ESPN about Lance talking with Oprah

I realize this is a huge story but it's a shame this is the only way cycling and triathlon make it into the mainstream media. It's interesting listening to people talk about Lance doping that know little about the situation and would never be talking about cycling unless this happened.

Mike & Mike did a great job and made the point that unless you really follow cycling, the whole situation is hard to understand. They also had people from Bicycling and Velo on their show to talk about it...people who actually follow cycling. Unlike Colin Cowherd who tried to compare LA to Kobe Bryant and didn't seem to understand that triathlon (140.6 distance) is one of the few sports a 40+ year old can stand a chance at a comeback.

It was clear that the people writing in comments had no idea how much control LA had over the cycling world at the time. They had no clue that he not only doped, but destroyed people's lives to keep his secret and keep people from beating him. The argument that everyone was doing it or he was just trying to level the playing field doesn't fly. If one does the littlest of research about doping, one would quickly see that doping doesn't effect everyone in the same way. Some people gain a greater advantage than others so it doesn't really level the playing field in that way most people would think.

I don't even know why Colin Cowherd even bothered to talk about it since the only time he ever mentioned cycling was to joke about the Tour de France. He just made fun of average people who ride bikes and watch the TdF. Granted I am a football fan but, I cycle more often than I play football... How many football fans can throw a football more than 20 yards or do a few 100 yard sprints without passing out or heaving on the ground afterward? I'm sure the percentage of cycling fans in the US that watch the TdF and can ride a decent distance is much higher.

Lance Armstrong

This news is everywhere and it's almost impossible to ignore if you keep up with triathlon and cycling news. Its a shame since I would have liked to see Lance in Kona.

First of all, I don't care whether he doped or not. Given the people he was associated with, he more than likely did. The problem I have is with the process USADA has put him through.

In short, it seems this is how a conversation between LA and USADA would have gone:

USADA: We say you doped and we want to suspend you.

LA: Did I fail a drug test?

USADA: We're not telling but we have evidence.

LA: What is your evidence?

USADA: We're not telling. You should already know.

LA: That hardly seems fair.

If an unregulated quasi-government body was attempting to "convict" you of something but refused to turn over any evidence wouldn't you feel the same way? Even though it's not a criminal court, doesn't this completely go against everything our legal system stand for? Shouldn't any process in the US wherein the outcome is guilty or not guilty of something be held to the same due process standard of a criminal court? Who oversees USADA? No one...unless WADA decides what they did was unfair. USADA is like a Monarch. They have policies and rules but it seems they chose to ignore them.

Maybe this is already out there but, I would also like to know how the USADA has the authority to strip him of TdF victories from before the USADA even existed; how they can ignore the statute of limitations and how they can strip him of victories from a race in France?

What if you were accused of murder and the DA came to you and said: We know you killed someone but we're not going to tell you who you killed, who saw you do it, what the penalty will be, how you killed them or any other evidence we have until the trial starts. How could you possibly defend yourself?

Maybe I'm completely wrong.