Lance Armstrong and drug use

[go Yankees]

My feeling is that Lance Armstrong did in fact use banned performance enhancing substances both before and after his illness. My reasons are as follows:

--international cycling is a drug-infested sport, as bad as any other. The sport was rocked by another doping scandal banning Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich from the 2006 tour.

--Lance has failed to give a definite, clear "no" to accusations of drug use, instead (in my opinion) beating around the bush, saying things along the lines of, "y'know, I've never failed a drug test, I've shown up and been tested, I've told the testers where I will be every day of the year..."

Additionally, we've entered an era in international sports where the presence of numerous negative tests isn't much of an indication of one's innocence

What do you all think?

PS I still love the guy. Bonds? I hate him, but Lance I still like...I'm sure all the other riders all those 7 years he won used a whole bunch of drugs too, btw

[Tinfish]

Absolutely believe he used.

He cycled while on cycle. :)

[hurley]

hell yeah he did....

[Ashop]

I hate to be one to judge a person, but I would bet at one time or another he used performance enhancing agents.

[Shibby]

Maybe he did or maybe he didn't, but I'm getting tired of evey athlete who excells among the rest in thier sport, getting accused of using some sort of drugs. I'm waiting for somone to go digging in the past and find dirt on Michael Jordan. Where does it end? What about Tiger Woods, what is he taking? Another American is about to win the Tour de France and he has a bad hip... He has to be taking something.

[go Yankees]

Shibby, I see what you're saying, but it's not really about digging dirt on people. There was a time when I was a younger man and I stuck my head in the sand and said, "no, baseball players don't use steroids," and specifically, "Barry Bonds just works out." Then, bit by bit, I began to learn of doping scandals in sports, and I went from thinking it was just a few isolated incidents to seeing that it is (seemingly) just about everyone

More or less a sad day for me...I'm not digging dirt on Armstrong, I'm just asking what everyone thinks.

[Shibby]

I wasn't talking about you GY. Just in general. It seems that no one is allowed to have elite tallent anymore. But maybe those with the best tallent are falling short to the users of the games... I'm just tired of hearing about it mostly I guess. Another american just won the Tour de France. I am just waiting to hear all the accusations now.

[lightsout6]

to be the best in the world at any sport, it seems you have to take performance enhancing drugs, along with have a terrfic work ethic and amazing genetics. Its just something you have to do. With that much money and fame at stake others who are just as commited will take them in order to be the best, its not cheating at all in my opinion casue they are doing something to help make them a champion, as well as the fgact most are using so its an even playing field. He still accomplished amazing things. that should never be taken away from him, or Bonds for that matter.

[Lmg2701]

Has he failed a drug test.....No......Enough Said. (even though I'm sure someone will lol)

[Tinfish]

Has he failed a drug test.....No......Enough Said. (even though I'm sure someone will lol)

I have never failed a drug test either. What does that mean?

I am surprised that anyone on THIS board thinks he is clean.

Listen, I am a huge Armstrong fan and a pretty competitive cyclist. I know how much stronger I ride when just doing a small cycle of winny and var. I would wager my entire net worth on him being on some performance enhancing substance in the last 7 years.

[go Yankees]

Lmg, it seems that athletes are a huge step ahead of testers right now...I think the common drug test as we know it is a little obsolete

[Shibby]

I don't doubt he took drugs, espeacially, but I don't say he has either. I'm just tired of hearing about it. No body can have talent anymore

[babyblues]

Maybe he did or maybe he didn't, but I'm getting tired of evey athlete who excells among the rest in thier sport, getting accused of using some sort of drugs. I'm waiting for somone to go digging in the past and find dirt on Michael Jordan. Where does it end? What about Tiger Woods, what is he taking? Another American is about to win the Tour de France and he has a bad hip... He has to be taking something.

I'm with you, Shib. I think this has gone way overboard. Why do they only go after the top athletes? Every single achievement is going to be marred in people's minds because they're going to question whether it was the result of steroids or not. What about the guys who don't have the natural talent guys like Armstrong or Bonds have and take steroids just to be able to compete at all on a professional level? They're no less guilty of wrong doing. That to me shows that the media has just found a new whipping boy. They've found a new issue to turn into a ground breaking news story. A new "scandal" to pique the curiosity of the ignorant, dim-witted masses. It's bullshit. Steroid use has been a part of professional sports for a long long time and it's just now considered a problem? Right, give me a break. And now MLB is "cracking down" on guys like Bonds to save face. They've known about it for decades and haven't done anything about it. Why? Because it's good for baseball. Guys hitting homeruns, guys throwing harder, guys running faster....how is that bad for baseball? They're just going to slap a few people on the wrist and hope the public's interest dies down.

Here's the thing. Players who are doing things that just make you wonder "how the hell can a human being do that?" are obvious targets for accusations of steroid use. But if a few "average" players on any given team are using steroids and they become "good" players because of it, wouldn't that also taint their team's accomplishments? Why not question entire teams who win championships and are consistently at the top of their respective sport?

I mean, for example, look at this guy. He's obviously on something. 50 - 1 outsider to start the tournament and he only drops 6 sets on his way to the title? Big doping scandal there, folks.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_d...ip/1118700.stm

[Mr I]

yeah he used everything everyone else did, so what? he's still the man, even though retired

[go Yankees]

I'm with you, Shib. I think this has gone way overboard. Why do they only go after the top athletes? Every single achievement is going to be marred in people's minds because they're going to question whether it was the result of steroids or not. What about the guys who don't have the natural talent guys like Armstrong or Bonds have and take steroids just to be able to compete at all on a professional level?

I understand and agree with all that; I'm not the media, I'm not going after anyone. Unfortunately, this is the reality that athletes, owners and commissioners have dragged themselves into by letting performance-enhancing drugs do what they have done with their respective sports. Do I think Lance Armstrong is more likely to be a user than the guy who dropped out after the 12th stage? Not necessarily (I think they both have skeletons in the closet). Do I think Ronnie is more of a user than the guy who was in the 2nd call out at the USAs last summer in HW? I think they're in the same boat.

Also, I know that people still have natural talent. The thing is (lets take international cycling here) when you're as genetically gifted as everyone else, when your bike is as light as everyone else's, when your diet is as perfect as everyone elses, when you train 6 hours a day and can't train more, and your desire is just as great as everyone else's, except you know you can't fail a drug test, wouldn't you see what drugs can do for you? I'm sure that's what Joseba Beloki, Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich thought.

I'm just afraid/I just think Lance Armstrong is in the same boat