91 replies to this topic

[DJ MC]

http://espn.go.com/o... ... ing-career

Dropping his appeal in considered an admission of guilt by the USADA, and he will be banned from competition for life. The organization will also declare his Tour de France victories stripped, but Armstrong disputes that they have the authority.

Wow.

[SportsGuy]

I see both sides here.

End of the day...who cares

[Russ]

Why fight it anymore? The USADA is on a witch hunt and they won't quit until he's ruined. Best to just call it a day.

And like SG says, who cares?

[mweb08]

I'm quite sure he used, but at the same time I'm rather nonchalant toward the use of steroids.

[glenn__davis]

Agree with Russ. The USADA wasn't going to stop until he was banned. I don't blame Armstrong for throwing in the towel.

I tend to think Armstrong doped, but I also tend to think all of his rivals did as well. Cycling is just a dirty sport.

[Mackus]

I've always thought that he was dirty. Dropping the fight is admitting guilt, IMO, since it's not like he doesn't have the resources to put up a defense is he was truly innocent.

[Oriole85]

And like SG says, who cares?

I think it's a pretty big deal when a former SI Sportsmen of the Year, 7-time Tour de France winner, and someone who transcended the sport like he did does this. So yeah I would say people care. I would say it's a big deal.

The real question does ESPN strip him of his four ESPYs?

[Oriole85]

I don't blame Armstrong for throwing in the towel.

I never thought of Lance as a quitter... until now.

[Oriole85]

For the longest time, I thought he was innocent, it was just witchhunt to get him. Then more information got out in the open. Just seemed to me with that much accusations out there, it was hard for it all to be wrong. I was still taking the "innocent until proven guilty" approach and giving him the benefit of the doubt. Until this... a clear presumption of guilt.

If you are innocent, even if you think everyone is out to get you, you fight for your reputation. Heck, guilty people do that. A few things I'm not buying, "the waste of money" line. He made over $125 million, I think he can put some of that money into proclaiming his innocence. The other "the effort" line. Does he have a 9-5 job? I know he's raising money for cancer constantly and I applaud him, but to say he doesn't have the time isn't accurate.

Speaking of the last line, I applaud for everything he's done -- beating cancer, raising millions of dollars for charity, etc. But that in no way gives him a license to cheat or break the rules, like some have tried to downplay it.

[SportsGuy]

I think it's a pretty big deal when a former SI Sportsmen of the Year, 7-time Tour de France winner, and someone who transcended the sport like he did does this. So yeah I would say people care. I would say it's a big deal.

The real question does ESPN strip him of his four ESPYs?

But did he do it? He has never failed a test and he has taken 100s of them.

No one really knows.

The "evidence" they have against him is what others are saying. Well, you have no idea if they are upset that they got caught and just want to make themselves look better by putting it on LA.

We just don't know...People will believe what they want to believe but he has NEVER tested positive for anything.

So, end of the day, its just a witch hunt and that is just not something I care about.

[Oriole85]

But did he do it? He has never failed a test and he has taken 100s of them.

No one really knows.

The "evidence" they have against him is what others are saying. Well, you have no idea if they are upset that they got caught and just want to make themselves look better by putting it on LA.

We just don't know...People will believe what they want to believe but he has NEVER tested positive for anything.

So, end of the day, its just a witch hunt and that is just not something I care about.

You don't care about it, yet you are commenting on here. It's the lead sports story today. It's a big deal that he voluntarily gave this up. And because it's not so black&white and no one can say for sure whether he doped or didn't, that's why there's a lot of interest here. No one ever though of Lance as a quitter.

[SammyBirdland]

He has never failed a test and he has taken 100s of them.

I wonder how many drug tests Melky Cabrera passed before he finally failed one.

[Oriole85]

I wonder how many drug tests Melky Cabrera passed before he finally failed one.

Barry Bonds never failed a drug test either. He just obstructed with them.

As long as there are rules, people will find ways to cheat and ways around them. I'm not saying Lance did, but it's a possibility despite passing all those drug tests.

[bnickle]

Of course he was dirty. That whole sport was/is dirty.

A. Like Bonds, he was still the dominant rider/player of his era. In that sense, using doesn't diminish what he accomplished. All his main rivals were doping as well and he smoked them 7 straight years.

B. However, he's as big a fraud as you'll ever see in that he built his whole foundation on not just beating cancer, which many have done, but pushing yourself to do extraordinary things through will power, determination and hard work. I have no respect for him as a human being. He's like a corrupt minister out doing underhanded things while preaching in church every Sunday. These ministers hide behind religion while Lance hides behind his story and foundation.

[SportsGuy]

Barry Bonds never failed a drug test either. He just obstructed with them.

As long as there are rules, people will find ways to cheat and ways around them. I'm not saying Lance did, but it's a possibility despite passing all those drug tests.

Did Bonds pass hundreds and hundreds of tests?

And of course, they can get past these things but at least with Bonds, you saw a physical change with him..that is at least some kind of evidence.

I am not saying LA is clean by any means. Seeing as the whole sport is dirty, i tend to think he was too but I can also see why he just gave up..he is tired of it.

[Oriole85]

And of course, they can get past these things but at least with Bonds, you saw a physical change with him..that is at least some kind of evidence.

Is that the equivalent of failing a drug test, having a change in weight? I don't think Bonds should be innocent or guilty just based on that.

[SportsGuy]

Is that the equivalent of failing a drug test, having a change in weight? I don't think Bonds should be innocent or guilty just based on that.

Little bit more than a change in weight.

BTW, I don't accuse Bonds of anything...because I dont care.

I am just saying there is physical evidence even if there isn't a failed test with him.

[Oriole85]

Little bit more than a change in weight.

BTW, I don't accuse Bonds of anything...because I dont care.

I am just saying there is physical evidence even if there isn't a failed test with him.

That's more in the court of public opinion... a lot that you "don't care" about that you are weighing in on.

[DJ MC]

http://deadspin.com/... ... -their-own

The amusing thing is, if the USADA succeeds in getting the TDF titles stripped, they will go to the second-place finisher each year. All of whom (including Jan Ullrich, three-time first-loser) have been implicated in their own drug scandals.

[Oriole85]

http://deadspin.com/5937591/all-seven-of-lance-armstrongs-tour-de-france-wins-would-now-go-to-cyclists-with-doping-scandals-of-their-own

The amusing thing is, if the USADA succeeds in getting the TDF titles stripped, they will go to the second-place finisher each year. All of whom (including Jan Ullrich, three-time first-loser) have been implicated in their own drug scandals.

I don't follow cycling much, but this is making 90s baseball seem like it had a lot of integrity.