Behind Lance Armstrong's Decision to Talk

[Are_grits_groceries]

<snip>
One of Mr. Armstrong's goals is to lay the groundwork for USADA to consider allowing him to compete in elite triathlons, the three-discipline sport he had taken up after retiring from cycling in 2011.
<snip>
In February 2012, the team scored a win when federal prosecutors decided to drop the criminal investigation. But USADA, which is charged with enforcing antidoping rules in American sports, pressed on with its own investigation, conducting interviews with roughly a dozen of Mr. Armstrong's former teammates.
<snip>
Mr. Levinstein referred USADA to Mr. Herman, Mr. Armstrong's Austin lawyer, who set up a conference call between USADA and Mr. Armstrong's legal team, this person said. Mr. Armstrong's attorneys took the offensive, accusing USADA of improperly using grand jury information from the criminal investigation and questioning USADA's authority in the matter, recalled this person. By the end of the call, it became clear the Mr. Armstrong wouldn't be talking—or getting any deals.
<snip>
Mr. Armstrong kept up his public-relations battle against the agency, calling its investigation a "witch hunt" and a "vendetta." USADA then did something that dismayed Mr. Armstrong's legal team: It released thousands of pages of documents from the investigation on its website, including affidavits from about a dozen former teammates, all of whom accused him of doping.
<snip>
More:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324734904578241801441261928.html

If USADA hadn't called his bluff and released those documents, Armstrong would be denying doping until this day.

When the affidavits came out, I looked for one name: George Hincapie. He was not only a world-class cyclist, he was also Armstrong's right hand man. He was as close to him and the cycling team as anybody can be. For years, Hincapie had refused to narc on Lance. Once he rolled, any doubts I had ever had were erased.

Armstrong wants immediate forgiveness so that he can carry on with his plan. After 10 years of denials and active attacks on others, that will be hard to come by. He would do well to work out of the public eye and show some real humility.

As far as Livestrong goes, he does deserve plaudits for inspiring many. The will to fight is important. However, people would do well to remember that he used it as a shield. He was able to hide behind his good works as proof that he had to be believable. Unfortunately for him, they can be mutually exclusive.

[Democracyinkind]

1. Interesting. I agree with the assessment you present in you comments.

The whole business is quite bizarre. I don't know what's up with Lance but it's about time for him to step up and start being the big man he always wanted us to believe he was.

[graham4anything]

2. Too bad he can't be thrown in jail. He used his charity as a shield

in the classic way really bad people hide behind women and children to avoid detection

And his treatment of Sheryl Crow, while personal to them, was, from what the media revealed, horrible. Simply horrible. And if I recall the timeline, he left her when she became ill.
That showed the true person he was.

toss him in jail
(and note he seems though to have waited til the end of the statue of limitations to do this.
I can't recall who, but someone else recently did the same.)

Oprah should not have had him on.
rehab his rep? Oprah was had with this one.

[Are_grits_groceries]

3. I don't believe anything he says.

He has proven that he can and will vociferously say anything. That's why he should shut up and just work quietly for a while.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. I'd find Armstrong's mea culpa more convincing if

he did it for his conscience and to clarify his record and history and not compete in anything hereafter.

[Prometheus Bound]

5. Bet you anything his PR firm told him to cry during the interview.

There's a lot of money at stake. A fake cry costs you nothing they'll tell him, but it may help save you millions.

[Prometheus Bound]

6. "Lance Armstrong's confession is about money"

...So why confess, even in a limited way, to Oprah Winfrey now?

The short answer is money.

...But a report in the Wall Street Journal mentions an unnamed source who says Armstrong sees competing in triathlons as his most reliable source of future income.

This makes a lot more sense.

Armstrong’s net worth is estimated to be more than $100 million US. However, never has that fortune been less secure than it is now. He is facing a barrage of lawsuits that could cost him tens of millions of dollars in all.

...The daunting question facing Armstrong right now is: what’s he going to do for the rest of his life? How is he supposed to work if he is banned from sport? At the moment, he can’t earn prize money or appearance fees at high-level competitions. And if he can’t compete, then he won’t convince any company to sign an endorsement deal. Under the ban, he’s not even allowed to coach.

Aside from writing another book, he appears to have no way to make any money.

Armstrong’s current net worth is substantial, but the lawsuits put some or all of that money at risk of disappearing. At best, his financial future is uncertain. At worst, he’s staring at a potentially catastrophic situation.

...If he can’t get the ban lifted, then his future looks increasingly bleak.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/cycling/story/2013/01/15/sp-lamb-lance-armstrong-oprah-winfrey-admission.html