dbrower said:
I can, and do take the criticism, or I wouldn't be here at all. I was thinking, "this is interesting, what can I find out?" and got a lot more than I imagined possible, and no regrets given the information available at the time.
Having said to the man's face, "if you did it, you're effing stupid to defend yourself like this", I'm not going to be made to feel guilty by the likes of you. I don't take it personally that he lied to so many people, because I get lied to a lot by lots of people. It's not about me.
-dB
Hi db,
Then I am not giving you enough credit.
Please consider that, intended or not, you became an important part of the story.
That is not a strawman with which to try and bring you down. It is an observation based upon the facts. Your site did far more than Arnie's powerpoint could have ever hoped.
Here is the twist, and here is why this conversation belongs in this thread:
You were right. Floyd was "effing stupid". He turned out to be a false hero.
But, whether driven by anger, revenge, a need to put his soul at rest, or all of the above, he is now potentially more a hero than he could ever be.
If my own posting record is any guide, he turned me around 180 degrees.
I strongly believe that what he started a year ago, and has now been furthered by Tyler on 60 minutes, is the first real opportunity to do anything about the doping mess. Festina was a failure from the onset; quickly swept under the rug and the next dope-fueled, great white hope annointed as a sleight of hand ruse.
Should your site be re-opened ONLY to add the words from Floyd itself, it would:
1. Remain consistent with the spirit that it was started with
- Support of Floyd
- Trust, but verify, even when it comes to Floyd
2. Finish the story. Provide a true full-circle picture of the insidious nature of doping, and the nature of how the high performance athlete must balance their own morals with the drive necessary to succeed against all odds and all costs in a tainted environment
3. Put the focus where it ought to be, which is the larger picture
4. Reward all those contributors who had invested so much emotionally with a positive outcome
And, of course, it would get big praise from me. But, I imagine that isn't worth the price of a coffee.
Alternately, you can leave it as is. If so, it will continue to be a lightning rod on the duping that goes with doping. Same message, just from the negative rather than the positive.
Dave.