The Lance Dance: Doing The Tango with Oprah

Well, Lance's interview with Oprah is in the can. It airs on Thursday night and I predict that millions of people will be searching their cable listings to find out what channel OWN is on. I found OWN on Channel 77, and almost got sucked into a Dr. Phil episode on the topic of overprotective parents. 12-year-old Ashley finally got to ride the school bus and go to the mall, but Dr. Phil had her followed by a staff member with a hidden camera so that her overbearing mother could watch. I guess that this is the kind of high drama that OWN delivers on a regular basis, but even that doesn't compete with Lance's tell-all.
The leaks of what Lance was going to confess started long before the actual interview took place on Monday, and now a few details of the actual interview are being leaked, giving the public time to digest, speculate, and parse what we think to be the facts. ESPN, CNN, and other outlets are abuzz with news flashes as producers seek out damn near anybody associated with cycling who is willing to use the words "Lance Armstrong" in a sentence.
Even on Tuesday morning's local sports talk radio, it was the hot topic, edging out the NFL playoffs, Razorback football coaching staff moves, and basketball. My reaction ranges from interested to amused at some of the comments being made by folks whose only exposure to professional bike racing has been Lance's career as seen through mainstream media. An example is the caller who said Lance's fall compared to that of Tiger Woods, but, since Lance was a cancer survivor, "they should find out what he was taking and see if it could help other people with cancer."  Hello? The magic potion for endurance cyclists has been EPO, which was developed to enhance red blood cell production to treat anemia in people with chronic kidney disease and cancer patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. Add to the list HGH and various steroids mostly well-known for their effects. Sadly for the sport of cycling, most of us have undergone a years-long education in applied biochemistry as we have followed the twists and turns of doping-related drama in elite bike racing.
The bottom line for me is that Lance cheated, along with most other top riders, but he also made a ton of money and took a slash and burn, leave-no-survivor approach to his many critics. While the word is that Lance just wants to get all of this behind him so that he can compete in triathlons again, I think his ultimate motive is to avoid poverty and prison. Unlike Lance, team director Johan Bruyneel has elected to fight sanctions imposed against him; a move that could put Armstrong in the position of testifying under oath. While many of the possible charges against him have been avoided due to statutes-of-limitation, any current sworn testimony will be subject to the scrutiny of eager prosecutors.
For many cycling fans, the worst part of this affair is being forced to admit that the French were right.


It's sad, it's frustrating, and so very depressing to watch a true American icon as his storied career is crushed to smoldering rubble,  so......
Let's have a watch party!!

Arkansas Cycling and Fitness is sponsoring an Oprah and Lance watch party at Vino's Thursday, January 17, at 7:00PM.

 

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The Lance Armstrong Confession-Viewing Event Join us and your local cycling community for the Cycling interview of a lifetime. Where:  Vinos Brew Pub 7th and Chester When:  Thursday, January 17, 2013.  Mingle and meet at 7:00 p.m. The interview starts at 8:00 p.m. Vinos will air the event on their big screen in the back room and they will be offering Pizza and Beer specials.     Arkansas Cycling & Fitness Gift Cards IMPORTANT PLEASE READ AC&F has adopted a new gift card system. Old gift cards will be discontinued on February 28, 2013. Old gift cards with the Gary Fisher logo can be redeemed or have their balance transferred to our new gift cards. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY FEBRUARY 28, 2013, or the value of that card will be lost. This is what the old gift card looks like: