Cycling can often seem a forgotten sport. It can be found meshed somewhere below the depths of a Super Bowl party, an NHL playoff Game 7, even a regular season game of baseball. Ask most people about cycling; they’ll tell you it’s “that sport with the Tour de France thing in the summer that Lance Armstrong always wins”.
How is one to generate excitement for a sport such as cycling then? Simply bring on the one issue every sports fan loves to argue about: Steroids!
Of course, the latest scandal in steroid news is cyclist Floyd Landis’ stunning admission to steroid use, which has cast an awfully dim light over the entire sport.
Now, do not misinterpret me here. I think cycling is a terrific sport, one that tests athletes’ physical endurance and stamina to unimaginable degrees. The Tour de France, for example, is only a mere three week long, 3,600 kilometre race. American Lance Armstrong absolutely dominated the Tour de France field for nearly a decade, stringing together seven consecutive victories. After the 2005 season, Armstrong retired, ultimately creating a wide open track for the race the following year.
Enter Armstrong’s compatriot Floyd Landis. Being an excellent mountain-biker, and with Lance out of the picture, he set his sights on winning the esteemed prize. Operating on the strength of his climbing and time-trialing, Landis catapulted himself into the spotlight with a thrilling Stage 17 time, in which he surged far ahead of the pack. He subsequently won the ’06 contest, and officially held the title… for four days.
After examining urine samples following his unbelievable Stage 17 results, Landis was found having tested positive for synthetic testosterone. After a lengthy appeal process from Landis, the ruling would stand and Landis was banned from cycling for two years. Case closed, right? Wrong.
Floyd Landis, from that point on, did not exhibit the usual steroid-user behavior. He didn’t go into hibernation like Sammy Sosa. He didn’t accept all the finger pointing and merely shrug it off like Barry Bonds. He didn’t refuse to discuss the past like Mark McGwire. Nope. He decided to write a book. Yes, that’s right. It was entitled “Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France”.
Now, I’m all for writing memoirs. Heck, if I were accused of something I didn’t do and was famous, maybe I’d write what really happened.
So how does one view Floyd Landis now, is what we ask ourselves. He admitted his steroid use. He admitted to lying. This was not a Bill Clinton lie though. The guy co-wrote a book professing his innocence! And yes, co-wrote – Landis called upon sports writer Loren Mooney to help him with the novel. She vigorously took down his thoughts for three months, putting her heart into believing Landis was a decent, respectable athlete who had done no wrong. Can you imagine being Mooney right now? Landis looked into her eyes, day after day, lying.
Now Landis is content on telling the sports world many of his fellow competitors used steroids, most notably Lance Armstrong. Although this may well be true, is Landis really a credible source at this point in time? When you lie about something for four straight years, then finally admit it, are we to believe anything else you have to say? Landis duped thousands of people into believing his story, and did it for nearly four years.
But perhaps he had a moment of spiritual awakening; a realization that honesty will do more for him than lying ever could. After all, as they say, the truth will set you free.
I think Floyd’s latest truth should cast him ashore.
Free Agent Mayhem
LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire. What do they all have in common? They’re terrific ballers. More importantly though, they’re all free agents at the end of this year’s NBA season. Do you smell blockbuster deals coming up? I sure do.
There’s nothing more exciting than a free agent draft class with the likes of this 2010 version. But there’s also nothing more annoying. So here are five reasons to hate all the jabber about free agency.
1. New York Won’t Shut Up
The New York Knicks haven’t been able to brag about a good basketball team for over a decade now. Entering the offseason, they will have more cap space to spend than Don King. Now Knick fans are telling everybody they’ve won the 2011 Championship before the season has begun.
2. Twitter is the Main Venue
I don’t mean to rip on Chris Bosh, but really? Twitter? C’mon now. The networking website which thrives on status changes is now the main talk center for trade rumours, and decisions from the pros. On July 1st, I don’t want to read that “LeBron James tweeted that he’ll be going to Miami”.
3. People Have Forgotten that Sports Are Still Going On
Did you know there is currently more hype in Chicago about the Bulls potentially signing on LeBron James than there is about the Blackhawks being in the Cup finals? Sheesh. Talk about a reenactment of the Gossip Girls. What do we care more about, watching sports or talking about who might play where? In the words of Eric Cartman: “Laaame”.
4. Mark Cuban is Going Public
This isn’t foreign to anybody who follows basketball: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban loves to run his mouth. The fact that he has more incentive to do so makes me want Elaine Benes to stick a fork in my forehead. He is THAT annoying.
5. The NBA Shouldn’t Be an Episode of Survivor
The latest: LeBron James, Wade, Bosh, and also Bulls Joe Johnson are forming an alliance! Sorry Nowitzki, you’re the next to be voted off. I’ll be the next to throw my TV out the window.
