Saw his Press conference this AM. I dont think he did anyting wrong! We need to wait for the whole story.
Holy innocent until proven guilty, Batman. I have never seen such a rush to judgment that a guy is guilty based on so little data. I think even OJ got the benefit of the doubt for a few weeks. As far as the legal system is concerned, he still has the benefit of the doubt: he's walking around free. If you're talking about the so-called court of public opinion, are you honestly saying that everybody said, "Oh, heh, well, I'll believe he's guilty when they prove it"? If the guy doped, and they can prove it incontrovertibly, then fine. But the day of, and this dickhead is going off about what a tragedy it is? Doesn't anyone have a sense of even-handedness anymore, or even any instinct at all to wait to get more data before shooting off their mouths and making Landis don the scarlet "D"? Think of it this way: if there is no doping, the anti-doping organizations have no raison d'etre. They have no justification for their existence. That is going to be the angle you hear in everything that comes out of their representatives' mouths: that this is a rampant, uncontrollable problem that can only be checked by supporting their regime and their administration (which don't come cheap) and letting them have free rein, with zero accountability. What is required is for more sports fans to take such remarks with a big grain of salt, to look at the motive and "follow the money", so to speak. (IOW, yeah, these guys are pretty much professional dickheads.)
That is going to be the angle you hear in everything that comes out of their representatives' mouths: that this is a rampant, uncontrollable problem that can only be checked by supporting their regime and their administration (which don't come cheap) and letting them have free rein, with zero accountability. Good lord, I think I agree with something lbb wrote.
On my way home yesterday I was listening to the Chairman of some anti-doping commission (I don't remember the name, else I'd look it up), and he was saying things like "this is terrible for the sport", and "we just haven't done enough to clean up our act". Was it Dick Pound, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency? I don't see how he has kept his job after the Armstrong EPO debacle. He has a thankless job, but he seems particularly ill-fitted to it. He needs to keep his mouth shut until all test results are confirmed and conclusive.
Of course he has naturally high testosterone levels. We Americans are just extra manly. Yearghhhh!!!
That is going to be the angle you hear in everything that comes out of their representatives' mouths: that this is a rampant, uncontrollable problem that can only be checked by supporting their regime and their administration (which don't come cheap) and letting them have free rein, with zero accountability. My God! That is the best description of the Bush adminstration's stand on terrorism I've ever heard!
Damn, commander, you'll get the neocons in here yet, right when they were isolated in the God at the Ballpark, Hate the Sinner, Hate the Sin discussion. Seriously, ten bucks says the two I'm thinking about are on you like Cheney on a free-range lawyer soon enough.
LOL! To quote their new messiah "Bring 'em on!" Besides I think they're too busy in the other thread. It's better to have them all gathered in one place so you can keep an eye on them. Sneaky little SOB's that they are. ;-)
If you're talking about the so-called court of public opinion, are you honestly saying that everybody said, "Oh, heh, well, I'll believe he's guilty when they prove it"? No, not everybody. Just the loudest voices in the sports media. I have heard some pretty even-handed reporting on NPR (which does sports pretty well, when it tries), but pretty much everything else I have read or heard has been hysterical, everyone grab your pitchforks 'n' torches screeds. I think most sports fans are a little more sensible than that, I was just appalled by the shamelessness of it all.
Just found this blog that's working on covering all of this and digging into the ins and outs of test efficacy, alcohol effects, who's doing the testing, etc.
Did anyone read this yet? Landis and his attorney claim that the testosterone imbalance was a natural occurance. Anyone believe them?
F--K THE FRENCH THEY'RE JUST BAD LOOSERS
What it needs is the Syrians to tell the cyclists to cut that shit out.
I said: If you're talking about the so-called court of public opinion, are you honestly saying that everybody said, "Oh, heh, well, I'll believe he's guilty when they prove it"? ...and psmealy replied: No, not everybody. Just the loudest voices in the sports media. You're talking about comments made by the loudest voices in sports media about the OJ Simpson case? Help me out with this one.
Sorry, l_b_b, it probably wasn't the best analogy to make, you're right. My main point wasn't so much shock as it was disappointment that so much of the sports press instantly jumped to the conclusion that Landis doped, before a second round of tests could be run to confirm it, and there still is the possibility that his ratio was natural phenomenon, as doubtful as that may seem. The effect of this, if he is as innocent as a newborn baby, is that his win will still be tainted. That's the part that's not fair.
I see the New York Times are reporting that the testosterone is from an external, synthetic source.
*cry*
Yes, if this is confirmed, Landis is cooked.
