WADA: Armstrong investigation to drop "bomb" shortly.

[sartain]

Financially Armstrong is about to hit an inflection point that could be very painful. He lives big, and expensive. The Jet, the houses, the baby mommas. Add to this the Fabricator at $30,000 per month and $100,000 a month in legal fees. It all adds up.

As his popularity drops his demand as a speaker falls. Existing sponsors are not renewing. Large sponsors like RadioShack are in the final year of their agreement and will be gone in a year. Add to this Armstrong has been an aggressive investor for years and like many aggressive investors he got hit hard the last few years.

Money was the motivation behind the comeback. Money will be the driver of the settlement. Take a hit, say you doped, and toss Weisel under the bus. Sell the jet, a house or two, and do infomercials for ShamWow and sell bracelets on QVC.

RR,

I would have to disagree with you here. I say TW - who is reported to be worth over 1B and is the guy who groomed LA and apparently the only guy that LA feared and took **** from — will not be thrown under any buss by a little *** like LA. What will be interesting is what happens to their relationship when this all comes down? I can certainly see BK or BS of CSE being turned on; it would be funny to watch too.

 

[Race Radio]

RR,

I would have to disagree with you here. I say TW - who is reported to be worth over 1B and is the guy who groomed LA and apparently the only guy that LA feared and took **** from — will not be thrown under any buss by a little *** like LA. What will be interesting is what happens to their relationship when this all comes down? I can certainly see BK or BS of CSE being turned on; it would be funny to watch too.

Weisel is no longer a billionaire. Certainly still a wealthy guy but had to sell his company last year. Like many financial firms they were hit in the down turn.

Like most of the Armstrong's "Friends" They had a falling out a few years back and are not so close anymore.

 

[TexPat]

Good post. For anyone interested in the points made in the above quote, I suggest the book "Global Outlaws-Crime, Money, and Power in the Contemporary World"" by Carolyn Nordstrom. It puts into sobering perceptive the trafficking of legitimate and counterfeit pharmaceuticals and their level of importance in the global economy.

Thanks for the tip Berzin. I'll make a trip to the library and check it out.

 

[TexPat]

It depends who flips first. If you tell the truth you get a "Get out of Jail free" card. I think Knaggs as he is still married with kids. Jeff Spencer has already testified. Stapleton's ex-wife cleaned him out so he may roll the dice. Don't be surprised if the investigation goes back way farther and deeper then people think. This is something that stretches over 2 decades.

If you lie, you go to jail. Armstrong does not have friends, he has employees. Nobody is going to jail for Wonderboy.

RR--your level of knowledge on the subject is truly astounding. Keep up the good work. Maybe, I'll get a chance to buy you a beer one day.

 

[Oldman]

Thanks for the tip Berzin. I'll make a trip to the library and check it out.

+Thanks. Need to read more myself.

 

[thehog]

Weisel is no longer a billionaire. Certainly still a wealthy guy but had to sell his company last year. Like many financial firms they were hit in the down turn.

Like most of the Armstrong's "Friends" They had a falling out a few years back and are not so close anymore.

It will be just like Enron. They'll all turn on each other. The Feds will offer a deal to one but not the other. Watch them destroy each other.

 

[thehog]

Thanks for the tip Berzin. I'll make a trip to the library and check it out.

Library?!!! Download from iTunes!!

 

[TexPat]

Library?!!! Download from iTunes!!

Sorry, Hog, but I still enjoy a trip to one of civilizations oldest and finest institutions--ye old public library. Call me old fashioned. I could spend all day there.
iTunes? That's for card carrying members of the Cult of the Mac, n'est-ce pas?

 

[Berzin]

I don't think Armstrong will go to jail, but the tearing down of his fraudulent public and sporting persona will do more than enough damage.

No more hobnobbing with the rich and famous. No more corporate speeches about his miracle comeback form death's door to 7-time Tour champion, and how the lessons he's learned throughout his journey can, in 7 easy steps, take your corporation to the top of the podium.

Keep in mind there is a very strong (and some would say hypocritical) puritanical undercurrent running through American societal mores. The people Armstrong lied to aren't going to take the exposing of his doping regimen lightly.

Cheating is bad enough. Lying about the cheating and the aggressive, mercenary campaign to profit from said lying and cheating will be too much to overcome.

Hopefully the outrage will be sufficient to grind him into irrelevancy. To me that would be a fitting punishment. No more corporate speaking engagements at $250,000 a pop. No money for his fake cancer charity. Politicians will avoid him like the plague.

He'll still have money, but there will be quite a few companies that are going to see about recovering the fees paid to him for endorsements or whatever else he does to sell his putrid brand.

 

[Animal]

iTunes? That's for card carrying members of the Cult of the Mac, n'est-ce pas?

It runs on my WIndows PCs just fine.

 

[Roland Rat]

I don't think Armstrong will go to jail, but the tearing down of his fraudulent public and sporting persona will do more than enough damage.

No more hobnobbing with the rich and famous. No more corporate speeches about his miracle comeback form death's door to 7-time Tour champion, and how the lessons he's learned throughout his journey can, in 7 easy steps, take your corporation to the top of the podium.

Keep in mind there is a very strong (and some would say hypocritical) puritanical undercurrent running through American societal mores. The people Armstrong lied to aren't going to take the exposing of his doping regimen lightly.

Cheating is bad enough. Lying about the cheating and the aggressive, mercenary campaign to profit from said lying and cheating will be too much to overcome.

Hopefully the outrage will be sufficient to grind him into irrelevancy. To me that would be a fitting punishment. No more corporate speaking engagements at $250,000 a pop. No money for his fake cancer charity. Politicians will avoid him like the plague.

He'll still have money, but there will be quite a few companies that are going to see about recovering the fees paid to him for endorsements or whatever else he does to sell his putrid brand.

+1. "The only thing worse than being hated is being ignored". That quote could have been made for him.

 

[RobbieCanuck]

What is Howman doing mouthing off about the Contador defence and the FDA investigation results before they are completed? Where did he learn his sense of fair play? It would make me wonder about his objectivity in a drug investigation. This is only going to cause inapproriate speculation and gossip. His approach denigrates the integrity of WADA.

 

[thehog]

I don't think Armstrong will go to jail, but the tearing down of his fraudulent public and sporting persona will do more than enough damage.

No more hobnobbing with the rich and famous. No more corporate speeches about his miracle comeback form death's door to 7-time Tour champion, and how the lessons he's learned throughout his journey can, in 7 easy steps, take your corporation to the top of the podium.

Keep in mind there is a very strong (and some would say hypocritical) puritanical undercurrent running through American societal mores. The people Armstrong lied to aren't going to take the exposing of his doping regimen lightly.

Cheating is bad enough. Lying about the cheating and the aggressive, mercenary campaign to profit from said lying and cheating will be too much to overcome.

Hopefully the outrage will be sufficient to grind him into irrelevancy. To me that would be a fitting punishment. No more corporate speaking engagements at $250,000 a pop. No money for his fake cancer charity. Politicians will avoid him like the plague.

He'll still have money, but there will be quite a few companies that are going to see about recovering the fees paid to him for endorsements or whatever else he does to sell his putrid brand.

He’s got himself into a little bit of a hole. He can’t really do a teary confession because he spent so much time telling the world the French accused him he was doping because they was jealous. He fact anyone accused him of doping were jealous. Ullrich could come clean and Germany would love him but this one it’s a little more dicey. I think he accept the a deal from Nov which will be an admission but it will be laced with comments about saving the world from cancer.

 

[SpartacusRox]

WADA is a joke, Howman is a bigger joke than Dicky Pound. Together they make the UCI look like consumate professionals. He would do best keeping his mouth shut in public or he may ending up looking as stupid as Pound did when he took Armstrong on.

 

[SpartacusRox]

I don't think Armstrong will go to jail, but the tearing down of his fraudulent public and sporting persona will do more than enough damage.

No more hobnobbing with the rich and famous. No more corporate speeches about his miracle comeback form death's door to 7-time Tour champion, and how the lessons he's learned throughout his journey can, in 7 easy steps, take your corporation to the top of the podium.

Keep in mind there is a very strong (and some would say hypocritical) puritanical undercurrent running through American societal mores. The people Armstrong lied to aren't going to take the exposing of his doping regimen lightly.

Cheating is bad enough. Lying about the cheating and the aggressive, mercenary campaign to profit from said lying and cheating will be too much to overcome.

Hopefully the outrage will be sufficient to grind him into irrelevancy. To me that would be a fitting punishment. No more corporate speaking engagements at $250,000 a pop. No money for his fake cancer charity. Politicians will avoid him like the plague.

He'll still have money, but there will be quite a few companies that are going to see about recovering the fees paid to him for endorsements or whatever else he does to sell his putrid brand.

Your kidding yourself. This is just wishful thinking at its worst. Pure speculation backed up by no evidence....classic

 

[Mongol_Waaijer]

WADA is a joke, Howman is a bigger joke that Dicky Pound. Together they make the UCI look like consumate professionals. He would do best keeping his mouth shut in public or he may ending up looking as stupid as Pound did when he took Armstrong on.

They have not yet accepted money from dope taking celebrity athletes, or hushed up any positive tests.

The only organization that would make the UCI look professional are the Muppets.

Starting to worry now are we?

 

[Mongol_Waaijer]

Your kidding yourself. This is just wishful thinking at its worst. Pure speculation backed up by no evidence....classic

better than embarassing adoration backed up with worrying delusion.

 

[Berzin]

Your kidding yourself. This is just wishful thinking at its worst. Pure speculation backed up by no evidence....classic.

You should change your handle to Rev. Sun Myung Moon. You sound like you're trying to recruit people to your cult.

The difference between you and I is that when your mancrush is exposed you will have nothing to enjoy about the sport of cycling because there will be nothing left for you to enjoy.

Pathetic.

Hey Spartacus-get over yourself. A hero ain't nothin' but a sandwich.

 

[stephens]

I guess it's time for me to take another bet. I'll add $100 to the charity of Berzin's choice if the predictions he makes above even remotely come to pass.

I figure that if America loves Bill Clinton despite lying to a grand jury about something that was made out to be about national security (though the people saw through that), then they won't be as bothered by an admission/conviction for doping in a sport in which doping was rampant.

 

[Benotti69]

They have not yet accepted money from dope taking celebrity athletes, or hushed up any positive tests.

The only organization that would make the UCI look professional are the Muppets.

Starting to worry now are we?

i hold the muppets in far higher esteem than the uci....

 

[Race Radio]

I figure that if America loves Bill Clinton despite lying to a grand jury about something that was made out to be about national security (though the people saw through that), then they won't be as bothered by an admission/conviction for doping in a sport in which doping was rampant.

Bill lied about getting his helmet polished by a fat chick.....haven't we all done that? Armstrong has committed a decades long fraud.

He mislead thousands of groupies into worshiping his myth and defending his actions. After years of sticking up for their false hero they are realizing they were duped and they are getting ****ed.

Armstrong's popularity has cratered already and it will only get worse. For guy as insecure as Armstrong there is nothing worse then this. Expect a long needed trip to a therapist and then Oprah.

 

[thehog]

Bill lied about getting his helmet polished by a fat chick.....haven't we all done that? Armstrong has committed a decades long fraud.

He mislead thousands of groupies into worshiping his myth and defending his actions. After years of sticking up for their false hero they are realizing they were duped and they are getting ****ed.

Armstrong's popularity has cratered already and it will only get worse. For guy as insecure as Armstrong there is nothing worse then this. Expect a long needed trip to a therapist and then Oprah.

It was good while it lasted. Boy he had them all in the palm of his hand. He just didn't know when to stop.

 

[Anonymous]

I guess it's time for me to take another bet. I'll add $100 to the charity of Berzin's choice if the predictions he makes above even remotely come to pass.

One hundred whole dollars? You don't sound very convinced of your position.

C'mon man, dig deep into your stack of Franklin's and make it interesting.

 

[Tubeless]

WADA is a joke, Howman is a bigger joke that Dicky Pound. Together they make the UCI look like consumate professionals. He would do best keeping his mouth shut in public or he may ending up looking as stupid as Pound did when he took Armstrong on.

So far Howman's comments have been muted, and appropriate to his position as the WADA chief. Would you expect him to say nothing, even when asked by reporters?

WADA makes the doping rules and it is their job to ensure the rules are followed. They do have a role to play, especially in the Contador case to ensure there's no preferential treatment of one athlete over another. Howman's comments are no doubt directed in part towards UCI and in part towards the Spanish cycling federation for dragging their feet on the Contador case.

Contador's main defense has been to attack the "unfair, unjust" WADA rule about allowing no "naturally obtained" clenbuterol - so there's nothing unusual about Howman making public statements in response, defending the WADA rules as such.

 

[Polish]

The difference between you and I is that when your mancrush is exposed you will have nothing to enjoy about the sport of cycling because there will be nothing left for you to enjoy.

Pathetic.

Hey Spartacus-get over yourself. A hero ain't nothin' but a sandwich.

So, an exposed doping history will affect a mancrush?
Do you have any data or evidence to back up that claim?

Lets see what is on the sandwich menu at the Mancrush Cafe:

"The Evgeni Berzin".....Moldy Bologna on Stale Wonder Bread. yuck.

"The Lance Armstrong"....USDA Certified Angus Beef on Texas Toast. Includes Thick-Cut fries, cole-slaw, and Stinger Waffles. yum.