Vindication for Landis?

This is exactly right. Ben Johnson is the "Shoeless Joe" of Canada ... I was there when he was tossed out in '88 and a huge part of the Canuck reaction was anger that THEIR guy was being singled out in a corrupt sport.

 

Yeah, but ... but ... Shoeless Joe is the "Shoeless Joe" of SportsJournalists.com!

 

As someone who covered this story for a while, I can't say I'm surprised. I think every rider at that level is on SOMETHING (they're even gene-doping now), but there's no way those test results should have been allowed.

As for Floyd's surprising, one-day testosterone level, the argument there is that he failed to take the masking agents. That would cause a sudden, one-day spike. That's the argument, any way.

Talking to each side of that case left me feeling unclean every time, and I like Floyd a lot. He's always been one of my favorite athletes to interview, and before this case, he would say anything about anyone at any time, even Lance Armstrong. It was great.

 

Floyd The Barber, Pink Floyd, etc. It's fun stuff. Here's my $.02.

FLOYD LANDIS: RISE AND CRASH OF TOUR DE FRANCE TITLIST
http://www.byjamesraia.com/articles/81/1/-Floyd-Landis-The-Rise-And-Crash-Of-A-Tour-de-France-Champion/Page1.html

 

I have never tested positive. However, if they ever start checking for beer and chicken wings, I'm toast.

I have laid a few bets in my time, and some of them have actually been on baseball!

 

As a cyclist and a cycling fan, I've followed this from the start. I remember watching Stage 17. When Floyd got off the bike and started shoving people at the finish line, I said "Good lord, he's so jacked up on something he's got roid rage."

Still, the whole testing process was a setup job from the start. It's not just Floyd. That's why I say the anti-doping cops are far worse than the users. When they use words like "prove your innocence" and "they B sample didn't confirm the results we were looking for, so we will disregard it" I can't take anything they say seriously.

 

I think the sides are equally bad. I like the idea of finding cheaters, and I know they're hard to catch (especially in that sport), but I think you have to have more definitive proof than this. This is not definitive at all.

That said, I don't feel sorry for Floyd, because I'm sure he was on something. Cycling and college basketball are the two sports I've covered that made me feel engulfed in shadiness. Both sports are full of (and governed by) sleazy people.

 

My buddy and I thought the same thing right after the race. He basically punched a reporter and appeared to be in a tizzy. Winning the stage I can kind of see, but he blew everyone out. Its like a basketball team being down by 30 points at halftime and coming back to win by 50.

BTW, anyone see the latest Real Sports on HBO? It had a piece on David Millar and his new team. They apparently test ALL THE TIME, way more than anyone else, have to give cell numbers to be available for testing at anytime.

 

Garmin-Chipoltle does have a very strong drug testing policy, but even it is screwed up. If you noticed the tester said they aren't even looking for drugs, just changes in performance that would indicate you started or stopped something.

Imagine that in the Major Leagues: a guy gets on a hot streak or goes into a slump and he's suspended until he "proves his innocence." That's why I'm not in favor of U.S. pro sports signing on with WADA and USADA. I'd rather see them doped to the high heavens that put up with that.

All WADA sports athletes must have their whereabouts known at all times for out of competition surprise tests. There was a case a couple of months ago where a Belgian rider was at the funeral home making arrangements for his dead infant son and the tester showed up there and demanded a test. If he refused, it was considered and automatic positive and he'd be banned.

 

Dick Pound is, without a doubt, one of the most corrupt and contemptible persons in international sport. WADA can never be considered a legitimate operation as long as he is in charge.