Lance Armstrong Discussion Thread
 

Lance Armstrong Stepping Down As Livestrong Chairman

And Nike has dropped its sponsorship of Armstrong, but not of the foundation.

I admire him for putting the health of the foundation ahead of his ego.

A related story...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/prot...ng-endorsement

I don't know his motivation but I'm going to assume it's because he cares about the future of the organization. A good move IMO. Certainly the Komen Foundation fiasco shows what can happen when you decide to stonewall. This is better for the organization.

I kind of like the imagery of the phrase "Dropped by Nike". It gives me a mental image of a drug-free and quite mortal Armstrong laboring up a climb as Nike, the winged goddess of victory, accelerates away, as if she is not bound by gravity.

It's not a political comment to root for a greek goddess.

Good read: thanks for the link.

Nike is beginning to remind me of Taco Bell in the movie Judge Dredd.

That's a good move by Armstrong. I'm a little disappointed in Nike's stance. I would have preferred if they would have condemned him for doping but allowed that his balance of work is so overwhelmingly positive that they will continue to support him as long as he comes clean about his past sometime soon. I guess that would be too nuanced for the typical P.R. types, but just throwing him under the bus seems crass to me.

I would be inclined to agree, to maybe even support the notion that LA was indeed the best cyclist of his time with or without PEDs, but driven to use them in order to compete against their rampant use by lesser riders, BUT for his words and actions, documented by close associates time and time again in their sworn testimony, that make him out to be no less than a real jerk and an egregious bully, especially to women (Kathy Lemond, Betsy Andreau, Emma O'Reilly) who had the courage to stand up for the truth.

I can only conclude that a lot of his avoidance of sanctions had to do with the positive image he cultivated, associating himself with feel-good causes and organization. A strategy that still appears to be working, but is now showing signs of crumbling like a house of cards.

Luis

Admire the fact he considers the foundation above himself.

Maybe, maybe not. An alternative interpretation would be that the board of directors demanded his resignation and/or that he resigned to avoid facing such a demand.

I've read nothing to confirm my suspicions, but I think what actually happened is that Nike told Armstrong they were going to drop him, and unless he resigned from Livestrong, they would drop support for them as well. I'm sure there will be more fallout in the near future. I'm sure the late night joke writer's are sharpening their pencils just for Lance.

I wonder what Greg LeMond is thinking right about now.

"He who laughs last . . ." or "You heard it here first!"

I've never met Lance personally, but I have met and talked with Greg Lemond. I found Greg to be a genuine nice guy, very honest, candid, and never full of himself. I think that "greatness" must include not only one's accomplishments, but also the content of one's character.

Luis

My thoughts run towards a negotiation between Lance, the foundation, and Nike, with the key factor being Nike continuing to support the foundation financially, by selling Livestrong gear and paying royalties. Lance remains a board member, just not Chairman, and I'd bet that was done with the approval of major supporters like Nike.

I wonder if armstrong will ever swallow his pride and admit to his doping. He is one selfish person.

This entire situation has been a vast disappointment. My mother and my sister both died with cancer. The Livestrong network has been crucial to many similarly afflicted and a cause to which I felt strongly drawn to. To have that crumble this way is beyond sad - it is a great tragedy.

Mother, Father in law, wife's cousin, aunt, and both uncles... cancer sucks. My hope is that these actions will help to keep Livestrong viable, but I'm not hopeful of that - I guess we'll see.

It was a good read. If the plot gets any thicker I don't know if I can wade through it. I guess the saying "you can't make this stuff up" is just too true. What a movie this would make. But, who should direct it? Maybe Quentin Tarantino, or Joel & Ethan Cohen?

I've been wondering about casting;
I'm thinking Brad Pitt to play Tyler Hamilton.

After giving this some thought, if Lance wants to retain the smallest shred of dignity, he privately approaches his sponsors and admits the truth. This gives them a chance to gracefully retreat from ground zero. About a week later, after all the sponsors have dropped him, he comes forward with a brief admission of guilt and apology and drops from the public eye for a year or so.

Not really much to admire, not much at all.

You go Luis! :thumb:

Whatever Greg's thoughts are, I trust he has the discretion to keep them to himself.