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Why Lance really came back (money & power)

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Why Lance really came back (money & power)

Old 06-04-09, 07:57 AM
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Originally Posted by jmgorman
Right, because thats the only worthy thing in the world. Do you donate your paycheck to cancer research?
My guess is that DrPete's comment was pointed toward their statement.

"Since last summer, his [non-profit] Livestrong foundation has a lucrative segment," said Ballester. "And when Armstrong receives 200,000 Euro to host a conference, he puts it into his pocket - unlike the leading cancer experts, who will donate the money."
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Old 06-04-09, 07:58 AM
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Originally Posted by DrPete
Unless they're givng the book proceeds to cancer research, they need to STFU.
Why? Armstrong was rumoured to receive $2M Australian to ride the Tour Down Under. Not paid to his Cancer Foundation, paid to Armstrong directly as an appearance fee. It was never denied by Armstrong or the South Australian state government. LA supposedly received a similar start fee for the Giro. Is it really all about 'fighting cancer'?

Walsh and Ballester aren't claiming to fight some terrible disease, and are asking reasonable questions IMO.

Last edited by classic1; 06-04-09 at 08:02 AM.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:03 AM
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Perception is reality.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:03 AM
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Originally Posted by wanders
And here I was thinking it was to pick up some more skinny blonde chicks.

Silly me.
+1 Who really needs the headaches of politics?!
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Old 06-04-09, 08:10 AM
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Originally Posted by classic1
Why? Armstrong was rumoured to receive $2M Australian to ride the Tour Down Under. Not paid to his Cancer Foundation, paid to Armstrong directly as an appearance fee. It was never denied by Armstrong or the South Australian state government. LA supposedly received a similar start fee for the Giro. Is it really all about 'fighting cancer'?

Walsh and Ballester aren't claiming to fight some terrible disease, and are asking reasonable questions IMO.
I have no problem with LA getting appearance fees for racing his bike. Just because he has a foundation doesn't mean I or anyone else should expect him to forego personal income.

Walsh and Ballester seem to assert that "personal gain" is somehow wrong in Lance's case, and I disagree.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:12 AM
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Originally Posted by classic1
Armstrong was rumoured to receive $2M Australian to ride the Tour Down Under. Not paid to his Cancer Foundation, paid to Armstrong directly as an appearance fee.
So if you start a charity you aren't allowed to still have any personal income?

Originally Posted by classic1
Walsh and Ballester aren't claiming to fight some terrible disease, and are asking reasonable questions IMO.
Actually I think they're jumping on their favorite hobby horse simply because the opportunity presented itself.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:14 AM
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Originally Posted by classic1
Why? Armstrong was rumoured to receive $2M Australian to ride the Tour Down Under. Not paid to his Cancer Foundation, paid to Armstrong directly as an appearance fee. It was never denied by Armstrong or the South Australian state government. LA supposedly received a similar start fee for the Giro. Is it really all about 'fighting cancer'?

Walsh and Ballester aren't claiming to fight some terrible disease, and are asking reasonable questions IMO.
reputably more.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by DrPete
Unless they're givng the book proceeds to cancer research, they need to STFU.
... Just like Lance did. Oh, wait....

(as others have already mentioned.)
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Old 06-04-09, 08:20 AM
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Originally Posted by rooftest
... Just like Lance did. Oh, wait....

(as others have already mentioned.)
Instead of being the 3rd person to think that they're cleverly refuting what I'm saying, please feel free to actually read what I wrote in subsequent posts. Thanks.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:20 AM
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Originally Posted by dcvelo
So if you start a charity you aren't allowed to still have any personal income?
apparently
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Old 06-04-09, 08:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Tulex
My guess is that DrPete's comment was pointed toward their statement.

"Since last summer, his [non-profit] Livestrong foundation has a lucrative segment," said Ballester. "And when Armstrong receives 200,000 Euro to host a conference, he puts it into his pocket - unlike the leading cancer experts, who will donate the money."
And you would be correct! Woohoo! Someone actually got what I was saying!
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Old 06-04-09, 08:26 AM
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Originally Posted by DrPete
I have no problem with LA getting appearance fees for racing his bike. Just because he has a foundation doesn't mean I or anyone else should expect him to forego personal income.

Walsh and Ballester seem to assert that "personal gain" is somehow wrong in Lance's case, and I disagree.
Originally Posted by dcvelo
So if you start a charity you aren't allowed to still have any personal income?
I have no problem with him receiving appearance fees either, but he isn't up front about it. The PR about him racing 'for free' and his comeback being purely for altruistic reasons is demonstrably nonsense, there is ambiguity (deliberate IMO) about whether the start money is for him or his foundation and the secrecy surrounding the expenditure of tax payers money on his TDU appearance from both the SA govt and the LA camp annoys me.

South Australia is well known for its God botherers, rabid parochialism, lack of potable water, its suitability as a nuclear test site, weird serial killers and now for questionable expenditure of tax payers money. Fortunately I don't have to live in South Australia, don't pay tax there and don't contribute to funding their early season training race, so maybe I should STFU about my whinging.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:30 AM
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I tend to agree with what the authors are stipulating; however, I also argue that, on balance, Lance has also done more positive than negative--bringing a global awareness for the need to find the cure for cancer, increasing global interest in cycling (there is no argument that he is the most recognizable cyclist of all time; notice, I didn't say "best").

Now, whether or not Lance is really a stooge for the multinational pharma companies, really just wants to hook up with another blond bimbo, etc. is really conspiracy theory foo.

But what sort of value have the authors provided? It would appear that they are profiting at the expense of someone's reputation without hard facts--this is not cool IMO.

edit: I disagree /w the authors that making bucks, fame, power etc. are mutually exclusive from also promoting a foundation or charitable cause. One can do both at the same time. Better than being a hack writer and player-hater.

Last edited by kimconyc; 06-04-09 at 08:37 AM.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:32 AM
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Originally Posted by classic1
I have no problem with him receiving appearance fees either, but he isn't up front about it. The PR about him racing 'for free' and his comeback being purely for altruistic reasons is demonstrably nonsense, there is ambiguity (deliberate IMO) about whether the start money is for him or his foundation and the secrecy surrounding the expenditure of tax payers money on his TDU appearance from both the SA govt and the LA camp annoys me.

South Australia is well known for its God botherers, rabid parochialism, lack of potable water, its suitability as a nuclear test site, weird serial killers and now for questionable expenditure of tax payers money. Fortunately I don't have to live in South Australia, don't pay tax there and don't contribute to funding their early season training race, so maybe I should STFU about my whinging.
Tiger Woods makes no salary. His income comes from prize money and endorsements. If he went all season out of the money, technically he'd be playing "for free" too.

Plenty of examples of this in the real world. LA may not make a salary to race, but it doesn't change the fact that his name and face are worth a lot of money to race organizers who want to raise the profile of their event.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:33 AM
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Originally Posted by DrPete
I have no problem with LA getting appearance fees for racing his bike. Just because he has a foundation doesn't mean I or anyone else should expect him to forego personal income.

Walsh and Ballester seem to assert that "personal gain" is somehow wrong in Lance's case, and I disagree.
+1. Well said.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:35 AM
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Originally Posted by DrPete
Tiger Woods makes no salary. His income comes from prize money, appearance fees and endorsements. If he went all season out of the money, technically he'd be playing "for free" too.

Plenty of examples of this in the real world. LA may not make a salary to race, but it doesn't change the fact that his name and face are worth a lot of money to race organizers who want to raise the profile of their event.
Fixed that for you Pete.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:40 AM
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It rubs me the wrong way because Lance has this enormous press conference to start the year, discussing how he's doing it solely to raise cancer awareness, won't be taking a salary from the team, etc. etc. And Lance gets a lot of (deservedly so at the time) positive press about riding because he wants to further the awareness of cancer research.

Then he goes out and take multi-million personal appearance fees for races that hardly need to raise their profile. (Honestly, where does the Giro go from where it is now? Bigger than the Tour?)
I don't mind him racing for personal gain, and selling the need for cancer research on the coattails along the way, but he hasn't exactly been transparent about it.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by FlashUNC
It rubs me the wrong way because Lance has this enormous press conference to start the year, discussing how he's doing it solely to raise cancer awareness, won't be taking a salary from the team, etc. etc. And Lance gets a lot of (deservedly so at the time) positive press about riding because he wants to further the awareness of cancer research.

Then he goes out and take multi-million personal appearance fees for races that hardly need to raise their profile. (Honestly, where does the Giro go from where it is now? Bigger than the Tour?)
I don't mind him racing for personal gain, and selling the need for cancer research on the coattails along the way, but he hasn't exactly been transparent about it.
He's not mother Teresa. He's a friggin cyclist for crying out loud. Why is this so hard to understand for so many people?

Think of it like the WWE but on bikes; it's just a big show with real-live suffering and soul crushing.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:44 AM
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Originally Posted by DrPete
I have no problem with LA getting appearance fees for racing his bike. Just because he has a foundation doesn't mean I or anyone else should expect him to forego personal income.

Walsh and Ballester seem to assert that "personal gain" is somehow wrong in Lance's case, and I disagree.
Gotcha.
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Old 06-04-09, 08:55 AM
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Um, Money and Power...isn't that part of human nature?
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Old 06-04-09, 09:00 AM
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Originally Posted by DrPete
I have no problem with LA getting appearance fees for racing his bike. Just because he has a foundation doesn't mean I or anyone else should expect him to forego personal income.

Walsh and Ballester seem to assert that "personal gain" is somehow wrong in Lance's case, and I disagree.
Yet LA himself claimed in the beginning that a large part of his comeback was to raise awareness and money for his foundation, that he would not be taking a salary and most prize monies, etc would go to the LAF.

Regardless, nothing the man does will surprise me. He's kind of a DBag and I honestly think he got sad that he was slipping out of the limelight. It's the Lance Armstrong look at me comeback special.

Last edited by robertkat; 06-04-09 at 09:04 AM.
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Old 06-04-09, 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by bostongarden
Um, Money and Power...isn't that part of human nature?
Apparently, not for some high and mighty, former French "journalists".
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Old 06-04-09, 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by robertkat
Yet LA himself claimed in the beginning that a large part of his comeback was to raise awareness and money for his foundation, that he would not be taking a salary and most prize monies, etc would go to the LAF.
Riding in these events is what is raising awareness. He's not taking a salary and I don't know that he's not donated any prize money he may have received to date, if any. Where did he say he wouldn't take any money from any source?
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Old 06-04-09, 09:06 AM
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Originally Posted by kimconyc
He's not mother Teresa. He's a friggin cyclist for crying out loud. Why is this so hard to understand for so many people?

Think of it like the WWE but on bikes; it's just a big show with real-live suffering and soul crushing.
Sweet now I finally have a worthy quote for my sig....Thanks
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Old 06-04-09, 09:22 AM
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Who cares? Sounds like a good business plan to me. Stop whining....
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