Corruption in the USADA? Lance Armstrong might have a point afterall.

[Rajah Bell]

Hello there, I am a boxing fan following a story on the USADA's recent involvement in Professional Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions. Basically, the USADA apparently has been covering the positive test results of Boxers like Mayweather and Morales by giving exemptions and blatantly not testing the "B" sample. I was wondering what the cycling community's thoughts about these two articles and can they change things for Lance Armstrong:

"PED Mess Part 1" by Thomas Hauser(http://www.maxboxing.com/news/sub-lead/the-ped-mess-part-one):

[SIZE= 10.0pt]On May 20, 2012, a rumor filtered through the drug-testing community that Mayweather had tested positive on three occasions for an illegal performance-enhancing drug.[/SIZE] [SIZE= 10.0pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt]More specifically, it was rumored that Mayweather’s “A” sample had tested positive on three occasions and, after each positive test, USADA had found exceptional circumstances in the form of inadvertent use and gave Floyd a waiver. This waiver, according to the rumor, negated the need for a test of Floyd’s “B” sample. And because the “B” sample was never tested, a loophole in USADA’s contract with Mayweather and Golden Boy allowed the testing to proceed without the positive “A” sample results being reported to Mayweather’s opponent or the Nevada State Athletic Commission (which had jurisdiction over the fights).[/SIZE]

"PED Mess Part 2" (http://www.maxboxing.com/news/main-lead/the-ped-mess-part-two)

Quote: [SIZE= 10.0pt]The New York State Athletic Commission was blindsided on the Morales matter. The first notice it received came in a three-way telephone conversation with representatives of Golden Boy and USADA after the Thursday press conference. In that conversation, the commission was told there were “some questionable test results” for Morales but that testing of Morales’s “B” sample would not be available until after the fight.[/SIZE] [SIZE= 10.0pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt]Then, on Friday (one day before the scheduled fight), Keith Idec revealed on BoxingScene.com that samples had been taken from Morales on at least three occasions. Final results from the samples taken on October 17th were not in yet. But both the “A” and “B” samples taken from Morales on October 3rd and October 10th had tested positive for Clenbuterol. In other words, Morales had tested positive for Clenbuterol four times.[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt]Clenbuterol is widely used by bodybuilders and athletes. It helps the body increase its metabolism and process the conversion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into useful energy. It also boosts muscle growth and eliminates excess fats caused by the use of certain steroids.[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt]Under the WADA code, no[/SIZE][SIZE= 10.0pt] amount of Clenbuterol is allowed in a competitor’s body.[/SIZE][SIZE= 10.0pt] The measure is qualitative, not quantitative. Either Clenbuterol is there or it’s not. If it’s there, the athlete has a problem.[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt]After the positive tests were revealed, Morales claimed that he’d inadvertently ingested Clebuterol by eating contaminated meat. No evidence was offered in support of that contention.[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10.0pt]Nor was any explanation forthcoming as to why USADA kept taking samples from Morales after four tests (two “A” samples and two “B” samples from separate collections) came back positive. [/SIZE][SIZE= 10.0pt]Giving Morales those additional tests was like giving someone who has been arrested for driving while intoxicated a second and third blood test a week after the arrest. The whole idea behind “cycling” is that it enables an athlete to use illegal PEDs, stop using them at a predetermined point in time, and then test clean in the days leading up to an event. A fighter shouldn’t be given the opportunity to test again and again until he tests clean.[/SIZE]

 

[tonyzackery]

Has nothing to do with the case against one Lance Armstrong.

"The best defense is a good offense".

So what's the point here? I guess Armstrong could complain in the court of public opinion that he's not being treated fairly by the USADA in that they (allegedly) swept/are sweeping drug busts against Morales and Mayweather under the rug. As such, they should also usher his case under the carpet as well. Oh dear, he's being singled out (again).

At the end of the day, the Uniballer went nolo contendere. Case closed.

 

[mikejermade]

hello bell, thanks for your lovely post. i was founding this type post. I am happy to read your site.

 

[alienator]

It's irrelevant to the Armstrong case.

 

[Rajah Bell]

Thanks for the replies. Although these cases has nothing to do with Lance Armstrong, it has everything to do with the reputation of the USADA and it's quasi governmental structure. These cases have Arthur Andersen potential in my view. The main difference between the treatment of Lance and the boxing case is independence. They have no loyalty to Lance because US Cycling pays their bills to look after hundreds of riders, whereas they have monetary incentive to keep their client, with a handful of fighters, happy and alive in boxing. Golden Boy Promotions pays them about $100,000 per fight for 8 weeks of work. That's already compromised testing standards in the name of Revenues, since Olympic Style Drug Testing is supposed to 24-7-365 days a year.

If proven to be true and USADA goes down like Arthur Andersen, Lance Armstrong can say "I told you so" and regain back some of his reputation in the court of public opinion.

 

[alienator]

Thanks for the replies. Although these cases has nothing to do with Lance Armstrong, it has everything to do with the reputation of the USADA and it's quasi governmental structure. These cases have Arthur Andersen potential in my view. The main difference between the treatment of Lance and the boxing case is independence. They have no loyalty to Lance because US Cycling pays their bills to look after hundreds of riders, whereas they have monetary incentive to keep their client, with a handful of fighters, happy and alive in boxing. Golden Boy Promotions pays them about $100,000 per fight for 8 weeks of work. That's already compromised testing standards in the name of Revenues, since Olympic Style Drug Testing is supposed to 24-7-365 days a year. If proven to be true and USADA goes down like Arthur Andersen, Lance Armstrong can say "I told you so" and regain back some of his reputation in the court of public opinion.

Nope. Lance is a doper and over 20 witnesses and 1000 pages of documents say so. He has no reputation to win back.

 

[limerickman]

Alienator is correct.

Cases have to be considered on their own merits and on that basis, and including all of the witness testimony, it is clear that any lingering doubts as to Armstrong having doped are addressed fully in the USADA report.

 

[JTE83]

Sometimes I think EVERYONE LIED just to bring Armstrong down. Maybe all his past teammates lied just to bring him down, as they were never caught failing a drug test in 7 TDFs.

 

[alienator]

Sometimes I think EVERYONE LIED just to bring Armstrong down.  Maybe all his past teammates lied just to bring him down, as they were never caught failing a drug test in 7 TDFs.

Yeah, that must be it. After all there were only 20+ witnesses whose stories didn't contradict each other. Many of those witnesses also gave federal testimony. Yeah it must be completely reasonable in a warped reality that so many cyclists would lie to the feds and risk perjury, a charge which the feds don't take lightly, all so they could bring down one guy they didn't like. And how about all those people that he threatened and intimidated? How about when Armstrong called Emma O'Reilly a prostitute? How about the threatening call that Betsy Andreu received on behalf of Señor Fraud, aka Lance Armstrong? How about the obvious threat made to Simeoni on TV worldwide? The reality is that Armstrong is a rank douchebag that lacks the spine to stand up and admit what he did. He's a complete fraud, cheat, and liar.

 

[danfoz]

Originally Posted by JTE83 .

Sometimes I think EVERYONE LIED just to bring Armstrong down. Maybe all his past teammates lied just to bring him down, as they were never caught failing a drug test in 7 TDFs.

What do you think of during the other times? That he may have cheated?