I kinda wish that I had never watched "The Lance Chronicles." I used to be able to root for him with impunity, but now I can't. Why? Because he really comes across as an a**hole! I realize what all the Lance fans are going to say - "He wouldn't be the champion he is without his attitude!" I wonder, though, what was he like before he won his first Tour? Much more affable, I bet. He seems to have adopted these "everyone is out to get me" and "me against the world" complexes.

Don't get me wrong - Lance has many admirable qualities (i.e. his dedication, work ethic, ability to withstand pain, etc.) And I still think he makes a good icon for cancer patients, and anybody who has obstacles to overcome. I even think he makes a good American hero. But I won't cry for him if he doesn't win #6. In fact, I'd enjoy it more if Tyler Hamilton were to win. I guess I'm just a sucker for an athlete who isn't overbearing and egotistical...

I think any athlete is going to overbearing and egotistical. They have to think they are the best so they will be the best. Its just the mentality of an athlete. Any athlete is going to be that way, from baseball (barry bonds) to football (ray lewis) to tennis (andy roddick) to golf (tiger woods)...all of those guys are the VERY best at what they do and some would see them as a-holes

I disagree...with the "any athlete" bit, that is. There are plenty of elite athletes who come across in interviews as humble, and grateful for their success. Take John Stockton, Jerry Rice, Phil Mickelson for example. Those are the guys I love rooting for.

I like Lance more after seeing the shows. He's halarious! Comments like "banana hammock" (about wearing Speedo gear) and "I like the yellow ones" (eating M&M's) are just priceless.

I don't mind him being egotistical when it comes to cycling and training. However, that does not have to continue into your personal life. He was funny when it came to some wise cracks about the speedo and candy. He really seems like a great guy. I saw him last year at the Tour of Hope finale and he was very humble. I guess it just matters what time of year it is and what is on his mind.

Being an A-hole has nothing to do with athletic ability... Look at a guy like Cal Ripken... he would stay, literally, for hours after a game to sign autographs for fans... He knew what most athletes don't... without fans, they would have no jobs playing sports.

Lance does come across as a bit egotistical, but then if you won 5 TdF's... wouldn;t you ? Just a bit ?

But I imagine he has had that same attitude his entire life. Or at least that is what I got out of reding "It's not about the Bike".

Jeff

Lance has plenty of talent and is a superb athlete, for the few times he does compete. I'm totally obsessed with the technical stuff- I mentally take the notes and when I talk to people about training, I bring things up based on how he views things. I'll never deny that he is an exceptional athlete, nor that he's an inspiration to the underdog and to people who have serious illnesses, because he's been there. However, at the same time, if this show depends on his personality, then they're in for a big surprise. He doesn't exude a lot of it, and if not for his egotism, I think the show would be pretty slim pickins, which is why they probably felt like they had to go into other aspects of his life- too many people would have tuned out if they'd seen Lance talk about the technical aspects, and then the producers actually TRIED to interview Lance and get inside his head. I just haven't seen one interview he's given where I've walked away saying "Wow!". I more walk away shaking my head wondering why I tried to stay up that long to watch that nonsense. He's a great athlete, but whooooo... watch out if he starts to open up about anything else. He's pretty clumsy when it comes to public speaking. So I guess to make up for that, they have to go into his relationship with Sheryl Crow or show him jetting around or doing Subaru commercials, etc. to fill up the void. Besides all that, it is what someone else said- a lot of people are short on attention spans, and if he did spend the full 30 minutes focussed on the riding aspect, I suspect quite a few people would zone out, which is unfortunate, because that's the real fascinating stuff, as far as I'm concerned.

AND that was the makeup lady- actually it was the lady picking the clothes out he'd wear for some commercial or other. And the journalist was like "what would your wife say if she found out some woman was watching you change?", and Lance said something like "well, I have no wife", and laughed. I was very surprised that it didn't get cut, despite the hundreds of hours of filming that obviously is taped for this, and I would have thought Lance would have insisted on seeing every part of the episode BEFORE the airing so if there was something he said that was totally outragous, stupid, or gave away trade secrets, or whatever, it could be edited out. That's the whole point of the tactlessness of the comment. Why was it even aired to begin with when they have a lot more footage they could have went with? And why was it even said in the first place? And why couldn't he have been a bit more sensitive or thought about it a bit before answering? Etc. I guess these are questions we'll never have the answers for. And I repeat, I really hope his kids weren't watching that night. Or Kristin. It was thoughtless, insensitive, and tactless, just to put a few descriptions to what he said.

Koffee

I still dont understand how him saying he didnt have a wife makes him tactless or insenstive. Is he suppose to sit there and explain to whoever was asking the question, that him and his wife didnt work out and then split up? I think him saying he didnt have a wife was quick and to the point.

Back to the athlete portion, You had some valid points saying John Stockton, Jerry Rice, Phil Mickelson and Cal Ripken Jr. are not egotistical. But, with the exception of Jerry Rice (who I feel is a product of his enviroment, with the pass happy 49er's but he is on the decline with the Raiders but your right he's old) All those guys are good at what they do, but they arent GREAT. Yes Cal Ripken played in so many games and played so many years, but I can name a better 3rd baseman or shortstop (he played both right?)...Im saying this because its more of a mental thing than a physical thing. When you get up into the high echleon of sports, everyone is good..Its your attitude to be the best and KNOW your the best that makes you the best.

I have talked with Lance on 2 occasions (I work in the same place as his sports agent, Bill Stapleton) he is a VERY nice person. We talked for 10mins in the bathroom about bikes in general and he made no rush to leave or anything. We just stood and talked, I asked him questions..Infact I was the one who had to break of the convo.

My point is you shouldnt let "reality" tv obsure your image of a person. He is going to have his faults like anyone else, he's human. He is going to act like the top dog, when he knows he is the top dog in his sport.

I am glad to hear a story like that; it restores my faith that Lance Armstrong can still act like a regular guy. However, I think the bottom line is that no one can really know a pro athlete. We just get these little snips of their life through the media, which it's tough to discern anything from. Heck, look at Jim Gray, (reporter) who though he "knew" Kobe Bryant, because they had talked and had dinner on numerous occasions. He leapt to his defense and said "He would never do anything like that!" - and then was left with egg on his face when Kobe admitted to having non-consentual sex with a hotel clerk (whether it became non-consentual before, during, or after will never be known.)

The bottom line is that Lance unfortunately comes across in an unflattering light in some of the bits in this documentary. As you've pointed out, he can be a cool guy under different circumstnaces. It may be that competition brings out a side of him that I don't particularly care for.

As for the relative greatness of athletes with pleasant public personas, that's up for endless debate. But it may be irrelevant, since we can't really "know" them either, as I just pointed out.

We really cant and its too bad, i bet most of them are pretty nice guys

Agree if you don't have a problem with chaffing, no need to use it. On my first Century ride this year, I was on a new bike and saddle, and got really painful chaffing for the first time. It was torture for the last 15 miles. I had two red stripes and some missing skin on the outside of my sitzbones which took several days to heal.

Since then, I've been using either "Chamois Butt'r", a heavy hand creme, or Vaseline. I won't go on a long ride without some kind of anti-chaff again.

Not to be a stickler.. but Kobe admitted to have "Concentual" sex.. not non-consentual.. that is what he is being charged with.

jeff

Anybody else notice Lance taking the p!ss out of the start list for Criterium International? Those weren't just random riders he was naming off - that was the Phonak team. Tyler Hamilton's teammates.

Was he mocking Phonak? Or was he just being a goofball on a tour bus? This is what happens when you take 8 seconds out of someone's day, and turn it into a reality show. There ain't no context to be had, anywhere.

But damn, I got my back up when he poked fun at Alexandre Moos - or at least his name, anyway. Now, Moos is going to have to kick some Texan ass. Ah, well.

QUOTE:
"I kinda wish that I had never watched "The Lance Chronicles." I used to be able to root for him with impunity, but now I can't. Why? Because he really comes across as an a**hole! I realize what all the Lance fans are going to say - "He wouldn't be the champion he is without his attitude!" I wonder, though, what was he like before he won his first Tour? Much more affable, I bet. He seems to have adopted these "everyone is out to get me" and "me against the world" complexes."

Not if you read his first book. He's had a chip on a shoulder from waay back - it's what's fueled his motivation almost from inception, IMO. He definitely had those same complexes b/c he was poor, his mom was single/divorced, he grew up on "the wrong side of the tracks", etc., before he ever won a TdF.

In fact, I'd say the ONLY thing that tempered his chip on his shoulder and has made him more "human" was his cancer - it mellowed him in a certain way, gave him more perspective on life. Before that, at least if his book was to be believed, he was REALLY arrogant.

i don't really think Lance comes off that bad in the tv show. Its really the producers (editors) of the show who do. All of the things that seem strange could very easily be explained if they had been put into the right context, instead we get these weird moments that just go unexplained. I think the show needs to pick a direction and stick with it. Does it want to be about the nitpicky personal stuff or the training or what? Hopefully, now that they're starting to race it'll be more interesting.

jeff

YES YES! girl27, i noticed that too! I still cant figure out WHY he was naming off the names. Anyone have any insight?

I might be wrong, but I thought that he was reading a list of names that Johan had highlighted, as riders to watch in the race...??

Yep I agree. He was definitely reading from something and Johan was watching him and making comments after he'd say a name. It appeared to me that Johan was kinda wanting Lance to be serious about it. <shrug> just my take on it.



I have to disagree about Lance coming off like an assh*** in this series. I didn't get that impression at all. In fact, he seems much more laid back and open that in the past. Even a tad more thoughtful before he answers. And it's pretty clear that he likes to joke around a bit... and might even have a bit of an offcolor sense of humor. Course, I read his first book and have seen numerous interviews with him, plus watched the DVD that shows his tour prep before the 2001 tour (I think it was that tour, might have been the 2002). It was called something like Road to the Tour. This new show is actually *very* similar to that DVD except it goes a bit more into his personal life. That DVD mainly focused on his training, plus did several interviews with him while he was on the team bus on flying back and forth to/from Europe. I have a feeeling that some people might get the feeling his an assh*** because of how serious and straightforward he can be when it comes to cycling and training. He's definitely not one to pull punches... which might also explain the lack of tact when it came to that comment about his ex-wife.

Of all the interviews I've seen with pro cyclists... I personally say that Lance is no where near as bad as some of them when it comes to being an assh***. Just my .02.

DANG! I forgot about that and missed it last night Anyone remember when the rerun is? Curse my wife and her "Without a Trace"

OLN on Saturday 5/15 at 2:00pm, 2:30pm, 7:00pm, 10:00pm, 10:30pm. All times EDT. That should give you enough chances at it huh?

Steve

lol! Yeah. That'll do it

I noticed that he was using his Ipod with BOTH earphones in, I feel better about giving it a try (maybe it wasn't too loud)

I think there are some considerations to think about when it comes to Lance Armstrong. First of all you gotta remember your dealing with the media. They probably filmed hundreds of hours with Lance but had to crunch it down and edit to thirty minute episodes. Things are gonna be choppy and explains why there are just wierd pieces thrown out there.

Second, Lance has been thrown into "star" status. He's got people following him, filming him, taking pictures and not to mention the 100 plus cyclists who want his title. Sure he's gotta be assertive almost to the point of coming off as a jerk but I understand where he is coming from.

i dont' think so . what's the BFD?

people so often act like just because someone's happy, perhaps they don't deserve it.
like, perhaps lance doesn't deserve sheryl crow.

and should worship his ex-wifes image.


give me a freaking break. I 've read it speculated here that lance either A; had a an affair with sheryl, B; started a relationship after he and his wife broke up.

there are other possibilities his wife may not be the saint you all make her out to be , but that's beside the point.

I think in that situation, to say 'i have no wife' is funny.



if it's disrepectful to anyone i'd say it's sheryl but really it was just lance being a guy. i'm sure sheryl can handle it.

get a life people.

The difference being he's usually being trailed by a support vehicle, essentially watching his six for him.

I use to ride with tunes, I still do occasionally when on a trail or such. But I got spooked enough times while on the road to abandon its use there.