Troll fail. Can't stay away after being banned multiple times, can you?

 

[Semper Fidelis]

She tried to lose him $6 million back in the day. Now he's losing $12 million in large part over her. Unless she is willing to meet him half way and admit it was a crappy thing for her to do, why should he meet her?

Remember even Hamilton says Betsy has the same personality as Lance.

Hamilton said what now?

 

[blackcat]

Hamilton said what now?

he denied he ever had a lovers tryst with Whareagle i think you will find glenn.

 

[Bosco10]

I get the feeling that Lance is old news with the general public. All the sensation from months ago is now gone with the wind. He confessed, and that's pretty much it... just another doper-liar who had more than his 15 minutes of fame. What do you think?

 

[Semper Fidelis]

he denied he ever had a lovers tryst with Whareagle i think you will find glenn.

Ok well that clears it up.

Whareagle wonder what happened? Gave his cycling coaching gig up for chiro-practing?

 

[Pazuzu]

I get the feeling that Lance is old news with the general public. All the sensation from months ago is now gone with the wind. He confessed, and that's pretty much it... just another doper-liar who had more than his 15 minutes of fame. What do you think?

This would appear to be the case. Although, there's still Landis' whistle blower suit and a possible investigation into witness tampering. Otherwise, the public could care less about Armstrong at this point.

 

[Zweistein]

She tried to lose him $6 million back in the day. Now he's losing $12 million in large part over her. Unless she is willing to meet him half way and admit it was a crappy thing for her to do, why should he meet her?

Remember even Hamilton says Betsy has the same personality as Lance.

Tried to lose him $6 million dollars back in the day?

That is like saying that the cops are responsible for me losing all that bank money I had stolen.


Betsy isn't anything like Lance. If you are going to troll, you have to do it with a little more finesse so that some people will believe you.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

I get the feeling that Lance is old news with the general public. All the sensation from months ago is now gone with the wind. He confessed, and that's pretty much it... just another doper-liar who had more than his 15 minutes of fame. What do you think?

Agree - and it goes to my earlier opinions, the cycling community might show some understanding to his plight, but the general public will not forgive LA regardless of what he does.

Many in the general public not only believed the myth, they literally invested in it, both financially and emotionally. Many still supported him even after he was stripped right up until his Oprah moment. He could have retained some/many if he actually showed genuine remorse or contrition, but it spectacularly backfired.

The irony is the people who may forgive him are the ones he actually bullied or attempted to silence.