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| Image by Jeff Kerkove |
There was a time when the thought of Lance going down was unthinkable. The Empire would never fade. The Money was too important, the Foundation would suffer, and we couldn't let that happen.
No- He was unassailable. Never failed 5 billion drug tests. Champion. Patron.
What we didn't know was that he was also a Dictator, Fraud, and a Cheat. Unthinkable as it was, there is no denying the evidence is overwhelming that stands against Him. Of course, like any individual, (and as our Pres likes to point out), He didn't build that alone. No- there was collusion on many levels.
While sponsors dropped Lance like a hot potato yesterday, it was also quite evident that they had no further use for him or his image anymore. Really. Think about that for a minute. Had these same sponsors, some who had more than an inkling of what was going on, done the right thing a few years ago, this would have been cataclysmic. It would have been much different. But it didn't suit the purposes then.
As it was, it was expected. Everyone turned coat at the same time when it was most convenient. It was almost like it was choreographed to be this way. Weird, really. Even his former team mates all "fessed up" at the same time. Doesn't anyone else smell a rotten fish here?
Well, I just hope this is the beginning, and not a convenient fall guy ending. Pro road cycling is jacked up, and it'll stay that way unless they pull down the entire doping culture. You think Lance is it? Ha!
In the meantime, go enjoy the bicycle for what it is to you, and don't let this nonsense get in your way.
That's all I got to say about that!
5 comments:
You know, I don't support any pro-sports with my wallet, or with my eyes on the media for advertisers to hijack, and for the same reason I don't do illegal drugs, or partake of prostitution. I wouldn't have a problem with people selling recreational drugs that addict no worse than alcohol, nor with people of sound mind selling their bodies for sexual purposes, or even with athletes in competition except that it's never that simple. All of those things attract scumbags who enslave people involved with it. You get involved in any way and you abet that. No way.
The Slender Fungus will congregate in the wonderful state of Iowa this coming Sunday to enjoy a full day of riding. We will enjoy the countryside, good company. I feel sorry for Lance. Greed got the best of him.
Ari
Happiness is when cows are your "tifosi" you make no cash off your riding and racing, and doping is something that comes in a pint glass or (for some) grown in a friend's basement. Ha!
I admit to being a Lance lover back in the day. It was hard not to be. An American kicking ass in the Tour?? (no offense Greg LeMond). For me the decline came before the doping accusations... it came from him seeming to not really care about the sport beyond winning. I never heard him once wax poetic about the joy of our sport, of being on the bike... (that post Tour speech doesn't count!).
I found myself respecting piss poor racers who finish 50th but love the sport, more than him. Being a jerk and then ultimately a confirmed cheat just added to it. UG!
"What we didn't know was that he was also a Dictator, Fraud, and a Cheat."
While we didn't "know" it was pretty much there for all to see. Other riders and many reporters had run ins with his dictatorial side. We all knew he was seeing Dr. Ferrari. Then Hamilton and Landis are busted. Hincapie goes from being one of the best to one of the peloton. The surprise is that so many people were surprised.
@Matt Maxwell: Yes, I had heard several accounts of LA's aggro-dictatorial nature from different sources over the years.
I think perhaps you and folks like me are a bit closer to the "truth" sources than most of the general public was/is.
So, while I am not surprised, and apparently you are not either, it may come as a surprise to many that were buying into the window dressing that was put out for all to see.
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