As was expected when he agreed to sit down with Oprah, yesterday he taped an interview with her set for broadcast later this week where he admitted to doping during his career. The interview lasted less than 3 hours and came after Lance had apologized to Livestrong employees but did not tell them he had doped. I guess he was just apologizing because he wanted to be on a roll for Oprah later in the day. Why not come clean with the people who are there following the vision you established? Because they can't make him bank like an apology on Oprah can. Armstrong did not go into great detail with Oprah and she, as her custom did not ask him anything that could be remotely called pressing or a followup or anything touchy.
Hope everybody boycotts this stupid interview.
ReplyDeleteHis is def. one of the biggest disappointments in "my" life. Weird to say but Im so disappointed... -.-
ReplyDeleteHe just makes me so angry. Grrrrrrr
ReplyDeleteI was just reading somewhere else that Oprah decided to air the interview in a 2-part special "because there is so much material."
ReplyDeleteI would've like it if he held a press conference where there could've been actual questions from various reporters. The kind of questions he couldn't prepare for but whatever.
Of course she won't ask any hard questions. He didn't make her look bad like James Frey.
ReplyDeleteThis interview is to be aired on OWN, correct? Such a shame, not carried on my otherwise quite extensive 700-channel package.
ReplyDeleteHas Oprah ever been known for asking tough questions? Lance can go eat a dick! Im not mad at him for his doping just wanted to write "eat a dick".
ReplyDeleteThis is the interview that moves Oprah to my 'Women Who Will Do Anything For Money' list. No respect for either. Hope it doesn't become the ratings gold she's hoping for.
ReplyDeletewho cares? he's finished. i never liked him when he was lying---and everybody KNEW he was lying. why should i give a damn now?
ReplyDelete@ VC - you're on the money there, as usual.
ReplyDeleteJust have to say, like I do every time Enty posts about this one - he's a POS. I hope the public sees through this latest charade.
Oh, and Vicki, I think James Frey came out of that deal ok. He's the co-author of a successful Young Adult book series, the first book of which was made into the movie I Am Number Four.
DeleteHaha, Frufra, the only thing I remember about Frey is that he had chicken pox in one of his mug shots.
ReplyDeleteWhat I want to know is how did he pass all the doping tests over all those years? Did he pay someone to say they were clean or did he pay someone else to take the tests for him? How did he get away with it for so long?
ReplyDeleteThere's a detailed story online of this elaborate system he and his team came up with. Basically he would get his steroids and medication into his system quickly through a blood transfusion after each test. It was passed off as his treatment while in remission.
DeleteFrufra--That's good news about Frey.
ReplyDeleteI never read "A Million Little Pieces", but every investigation I read was that Frey had submitted the book everywhere as FICTION, and the eventual publisher convinced him to call it NON-fiction, otherwise they wouldn't publish.
He made a mistake in accepting that, but a lot of people compromise their principles to meet their dreams.
If he had written it before the internet, he could have lived a decade before anyone found out it was embellished.
I felt bad how O ambushed him.
(If my old info is wrong, please correct me, anyone.)
I thought South Park's version with Towelie was PERFECT.
I mever understood why oprah went all dog day afternoon on frey anyway. He that dared to lie to the almighty oprah. Jeesh. Hes a writer- isnt that a clue? Anyway, no fan of hers at all, but shes just trying shore up her network. Its just business, and if any other reporter got the interview, it wld be considered the 'get' of the year. As for Lance dopestrong, i cldnt stand to be in the same room with him but whateva. Hes still arrogant pissant who thinks his tainted urine doest stink. Ugh
ReplyDeletelibby, ITA with you about the Million LIttle Pieces situation.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Frufra. I happened to see that LIVE, and all I saw was a man regressing in fear & shame, like a child. It made me sad. He WAS an addict, didn't O care that she might have triggered him into a relapse, or WORSE? smh
ReplyDeletePogue---When Lance DID have testing irregularities, he would write a check to the Cycling association , and they would hide it to save the marketability of Lance & cycling. They WOULD make him drop out of races when he tested positive, sometimes, but allowed Lance to claim illness, again to save their rep & profits.
Mostly though, Lance would prepare for any test he KNEW was coming, but the 'surprise' tests would get him sometimes. I think he was tipped off a lot, or else he would have been positive more, and dropped out of more races.
Sorry tennis fans, but my spidey-sense tingles when Rafael Nadal drops out of matches, always with illnesses, at the last minute also. It makes me wonder if Tennis are lying liars too, and also tolerate doping.
After finding out how Cycling covered for Lance, nothing surprises me in Sports anymore.
YES, @Libby, totally agree about Nadal. I've always been suspicious of him. Like, he used to be super-muscular in a kind of unnatural way, at least in a tennis sense, and randomly and suddenly dropping out of tournaments all the time. I have a relative who plays on the pro tennis tour and he's always been suspicious of Nadal as well. To be clear, he doesn't know anything for sure, but has just kind of had an inkling that something was a little off with Nadal.
DeleteI'm disgusted Lance and with all the athletes who cheat, and feel sorry for the few who try to compete in a clean contest.
ReplyDeleteThe people who organize and monitor the races need to spend more money on testing before and after the race - not just urine tests and not just random tests. They have let this go on too long.
The chemists are years ahead of the testing organizations. All we can do is relentlessly shame these people when they are found out. Thank the good lord Jeebus that Bonds and Clemens were stiffed on the HOF. I hope to one day read Bonds pleading for someone to donate a chunk of their liver, because his was destroyed by the steroids and the "greenies".
ReplyDeleteCJ, I'm no fan of either Bonds or Clemens, but I do have a problem with the steriod witch-hunt in baseball, because lots of these guys were doping before it was against the rules. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but that has always been my take on that situation. And I never quite understood why Congress got involved there, either.
DeleteHe's just shot himself in the foot. This could literally destroy him financially with all of the media lawsuits from cases he won for defamation and the perjury suits to be filed.
ReplyDelete@ Count Jerkula - although I agree Bonds and Clemens shouldn't be in the HOF, unfortunately I think sooner or later they will be voted in. Personally, I think Cooperstown should just build a wing on the museum, call it the Hall of Shame (HOS) and put those guys, along with Pete Rose, in it. And speaking of Pete Rose, did you see his new reality series? Brings a whole new meaning to the word "awful"
ReplyDeletehi libby :)
ReplyDeleteIMO tennis is WAY more about technique, I dont think (or dont want to believe :P) Nadal dopes. He has well chronicled knee injuries and he was meant to carry Spain's flag in the Olympic ceremony, and he had to bail out of that
Lance has an estimated worth of $100 million or more and is a shrewd investor (read his book). You can bet he has weighed the short-term financial impacts against the future upside and made a calculated decision to come clean. Lance is a master tactician, and had he and the rest of the peloton all been racing clean he still would have been the best. It sucks that doping was the only way to be competitive but that's how it was. That said, he's still a dick. Which there is no excuse for.
ReplyDeleteI read that he is admitting this so that he can jump back on his bike again and start competing and/or become a sports commentator-- is that crazy or what? I wouldn't let him play bingo at a retirement center, let alone compete. And I couldn't trust him as a commentator either. I knew a pro cyclist who (early days) Lance asked to throw a race, even though the guy I knew was favored to win. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteI just don't care. He is an admitted liar and cheater, why do I need any more information? Oprah is a pro at getting these "scoops" and she rarely gets any info out of the subject but what we already know.
ReplyDelete::shrug::
I was thinking they both had the same agent or Harpo is paying a "exclusivity" fee.
DeleteSurprise,Armstrong just write a book disclosing the truth like Rose did.
just because more people do it doesn't make it ok. in any sport.
ReplyDeletewhat are we teaching our children? rationalizing cheating is not cool.
What a douche. He has to get paid to admit the truth. Even if the check didn't come from O herself, I'm sure there was money involved. I need to sneeze now.. Ahh.. Ahh..aaaadouche!
ReplyDeleteI hate Lance Armstrong. It's not so much the cheating, although that does make him a complete loser. No, it's all the lies and manipulation and bullying that went with it. He's a turd. I really don't hate anyone, but I hate that prick.
ReplyDeleteSo Lance is guilty of lying, threatening people, vowing to ruin people and people focus on Oprah?!? This is such bullshit!
ReplyDeleteI don't know who I despise more - Oprah or lance. If Eliot Spitzer can host a show ANYONE can host a show. In this day and age of cheating and taking the easy street I have no doubt that Armstrong will be forgiven if he gets a good pr person on this.
ReplyDeleteAnd Towelie really does rule.
At least Spitzer admitted what he did, apologized in public to his wife and coworkers and resigned. Because he had sex with a prostitute. Which, though conflict of interest it may be, is hardly cheating the same way. Lying to the world for years, cheating deserving athletes from a real victory, threatening the livelihood of anyone who told the truth.. Bribery , extortion .. Not to mention capitalizing on cancer and spreading a false message for millions to follow and invest in.. No .. I think Spitzer is actually a cool guy. I could never in a million years say that about Armstrong. Spitzer is a saint next to this devil..
DeleteFufra: Just because they didn't have a specific rule outlawing it, doesn't make it OK. The steroids/HGH were illegal in the US. I mean if a guy goes out and murders someone, should he be able to play while awaiting trial? Does MLB have a no murder rule?
ReplyDeleteCongress got involved because MLB has an anti trust exemption. No other sport has that and the owners of in those sports (NFL, NBA, NHL) shit their pants when their respective unions threaten to dissolve and challenge their monopolies. No matter what the popularity of other sports may be, MLB is our National Pastime, because they have been afforded special privileges by our government.
Rock on, CJ. Thanks for your take. You make some good points, sir. And I agree with your followup post down there - hijinks have been going on forever; we just hear about them now. As much as I love the game of baseball, I think you basically have to sell your soul to the game to make it in the bigs. I watch every damn night during the season, but I can't say I'd want either of my sons to do what it takes to get in the show.
DeleteI seriously doubt he'll say enough to purjure himself, his lawyers won't let him. I'm sure it will be "I'm sorry the agency would have liked me to handle that differently", all kinds of non-apologies. As with Bonds, McGwire, etc. these guys are in it for the money, so how can we expect them to tell the truth? I find hookers more forthcoming than these assholes. Besides, it's CYCLING. Who gives a fuck?
ReplyDeleteSomewhere Barry Bonds is laughing his ass off at this.
ReplyDeleteHe is such a warped unchin-snouted codpiece.
ReplyDeleteI think we all knew this already, done caring about this
ReplyDeleteHi SillyLily--I'm glad i came back and saw your comment.
ReplyDeleteIt was his sudden (imo) gain against Federer in his prime that got me.
I happened to see ALL of that super-long match (YKWIM) where suddenly Nadal was hanging on with the BEST in the world, one of the best ever, for HOURS---then beat him. He seemed to go from mediocre to amazing too quickly, and started having all those random 'dropouts' just before matches, in what should have been HIS prime, after beating Federer like that. When I read how Cycling allowed Lance to lie about why he had to drop out of certain races, I thought of Nadal immediately.
Just hinky.
Over 100 million dollars he is sitting on. Pathetic POS .
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a lot less sportsmanship in many ways in the last 50 years. Athletes shouldn't have to sacrifice their long-term health to excel in their sport. There's not much honour left.
ReplyDeleteThere were just as many scumbags years ago. Ty Cobb was a racist hothead that used to spike the shit outta guys covering 2nd and 3rd. That's half the reason he had so many stolen bases. Football players getting hookers sent to the hotel rooms of opposing players the night before the game. Mickey Mantle woulda never been fit to play if it weren't for amphetamines.
ReplyDeleteSports are like anything else nowadays, the internet and its free flowing info has made it harder to keep stuff quiet.
Half the guys, Bonds/Clemens types, do it to feed there egos. Sosa, David Ortiz, and others do it to for the money. I have no compassion for long term effects of playing professional sports, because they are well paid and aren't concerned for their own health, so why should I care.
Karma is a bitch. Couldn't happen to a bigger a$$hole than Armstrong. I'm glad the word gets to see his true colors.
ReplyDeleteGood on Lance Armstrong for finally having the ball to come clean
ReplyDeleteGood on Lance Armstrong for finally having the ball to come clean
ReplyDelete5:09 PM
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Daaaaaaaaaaang!!!
Both Oprah and One-Nut will be the prime examples in Snakes in Suits Ii. Next installment of The Corporation will be about sports. All this sends kids the wrong message. Look how much effort was spent cleaning up the mess made by One-Nut. Our society is spending way too many resources on trash like this. It's no wonder research and development is stagnant.
ReplyDeleteTowlie rules!!