As The Floyd Turns

There's still a long, long way to go in the Floyd Landis case, but just seeing headlines like "Gee, I guess maybe we completely hosed this guy for no good reason" (I'm paraphrasing ;) has got to be encouraging. A word of caution to the Landis camp - stay ahead of the "on a technicality" slant. Don't let the press run away with it like they did with the "elevated testosterone" canard. If this becomes a huge story again, we know how quickly the ignorati rush in with their sweeping generalizations and proclamations that have little to do with the facts at hand. God help us if we have Ron Rappaport back on the NewsHour waxing incoherently about how "Norris" dodged a bullet. (If you happened to catch the NewsHour last July, you know what I'm talking about. And if you did, tell me, what objects did you choose to throw at the screen?)

Although it's probably more useful to look ahead, as TBV has, the Nancy Kerrigan Chorus (why, why, why) continues to beckon. However the UCI may have encouraged or exploited the shaky results, one has to think they didn't imagine they would be ruining an innocent man (and thus, one who would fight back to the death). I've already speculated on their lack of love for the sport they claim to represent, and so I think it probably went something like this: They are of the cynical camp that assumes everyone is doping. So, they assume whoever it is they're going to crucify will be guilty of something, and appropriately slink away in fear, so they (the UCI) can have their fun with the ASO. Needless to say, they picked the wrong guy. And how.