Jan 20, 2013: Lance Armstrong's halfhearted admission of doping during his seven Tour de France victories reveal a man in despair, but also a victim of a culture that worships winners and crucifies losers.  Armstrong knew it, but so did his handlers.

Armstrong was like a corporation. His continued success in the Tour was a lifeline for many people and business interests.  These are the real culprits in the much publicized doping charges.

   
The interview with Oprah was a circus for TV ratings and revealed nothing more than what many people in competitive cycling have known.  The idea that questions "people around the world have been waiting to hear were answered," as Oprah said on CBS news, sets the stage for more money in this bizarre doping scandal.   As former House of Representative from Pennsylvania Michael Myers said, "money speaks, bullshit walks."


The question now is "what did Armstrong get in return for the interview?"  We don't know, and we won't know for some time.  Armstrong has not hid his desire to compete again, but he knows that the idea is wishful thinking. The ban imposed by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is  for life.


However, should someday the cycling puritans and the guardians of the sporting world have a change of heart and lift the ban as a condition of his return (which Armstrong equated to the death penalty), he should disclose the deal he was given for doing the interview with Oprah, instead of a nonprofit such as National Public Radio (NPR).