Lance doped in an era of doping...far more exciting than now. He won 7 tours in a row and he is still champion as far as I am concerned. I could not care less what the media prints regarding "disgrace." Good on Floyd Landis, too.
Old enough to remember actual history...not a re-invented one.
4
What a shame the Post Office settled for only $5 million. If they had won the case and received $100 million, we wouldn't see an increase in the cost of stamps for at least another year!
1
I like sandlot or gym sports of all kinds. I like to watch honest, and often quite talented, girls and guys play basketball or tennis, baseball or what-have-you. Nobody should sit around in front of a t.v. and hang on every syllable of big-time sports -- cycling or whatever. Far better for us to get out and be our own sportswomen. If we keep moving we'll live longer. I guess I sound sanctimonious, but I swim and walk and garden, don't, after all, just watch others do these things. So far, at least, I don't need drugs to swim well . . . or well enough, anyway, for my 81 years. Nobody pays me to swim. I myself pay -- my neighborhood "Y."
Thanks Lance all you did to legitimize the use of PEDs. You are truly the best spokesman for healthy living. Judging from the comments you were successful in convincing many that taking PEDs is no big deal. A great example for our youth of today. You should be the head of a foundation dedicated to health. Well, maybe not.
2
For any Tour de France fan, Lance was the ultimate warrior. Rolling on millions of sponsorship.
Doping was reinvented, brought to levels never seen before. Sorry, that was not fair and square.
As we heavily condemned Russia for a structured doping program, let's come to an understanding that one money losing service of our government has achieved to distance itself from the king of renegades.
There are, understandably, a large number of people who have very little knowledge of the facts surrounding professional cycling at the highest level when Lance Armstrong was active. It's helpful to understand that Lance was always a gifted athlete with a physiology that naturally allowed him to sustainably generate power at levels few could approach. When he turned professional the use of performance-enchancing drugs was rampant. Once he and his coach perfected the strategy of skipping less prominent races to focus on winning the Tour de France--scouting every kilometer and adapting his training to its specific physical challenges, Armstrong should have been expected to win.
PEDs can only provide a marginal advantage. An overweight weekend cyclist can take every drug there is and still not beat a well-conditioned clean weekend cyclist. A non-team leader professional cyclist in the Tour de France can take drugs all day long and never come close to matching the performance of clean team leaders. In short, Lance Armstrong wins every one of those seven Tours if everyone is clean, or if everyone uses PEDs. The organizers of the Tour de France profited handsomely, and decided to spend very little to improve its ability to detect doping. In such an environment, the best cyclist in the world would lose to an inferior competitor--not by much, but just about always.
Lance could have either doped or let dopers beat him; I can't condemn him for choosing to level the field.
9
Fake sportsmanship.
3
I think that he should have to share a tent with trump under the freeway viaduct.
7
I saw LeMond win in '89. And, in 2000, I went back as a journalist.
Lance was funny, bright, liberal -- for abortion rights, gun control, against invading Iraq.
But the first time I penetrated his team's guard, somebody let something slip. The fairy tale was over.
Press guys with Lance on speed dial could have known the same thing in a snap, but either they were enjoying their vacation 2 much or afraid to pop an American dream. It was professional malfeasance.
A columnist from the London Times handed me a manuscript detailing the con and asked if I could find a publisher in the US. Nobody would print it! Free speech and press in America are myths.
With each passing year, the evidence piled up. Dr. Ferraro...frozen blood packets in Spain. Nobody could compete who wasn't doing it.
I tried to wise fans up but they were like true believers with kool aid.
Now these people are very bitter and want Lance to pay for it. I think he's been through hell several times and am relieved that all the players are finally free.
Recall: Lance was a fatherless child raised on 7-11 slurpies in a tumor of a town where they shot JFK. What he accomplished! And he could do one more big thing -- because he's smart, educated and hard.
The Tour de France should make him their drug cop and give him all the resources and independence to do the job -- with drop dead sanctions.
When I can believe it's a fair, I'll watch it again.
Because it's the greatest sporting event in the world.
6
And for all stating that everyone was doping, let's say it was not a plain field. We can now see France developing young cyclists that may now have a chance. On the other hand, the US is no longer a presence as the Lance saga brought back the dark ages. If we had listened to Greg even for a moment!
4
Almost forgot about this cheater.
2
Lance Armstrong cheated. I saw him admit it on Oprah. I'm surprised he hasn't opened a theme park...Lance Land...
1
Armstrong played the Times for a fool for years and almost all of its readers swallowed it hook, line and sinker. The Times continues to run too good to believe stories in its Sports section that are not really sports stories and full of obvious embellishment. Where I live, we get continued amusement from these type of pieces that started 50 years ago in Sports Illustrated. Now ESPN has jumped on the bandwagon full bore. You can’t go a day without seeing a cancer patient who has a favorite sports team. Armstrong took full advantage of this type of “journalism” and made millions. I still know people that are deluded into thinking his foundation was raising money for research when that was never the main object. It was all about being part of the “aura” of Lance.
2
But if you’re black and get pulled over by a cop for a broken taillight, and try to run away, then you get shot 8 times in the back.
6
The most thrilling cyclist since Eddy Merckx
I remain a die hard fan.
And they were ALL doping!!
4
It's disappointing to see how many people here are defending this LIAR and CHEAT.
It's no wonder we got Trump in the White House.
5
Go, Eddy Merckx!
1
Cycling was, and still is, dirty. Lance was the best of the worst. These riders are pros, trying to make a living in an extremely dangerous sport. Even so called amateurs use PEDs now. Anyone who thinks otherwise is naive. Lance is not the man monster his critics say he is, but instead is a scapegoat.
3
There are no two ways about it: Lance Armstrong is a liar and a cheat. Shame on you for defending that.
3
A fraud and a crook! And an utterly shameless one too.
There seems to be a lot of that going around these days...
5
News Flash...no one care about Lance Armstrong. He dishonored his nation. He dishonored his sport. He dishonored himself and his family. Armstrong has never shown any remorse and now no one cares about him!
7
I love the moral superior tone of most comments, as if they'd never have done such a thing. Get over it. He was the best athlete by far in a sport where everyone was juiced. He was first among equals for years. I never really cared what he was on, but like others, I was up at 5 a.m. just watch him kick butt in the Alps. Despite his moral blindspot, his life story aside from riding is quite compelling.
5
Dennis, not “everyone was juiced” - all the cheaters were juiced. The honest athletes lost their spots on teams.
That he’s the best cheater of all is of no interest to me.
6
He's a liar and a cheat. Not only that, but he loudly excoriated people who told the truth about him. He should have been made to pay the entire $100M.
6
I’m all for calling Armstrong to the carpet. But how is giving another doper and his lawyer $2.75 million justice? This settlement stinks as much as the cyclists.
3
What message does it give to the liars and cheats of the world? Keep lying and cheating and even if you are caught, you will get to keep a large portion of your loot.
What a shame that we see lots of people in the position of power all around us doing the same.
4
Lance Armstrong is another embarrassment to the USA. Arrogant dishonest and a fraud. He may have raised funds for cancer but who needs dirty money. The antithesis of what defines an athlete. A cheater. A disgrace. Another sad chapter in American history.
4
This settlement is the ultimate Floyd Fairness Fund. I doubt suckers like me who forked over money to the original Floyd Fairness Fund will get our money back.
2
He cheated; the other guy cheated; and they both still have millions more than the rest of us.
4
This is the height of hypocrisy. The USPS was in no way tainted by Armstrong's doping, but rather it profited handsomely from its association with the winning cyclist for many years. If justice were were actually in operation here, and true forensic accounting were involved, it probably should have paid Armstrong very handsome bonuses for each of the Tour victories that they were associated with him. I am not condoning Armstrong, whom I have never liked, but as this paper reported (https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/08/24/sport... cycling, track and field, and other sports with huge amounts of money flowing through them have been altered by performance enhancing substances for so long that punishing drug users seems to distract us from the reality that chemicals are part of sports. Efforts by WADA and other drug policing agencies should be viewed the same way as the NCAA: they are a public relations campaign that tries to cultivate the semblance of authenticity, but they will never catch up with the curve, let alone end doping (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4641409/).
1
If Armstrong gets to keep $40 or $50 million of his ill-gotten gains through negotiating his way through it, you can see clearly that Trump will do the same thing: negotiate to resign peacefully and stay out of prison and also keep the hundreds of millions that Jared is nailing down around the world. So disappointing that the Trump gang will escape prison.
7
I remember cycling in Italy in 1999 when Lance was winning his first tour. I stopped in a small town that only had French newspapers. The dossier compiled by Le Monde implied very strongly that Lance was cheating. In other words no one in Europe, especially France, had many illusions about Lance--already in 1999! The whole farce then continued for another 13 years...
4
Face it. We’re not allowed to have heroes anymore. I watched the Tour to see him win. Everyone was doping. He beat them fair and square. It was a level playing field. Quit being so self righteous and give credit where credit is due. He still is a hero to me.
5
Like his son whom he lied to, the fans will never get anything back. Part of the reason Mr. Armstrong is an eggplant emoji is his upbringing without a father figure. His parents separated when he was a baby and like a lot of kids who grow up in broken homes he carried a chip on his shoulder. Personally, I would like to see LA use his clout (and he still has a lot in cycling) to affect change. That would make this story come full circle and make a wheel difference.
3
I am a big time fan of cycling and Le Tour.
I have traveled to France several times to take in Le Tour.
And of course, was a fan of Lance.
I remember arguing with Europeans against their accusations of Lance doping etc. I also remember then Senator Kerry at a Le Tour stop and him and Lance together. Lance had more security than the senator since he was then a Democrat nominee.
All the circus around Lance - but as an American and a Texan, I was mighty proud of this man who beat cancer.
I never once thought this good ole Texan can do that.
Then, I read the whole 200 page Miller (??) Report in the NYT.
I was devastated. I have reconciled myself to the fact that Lance was a rogue cowboy.
Now, comes this settlement. And I am again disappointed in this rogue cowboy.
I know this is our American legal system.
But having just agreed to a hefty fine, but then have your lawyer say, there was no reason for this settlement.
Come on. Why did the government not have a stipulation in the settlement that Lance is prohibited from saying things like this. It brings mockery to our legal system.
And come to think of it, why did not the judge caution Lance on this obvious attempt to malign our judicial system.
I hope Lance atones his crimes and becomes humble. And moves on.
There is still time to make Texas proud.
3
At this point I just want everyone to compete on an even playing field with all the available enhancements on offer. Integrity seems dead and those without money are out of luck. Go Team Armstrong.
1
The story underneath is the larger, more interesting story: What is it about getting approval from others and APPEARING a winner that one would have no compunction about using something that unfairly enhances one's position? How does one FEEL good when you know well that you are not -- even if one justifies such substance use because"everyone" is using? Is it not the most perverted form of sport where one becomes so used to this fake persona of winner -- Lance did it for seven consecutive years -- that somehow he still did not feet something deeply inhumanly superficial ans shallow? It looks like a fake like form everybody, the friends, the community, the family, and himself. What good is such life?
During the “Armstrong Era”, almost every rider of any significance doped. It has been stated that all of the top three TdF finishers (except one) during that 10 or so year period could have been stripped of their places if the cycling officials had wanted to. The claims by USADA that Armstrong’s Postal Team was the largest doping operation in the history of sports were ridiculous at the time, and subsequent revelations of organized, government supported doping by Eastern bloc - particularly Russian - athletes has proved it. A few days ago, it was revealed (under oath) that in 1996, the infamous Dr. Ferrari was paid to supply EPO for their national track cycling team by the Spanish National Cycling Federation. This has gone on in almost all sports for thousands of years. Just ask Barry Bonds or Roger Clemons.
1
Absurd, the man delivered. The USPS got what it paid for, a winning team in red, white and blue. Any one that saw Lance racing down a sweeping mountain turn, go off the road and ride thru a ravine and emerge catching his group to win again, got a thrill never to forget. Drugs, Landis did them too. He couldn't beat Lance, so he sued him.
When the USPS loses your package, they say they aren't responsible. Big Government wins again, what a surprise!
1
I think Lance has said his mea culpa many times over now. Can he be forgiven?
1
Clearly the greatest cyclist of all times in a sport like many others that was dominated by performance enhancing drugs. His real sin was his arrogance, not his achievements.
1
Armstrong has gotten off easy. He made money off of cheating and lies.
And the tu quoque argument of “everyone” was doping does not absolve him. The better thing to do would be to expose the problems to the authorities.
2
How could his doping harm the postal service? Customers are gonna say "forget it...I want to spend extra and mail my bills via UPS or fedex!"? When he WAS racing ,my question was why the USPS was sponsoring anyone and raising the price of stamps!
1
In my opinion olympics in the modern world is corrupt with drug use rampant and why even broadcast it. Mr Armstrong winning seven tours come on that was drugs involved every time. I hope he is living in guilt every day and am glad he has to pay back money. He should have jail time also.
1
A couple of ways to get doping out of the Tour de France would be to get big big money out of it and make it less hard. Expecting human beings to be mountain goats is unreasonable.
Armstrong doped for fame and fortune. He’s getting justice. If he can learn from it he’ll become a better human being. If not, he’ll just become bitter.
2
A thought occurred to me while reading about our former local hometown hero... Aren't politicians who are bought and paid for by lobbyists "doped"?
Shouldn't they be exposed, too?
3
It is very sad that Lance had to resort to using performance -enhancing drugs when he could have won tour de France without them at least once. I guess power and big bucks numbs a person's decency and judgment. What could be a long lasting legacy became tainted.
2
$5M when he reportedly made $100M+ off his cheating? Better than nothing, but not enough.
2
He’s still a seven-time Tour winner to me.
2
I don't know much about cycling and drug testing for the sport but I read on a British news media site that during the 2017 Australian Open (tennis) that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were drug tested 14 times over the two weeks the tournament was played. How often are cyclists tested?
Lance Armstrong did more for cycling than any other person, he encouraged people world wide to enter the sport.
His name, his brand sold clothing, shoes, bikes and spurred purchases that otherwise would not have been made.
He rode every mile himself, made many sacrifices, stuck to a rigorous schedule & deserves to have his Tour de France titles restored.
8
He did exponentially more harm than good but is unique in his potential to transform the sport for the better.
1
Armstrong was a talented conman, a cheat, a liar, a bully, a manipulator, and a major vindictive creep.
There are many more who have done so much more by playing clean.
I’m very disappointed that Armstrong was allowed to skate with a) a minor penalty showing crime does pay, and b) no required admission of all the things he did.
For writing off 115M$ in potential penalties, one would think the USG could at least get him to confess he did it.
3
---Uh...Lance Armstrong was a cheat, a liar, an ongoing intimidating bully, who sullied- granted, along with numerous others- the reputation of the sport he loved and excelled in, for selfish reasons of ego and personal gain. While what you claim is mostly true, the cost psychic cost of what he did was great, and still adversely affects competitive cycling . He got off excessively easy with this settlement, and, considering that he was facing the loss of his considerable fortune, has to rate this as...another big win. Likely, the greatest he'll achieve from here on out.
3
“No one is above the law,” an assistant attorney said.
I beg your pardon but if by breaking the law and becoming rich enough as a result to pay for this kind of settlement and all the other associated costs of the scam and still have a home, put food on the table and make money off your memoirs and interviews, that concept becomes questionable; very questionable.
13
On second thought, the conduct of Lance Armstrong is just another example of how "Trumpian" the nation has become and it started long before Trump successfully scammed his way into office.
3
Homes!
Armstrong wrecked people’s reputations, reneged on business promises, hounded and ridiculed some folks and put others out if business.
He is a malicious person.
And crime does pay.
It won’t be long before Mr Armstrong returns with revisionism and a charm offensive to reclaim the halo he never really deserved in the first place.
2
While I am not a lawyer, I have headed up a company that was involved in numerous lawsuits with personnel let go. This settlement amount is very telling to me in that The government didn't want to spend the money on this case anymore if it could settle (over 90% of all cases settle before court) and the amount the sides finally argued down to was "small" at $5 million. It probably started at $20-$25 million. Both sides "won". I believe the responses from actual attorneys who have mediated cases will support this.
5
The federal costs of trying a case are quite different from private sector costs.
The government never spends as much money as it recovers from FVA settlements. The DOJ attys are also a fixed cost as DOJ doesn’t use private law firms to try FCA cases.
Lance is one of our many scapegoats. What he did allows us to feel better about ourselves: "I'm not that bad." And our strong response helps us to avoid acknowledging our own failings.
14
Did I get this right - that Armstong said, "I cheated my heart out, and was always especially proud of that. Those memories are very real and mean a lot to me...”? That might not be exactly what he said, but I think I got the gist of it.
20
The part of Armstrong's cheating that people seem to miss when they argue that everyone was doping is that there was a whole generation of cyclists who didn't dope and who didn't have the opportunity to compete at the highest levels. Some of these cyclists in all likelihood might have beaten Armstrong and his ilk had they all been riding clean. I would also suggest that many of the stars of that era might not have been good enough to ride the tour clean and by doping cheated clean athletes of a career in cycling at the Grand Tours.
56
What counts as "doping" has always been an arbitrary line. Every top-flight athlete is tweaking her or his body chemically and technically, most often by taking advantage of immense public or private subsidies or sponsorships. Nobody is a found object. Moreover, as the Armstrong case reminds us in spades, athletes judged "clean" at one point in their career can be reclassified as "dirty" at another through retesting or other evidence, and then revisionist history kicks in with a vengeance. Both reporters and spectators seem to ignore one of the most important implications of this case: how many other putatively clean and honorable athletes got away with it simply because the spotlight wasn't turned on them? Armstrong was the most conspicuous target ever, and look how long it took the mighty guardians of purity to catch him! I think skepticism is the only adult emotion when it comes to professional sports. It is spectacle, and far too many interests press on the scales to make concepts like "clean" or "pure" be reasonable metrics in modern sports.
2
Disagree Armstrong was competing against pros in Triathlon at Age 15. He was always a beast.
1
"No one is above the law," said Chad Readler, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Division. "This settlement demonstrates that those who cheat the government will be held accountable."
This is pure BS. Armstrong cheated, yes. And it is/was disappointing. However, he was no different from Floyd Landis and all the rest of the Tour de France riders. Who is holding them "accountable." Floyd Landis, who is an admitted cheater, is going to reap $1.1 million from this. How does that make sense? I personally have never much liked Lance, but I have great respect for what he accomplished because he was on a level playing field. Look it up, look up how many of the top riders, his primary competitors were found guilty of doping. All of them. So, Lance did not cheat the US Government and the US Postal Service benefitted a great deal from his accomplishments. That lawyer, Readler, doesn't know anything. If no one is above the law, maybe he should prosecute Trump.
23
I am happy to see Mr. Armstrong close this chapter of his life. The concept that the USPO was not aware of doping seems ludicrous. Mr. Armstrong was stripped of seven titles and none - none - were awarded to anyone else, chiefly because of the improbability of finding a surrogate who was not likewise tainted. (A report from SportingIntelligence.com projects that 87% of Mr. Armstrong's contemporaries on the tour have been associated with doping.)
I understand the need to blame somebody and Mr. Armstrong, in the fever of protecting himself, proved ruthless and offensive enough to become an unlikable fall-guy. I hope that in time he is able to mend the relationships he fractured and I hope that in time, although much more time, he is able to play a role in the wonderful organization that he helped create. Lastly, although this might take longer still, I hope the Tour can learn to police itself and move back to the exciting event that it once was.
16
Agree. There was plenty of smoke along the way. LA's actions to defend allegations of doping were heinous and very hard to forgive. In my view, sadly, the doping was doing business as business was done. That comment shouldn't even be at all controversial if you followed cycling at the time.
4
Of course there were no “surrogates”, tro-nyc: they had lost their spots on teams to Lance and other cheaters - seems they couldn’t keep up.
Why Lance apologists keep defending him, I have no idea. Fall guys are innocent, but Lance? He wasn’t only guilty of doping, but threatening team members who threatened to come clean. To this day, he remains a truly despicable human being.
I suggest you talk to Greg LeMond, Andy Hampsten, or any of the other honest athletes whose careers were ruined by Lance and others who didn’t play be the rules. Ask them if there’s any possibility Lance might “mend his relationship” with them. Best of luck.
1
You are incorrect when you say "none [Tour de France victory] - were awarded to anyone else, chiefly because of the improbability of finding a surrogate who was not likewise tainted."
Under the rules of the sport the competitor who finished second in each of those Tours is the new winner.
He was, is and always will be a bully, liar and blowhard.
52
And now who cares if Amazon is milking the postal service.
3
Without Amazon (and eBay) shipments, the USPS would barely have any reason to exist...
8
A world class JERK. Period.
35
Everyone wants to feel morally superior to Armstrong. It's fun and besides, they get to say, "I would never do something like that."
The same kind of moral displacement occurs with rock stars and politicians. "Oh, I would never sleep with 23 different women in 30 days." Well, you never had the chance, the temptation, have you? Rock stars, movie stars and billionaires have women throwing themselves at them and they have to make a choice, yield to their impulses or act more maturely. Which would you pick? Are you sure?
The only thing we were robbed of by the doping era is knowing what could have been, what Armstrong and others would have been like without being artificially boosted.
Consider this: You are sitting in a room with a large group of other people. If you get the best score on a test, you not only get into the very best, well known college, all tuition and expenses are paid. Jobs at high pay follow. Your life is assured. You look around and come to realize everyone else is cheating. You finish the test, leave the room, but vow, next time, you will cheat, too, and do better than the rest.
Waiting for the next test, you come to realize that the people overseeing it are encouraging cheating. The better the scores, the more money they get. You get angry and you want to get even.
This is a version of what Armstrong faced. It would have been far better if he had chosen a different course and helped to clean up the sport. Instead, he was entirely human.
23
Many years ago, I was sent to a management training class at IBM. They played a game to start the class. The object of the game was to accumulate the most money and you were encouraged to cheat to win. I believed so much in the morality of IBM and yet, they taught the rewards, money, of cheating. No wonder Trump is President.
12
I don't agree with your analogy. Either you have moral integrity or you don't. Part of being a morally righteous person is to do the right thing even though it's hard, you seem to say that anything is OK, no matter how offensive or unlawful, as long as you know that everyone else is doing it. Take my advice, don't live your life like that. You still have to live with yourself.
And not only that but he actually tried very much to destroy anyone who rightfully outed him. Calling these people the most vile names and actually filing cases against them when he new they were right.
Does this mean that I think he should be tarred and feathered? No, we all make mistakes. The point is to learn from them, maybe some day he'll show the people he tried to vilify some respect and stop giving excuses as to why he did what he did.
1
Please. You are not far from God Told Him It Was Ok.
What about the group that didn’t cheat and we’re thus cheated? Are you saying they were suckers for not having played it like Lance?
1
Good for Lance. Glad this chapter is over and you move on with the rest of your life. And for all the negative posters. You really think it would have been appropriate for Lance to pay more money so that Floyd Landis, another cheat could cash in even more? They were both caught doping, but to then turn and claim you're a whistle blower is weak.
5
You focus on the wrong thing, namely bashing Landis in a flurry of equivalence.
Sure Floyd was a crook too, but he was conforming to the tone from the top set and demonstrated by Armstrong.
As for a whistleblower, it is usually takes one from inside the fraudsters circle to blow the whistle, sometimes the WB is also dirty. But we reward all WB’s else the whistle would often remain silent.
Armstrong should have been stripped of the profit he made off his fraud regardless of who blew the whistle and how big a reward they got.
The USG flopped here and let Armstrong skate with most of his fraudulent gains and without firm public admission of guilt.
1
After watching Armstrong whiz past Jan Ulrich in the 2001 Tour, I became a fan and got up at 5:00 am each morning in July to tape the Tour and go back to bed. I read his 1st book and looked to him for inspiration as a determined cancer survivor and athlete. I defended him at first but then was very disappointed when the truth came out and I learned that he viciously bullied his accusers. I don't think about him anymore and I think we should all move on.
34
The very technical rules surrounding athletic performances at the elite level do change all the sports. However the myth that talented amateurs simply get up in the morning and break world records and do so without money being involved is equally harmful. Elite level sports involve vast sums of money--not all of it transparent--and considerable technology as well as support people to produce the performances we see on TV or along the roads as we hold our drinks and eat snacks.
People who know and love cycling understand what a small world it can be with relationships burdened by the giant egos it takes to perform on the elite teams. Part of what matters in the Lance Armstrong story is the clash of egos and loyalties played out in the media and on the road. Pushing oneself to the edge of exhaustion and beyond day after day, season after season and being exposed to actual life-threatening road conditions requires competitors with rare mind sets. Add national pride and significant money, the risk/reward ratio can be tempting. From an armchair, it is easy to judge, the facts support how difficult it is to keep cycling a "clean" sport amid how tempting it is/was for cyclists to accept the extra edge of drugs or technology
I admit to being a fan with a fan's suspension of belief because I want watching that thrilling heroic performance as part of my memories. Lance Armstrong delivered those performances as well as inspiration to beat cancer. Was the truth worth the pain?
5
Yes it was.
Aside for your adoration and apology for Mr Armstrong, as for thrilling competition, we also get that with clean athletes.
While others cannot fathom a sporting era where everyone on the podium was juiced, I am grateful for the nearly $500 million raised by Lance’s foundation for cancer research.
Now that this is resolved, please aim your pitchforks at MLB, NFL heroes who succeeded while employing pharmacological aids.
30
Sorry -- But the Livestrong foundation did not raise money for cancer research, as I understand it. They raised money that went to pay salaries, marketing costs and for the most part, raise awareness of cancer detection and what to do about it. Their money did not go to research.
4
Lance's Livestrong charity does not fund cancer research.
If you are about maximizing your donations for cancer research, you could do much better by not donating to Livestrong.
The BBB’s give.org report is fairly damning:
http://www.give.org/charity-reviews/national/cancer/livestrong-foundatio...
I agree that Armstrong is probably a sociopath, but that's not what the lawsuit was about. I would also agree that he was overly aggressive in his attacks on people who suggested he cheated, but again, that's not what the lawsuit was about. I'm not justifying his behavior, but I understand that he reacted as a cornered animal would. The case was about his defrauding his sponsor. What seems to get lost here is, over 5 years of investigation and legal wrangling worth over 100 million dollars and the case settles for 5 million. I think that's very telling of how strong the prosecutions case was. Perhaps Armstrong was right that USPS profited more, financially, than it ever paid out. Lastly, for anyone who has even a casual interest in this case, let alone true cycling enthusiasts, remember that the Tour chose to vacate those 7 years. That's an extraordinary step taken by the organization. The history of the Tour is littered with riders who have been caught cheating and replaced in the standings by the next rider in succession. The fact that the top 20+ riders for those 7 years had all been caught doping, forcing the organization to vacate 7 entire seasons, speaks to the complete epidemic of doping in that era. It was a level playing field and Armstrong was the last man standing. I understand that he's a polarizing subject, But don't discount that he was a product of the environment.
30
As a former cyclist and as a citizen of this country, all I can say about the Lance Armstrong fiasco is, "What a waste of talent. Our entire nation was held captive by what were empty victories."
34
Good thing he's not an urban teen shoplifter, or pot smoker.
22
Armstrong cheated ... and who in his era did not, as witness the 7 empty years of "winners" in the Tour de France? Armstrong cheated, but technically, he never lied: he always said "I have never failed a drug test," which is true. He never failed a drug test till he tried to come back. But he isn't alone, in cycling or in any other big money sport. There were other dopers in cycling who didn't get their title stripped, whose sponsors didn't sue them after the fact. I think it's time to move on. Don't elevate sports stars to hero status or role models; enjoy their prowess (and Armstrong had that, "dopage" or not) and, sorry, get a life. As another commentator pointed out, he did some good for the cancer survivor community, and he got me, a middle aged fat woman, back on the bike, too. For that, I'm grateful. But would I want to be his friend? No.
14
Armstrong did fail a drug test. He had a doctor make up a post-dated prescription to explain the failure. He always chose his words carefully, and you can say that means he never spoke a lie, but that doesn't mean hew was honest.
1
So basically what you are saying is 'okay he cheated but he didn't lie' so that makes what he did okay? No it doesn't. Not only did he cheat he also intimidated and harassed anyone who spoke out against his systemic cheating. There were plenty of clean talented cyclists that were pass over or rejected because they wouldn't dope who were denied a career as a professional cyclist because of Armstrong. There are also people who's lives were ruined by his bullying and lies.
This article only provides Armstrong's lead attorney's view, but its hard to see if the government believed that it could receive up to 100m that it would have agreed to this settlement: with an anti doping clause only in the last contract , and Landis' and Armstrong's confessions years after the USPS sponsorship, why would a jury trial have fared any worse for Armstrong for receiving funds by fraud and thereby causing financial harm to the USPS ? For all his bluster,it appears that Armstrong apparently feared facing a jury of his peers even though the plaintiffs apparently feared the same thing.
3
Why the heck did the Postal Service spend $32.3 million sponsoring Armstrong? Even if he'd never been caught for doping, did they seriously expect that people would spend well in excess of that amount mailing things they wouldn't have without his "endorsement"? What a stupid waste of money--a marketing tactic without an intelligent strategy.
20
The USPO sponsorship of Armstrong’s team was because the USPO has a very profitable package shipping arm in Europe. Per the USPO when Armstrong was racing their sponsorship resulted in massive expansion of the USPO package shipping business, which is still paying dividends today to the US Post Office. Most people are unaware the the post office delivers packages all over the world, and outside the U.S. the post office functions at a large profit operating like Fed Ex and UPS. Armstrong is correct when he says that the post office made a ton of money off of their sponsorship of his team. One of the best return on investments that a branch of our government has ever made.
16
There are no USPS offices here in Europe. USPS shipments from the USA are delivered here by the local national postal authorities. Nobody in Europe can ship anything by USPS. And I suspect very few Americans shipped via USPS because Armstrong was its standard bearer. (Vast majority of folks don’t care about cycling.)
It is interesting that people do not know that Armstrong is just the largest target to vilify in this doping scandal. EVERYONE, and I do mean everyone in the sport of pro cycling KNEW AND PROFITED from doping in cycling.
Armstrong made tens of millions of dollars for the Postal Service during his tainted victories. They 'claim' that they did not know but if you were in the pro cycling world, you knew.
The Tour itself KNEW that all of its cyclists were doped up or were doping...FOR YEARS......but.....IF everyone is doing it, is there an unfair advantage?
The TV sponsors knew it and so did the reporters....but....why mess up a good cancer to champion story with a little dope?
I am not defending Armstrong in any way (in my opinion, he got intoxicated with the victories and the power and influence that went with the wins and really mistreated MANY innocent people....He got what he deserved). I am saying that it is hypocritical to say that Armstrong was the CAUSE of this scandal. He is the END RESULT of an ongoing issue....He just systemized it to his advantage and won more than everyone else.
8
Hey, Louiscool, please tell us how Armstrong "made tens of millions" for the Post Office. What, people saw Lance win, and immediately ran down to the Post Office and bought books of stamps?
5
If you READ the article, it states that the Postal Service had a 'marketing boon' in sponsoring Armstrong. I would assume that a marketing boon would result in a lot of money making.
5
Not all money poured into advertising returns a profit. It would really be interesting to see the analysis showing sunk costs vs expanded share of this market or expanded profits (after costs). At the time, I never understood why the USPS was sponsoring him.
“Steal a little and they throw you in jail – steal a lot and they make you King”
B. Dylan
24
Is Landis gonna refund everyone’s money who bought his book of lies? Maybe he should go on another tour and apologize to everyone he lied to face to face. What a hypocrite!
11
It's a real shame that Lance Armstrong was doping and won. It's a shame whenever someone, at any level in a sport, is doping and wins. That fake win deprives athletes who have worked hard, some for decades and at great cost to themselves for their passion, of the opportunity to make a team, make the cut, or win.
Lance Armstrong is not paying the real price for his fake wins. The ones paying are those who were just behind him and the other dopers.
13
Everyone just behind him was doping. All podium positions for several years were won by cyclists using PEDs. Armstrong won riding with the same tailwind as the others. He wasn’t a better doper, he was a better rider. And where does Floyd get off pocketing a mil?
5
Everyone? 100% of the pack? Please.
Armstrong has a bright future in politics ahead of him. There doesn't seem to be anyone America loves more than a fraud, cheat and liar.
35
DOPE!! I live in Austin, Armstrong is a disgrace to this city, this state, and to this country. A liar! And now he's playing the Victim Card! A total coward and hypocrite!
32
Is there a professional sport that is not tainted in some way or another?
6
I find it interesting that rich people"agree" to pay fines. I'll bet you or I wouldn't have that choice.
14
Maybe now Landis can pay the $450,000 that he was ordered to pay in his settlement to the fans that he defrauded.
26
Why does the postal service sponsor anything? How is that a good investment?
8
Lance wins again.
By most estimates he's worth ~$200 million, based on his cycling sponsorship and subsequent investment earnings, of which he now has to give up 5.
Perhaps there's a future for him in the current administration.
46
tour De Trump, look it up
11
I do not understand why just Mr. Armstrong is being forced to repay the Postal Service. Didn't the entire team, including Floyd Landis also dope, cheat, lie, and defraud the US government. While I do not condone what Armstrong did to his body in order to win, the other athletes made the exact same choice. These team mates also made a nice sum of money representing the US Postal cycling team with the help of Armstrong, and all the media coverage he generated. It seems like another case of the government going after the deepest pocket, while leaving other guilty parties alone. Where is our system of justice and how does Landis receive almost three million, after denying he doped for years? It seems Landis turned out to be a shrewd businessman by "confessing." Finally, how much did the government spend to prosecute this case through all these years. Another huge waste of out tax dollars for what public purpose?
6
I think you will find that the USPS formed its contract with Armstrong.
I think you will also find that Landis was an employee of Armstrong’s team.
I have no sympathy for that guy. He owes a lot more and to a lot more people. He destroyed and hurt a lot of people in his attempt to cover his lies all those years. As far as I am concerned, he is THE anti-hero of our country - a callous narcissist and international embarrassment.
67
I read this Lance Armstrong settlement with great sorrow.
Armstrong, a man who did so much damage to sport and was able to amass a great fortune by lying and cheating is given a slap on the wrist and a pittance as a fine. The message the government gives with this penalty is simple. Lie, cheat, and steal in sport, amass a great fortune and IF we actually catch you you will pay a small percentage of your winnings back as a penalty. With this fine, Lance Armstrong becomes the poster boy athlete for the Trump era.
93
Agree 100%. Even his press release sounds like a trumpet tweet, "red white and blue on my chest"--what a load of verbal sewage.
26
Here one way to see the future of Lance Armstrong:
1) He will find GOD;
2) The Evangelists will forgive him;
3) He will become a conservatives Republican politician; and
4) He could become President of the United States.
After all, it works for Donald Trump. Right?
44
Does the USPS get the money or does it go into general funds? It certainly ought to go to the USPS.
5
I guess the Postal Service couldn't prove that the actually suffered a financial loss. $5m is nothing to make this go away and probably only covers legal fees (if that).
5
The USPS made 100s of millions on their European package shipping business as a result of their $33 million they spent on sponsoring Armstrong’s team. That’s right, the USPS Cycling Team made the USPS and by extension the U.S. taxpayers 100s of millions. Are people aware that the USPS runs for profit package shipping in Europe to the benefit of the U.S. taxpayer? The USPS - Armstrong deal made the U.S. taxpayers millions.
4
You keep writing this. Please provide citations to back this up. It is hard to believe unless one is an apologist fan.
There was no call for him to be bicycling while on drugs. He should pay to a Texas Department of Highways. He should only have been on the roads when going to the store. Instead he did all his training on the roads. They deserve all of his money.
It was good he was the golden man while it lasted.
1
So, in other words: Armstrong lied, cheated, stole, and got away with it.
38
Lance Armstrong is the Donald Trump of cycling. And Donald Trump is the Lance Armstrong of the Presidency. Both are pants-on-fire liars, and both will profit from it in the end.
62
Armstrong is definitely much smarter and in better shape.
I thought fraud was a criminal offense with s possability of jail time. Just like Wells Fargo Armstrong gets to negotiate a fine and walks away. Good thing he didn't steal a apple, that would have been a real crime.
8
Or allegedly steal a backpack (The Story of Kalief Browder).
4
While Lance Armstrong was certainly cheating, he won the Tour de France from 1999-2005, which meant that his doping helped out the USPS brand at the time. I don't know how the Postal Service can claim 13 years later that they have been harmed in any way. The Tour and the sport have legitimate complaints, but the Post Office?
2
He didn't admit to taking it and lying about it until years later, and it's been in on-going litigation for years since then. The Post Office was his sponsor, and he has been stripped of all of those titles, so they got nothing from their investment in him except their name printed across his chest every time the subject comes up - which is every discussion about doping and each Tour de France event.
3
It would be really interesting to see the scholarship behind the “helped the brand” claims.
Wow. That's a great deal for Lance. I wonder why they let him off so easily? Seems like their case was strong.
Anyway, cycling continues to battle this scourge, as do most professional sports. Performance enhancing drugs make the difference between first and last place, after all, so the motivation is strong. The battle is between the inventors of the drugs and those who are supposed to detect those drugs. There is also a definitional issue: e.g. is Tiger Wood's Lasik surgery cheating, or Tommy John elbow surgery for pitchers, or how about sleeping in an altitude tent, which builds red blood cell density, accomplishing the same thing as EPO?
Anyway, both Landis and Lance were great riders, doped or not.
9
Here come all the moral absolutists now that another verdict has been handed down.
This case was adjudicated and -- while, yes, $5m, seems like a good deal for Lance -- there must be a reason the government and Landis gave up.
But in considering Lance himself, things are more complex. He was wrong to dope, even more wrong to threaten and actually harm numerous others who knew what he was up to. He hurt a number of people and careers and should pay for that, too.
What really muddles the soup is this: Lance is the kind of guy who, immediately after doping in the team trailer, would get on the phone with a young, hospitalized victim of cancer, and give encouraging words. He did that with numerous cancer patients, following their cases and raising truly prodigious amounts of money for their cause.
Then he'd call another journalist, and issue more threats.
And again, call or look in on another cancer patient.
This isn't Perry Mason. Defendants aren't all good or bad.
Stop making pronouncements like you're St Peter.
Life is complicated. People, too.
84
Rarely are things totally black or white in real life. Thanks for shedding some of the nuances on his professional life.
1
Sorry...poor excuses for criminal behavior..
11
You obviously are that kind of bipolar audience who focus on one side of a story - the side that you want to hear - and ignore the rest. And you would have no use or care about what integrity means. Well, guess what, there are still those of us out there who do care about this.
As I've always told my kids, I'd rather they give me an honest C than an A (with cheating).
13
Bravo to Whistleblowers and Journalists! they both deserve credit for a new era in sports where only losers will rely on doping. It takes a lot of courage to be a Whistleblower and Floyd Landis was fortunate to find a biking enthusiast and journalist Reed Albergotti who broke the original story.
5
Lance is delighted! No doubt. He burned the system badly, and won.
This is a moral and legal obscenity. If Landis' attorney cost over $1.5mil, what do you suppose the Postal Service spent? To settle this for a pittance is a raging joke, and insult to athletes and anyone else cheated by this piece of you know what.
12
The federal mandatory minimum drug sentence for a half a pound of crack cocaine is 10 years without parole. Lance Armstrong does no jail time. The message being sent by the Department of Justice is that this type of crime is tolerable. I am sure anyone who could afford it, would pay $5,000,000 for the same memories, the celebrations, the sex and the friendships that Lance Armstrong enjoyed. After cheating someone seven times, you have to say that the cheater one.
10
The fact that Lance is a liar, a cheat and a thug doesn't make Floyd any less morally deficient. Perhaps someday he will have the maturity and perspective to understand that, in spite of entitlement under the False Claims Act, the money he will receive from this settlement is an ill-gotten gain that is irremediably tainted by his own wrongdoing. Certainly, having won some dollars in a high-stakes game of "gotcha" does nothing to make his own conduct less reprehensible.
9
For most renowned, repetitive cheater in modern history, 5 million dollars seems a pittance for the damage he has done to the sport.
19
Wow! Lance is sponsored by the post office? That changes everything! Untie that letter from the pigeon. We're buying a stamp.
And next time, put in the plea agreement that the lawyer spokesperson is not allowed to say that the client is not really guilty. Kinda takes the edge off of a mafia type like Lance going down.
5
One would have wondered why Trump haven't already piled on, lobbying to have USPS gotten more punitive damages out of this, given how big a financial hole USPS is in. Then again, Trump probably finds kindred spirit in a liar and a cheat in Armstrong.
5
He lost on layered fees and all < 20% of his ill gotten money. Still has a net worth a> $ 50M. Who says crime doesn’t pay!
10
I used to get up before dawn to watch Lance's early Tours. Later, I'd go out and ride with my other geezer buddies buoyed by his heroic (?) performances.
I'm truly sorry for the damage he did--to himself and a to a lot of us who looked up to him.
But maybe our job is to get back on our bikes (or to our challenges) and draw strength from all the great athletes who have overcome tremendous odds. I wish it could have kept being Lance, but it's not, so let's just ride on and be our best selves. There will be true heroes to inspire us.
23
Let me understand this Landis cheated, ratted out Armstrong and now he gets one million for his efforts..does this even seem remotely right to anyone? Armstrong did a lot of good in his attack on cancer, anyone remember that? US postal and all his other sponsors were raking it in while he was winning, don't hear any complaints about that. Yes he used drugs but so have so many others in lots of sports, don't see anyone taking away their records or money. A shout out to most pro cyclists, hey Bonds thanks for destroying the most important record in baseball etc.etc. Lance just used the same playing field that all the others were using. He thrilled us and we adored him for it and now all of you self righteous wheel suckers have jumped ship. I admire the man, I'd ride with him anytime.
18
Now Biggie you do not know if everyone was using. For all we know, the real winner was probably the guy who came in 12th or 13th or 20th or 30th in a pack of cheats. But the byline that "everyone was doing it" just isn't fair to those who didn't. By all accounts Armstrong is a bully plus his team's security was so official and iron clad that no tester could even get close to them. I highly doubt other players had the force and money to do that. He is not an admirable person and you should be careful about "riding" with him - his girlfriend took the heat for a car crash that by most accounts had him behind the wheel so it is possible you would probably have to do the same. He is a cheat who cheated the real winner out of their moment of glory.
24
what about all of the young people who looked up to him? In college, his memoir was recommended summer reading for incoming freshmen, and I and other teachers spent one class session discussing the book. It later became just one more disappointment on the path to maturity, an already even then, incredibly cynical maturity.
12
Now this is cheerful news to teachers across the country that this drug addled fake riding a bicycle will get millions...
America Is Great Once Again...
I sure hope this means a price increase for those "Forever" stamps. Forever is a long, long time for the USPS. Except when they deliver the ads.
5
Lance Armstrong made a killing before all the news about his doping and cheating came out and he admitted to it in 2013. Even though he can't compete anymore and has no more sponsorships, he is probably still worth at least $50 millions. The fine of $5 million is just a slap on the wrist for him. Seeing this outcome just confirms my belief that the cheaters and scoundrels can and will always get away with a lot. You just have to know the right kind of lawyer.
140
Doping was the ruin of pro cycling. Lance helped turn the knife.
8
That amount is a bargain, given the gov't had a 50/50 case. He probably would have settled for that years ago.
5
The lesson is clear. Cheat to win and keep almost all of the money you unfairly stole from honest athletes.
Look for further degradation of sport and society as a result of this slap on the wrist.
54
Couldn't have happened to a more sanctimonious person.
27
$5 million? That's it?
What a joke.
He got very, very rich lying and cheating his way to the top.
$5 million is pocket change for this arrogant fraudster.
No wonder he wanted to go into politics. He'd fit right in with the corrupt liars and cheaters generally referred to as politicians.
Also shows you that the rich, famous, and powerful hardly ever face serious consequences in the US for their criminal behavior, which shouldn't come as a surprise in a country where they don't even prosecute war criminals and torturers.
102
What bothers me most about Armstrong is not the doping which was widespread in cycling. It was his thug like behavior where he went after anyone who might turn on him.
Still, he was and is an inspiration to those fighting cancer and that cannot be taken away from him.
10
Armstrong is a dude who defies the church-lady admonition that "cheaters never prosper". Sounds like he's living pretty large since his admission of guilt, with the advice of some smart lawyers, o'course...
10
Landis gets paid off
Seriously
He cheated - He then uses the "whistle blower" statue and he collects 1.1 million plus has his legal bills paid for???
What a world we live in?
Has the Postal Service ever paid for sponsorship of the NFL?
Because I'd like to blow the whistle on them right now!
27
I find it suspect that you used up all your condemnation on everybody but Mr Armstrong.
Lance Armstrong should have given back all the sponsorship money. He is a liar and a cheat
124
Nice to see that lying and cheating still has consequences in some realms of life.
17
Consequences, yes. But not nearly enough.
4
Irony.
C'mon, Floyd.. You made $1.1 mil by ratting on Armstrong ? Well, you and Lance and the whole mess of Tour de France riders are simply cheaters. It's just amazing really that the sport was 99% corrupt with doping. Frankly, Lance and you were riding with an even playing field where every rider was cheating---and it's still happening. The Tour is such a demanding event, 22 days, that they should just legalizing and manage doping.
13
They do legalize and manage doping. It's legal in no part and managed as we see here, by testing, analysis, and prosecution.
1
Everybody, everything, 99% corrupt...
Seriously?
This would appear to be an era in which a whole lot of things are being cleaned up. On the one hand, what a shame that there is so much wrong with our world right now. On the other hand, so many powerful actors are being held accountable now for many years of misdeeds, and apparently there are many others to follow soon in their wake. I wish the cycling competitions in which Armstrong competed had been fair, but at least now there is hope that his sort of conduct will not be repeated, so that the true, actual winners of these races can be known to us all.
6
"Cheat to Win Lance". Fraud, through and through.
18
Is it still cheating when everyone else is doing it, too? There are the rules and then there are the de facto rules.
3
"Is it still cheating when everyone else is doing it, too?" Yes. I learned that one when I was 5.
3
Sorry but please remind me again why the US postal service spends my $$ on this sort of sponsorship. Armstrong took us all "for a ride"
84
Yes, did even a single person write an extra letter or use USPS not FED EX because Lance wore a USPS jersey?
11
what do you mean, your money? the postal service gets all its money from selling its products and services. any of "your money" the postal service spent on this sponsorship was no longer your money when you paid the USPS to mail out your stuff, give you stamps, sell you a money order, etc. none of the money you pay in taxes goes to the postal service.
53
Perhaps Mark was thinking of Section 8.7 of the US Constitution where it says that Congress shall have the power to establish post offices and post roads? And perhaps by 'my' money he meant the money he (and others) pay for postage that is then spent not on delivering letters but on sponsorships?
3
As many other serious although not professional bike riders Armstrong was my idol for many years until he confessed to doping. He is not the only one and there will continue to be riders using synthetic EPO as well as many other drugs. Although watchdog agencies try as best they can to monitor doping it still continues.
Professional cycling is a very tough and demanding sport but no sport should allow doping, period. The very worst part of this story is that Armstrong was a bully and sought to defame others. In a sense that is only a part by a very sad and unfortunate part of it.
While I never liked Floyd Landis for what I believed was a very petty and vindictive attack on Armstrong, he did what he did essentially for the good of the sport.
9
Over and over again, Lance attacked anyone who dared to question if he was clean.
For those in the industry who questioned him, he had no compunction with destroying their careers.
He said it was all a result of his training, impossible to believe given that nearly all the other top cyclists had been caught doping.
Always arrogant, always smug when accused of doping.
He'd be a great fit in the White House!
145
Cycling is a sport of dopers. Always was, always will be. Lance was the best so he was the biggest target. People who think they would have acted differently might be correct, but just as easily could have followed Lance’s past. He made a boatload of money for Trek, Oakley and all his sponsors. Floyd is a rat.
Finally it is over for Armstrong. Between when the charges against him started and now, we have witnessed many athletes and nations (USSR) doing much more than he, so now with the proper prospective, Armstrong will not be penalized much. Except that he had his major accomplishments (seven time winner of the tour de France) recalled.
7