| Here are some semi-rhetorical questions:
Who would care if Lance Armstrong was Swedish? Noone
Who will watch the Tour next year? Noone
Who watched this year, even in the US, except for clips on the news? Noone
Is there a more boring sport to watch than the Tour de France? Probably not.
Why aren't there more black people in the Tour De France? No bicycles in Nigeria or else noone outside Africa would ever win just like the Boston Marathon
How meaningless is the Tour? Absolutely. This is the premier endurance race in the world that manages to exclude most of the best endurance athletes in the world.
Is this a witchhunt against Lance? A little bit. They go back to blood samples that are 7 years old to test. Seems a bit of the beaten path to go looking for trouble unless you are trying to "get" someone. Also, the information was released? Under whose authority? My friend who is a cop adds that he doubts that the custody of the blood samples over that period of time would satisfy an American court when it comes to maintaining what is called an chain of custody. Or in simpler terms. It is doubtful that the samples were kept in an environment that could guarantee they hadn't been tampered with given the semi-hostile attitude towards Lance in France. Also, the first place the info appears is in a paper with what could only be called a vested interest in proving Lance cheated, as they have been claiming the same thing without proof for years.
Was Lance juiced? Probably
Does using performance enhancing drugs make you a bad person? Yes. This is a fraud on all "clean" competitors. A person shouldn't have to risk their health to get to the competitive level neccesary to compete for the pinnacles of professional sports. This fraud is equivalent to robbing a bank. The more success you enjoy because of your drug use, the more banks you have robbed. Professional athletes convicted of doping should be liable in civil suits to competitors at whose expense they claimed victory for ALL of their professional earnings including residual endorsements, etc. First offense. |