Good article on Lance Armstrong's doping

[obamanut2012]

By someone who thinks he was a doper, but who think he is being victimized by the USADA, who has over stepped their limited authority. Good read for whichever POV you have. VERY informative read.


"Outside Online
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Lance Armstrong: Victim?

The embattled cyclist says USADA is out to get him—using powers that it really shouldn’t have. Brian Alexander says he’s right.

By: Brian Alexander

As you may have noticed, Lance Armstrong and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) are in the early stages of a King Kong versus Godzilla death match. It started on June 12, when USADA announced that it intends to strip Armstrong of the seven Tour de France titles he won between 1999 and 2005, on the grounds that he and several others—including the notorious Italian physician Dr. Michele Ferrari—engaged in a massive doping conspiracy during Armstrong’s years as lead rider for the U.S. Postal Service team.

<snip>

USADA’s recent actions are an attempt to pick up the pieces left behind last winter, after a long-running investigation conducted by the FDA, the FBI, and the Justice Department ended with a fizzle. The U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles dropped the case without bringing any charges against Armstrong, and many of his detractors were enraged: Once again, it seemed, Teflon Lance was going to escape sporting justice. For 15 years, suspicion had swirled around him, but he’d never been held to account.

Many of these same people have been cheering USADA as it waves its sword, but I’ve been appalled by the recent outpouring of glee. This doesn’t mean I’m an Armstrong fan or that I think he’s innocent. I’ve covered sports doping for years, and I was convinced long ago that he cheated, even before former Postal riders Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton gave extensive and credible statements about how the team’s doping program worked.

But it’s not the what of this case that bothers me, it’s the how. Ends do not always justify means, and sometimes, in order to preserve higher values, you have to let guilty parties walk. In this instance, I’m less concerned about proving that Lance’s yellow jerseys are smudged than with the fact that USADA keeps mutating into what looks like a law-enforcement body, which it isn’t.


<snip>


http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/celebrities/Lance-Armstrong-Victim.html?page=1

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. Synopsis: he was doping but I don't think he should be stripped of his titles for it!

Which is incoherent nonsense. Either you believe that doping violates the integrity of sport, and that titles won by athletes using performance-enhancing drugs should be nullified, or you don't, full stop. (For what it's worth I think Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds should have their respective records struck in light of their juicing as well.)

[joeybee12]

3. Nope...re-read it...

He says he thinks he's guilty, but they need to get him through legal means...which the USADA does not have.

[obamanut2012]

4. Due process should be followed

Regardless if he did or did not dope, if they could not prove he did it within the eight-year limitation they THEMSELVES SET, then it should be dropped. No one should be allowed to continually change the rules until they win.

It is obvious you didn't read even one page of the article.

[tammywammy]

7. Thanks for posting this. Very interesting. n/t

[Remmah2]

2. I thought Viagra was the performance enhancing drug?

Go figure.

[obamanut2012]

5. lol

[sarisataka]

6. USADA is very hypocritical

they insist the athletes follow every rule to the letter but freely violate their own policies and procedures 'for the good of the sport'

At this point I do not care. Any evidence could easily have been fabricated and in my eyes USADA has less credibility than Lance.
I have met Mr. Armstrong and believe he is a cocky ass but even if he was that good at cheating 5-15 years ago, drop it and focus on the athletes competing today.