Lance Armstrong has much to lose if he fails federal scrutiny

**Prince** · 07-22-2010, 09:31 AM

Lance Armstrong has much to lose if he fails federal scrutiny
By Christine Brennan, USA TODAY

As the feds move closer and the storm clouds build over America's greatest untarnished sports icon, Lance Armstrong continues to pedal the byways of France for one last time.

Where he is headed, ultimately, is anyone's guess.

Jeff Novitzky, the Food and Drug Administration agent who led the successful investigation into the BALCO steroids case, is on Armstrong's tail in another investigation, this time trying to determine if the seven-time Tour de France winner and role model for thousands of cancer patients was involved in doping and possible fraud with his old U.S. Postal Service cycling team.

Armstrong, 38, the cancer survivor who has repeatedly denied any involvement with performance-enhancing drugs, said last week that he would cooperate with a "fair investigation" into the damaging allegations made in May by his former teammate Floyd Landis, who himself was stripped of his 2006 Tour title for doping.

But, as is Armstrong's often-belligerent way, he delivered this caveat:

"As long as we have a legitimate and credible and fair investigation, we'll be happy to cooperate, but I'm not going to participate in any kind of witch hunt," Armstrong said. "I've done too many good things for too many people."

It's such an interesting way for Armstrong to look at things, basically saying he's too important as a cultural icon to endure the kind of scrutiny that some for years have thought he most definitely deserves. Consider that Armstrong remains at this moment one of the few non-cheating big names in the dirtiest sport on the planet.

Memo to Lance: This is the Steroids Era in sports. You're an athlete who happens to be competing at this time. Deal with it.

It's not only Landis who is accusing Armstrong of doping. Three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond is talking too, saying, among other things, that he believes the evidence against Armstrong "will be overwhelming."

Armstrong has since fired back at LeMond, insinuating that LeMond's nail-biting 1989 Tour victory was aided by doping. And on it goes.

This we know for sure: Armstrong has far more to lose in a mudslinging contest with LeMond than vice versa.

In fact, Armstrong has quite a bit to lose over the next couple of years, period, if the federal investigation doesn't go his way. Let's think about that for a moment: What if we were to find out that Armstrong absolutely, positively cheated, that he doped, that he took performance-enhancing drugs?

For the sake of this conversation, it would be a done deal, like the Marion Jones situation. It would be the United States vs. Lance Armstrong, and the feds would prove he did it. They would prove that the Livestrong man lied. They would prove that he cheated.

What then?

"His is one of the most inspirational stories of this generation, so it would be beyond disappointing," said David Carter, executive director of the University of Southern California Sports Business Institute. "His story is as compelling as it gets on and off the bike, so his deceit would be legendary. Folks who have suffered from physical issues, who have more invested in him as a beacon of hope, would be quite personally disappointed. His fall would be absolutely amazing."

Carter said Armstrong's hypothetical collapse might be "softened" because fans are used to being disappointed these days by big-time athletes who end up cheating. But what about the cancer patients, a huge part of the Armstrong portfolio?

"The fact that he is a cancer survivor and a role model is not insignificant at all," said Gary Wadler, an international expert on doping. "There are many patients out there who have looked at him and told themselves not to despair. Here was somebody who was really sick, who went on to get better and perform at the highest physical level, and if we went on to find out, unequivocally, that he cheated, well, pfffft.

"As a doctor, to have to tell that story, to pull the rug out from under a cancer patient like that, would be distressing, very distressing."

A year ago, one could have played an intriguing parlor game about which great U.S. sports hero hypothetically had more to lose in a fall from grace, Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong. We've seen Tiger's stunning descent, but even so, the answer probably is Lance.

"Companies were linked to Tiger's performance on the golf course," Carter said. "They weren't selling hope and inspiration with Tiger as they are with Lance Armstrong. That makes that part of it much more problematic for Armstrong, firms aligned with him who are also inextricably linked with his story line."

source

**ZECH** · 07-22-2010, 10:01 AM

I'd like to slap Christine Brennan, USA TODAY

She has no clue. Why does she think people even care?

**I Are Baboon** · 07-22-2010, 11:27 AM

**Prince** · 07-22-2010, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by dg806

Why does she think people even care?

the same reason why there are 10 new stories every day about Lindsay Lohan.

**Dark Geared God** · 07-22-2010, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

what was that thing that flew out of the guy?

**soxmuscle** · 07-26-2010, 09:31 PM

Lance Armstrong is a piece of shit. And an obvious cheater who used his body as a science experiment to increase his strength, his endurance and everything in between.

Fuck him.

**KelJu** · 07-26-2010, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Lance Armstrong is a piece of shit. And an obvious cheater who used his body as a science experiment to increase his strength, his endurance and everything in between.

Fuck him.

Are you serious?

**Hoglander** · 07-26-2010, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Lance Armstrong is a piece of shit. And an obvious cheater who used his body as a science experiment to increase his strength, his endurance and everything in between.

Fuck him.

WOW! When you get cancer, which you will now, I'll still wish you the best.

Because of this post I'll be sad a little more. You see quantum physics tells us that we all have an effect on reality. Your post and the hate of others seeing it just gave you future cancer or possibly earlier cancer in a different reality. Dude, that sucks for you.

**Dark Geared God** · 07-26-2010, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by Hoglander

WOW! When you get cancer, which you will now, I'll still wish you the best.

Because of this post I'll be sad a little more. You see quantum physics tells us that we all have an effect on reality. Your post and the hate of others seeing it just gave you future cancer or possibly earlier cancer in a different reality. Dude, that sucks for you.

Wow that deep my knig

**soxmuscle** · 07-26-2010, 11:49 PM

Grrr! I'm Sick of Lance Armstrong - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment - FOXNews.com

What Armstrong did to his first wife was terrible IMO. The fact that he also cheated more extensively than pretty much anybody in this era of sport, I find his "cancer spokesman" and god's gift figure to be annoying.

If I get cancer, it will be because of something I did/genetics, and will have nothing to do with Armstrong.

**Hoglander** · 07-27-2010, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by The Situation

Wow that deep my knig

OK, I've had a chance to sift through the information. Turns out Lance got cancer from things that current/future Lance did, is doing and will do. Sox will be fine other a slight abdominal episode related to this matter. I'll spill my beer tomorrow at 5:05pm(Pacific Standard Time) and have bought extra,BTW. You'll enjoy a nice, yet slightly bitter Java while contemplating this matter.

**Built** · 07-27-2010, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by Hoglander

OK, I've had a chance to sift through the information. Turns out Lance got cancer from things that current/future Lance did, is doing and will do. Sox will be fine other a slight abdominal episode related to this matter. I'll spill my beer tomorrow at 5:05pm(Pacific Standard Time) and have bought extra,BTW. You'll enjoy a nice, yet slightly bitter Java while contemplating this matter.

This thread is a JEWEL - how did I miss this!

**Prince** · 07-27-2010, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

...who used his body as a science experiment to increase his strength, his endurance and everything in between.

what's wrong with that? I think every adult should be allowed to do whatever they want to THEIR OWN body.

**DOMS** · 07-27-2010, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by The Situation

what was that thing that flew out of the guy?

It's a yarmulke.

**soxmuscle** · 07-27-2010, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Prince

what's wrong with that? I think every adult should be allowed to do whatever they want to THEIR OWN body.

His drug usage isn't the reason I dislike him. I have no problem with that aspect of him, except for the fact that he's spending ungodly amounts of money, time and energy to make certain his reputation is clean. Don't these people realize that if you just come out clean, like Andy Pettitte and explain the who, what, when, where, why, you're not going to come off as a narcissistic piece of shit. The Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, etc. route is not the way to go.

PS: It's interesting that Pettitte is coming back before the 4-6 weeks he was expected to be out for. He must have taken a double dose of his morning vitamins again.

**ZECH** · 07-28-2010, 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

His drug usage isn't the reason I dislike him.
I have no problem with that aspect of him,

Which is it???

**unclem** · 07-28-2010, 06:53 AM

he doped, they all do. hes got no nuts now, so i think hes allowed to have testosterone shots. the feds aint got nothing better to do then to chase steroid uses, blood dopers and every fucking thing else to put them in prison. i dont give a fuck about lance but the feds are to much. why cant it be a federal prosecutor getting murdered in the drug wars in mexico those pieces of shit. my god freezing your own blood to push back into your veins at later time, well i think that deserves the death penalty, but yet now they make a drug that is the same thing.

**Dark Geared God** · 07-28-2010, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by Hoglander

OK, I've had a chance to sift through the information. Turns out Lance got cancer from things that current/future Lance did, is doing and will do. Sox will be fine other a slight abdominal episode related to this matter. I'll spill my beer tomorrow at 5:05pm(Pacific Standard Time) and have bought extra,BTW. You'll enjoy a nice, yet slightly bitter Java while contemplating this matter.

HMMM bitter i love it

**soxmuscle** · 07-28-2010, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by dg806

Which is it???

"His drug usage isn't the reason I dislike him."

"I have no problem with that aspect of him,"

is the exact same thing.

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