Hey, Let’s Watch Some Oprah Together Tonight
8:33: Thanks for reading and for commenting, those of you who did. I didn’t do a lot of actual commenting — more just writing what I heard. So I will have to think about whether there’s any point in my doing this again tomorrow night. My current thinking is “no.”
8:31: One last thing before I sign off. Armstrong mentions disrespecting the color yellow. I think that’s right. I think LiveStrong needs a new color. I think orange might be a good choice.
8:29: A little about George Hincapie, “I don’t fault George Hincapie.” Personal note: I think Hincapie has magically got away with every little thing, to a degree nobody else has.
8:28: Will you go back to USADA?
If I had credibility, if I could go to a truth and reconciliation commission, I’d be first in the door.
Personal note: There’s no possible way he’d be invited to something like that, right?
8:22: Armstrong saying that in hindsight he wishes he could go back in time and cooperate with USADA. This was the most emotional I’ve heard him sound so far, and I believe that he has thought that dozens of times. Things would still be ugly for him, but nowhere near as.
Kinda get the impression that he’s thinking about the fallout of this and how it affects him, above all else.
8:21: Zeeeter comments, “What’s your opinion on Johan now Fatty? You spent quite a lot of time with him . . . Hard to disentangle him from this.”
I need to write a post on that question. Short answer is that it’s not hard to disentangle him from it; it’s impossible.
8:17: A little bit about the federal investigation. A personal note. When the case was dropped, I texted Lance, saying “Congratulations on one less distraction.” I had forgotten about that. Holy crap I feel such a fool.
Anyway, he says he didn’t influence the case. Do I believe that? I guess? He says he at least felt like he was out of the woods “and those were some serious wolves.”
8:15: Do you regret coming back?
I do. We wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t. Which is telling. It makes me think that there’s a whole lot of him who would be really glad if none of this had ever happened.
8:12: Now Floyd. Armstrong agrees that was the case, but says it goes back further. Armstrong’s comeback didn’t sit well with Floyd.
O: Where were you when Floyd said he was going to talk?
A: In the ToC.
On a personal note, I was at the ToC that year and remember seeing Floyd, standing in the sidewalk. Alone, and looking it. That sucks.
8:10: Kate in comments says, “Emma “got run over”? “got bullied”? I’m glad Lance is taking tips from the news reporting of cyclists being assaulted by drivers by using the passive voice. HE ran her over, HE bullied her.” I observed the passive voice too. I am tempted to do the same thing sometimes in my writing when I’m embarrassed and wish I could make it be someone else who did it.
8:05: On to Betsy Andreu. Armstrong and Andreu had a call. He wants to keep it private. He says he didn’t call her fat.
O: How do you feel about calling Emma a whore?
A: Not good. I was on the attack.
8:01: So. He has admitted a lot. He’s also denied a few things. I’m certain that a lot of people are rolling their eyes whenever he speaks counter to anyone else. I find myself conflicted. Why bother lying about anything at all now? Reflex? A hidden agenda?
How horrible would it be to never be believed by anyone, ever again? Sounds like the elevator pitch to Liar Liar 2: This Time It’s Lance Armstrong.
On a personal note, I am really hating the commercials here. Are these third-tier commercials the only companies this interview on this network could draw?
7:58: On to the cortisone Rx, retroactively given. Emma O’Reilly: “That is true. She’s one of the people I have to apologize to. She got run over, got bullied.”
You sued her.
A: I’m sure we did. But I’ve reached out to her and tried to make amends on my own.
O: When everyone was saying things, you would attack/sue people, you knew were telling the truth.
A: It’s a major flaw, a guy who wanted to get what he wanted, control every outcome. It’s inexcusable. Some will never forgive me, and I understand that.
One of the steps in the process is for me to say I’m sorry. You’re right, I was wrong.
7:56: Armstrong denies a positive test, paying off the lab, or the UCI making a positive go away. Calls his donation a coincidence.
Why did he make the donation? “Because they asked me to.”
He acknowledges that nobody probably believes him, but “I have every incentive to say it’s true, but it’s not.”
O: So you didn’t aid or ask them to overlook your tests?
A: No.
7:54: ChrisA notes in the comments, “He’s getting less credible by the minute, if that is possible. He didn’t know how big his cult was?” That’s exactly right. Chris also notes he should get his own blog. I’m surprised he doesn’t already have one.
7:50: I note that people are saying that he seems cold and calculating. I think that this is who he is. I mentioned somewhere recently that as you get older your personality hardens. You can change, but it’s not easy, and it’s not likely.
Lance has spent most of his adult life weighing and measuring everything he says, keeping reality in his head and conveying a fiction to everyone else.
It’s hard to even imagine that he at this point would be capable of turning off that filter and communicating in a non-calculated way.
7:44: The “sorry you don’t believe in miracles,” speech. His reaction, “that sounds ridiculous.” “I’m definitely embarrassed. You can leave with better than that, Lance. That was lame.”
There was happiness in the process and preparation, the build. That resonates as true. He’s a very process-oriented person.
O: Did it feel wrong?
A: No.
O: Did you feel bad?
A: No. That’s even scarier. And didn’t feel like I was cheating. That’s the scariest.
I looked up the definition of cheat and it’s to gain an advantage of a rival or foe. I viewed it as a level playing field.
Hindsight is perfect. I didn’t know what I had. Look at the fallout.
O: What do you mean you didn’t know?
A: I didn’t understand the magnitude of the following?
O: How couldn’t you?
A: I just didn’t. I’m just beginning to understand. I see the anger and feelings of betrayal. People who believed me. They have every right to feel betrayed, and they have the right. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to apologize.
(I’m sure everyone is having a “I’ll spend the rest of my life hunting the real killer” moment)
7:40: One thing that has rung true for me is the way his battle against cancer could affect him. Whenever I heard the “Why would he dope? He’s been through cancer and wouldn’t invite it back by taking drugs” I always thought that’s the POV of someone who hasn’t lived the deeply medical world of cancer. You get so you trust and have faith in drugs, and you have to bring a “let’s break the rules if we have to, take experimental drugs, whatever” attitude to cancer.
Since Susan’s fight against cancer I know I’m certainly less drug-averse.
7:39: I look at myself and say “Look at that arrogant prick.” The Hammer is not amused.
7:32: Disputes that he pressured others into doping. When asked specifically about Ferrari, he hesitates. “Some people in this story are good people. Not toxic, not monsters. I view Ferrari as a good man, a smart man. I still do.”
It sounds like Armstrong’s no-holds-barred thing only applies to himself. He’s still protecting others. This doesn’t feel like loyalty; this feels like a calculus.
Would this be your same response today? No. Most things would be different today.
Was he the mastermind? No.
What was he then? I’m not comfortable talking about other people. But it’s all out there.
Walsh’s association with Ferrari implicated you. Was it reckless to be associated with him? Yes, but there were plenty of other reckless things. Reckless would be a good way to characterize that period in my life.
So what was going on with you? Fame intensifies both.
I’m both a jerk and a humanitarian. The magnifying glass shows more of the jerk right now and I’m paying the price for this. And I’m OK with that. I deserve it.
What were your flaws that made you willing to risk it all?
A ruthless desire to win at all costs.
7:29: The Hammer’s asking what I think of this. My main thought is I don’t like having suspicion and doubt overshadow everything someone says.
7:28: I realize that I’m basically just transcribing the conversation here. My original plan was to comment. But you know, I’m mostly just soaking this in.
7:25: Were you a bully?
Yeah, I was a bully. In the sense that I tried to control the narrative. If I didn’t like it for whatever reason, I would say “that’s a lie, they’re liars.”
Have you done that your whole life?
“My entire life. We had our backs against the wall. My mom was a fighter.”
Before my diagnosis I was a competitor, but I wasn’t a fighter. In treatment I said I would do anything I need to survive. I took that relentlessness into cycling.
But you were already doping?
Yeah, but I wasn’t a bully then.
So what made you a bully?
Trying to hide the truth. This (starting this interview) is only the second time I couldn’t control the outcome.
7:21: Were you the one in charge? Could you get someone fired?
It depends on what they were doing. Did I get people fired? No. There was no directive.
“It’s not true” that Christian was told he had to dope or be kicked off.
O: could the level of expectation be that if you don’t do it that you could be off the team?
Armstrong: “If you’re doping and leading by example, that would be a problem.”
O: Splitting hairs?
A: There was no verbal directive. But as the guy who led the team, I accept that 100%.
Acknowledges that he isn’t the most believable person in the world right now.
7:19: It’s interesting that everyone in the world — from the racers in the USADA affidavits to Armstrong — all claim to have been clean since 2006-6. Ws it really better testing? Or is that the agreed-upon “I saw the light” moment?
7:17: Armstrong contends that he did not dope after his comeback. Like everyone else, I’m sure, I see no particular reason to trust that this is true.
7:15: I’m sure there are bike geeks in the world shouting at the screen right now, but I’m not one of them. For most people in the world, this is clear, compelling and thorough.
7:10: A little from Hamilton on how they did it. Oprah asks Lance how they did it. “You said it was smart but not most sophisticated.”
Motoman – yes, that was true.
Did you stop in the middle of the tour at a hotel and dope? Yes
It sounds like TH was telling the truth.
“How did it all work?”
“I viewed it as simple. We had O2-boosting drugs beneficial for sports, and that’s all you needed. My cocktail was only EPO, blood transfusions, and testosterone.”
He justified the testosterone to himself because of having one testicle. But knew the justification was bogus.
It wasn’t difficult to beat the tests. And out-of-competition testing was only theoretical. “You’re not going to get caught, because you’re clean — clear — at the races.” It’s a matter of scheduling.
The shift to out of competition testing and the biological passport changed all that.
7:07: Oprah references Tygert’s assertion about it being the most professional doping program ever.
Lance contends it was no bigger than others, and that they didn’t have anything for example East Germany didn’t have.
He doesn’t want to blame anyone but himself.
He’s splitting hairs on whether anyone wasn’t doping.
The Hammer is shouting at him.
“I’m out of the biz of calling people liars.”
7:05: Why? Lance says it’s a good question, and that he understands it’s too late.
“This story was so perfect for so long.” Talking about the “mythic, perfect story” that wasn’t true at many levels. “I’m a flawed person” but he helped paint that picture.
Says a lot of people contributed, but all the “fault and blame lays on me.”
“I lost myself in all that” — the media and fame. Says “I controlled every outcome in my life,” especially sport.
“The story is so bad and toxic and a lot of it’s true.”
“I didn’t invent but I didn’t try to stop the culture. The sport is now paying the price for that. I didn’t have access to anything nobody else had.”
7:03: Wow, started with a bang. I like the directness of Oprah.
7:01: Oprah’s starting with the statement that she can ask anything she wants. Starting with yes or no.
Did you dope? Yes
EPO? Yes
Blood dope? Yes
Testosterone, HGH? Yes
In all 7? Yes
Humanly possible to win 7x in a row without doping? No
7:00: Here we go. I bet the first 10 minutes is just history. Recap for most of us, news to most of the people watching this.
6:58: I wonder if Lance considered the context of the network where this interview occurs. Tawdry. Sappy.
6:55: I have no idea what this liveblog is going to be like. I kinda suspect that while I’d like it to be kind of light and funny, the show itself is going to be horrifying enough that I’ll be stunned into the textual equivalent of silence. In which case, I’m sure folks on Twitter will have something to say.
6:53: Wow, is this Where Are They Now? show pretty much what you usually find on this network? Cuz it’s a terrible program.
6:50: Hi there. 10 minutes ’til this starts. I’ll be posting newest stuff up top. And you’ll have to refresh the browser yourself to see the latest stuff. I won’t be posting more often than every two minutes or so, so don’t bother refreshing more often than that.
I’ll check the comments once in a while, but between listening, typing and reading comments, I may hit multitasking overload. So if I don’t reply to you, it’s not you. It’s me.
I’ll be live-blogging the Oprah / Armstrong interview tonight. You should join and comment along.
Here’s some handy information so you won’t accidentally forget and then feel all sad. (It’s much better to go ahead and watch and feel all sad instead.)
When is it? 9:00pm ET / 7:00pm MT tonight. Also at 9:00pm PT.
What channel will the interview be on? It will be on the OWN network. You can find whether you have OWN and where it is on your service provider by clicking here.
What if I don’t get the OWN network? It will also be streamed online from oprah.com.
Where will the live-blog be happening? Right here. You’ll just have to refresh your browser every couple of minutes, because I don’t know how to make it auto-refresh.
Honestly, I don’t know whether the live-blog of this will turn out serious, silly, outraged, or what. We’ll find out soonish.
PS: I am not sure whether I’ll be live-blogging part 2 of this interview; I’ll be doing some traveling tomorrow afternoon and don’t know whether I’ll have arrived and set up by 7pm, nor do I know whether the Internet connection I’ll have there will be good enough to stream the show (I do know that the people I’m staying with don’t have the OWN network).
Comment by bikemike | 01.17.2013 | 1:46 pm
I think it’ll be supersillious.
Comment by davidh-marin,ca | 01.17.2013 | 1:59 pm
You’re willing to stay with people who don’t have the OWN Channel. Besides Humble, Award Winning….etc. You are also quite gracious.
Comment by AKChick55 | 01.17.2013 | 2:05 pm
I’m working on a major proposal deadline, but I’m going to try REALLY hard to check-in. I’ll probably still be at work since we are 2 hours behind MT so that will make it 5pm here. Very curious to see how this turns out.
Comment by Paul Guyot | 01.17.2013 | 2:28 pm
Does anyone care enough that this is worthy of a live-blog?
I guess that’s not fair – maybe you do. You are closer to it than most – in a way.
But enough has come out to already know this is nowhere near any sort of legit “confession” and frankly, I am beyond tired of the Lance of it all.
I wish it would go away. This ridonkulous interview will air and everyone will spend the next week or two dissecting everything from his eye movement to body language to voice tone… please.
Let’s move on from him and instead focus on fighting cancer.
Pingback by Hey, Let’s Watch Some Oprah Together Tonight | Bicycle News Gator | 01.17.2013 | 2:59 pm
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Comment by Bryan | 01.17.2013 | 3:00 pm
Spoiler: He admits to doping.
Comment by leroy | 01.17.2013 | 3:50 pm
My dog told me that if I watched the interview Oprah would give me a car.
But I don’t believe half the stuff he says.
Comment by Obstinate Roadie | 01.17.2013 | 4:25 pm
Hey, is Oprah fat or thin these days? I haven’t seen a recent picture of her.
Comment by Clydesteve | 01.17.2013 | 4:29 pm
Fatty – Could you please wear one of those “I Pooped Today” tee shirts that frequently appear in the side panel ads of fatcyclist.com while you live blog?
I think it would make it better.
Comment by IanS | 01.17.2013 | 4:57 pm
It will be interesting to see who, if anybody he decides to throw under the bus. From reading Hamilton’s book, there are a few people high up in the cycling world who may be a bit nervous.
Comment by SteveB | 01.17.2013 | 5:15 pm
I’m with Paul G on this – lets move on from LA to fighting cancer… looking forward to the Davis ride.
Comment by MikeL | 01.17.2013 | 5:38 pm
I have been going back and forth on whether to watch the interview tonight. I realized that I don’t really care what has happened or what will be said. I think I will put a movie on and spin. It just seems like a better use of my time.
Comment by Leroy | 01.17.2013 | 7:58 pm
Well this is odd. I get a weight watchers ad banner for the Oprah channel finder page. Wonder what she’s trying to tell me. The trailers for the interview make it look like a wrestling match
Comment by Pete | 01.17.2013 | 8:03 pm
YES–now we can move on
Comment by Leroy | 01.17.2013 | 8:15 pm
Only EPO, transfusions and testosterone. Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all this stuff.
Comment by Leroy | 01.17.2013 | 8:17 pm
Wait, clean after 2005?
Comment by John | 01.17.2013 | 8:20 pm
I call bs that he was clean after 2005. The bio passport says otherwise.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 8:32 pm
I’m one square away from Bingo on my BingoStrong sheet.
So far, nothing earth-shattering.
Comment by IllinoisCyclist | 01.17.2013 | 8:34 pm
I see no remorse from Lance. Seems very cold and calculating so far.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 8:36 pm
Illinois, agreed. I think he has narcissistic personality disorder, but I only play a shrink on TV.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 8:40 pm
Fatty:
Re: your 7:29 comment, that’s not your issue. He created the cloud that hangs over him.
Comment by justathought | 01.17.2013 | 8:42 pm
Is it me…or when he says “absolutely” that is his code word for “I am lying through my teeth”?
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 8:42 pm
Fatty, what are you really thinking? Seriously, I doubt anyone is reading this to read your transcript of the conversation.
Comment by Leroy | 01.17.2013 | 8:43 pm
I may be one of the few folks not familiar with Oprah’s style, but I have to say, she does a good interview. Well prepared, well thought out, simple straight forward questions, decent follow up.
Comment by Micha | 01.17.2013 | 8:45 pm
Sounds to me like he’s trying not to get sued by yet another person.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 8:47 pm
Has he actually said “I doped”? He answered yes to her direct question, but he just said “Oh, and THAT was going to happen” and by that he meant doping, but he didn’t say that.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 8:49 pm
He’s getting less credible by the minute, if that is possible. He didn’t know how big his cult was?
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 8:50 pm
What amateur hacks does she have working for her? This isn’t an episode of NYPD Blue. Keep the camera steady and focused, please?
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 8:51 pm
I need my own blog.
Comment by Rebecca | 01.17.2013 | 8:52 pm
He likely had both EPO and blood transfusions during his cancer treatment. These are life saving things when you’re going through treatment. I’m sure it’s easier to justify that they are not “bad” after that.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 8:56 pm
Bull. There was nothing in his system? Ever?
Comment by Nurse Betsy | 01.17.2013 | 8:57 pm
He is spliting a lot of hairs in this interview.
I think all who doped should be banned. As much as I love Big George and the rest. No matter of intimidation, they were grown men and made the same choice Lance did. Sorry guys, that’s how I feel.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:00 pm
He needs to do more than apologize.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:00 pm
To Emma, that is (and Betsy, etc.).
Comment by Micha | 01.17.2013 | 9:07 pm
At the end of the day you are who it says you are on the ack of your baseball card. What does it say on the back of Lance’s card? Fatty’s right. Lance can’t stop being a calculating person and a liar.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:08 pm
The first honest thing he’s said is admitting that a 40 minute conversation is insufficient to repair the damage to his relationship with the Andreus.
Comment by Kate | 01.17.2013 | 9:09 pm
Emma “got run over”? “got bullied”? I’m glad Lance is taking tips from the news reporting of cyclists being assaulted by drivers by using the passive voice. HE ran her over, HE bullied her.
Comment by Burgesse | 01.17.2013 | 9:09 pm
As a long-gone friend used to say, “I don’t have a dog in this fight” and then came the “but….” So here I am – no dog: but, why do you think Lance would lie now about the piddly stuff after acknowledging he lied about everything else? I don’t see any reason to hold back now.
Comment by Vince | 01.17.2013 | 9:12 pm
With all this confessing I have something to get off my chest…
I had two McGriddles a couple months ago.
Comment by Rebecca | 01.17.2013 | 9:12 pm
Wait, so he didn’t call her fat, that’s what first came to his mind about everything he did say? Wow!
Comment by Nurse Betsy | 01.17.2013 | 9:12 pm
I’m sure Betsy A. was so happy to hear that he didn’t call her Fat.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:15 pm
Thanks Fatty, I might just.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:18 pm
I think it is sad that 90% of the public will remember this interview for his pathetic attempt at humor in telling Betsy that he didn’t call her fat.
Comment by zeeeter | 01.17.2013 | 9:19 pm
What’s your opinion on Johan now Fatty? You spent quite a lot of time with him . . . Hard to disentangle him from this.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:20 pm
Or is it sad that 5 of us are sitting here typing semi anonymous barbs into laptops?
Comment by Patrick | 01.17.2013 | 9:20 pm
Where does Johan fit into all this? He seems to have dropped off the planet.
Comment by Micha | 01.17.2013 | 9:25 pm
I am NOT going to buy a Buick or eat Eggos so stop the commercials.
Comment by Leroy | 01.17.2013 | 9:27 pm
And I am not going to buy pelvic mesh. Is that a national ad?
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:27 pm
OK, the commercials are not NEARLY as bad as Tours past. I wasn’t buying another Saab or drinking Mic Ultra….
Comment by Pete | 01.17.2013 | 9:28 pm
I wonder how long it will be before LA is on the show just before this one.
Comment by zeeeter | 01.17.2013 | 9:29 pm
Sucks that people who are inspirational in many ways destroy your trust. Fatty, you’ve got a lot of people to follow your fundraising lead, you’d better not be appearing on Oprah any time soon dude! Just sayin’!
Comment by Jennifer | 01.17.2013 | 9:29 pm
Oops. Left this comment on your last post. Supposed to go here: Wait. What?! He regrets coming back because he wouldn’t be where he is now if he hadn’t? So he doesn’t regret doping and treating people the way he did, he just regrets getting caught. Great. What a guy.
Comment by Scott | 01.17.2013 | 9:29 pm
Gee the comments about the ads are making me glad that I’m streaming this in Australia. Just a bit of music during the breaks.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:32 pm
Well, based on the tease, I won’t be watching tomorrow. I don’t care how this affected him or his mom or his kids. I just don’t. I don’t care that his sponsors dropped him.
It looks like we’ve found the impetus for this: he’s going to use Oprah to begin his rehabilitation.
Comment by Kenneth McCoy..Still a Lance Armstrong Supporter!!! | 01.17.2013 | 9:34 pm
I am not surprised, but I am so incredibly sad.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:34 pm
Fatty, George is not alone. The example I like use is Andy Petit and Roger Clemens. Andy admitted to using HGH. People have generally forgiven and forgotten. Clemens is like Lance: he’s denied and attacked and is treated similarly.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:36 pm
I don’t want to watch the replay, but I want an answer to my earlier question. Did he say the “magic words”? Did he say, “I doped.”
Comment by Nurse Betsy | 01.17.2013 | 9:36 pm
Disappointed in LA.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:37 pm
Switching over to CNN to watch Betsy with AC.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.17.2013 | 9:39 pm
Thanks for hosting a forum for us, Elden.
Comment by KevinM_Ind | 01.17.2013 | 9:40 pm
A lot of mixed emotions ….. No surprises …. Maybe in time I can find some clarity in how I feel about what I saw ….. Think I need to “digest” all of this before I truly come to my own conclusion on who he is & what his legacy will be long term ….. And how I will describe him to others in the future ….. #disappointed
Comment by Leroy | 01.17.2013 | 9:42 pm
Bottom line: he hurt a lot of people. It seems to still be dawning on him how bad that was. I’m not sure how I feel about having the Livestrong rug pulled out from under him, denying him an opportunity to do more good.
Comment by Brad | 01.17.2013 | 9:46 pm
Thanks for your commentary, Fatty. I’m looking forward to more of your comments soon.
I really wonder how Lance broke this to his children. THAT is the audience he should be most concerned about.
-Brad
Comment by Tom S. | 01.17.2013 | 9:47 pm
Thank you for the forum. I think that getting the truth out- no matter how obvious it may be- is the first step to healing and rebuilding. Now we can collectively take a deep breath and ask the really hard questions about the future of professional cycling.
Comment by Wife#1 | 01.17.2013 | 9:47 pm
Well I didn’t comment while you were blogging because I was too busy refreshing to see what you were adding next. I am not that good of a multi-tasker.
I am not saying this to encourage you to do it again tomorrow night (it’ll be Friday night, grab an egg white and kick back dude), but I actually really enjoyed reading your transcript and the comments of this episode anyway. So thank you!
Comment by Melissa | 01.17.2013 | 9:52 pm
I do appreciate the live blog, as 1) it allowed me to keep up while shopping at Target, and 2) I appreciate your point of view as someone who has known him. I wanted him to be the real deal. Watched everyone of those TdFs on TV, and was on the Champs Elysses the final day for two of them. I hope he finds some sort of reconciliation. Mostly, I hope that Livestrong continues to do good work. No matter who he is, he has done good through Livestrong.
Comment by Justin L. | 01.17.2013 | 11:17 pm
No thank you for the commenting Elden. I just got home from work and did not get to watch the interview. The first thing i did was come here and read. That was good enough for me. Thanks for the writing.
Comment by Clydesteve | 01.18.2013 | 12:42 am
Elden – I got to the interview about 1/2 hour late because I was out. But I read your ’selected transcript’ during the first elevator music break (I was online, not TV) and it was just like having TIVO. ….kind of.
So, thanks for that!
Comment by Skippy | 01.18.2013 | 2:07 am
FATTY , thank you for this Blog Post , you would have enjoyed the show better , if you had not had this distraction , my POV ?
As previously stated , i slept through as was unwilling to get up at 0200gmt to watch a questionable ( what could you call it ?)chronicle of years gone by .
Like others i had seen the ” teasers from OWN , on CNN & Sky , and what reports i have seen on these outlets since 0630gmt , lead me to think that MOST Race Cycle Enthusiasts , would have been disappointed , if they were looking for ” Names “!
Oprah must be expecting , Friday night to be a bust , unless she has kept back the section , where Lance reveals , those in the management teams , who would have been sweating bullets up until now ?
My blog yesterday , detailing financial shenanigans between UCI & the och & weasel show , was a lot more revealing than what Lance had apparently offered !
Writing to Jacques Rogge , asking him to ACT swiftly , regarding UCI because of the financials surrounding UCI & Lance’s team , will have been a waste of time , now that Lance’s credibility has been eroded . Phat & heinous will skate unless USADA & WADA manage to get Lance in the Airline Seat that Paul Kimmage tweeted , that he had booked for him , to the UCIIC inquiry .
Once again thanks for the effort , you put in to this ” blow by blow “report , for people like myself in other time zones
Comment by buckythedonkey | 01.18.2013 | 2:27 am
This is the first coverage I have read on this cold Friday morning in London. Great job, Fatty. Many thanks.
Comment by Thad | 01.18.2013 | 2:52 am
I find that after some experience with some nasty folks that it becomes increasingly difficult to put people in boxes based on the best or the worst things they do. I have met murderers that were downright pleasant to deal with, and philanthropists that were miserable. Lance doesn’t seem to have much in between the two. He did great work and did horrific things. He may have been the most glaring example of a cheat and a bully, but the others weren’t far behind. He does need some serious help at making amends. He seems horribly out of practice. I for one won’t condemn the man indefinitely. He still has a lot of life to live. Much of the script is still unwritten. I am sure that each of us would like the opportunity to change course if we were in his shoes.
Love the blog,
Sincerely, one of the Rockwell Giants.
Comment by bikemike | 01.18.2013 | 6:10 am
I think the calculated manipulation continues.
Comment by Steve | 01.18.2013 | 6:43 am
Let’s be honest. Nothing he says will satisfy the haters. However, for Lance, this is a big step forward in attempting to “fix” the situation. The real problem is that the scorched earth approach of USADA will not work to fix the problems in cycling. They need a general amnesty and ruthless pursuit of the people within UCI who have ignored this for years.
Comment by Chris | 01.18.2013 | 6:56 am
OK. It is what it is. The only part that really bothers me is that he completely destroyed Emma O’Reilly over a number of years and no matter how “sorry” he claims he is I don’t think he can fix that.
Comment by 1st time guest | 01.18.2013 | 7:21 am
I’ve always why Floyd Landis is suddenly a hero. Ok, he helped take down Lance Armstrong. On the other hand, he’s a guy who got caught, while on another team, and then claimed he was innocent while using that as a basis to solicit donations for his so called defense fund. His bad deeds go far beyond mere denials for the purpose of cheating in sport.
Comment by Trey | 01.18.2013 | 7:24 am
Spoiler Alert: The Titanic sinks at the end.
Comment by Daddy style | 01.18.2013 | 8:33 am
Is it really true he got 5 mil for the interview, Should write a new book, It’s all about the $$$ As for Ophra,will this save her cash cow network, they both have agenda’s, Kind of like a car wreck, can’t help but watch.
My son and his friend have autographed posters of Lance/Johan from when they met them. Both took big super indelible, never come offableblack felt and wrote dopers above their heads put them back in their frames on the wall and posted pictures on Facebook.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.18.2013 | 8:45 am
Steve:
Let’s be honest. In your mind, people who soundly and correctly criticize a man who:
Doped;
Made a mint off the image/story/myth (as he admitted) that he was a clean machine, a freak of nature, a god-like man walking among us who not only beat down a potentially terminal disease, but rose to the highest heights of his sport;
Made constant, unequivocal and self-righteous denials that he needed to be “on” anything other than his bike for a bazillion hours of training;
and
Viciously, vindictively and ruthlessly quashed anyone who dared reveal that he was “on” something other than his bike, including friends, supporters and employees;
is a “hater”?
That’s an interesting world you live in.
Don’t conflate Lance and good work done by the Lance Armstrong Foundation aka Livestrong. Lance may have made small gestures to individuals but never forget that everything he did was a calculating attempt to make himself famous.
Comment by ChrisA | 01.18.2013 | 8:58 am
I think part of that last post reads funny.
Made constant, unequivocal and self-righteous denials that he didn’t need to be “on” anything other than his bike for a bazillion hours of training;
better?
Comment by Clancy | 01.18.2013 | 9:09 am
I watched the interview 1 and a half times, read this post at least 3 times, and now every single comment.
To be more than honest. After the second watching last night … I cried. And I’m not sure why. Or maybe I am, but to explain it I need backstory…
Our society lacks ‘hero’s.’ Some 50 odd years ago, most all young men (and women) had hero’s. Whether the war veteran down the street, FDR, JFK, MLK, or just John Wayne on TV, or even ‘fake’ hero’s like superman/batman – whatever – they had people who’d done great things, stood on principals and had integrity & honesty, people who had fought hard to overcome and succeeded . We don’t have much of that any more today. All of my ‘hero’s’ have died, except for one. And my last living hero just confessed to being a liar and a cheat, a bully and a prick.
In one sense, part of my disappointment is not with Lance, it’s with society. There is plenty of ‘evidence’ that many of those ‘hero’s’ of old weren’t the most virtuous of people, but we turned a blind eye to it because it would ruin the mystique of the hero. But in our current society the 24×7x365 news culture doesn’t have a blind eye. And something drives the “folks who can’t” to constantly try to take down the “people who do” in the name of some sort of fairness and equity. There is this undercurrent that those who have achieved more somehow did that unfairly and they need to be cut down and exposed. In Lance’s case it just happens to be true, but I don’t want to believe that for the majority of people. People can still do great things thru hard work, with integrity. I don’t want to live in a world so cynical that every single achievement comes with an asterisk.
As Steve said – nothing will satisfy the haters. Much of this story is hard to understand without context. And frankly, I think Oprah did a horrible job in the interview. She misses obvious follow-up question for answers given, gives too ‘thin’ of a backstory where needed, and often changed direction with little warning or context making the whole thing choppy. Perhaps it’s just bad editing..
All of this just continues to damage cycling. Lance should have insisted that Oprah put ‘doping in cycling’ into context with other pro sports. Explain blood doping where technically no drugs are involved at all, just your own blood from a earlier, more rested period and how does that compares to the a NFL full back who gets a corticosteroid injection on the sideline, and a IV bag of fluids in the locker room at halftime. I’m not making excuses, ALL doping is wrong in any sport, period, but put it in context. The level of scrutiny in cycling has no peer, and I honestly don’t think it’s because doping is more pervasive in cycling, it’s just more pursued, and for that the UCI, WADA, USADA deserve to be complemented.
To the extent that it’s possible, I think the Lance we saw last night is truly repentant, truly humble, and well into the acceptance stage of his crimes to the extent he is able to understand them.
And even then, I’m not sure I believe him about events after 2005.
Comment by Clancy | 01.18.2013 | 9:13 am
Sheeze – re-reading that I sound like a fan-boy. And maybe I am/was. But then again, who would really care if they weren’t? … the true haters – those who need to prove there are no supermen among us. And to what end. What good do there cynical non-believers bring to society?
Comment by jon (a clyde from Chi-town) | 01.18.2013 | 9:32 am
Manti Te’o’s girlfriend isn’t real? No way. When is he going to be on “O”?
Tour Down Under next week, right?
F: Get training – just read the post about the upcoming FC/TH (The Hammer – not just “a” Hammer) race schedule… I am tired just thinking about it… May need to grab a recovery chocolate milk…
Comment by Carl | 01.18.2013 | 10:03 am
I recorded the interview, but won’t get to watch it for a few days. Thanks for the play by play.
Comment by Kirk | 01.18.2013 | 10:40 am
We wanted spectacle and heroic effort and racing for the ages and the EPO generation gave it to us in abundance. Without consumers, nothing can be sold.
And now we want our pound of flesh. Heaven knows if any of us could take a drug that wpuld allow us to do our jobs better and make 10x the income we wouls NEVER touch it, of course.
He owes Emma and Betsy and LeMond and a few others a debt he will never be able to repay.
He doesnt owe the rest of us anything.
Comment by Peter | 01.18.2013 | 11:37 am
Please do this again tomorrow. I find it very helpful as I watch the interview on dvr. It gives it color.
Comment by Cathy | 01.18.2013 | 11:38 am
It’s a soapbox issue for me, but I think we’d all be a little better off if we stopped searching for heros and started searching within to find the things that make us more satisfied or content. Watching great bike racers is fun and enjoyable, but I don’t think we should make that entertainment too personal- heros are just a diversion. That sounded a little preachy, yeah, sorry.
Comment by Cathy | 01.18.2013 | 11:42 am
And now I see that I misspelled heroes, repeatedly, because i’m really bright. I should comment more…
Pingback by Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » Let’s Watch That Train Wreck Together Some More Tonight | 01.18.2013 | 11:54 am
[...] « Hey, Let’s Watch Some Oprah Together Tonight [...]
Comment by Marsupial Matt (formerly known as MattC) | 01.18.2013 | 11:57 am
Kirk, nicely worded. I’m finding this all pretty interesting, especially the reactions. For the haters, there is NOTHING he could do or say to pacify them. Even if he lit himself on fire and burned himself to death, he’d be crucified for wasting gas.
Sure this is all somehow for his benefit…I accept that. But name me one confessor of sin who DIDN’T confess for his own benefit. That’s what confession is…finding a way to live with yourself. I have no doubt this is part of some agenda…everybody has one. I am disappointed tho that he’s not naming names…becasue I have to believe there are a lot of enablers out there who made (make?) the entire doping system possible. LOTS.
For everybody who is critisizing that he still wishes none of this had ever happened (the exposure of his sins), what would you think he would feel? NOBODY wants their sins revealed. Who doesn’t have any skeletons in their closet? IF all your sins were publicly revealed, wouldn’t you wish they hadn’t been?
I guess the real problem at this point is very much the same I have with Floyd and every other convicted/confessed doper…now that we know he was lying before, how can we tell when he’s telling the truth?
Even though we already knew most of this, it still takes a large amount of guts to get in front of Oprah (and the world) and say “Yes” that he doped for all 7 of his TDF wins. Knowing it and hearing it from his own mouth are two entirely different things.
I NEVER thought I would see that day.
Comment by Marsupial Matt (formerly known as MattC) | 01.18.2013 | 12:02 pm
Oh, and davidH, I’d LOVE to do the Catalina Fondo, (Greg doesn’t mt bike these days..he’s too crash-prone so he stays on the road and destroys everybody there)…however right now I’m concentrating on our little fur-baby…we see the oncologist on Tues, and that will determine our next course of action (which won’t be cheap I’m sure)…so whatever small amount of extra $ I might have will be wrapped up in that for the immediate future…(no Rockewell Relay for me either…tho Greg will be there it appears). Only LS Davis is on the books for me at the moment.
Pingback by Let’s Watch That Train Wreck Together Some More Tonight | Bicycle News Gator | 01.18.2013 | 12:05 pm
[...] finished last night’s live blog of the Oprah / Armstrong interview by saying [...]
Comment by Leedo | 01.18.2013 | 12:31 pm
So…. What was The Hammer yelling at the screen? Is it fit to print?
Leedo
Comment by CRSonic | 01.18.2013 | 12:44 pm
To be honest, I really like the idea of changing the LiveStrong colour. I don’t wear my LiveStrong bracelet for Lance, I wear it for my mom. I don’t like the questions surrounding it’s connection to Lance. I want to focus on the good that has come from the foundation. I don’t care what Lance did in terms of his connection to LiveStrong (his affect on the cycling community is a whole different can of worms), but a lot of people do and I don’t want to see that affect our FIGHT AGAINST CANCER.
Comment by Skippy | 01.18.2013 | 12:48 pm
@clancy , the only heroes worth knowing are those that served their Nation ” in Harms WAy “, returned injured , and then been rehabilitated and taken up Sport to represent their Nation once again .
Quite rightly you mentioned War Veterans & a few in the ” initials ” that i also admired . Oprah , even though she had input from David Walsh & Paul Kimmage , was a fish out of water . She got HUGE publicity on ALL Major News Networks , in spite of more important matters ,Gun Control , Fiscal Congress and Algeria .
Lance having been Lampooned by ” MAD ” and other media now , once again , controls the Sports World’s attention ! For him Job done !
Contrition is for others . Tonight i have heard he will speak about LiveSTRONG . At the End , Oprah , will announce further ops for Lance .
Meanwhile , back in the real world , Cycle Racers are being asked for their views on Lance , and at the Tour Down Under , next week , Lance related subjects will DOMINATE ! Thats Life !
Comment by Clydesteve | 01.18.2013 | 1:39 pm
MMatt – well put
Comment by John in Seattle | 01.18.2013 | 2:29 pm
I wonder if there is a “statute of limitations” that expired on infractions prior to 2006? that’s why? I just read Hincampy’s statement, he says 2006 Lance says 2006, everyone says 2006… interesting.
on a personal note ;-) I still support what Lance does, I support Lance, and I support his foundation. I agree with his definition of Cheating; it was a level playing field and he could not have accomplished what he has without the drugs. Is he a self absorbed, narcissistic, bully? yes. has he done more to raise cancer awareness, help cancer patients and their family’s, and at the same time raise up the sport of cycling than any one single person in the world? yes. and that is why I support him.
Comment by TominAlbany | 01.18.2013 | 3:08 pm
I didn’t watch.
Someone at work asked if I was going to. My answer:
F Lance. Lance is about Lance. F him.
That’s where I stand.
Comment by RodNeeds2Ride | 01.18.2013 | 8:43 pm
I’m not much of a cyclist and I’m watching! :)
Comment by Drew Z. | 01.18.2013 | 8:54 pm
I can’t comment on the live blogging thing because I am a day behing watching on the DVR. I will see the whole thing.
I will say this about Lance Armstrong and why I am putting my bracelet back on tomorrow (I took it off this AM after hearing some things on the radio)
My father died from cancer December 29, 2000. Lance, his recovery and dominance in sport helped me find my way as a 26 year old head needing to support my mother suddenly.
Doping or not, ring leader or not, none of this stuff changes that.
I am disappointed that cycling is such a cheaters sport, and that Lance was perhaps the biggest cheater of all.
But I am still grateful for the bright moments and the opportunity to help fight a terrible disease.
Thanks to Lance for that, and to all the F Lance crowd, unless he hurt you personally get over it…
Comment by Jim | 01.18.2013 | 9:12 pm
I enjoyed Snarky Fatty
Comment by Steve Mays | 01.31.2013 | 4:04 am
What Lance should have said:
Oprah, before you ask your first question, let me set the record straight on some things.
I’m a liar. I’ve lied about doping from the beginning and there’s no reason for anyone to believe anything I say today.
I used my power and money and influence to attack and destroy those who told the truth about what I was doing. I’m going to try to apologize to each of these people personally. I don’t expect forgivness, it just seems like something I should do. Many of them proably won’t want to see my face and I can’t say that I blame them.
While I can’t undo all the harm I’ve done, there are some things I need to do to try to make amends.
I’ve made a lot of money from product endorsements and other ventures and I’m giving every penny to those I’ve harmed. I’ve asked (insert name of someone with some integrity) to oversee this process which I want to be completed within 90 days. He will make the determination of how to distribut my assets, including my homes, cars, everything. I’m keeping nothing.
As for my future, I will never compete professionally again. I wil do no endorsements (in the unlikely event someone should ask). I’m going to get a regular job to support my family and try to live as anonymously as possible for the rest of my life.
My actions did imeasurable harm to the sport I loved. Cycling should never have been about fame and glory and money. If there is any positive legacy for me, maybe it’s to remind people of that.
What’s your first question, Oprah?
Pingback by Lessons from Lance – the future and Digital Doping | 02.20.2013 | 8:12 am
[...] a wide range from drugs that enhance cognition to prosthetics that enhance our physicality. With Lance Armstrong’s public fall from grace it is easy to see how artificial enhancement has infiltrated and tarnished professional sports. But [...]