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Armstrong Would Be Biggest Fraud of All
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7/22/2010 1:10 AM ET By Jay Mariotti
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Jay Mariotti
Lead Columnist
PARIS -- In the ultimate drubbing of an embattled man, they are ridiculing him as a wimpy has-been, a ceremonial rider, a hapless greeter who shakes hands and kisses babies, just another spectator watching the race he used to dominate. All through France, all through the cycling domain, Lance Armstrong is seen now as a wobbling legend who stuck around much too long and, by doing so, faces dire consequences that might not have arisen had he simply stayed in retirement. Harsh? Not at all. Because if a federal investigation finds that Armstrong has used performance-enhancing drugs, just as other probes have linked so many other athletes to steroids, then what do we tell the cancer patients who use him for inspiration, the people who stand along the road at the Tour de France and hold signs that say "Hope'' and "Never Give Up!'' and consider him a god? What about the millions who wear the yellow LIVESTRONG bracelets that have symbolized his mission against the disease he beat?It's disturbing enough to see him crash his bike regularly, go limp on the mountain climbs that used to be his signature and fail to win even one stage of what he swears -- and we hope -- will be his final Tour. It's sad enough to hear the beast shrivel into a mouse, uttering such wave-the-white-flag mush as, "Once you know you're not going to be the best guy, then I'm going to, like I said in the beginning, sit up and enjoy it. Look around, look at people, listen to people. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm not going to win the Tour.'' Who wants to wander into Europe for the event that defined Armstrong and witness a deterioration in the painful vein of Willie Mays with no bat speed, Muhammad Ali fighting a mixed martial artist, Ken Griffey Jr. falling asleep in the clubhouse or Johnny Unitas throwing interceptions for the Chargers? "In four or five days," he said after another lost journey in Pau this week, "Lance Armstrong is over."Yet, ultimately, the legend of Lance Armstrong also could be doomed. In what looms as the most damaging collapse of any athlete in the never-ending Steroids Era, the feds have targeted the seven-time Tour winner and his former U.S. Postal Service Cycling Team amid allegations of doping, fraud and other crimes. With the guile and force of an accomplished defense attorney, Armstrong has tried to discredit Floyd Landis and Greg LeMond, the two cyclists who have accused him of using PEDs. But while both have credibility issues -- Landis was stripped of his 2006 Tour victory, spent plenty of money and time trying to defend his innocence, then came clean this year while fingering Armstrong as a user -- it's hard to dismiss the tattle-tale tactics of any athlete in the steroids culture. Doesn't Landis remind you of Jose Canseco, who originally was mocked for calling out fellow baseball players as steroids users, only to be vindicated when Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez and others on his hit list indeed were dirty? LeMond used to despise Landis, testifying during Landis' doping case that Landis' attorney had threatened to leak details of how LeMond was sexually abused as a child. But now, LeMond tells the Denver Post, "I think he's telling the truth. I think the level of detail, the descriptions, I think it rings true." Subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury, LeMond says he thinks the evidence will be "overwhelming'' against Armstrong.
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It's hard to believe Armstrong could maintain a long-term rule over the Tour -- without juicing up -- when so many of his inferior rivals were busted for PEDs. Sharing my doubts is Jeff Novitzky, who made his name in sports history by busting open the BALCO case that became the biggest of doping scandals. Novitzky has so many people scared in the Armstrong camp that his attorney, Tim Herman, flew to the Bay Area recently to chat up defense lawyers who worked on the BALCO case. They didn't have much luck: 10 of the 11 people charged in the raid either were convicted or had to accept plea deals. Novitzky may not nail Barry Bonds, who won two recent court rulings that won't allow vital evidence to be used against him. But he has eagerly taken up the Armstrong case, and difficult as it will be to prove fraud, doping charges tend to leave a paper trail that could ruin Armstrong.Not surprisingly, he has spent his days here denying any involvement. But the American public, hardened by steroids revelations, clearly doesn't believe him as readily as before. He didn't do himself favors back home when he suggested that his relentless charity work should protect him from an aggressive federal investigation. "As long as we have a legitimate and credible and fair investigation, we'll be happy to cooperate, but I'm not going to participate in any kind of witch hunt. I've done too many good things for too many people," he said."If it wasn't his last Tour, he would probably have said, 'I've nothing to gain, maybe I'll go home.' So it's been mentally up and down. When you have been on top several times and won everything, it's hard to motivate yourself for secondary things."-- Johan Bruyneel on Lance Armstrong One has nothing to do with the other, of course. How about saying he'll cooperate and leave it at that? What we want to know is whether he's guilty. "As long as I live, I will deny it," Armstrong said. "There was absolutely no way I forced people, encouraged people, told people, helped people, facilitated. Absolutely not. One hundred percent."I can't speak to what (his U.S. Postal Service teammates) did themselves; I can't control that. It would be like me asking you, `Listen, do you think there's any abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in the NFL in the offensive line?' Most people would say probably yes. Does that mean Peyton Manning is guilty? I mean, I can't control what other riders do.''For the first time, Armstrong is acknowledging that some of his teammates might be culpable. Not that he won't pull out all the persuasive tricks that have served him well through a decade of denials. "Do the American people feel like this is a good use of their tax dollars?" he said. "That's for them to decide.''He realizes the probe is a black eye for his foundation and his ongoing fight against cancer. Suddenly, the fact he never has tested positive for PEDs doesn't seem to matter to some. Like so many baseball players, football players, track athletes and fellow cyclists, the instinct is to view him as guilty until proven innocent. "It would be a shame for a lot of people," Armstrong said. "I can't control it. Other than clarifying some things, I hope that everybody can pay attention and understand the facts here."I don't think the government will build a case on Floyd Landis. His credibility left a long time ago. If you think that you have an athlete that's broken the rules -- this is not baseball, this is not football ... we have a governing body to deal with that. I have had 500 (doping) controls in my day. USADA deals with that, the UCI deals with that. WADA deals with that. We have an agency to deal with that. I have no problem playing by those rules." All of which begs a question: Why did he come back and tempt fate? Armstrong was more than three years into retirement, successfully spreading the Livestrong word, when he inexplicably chose to race again. His Tour return was uplifting a year ago, but it fell flat when he fought with teammate Alberto Contador, then lost to him. This year, he looks like a cyclist nearing his 39th birthday and has been subjected to injuries, crashes and sub-par performance. Now, the steroids smoke is swirling like never before, with LeMond and Landis in position to ruin him as Novitzky swings the hammer. Had he remained in retirement, would the investigation even be happening?For now, Armstrong will finish the Tour with a smile, back in the pack. He insists on giving back to the fans, but considering the rude reception of the French media and fans through the years, his response seems contrived. "I've got to say, this entire Tour, the fans have been really nice to me and very supportive," Armstrong said. "They can get close to you; they can talk to you; you can talk back to them. I appreciate their support. They don't have to fly from all over the world and come and stand by the side of the road, but they do, and I appreciate it."Like other greats who stick around too long, it has been no joy to watch. He is showing every nanosecond of his age. Said Johan Bruyneel, his coach during all seven Tours: "If it wasn't his last Tour, he would probably have said, `I've nothing to gain, maybe I'll go home.' So it's been mentally up and down. When you have been on top several times and won everything, it's hard to motivate yourself for secondary things."In a matter of hours, as he says, Lance Armstrong's career will be over. But when he heads home to Texas, whether he knows it or not, he'll be entering the biggest race of his life. It would be a wonderful story for humankind if, somehow, he turns out to be innocent and all of his anti-cancer work holds up in the wash.But I'm highly doubtful. And if you are a savvy American, your antenna are as high as mine today.
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