FanNation - The Republic of Sport

I'm glad that I could sum up your feelings on the situation in that one sentence...

Nice piece here, wtnelson... I must say, when I first read it I was stoked to hear about LeBeau. I've been ranting for a long time about the injustice in his Hall ostracism, and it's really good to see him get his due. I can't say I know as much about Floyd Little, but from all accounts I can gather he seems like a person who has also been too long in pining for the recognition due to him. It's really nice to see these kindred spirits on a path toward Canton...

Well played, Porkins... well played, indeed.

Then you must have stopped following sports altogether. From NASCAR to tennis, baseball to cycling, football to swimming to track and field, there is use and abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in all sports...

The real question, then, is what is legal and what is not. Aspirin is a drug... but we're hardly going to banish someone for taking 60 mg a day for heart health. Cortisone shots are drugs, and are banned on an international level... yet we see NFL stars take their shots every week before a big game. To categorically and blindly assert that taking "drugs" is cheating is to try to pin this into a yes-or-no, black-or-white dichotomy when it is readily apparent that there is so much more to the story.

For some backstory on my own thoughts on this issue, check out a couple of old articles I wrote for this site last year:

http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/235156
http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/282155

When it comes down to it, all that the sidebar represents is the blog that has racked up the most views. More often than not, this is accomplished with stat padding -- I've seen it happen to my own pieces without my knowledge. Until SI comes up with a better formula for showcasing the talent that is toiling away for free on its feeder site, that's the way it's going to work. And like I said before, at least persistence, if nothing else, is getting rewarded in this case...

I'll say just a few things here, and I do this from a position whereby I have a vested interest in both sides and their continued progression. I have been the managing editor of [i]Informative Sports[/i] since it was created with my fellow FanNation member, David (NCshvDavid: http://www.fannation.com/users/view_user_profile/36006 ) back last October. We've both been ardent users of FanNation since we each joined the site back in 2007, and still continue to frequent the site. Hell, I just did a 21-stage feature on the Tour de France every day of the race on this website despite the fact that I seemingly have a conflict of interest.

Because I don't have a conflict of interest. informativesports.com is a depository where we have invited strong writers from FanNation and other sources through our freelance work that have proven their ability and willingness to put forth the effort. If there's one thing I can respect most about Lloyd's picture of the day efforts, it is that they are consistent in their effort. Just like YODA back in the day with his Zingers or SIFS in its heyday, it shows a tenacity that we can all learn from.

Thus, I also applaud the fact that the guys who write at Informative Sports and who I have come to know on an individual basis over this period of time feel secure in their efforts to broadcast them. We only grow when we strive to be something, and to advertise one's articles is not insensible nor is it unwarranted. I know I have put forth a lot of original effort to FanNation, just as I do in every writing project I've had in my time as a writer. And my use of this site to help announce the presence of my writing both here and elsewhere, I feel, is imminently justified.

I don't even have a picture with the featured blogs... hell, Lloyd, you've at least got a more utilitarian message than most!

Wow... typo. I inserted an extraneous "o" in my second sentence...

I definitely agree with you about the fact that salacious tell-all books about PED use are boorish and only in there to make a buck. However, I would direct you too books like Steven Ungerleider's fabulous [i]Faust's Gold[/i] which delved into the endless documentation by the East German sports program of its steroid program for its athletes, especially swimmers. There have also been some fascinating works by guys like Ivan Waddington and Paul DiMeo that take a more nuanced approach to the subject that you might also really appreciate. And indeed, I'm even working on a book about the long history of performance enhancement in sport; but rather than try to cash in with an expose, I am like you -- I intend to show the human side of performance enhancement and why an athlete might turn to artificial means to get better...

I've written a lot about the subject of drugs and sports (they're two things that just naturally come to me, I guess... ;-) and I am of a similar mind as you on the subject. There is never a black-or-white answer to doping; just as in every other facet of life, we live in the full spectrum of grayscale. Not one of us fans could definitively say that we would deny ourselves a supplement to get better, to make more money, or to help our team win. Especially in team sports, the goal is always to be the best athlete possible to assist the team toward victory -- and in a world where one supplement is banned while another yields an endorsement deal, we live in hazy times.

Thanks for giving us your take, as I have noticed your silence on the issue in the past. You've always got a fresh take that gets people's wheels spinning, and I will always appreciate that about your writing...

I'm so glad to hear that you've enjoyed this series of recaps, and if you've enjoyed this writing, be sure to stay tuned -- I have started preliminary work on a book encompassing the past few years of relative anarchy in the world of cycling from Lance Armstrong's first retirement to his return this season. You're very welcome for all that has come so far... and thank you for remaining so interested!

It certainly should be an exciting Tour next year, but don't let the eleven months between now and the 2010 start keep you from enjoying what for many is probably a newfound love of the sport of cycling. The Classica San Sebastian is this Saturday in Spain, one of the one-day classics of the UCI ProTour calendar. All your favorite teams from the Tour de France should be there. While you will probably not see Contador or Armstrong there, you will undoubtedly see some of the faces from July racing into August. Also, the Vuelta a Espana will be happening later in August and into September, when we then have the world championships and the fall one-day classics. And for those of you who have become dependent on Versus for your cycling coverage, might I recommend some online broadcasts for when the American network fails to satiate your craving? A great site for such televised coverage is http://www.steephill.tv -- they can set you up with links to races around the world...

Concerning Levi Leipheimer, it certainly was sad to see him crash his way out of the race. He has long been among the elite Americans in the peloton, and I certainly hope as well that he makes his way into the Tour next year. While it is a sport of youngsters, with a new generation constantly emerging before our eyes, guys like Levi and Jens Voigt, another veteran whose 2009 Tour ended earlier than it should have, offer a continuity and a perseverance which is inspiring. (And the pun is pardoned...)

I have to agree with you when it comes down to Contador/Schleck. Whereas the Armstrong/Contador dynamic this year at Astana was vintage Hinault/LeMond, you could easily draw parallels between Contador/Schleck and Armstrong/Ullrich. It will be interesting to see if Andy can get the better of Alberto, something Jan was never able to do to Lance.

Well, there are some criteria. The UCI, cycling's world governing body, mandates that a certain number of teams get in based on their world ranking into the big races. Usually that number is set around the top 14 or so. After that, it is up to race organizer Amaury Sport Organization to decide who it wants to invite to the race. These wild-card entries can go to any team for any reason: to get more French teams in the race or a particular superstar on a weak team or whatnot.

The teams are changing from year to year. If Alexandre Vinokourov comes back and takes over Astana again, for instance, it is likely that the team would suffer the same fate it did in 2008 and not get invited to race in the Tour. That would open the door for Radio Shack and/or whatever team Contador might start up next year. There have been instances of highly-touted riders being shut out of the race, though... just look no further than Contador, who as defending champion in 2008 was denied entry along with the rest of the Astana squad due to the indiscretions of Vinokourov in 2007.

The French seem to be finally warming to Armstrong now that he has proven his human side. I would be surprised, too, if they denied Bruyneel yet again after the 2008 fiasco. So don't worry, you're likely to see the Texan in the Tour peloton once again in 2010...

From the recent declarations of both Armstrong and Bruyneel, as well as the individualistic actions of Contador in this Tour, it appears to me from everything I've digested about the situation that they are at the breaking point. In the press, everyone is trying to be as cordial as possible. The problem, though, is that privately (and even in public places like Twitter) they have been much more reticent about the situation. Lance has taken the public stand of being the consummate teammate, yet at the same time he has berated several of Contador's actions during this race. Merely saying that Contador would have to prove his leadership on the road, when he is the one whose position was usurped in the first place by Armstrong's return, was a slap in the face of a man who has won three (soon to be four) grand tours since Armstrong won his last Tour in 2005.

As for Astana, the team will likely be back in the peloton next season, but led once again by the man who first put the consortium of Kazakh corporate sponsors together, Alexandre Vinokourov. The national hero is likely to return to the squad he helped keep alive after the Operacion Puerto scandal that saw then-director Manolo Saiz face indictment and then-sponsors Liberty Seguros and Wurth remove their financial support. Vinokourov, who tested positive for blood doping in the 2007 Tour, is due to return from his two-year suspension by the end of the month, and he has asserted many a time that he fully intends to come back and take over Astana once again... and I'm sure you will see the Kazakh businesses pony up the dough for one of their own.

Which is why you see everyone on the current squad looking to jump ship. Contador will likely be headed somewhere else. But don't, by any means, expect him to go sign with Team Radio Shack next year. Part of the reason Armstrong wants to start his own team is because he is acclimated to being in full control -- and allowing Contador back on the roster would only put him in a secondary role once again.

Actually, the most likely rumors currently surrounding Contador's position for next season involve the start of a new team to be started next year by Alberto in partnership with Formula 1 star Fernando Alonso. We have also seen rumors that Garmin-Slipstream has tried to contact Contador about joining their squad, but team director Jonathan Vaughters is being coy about verifying this claim so far. There will certainly be a long list of suitors lining up to sign this prodigy, who will have four grand tour victories at an age where Armstrong had yet to win one. The one suitor that won't be lining up, tough, is Radio Shack -- they've already got a leader in their stable...

Schleck turned a corner, riding beyond what most people thought possible from this young man from Luxembourg to cling to second place. He should be assured by now of duplicating his second-place finish in last year's Giro, and will be an exciting challenger to Contador and other contenders for years to come. The only man who could possibly ride away from him, based on what we've seen in this year's Tour so far, is the guy who is already ahead of him on GC. We are seeing a new generation emerge in chrysalis right before our eyes...

Thanks... it's what I've got to do if I want someone to start paying me for my words here sooner or later (hopefully sooner!) -- keep plugging along day after day. Glad to hear you're enjoying all the recaps, and I am looking at taking all this material and expanding on it for a book to come out sometime before the end of the year. For all of those of you who are new to my writing but have enjoyed these recaps, be sure to check out this week's edition of my regular column, [i]A Non-Traditional Sports Fan in America[/i], which appears weekly at Informative Sports:

http://tinyurl.com/NTSF020


This week marks my twentieth edition over at the new site!

May I just say, first of all, that that is an AWESOME trivia question. What a potpourri of randomness! Thanks for that tip... Seth Smith and Todd Helton.

As for the argument for Helton, I remember following the Rockies a bit when they moved to Colorado. The local papers in Wyoming followed the Colorado teams (except in basketball, where the Jazz were closer to Jackson Hole) so I definitely got a hefty dose of his early career. While I don't keep up with them as much, it's always been a ton of fun to watch Helton both at the plate and fielding at first.

Hell, if I'm ever on the voting committee, you've got my vote for him!

It will certainly be tough. On the final time trial last year, Andy Schleck lost 1:27 to then-teammate and eventual champion Carlos Sastre -- and 4:02 to the winner of the 53 km race against the clock from Cerilly to Saint-Amand-Montrand. Considering he has only 1:29 on Armstrong and 2:14 on Kloden, both of whom are far better time trial specialists than Sastre last year, it will be hard for Schleck to maintain that podium position. But considering how well Schleck has climbed compared to these two, it is possible that he gets leapfrogged tomorrow only to regain a podium position in the Mont Ventoux stage the day before the riders enter Paris. That is certainly a storyline worth watching as we come to the final four stages of the 2009 edition of this race...

I'm glad to hear that you've been enjoying the recaps so much. I may never have been a big fan of Armstrong as so many other Americans have been, but I can't help but respect the fortitude he's exhibited in his return to the Tour after such a lengthy layoff. I definitely see him returning next year, as he's asserted several times now, and wouldn't be surprised if he also made a run on the Giro again next year. He seemed to enjoy his time in Italy despite breaking his collarbone for the first time in his career...

In regards to the Schleck brothers, neither has been too impressive throughout their careers in the time trial. Tomorrow's 40 km race around Annecy will probably decide the general classification, as Astana has proven resilient enough to fend off any and all challenges in the road stages. With only Mont Ventoux left after the time trial, I think there's just too little time left to gain back all the minutes necessary to overtake Contador...

But then again, in what has surely been an absurdly unpredictable Tour, I would be loathe to say definitively that it is impossible...

Excellent review of the season! Inter made me a happy fanatic once again this year, though their Champions League performance was abysmal at best. I don't know where to weigh in on this ongoing debate, whether it was intercontinental failures or the lack of competitiveness for the Scudetto that had the league down. Frankly, I'm quite happy with the results of the final classification... but I would love to see some more European success...

Looking forward to your season preview! Keep up the awesome work!

Yeah, we've got the best possibility I've ever witnessed of having a team sweep the podium. The closest before that would have to be the La Vie Claire team of Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond, which also boasted 1988 Giro d'Italia winner Andy Hampsten. The Telekom/T-Mobile team had Bjarne Riis and Jan Ullrich finish 1-2 in 1996, and boasted Ullrich, Vinokourov and Kloden during Armstrong's seven-year reign through the turn of the millennium. And Discovery back in 2007 had Contador and Leipheimer in 1-3. But no team has yet managed to take all three top spots.

The X-factor here will be Bradley Wiggins. If the young British former track-cycling specialist has truly managed to emerge from his chrysalis into a stage-race contender, he looks worthy of a top-three spot. If he falters, it will certainly be possible to see Kloden climb up on GC... he's looking better than he has in years. But Contador's position at the top looks more and more secure as we get closer to Paris. Neither Armstrong nor Kloden will attack their teammate, and all the other teams seem incapable of sending Astana reeling...

I've actually been doing some research into that. And from the early eras when bicycle manufacturers sponsored teams of riders, to the era when the Tour was organized into national and regional teams, to the current state of multinational corporate sponsorship, never has one team swept the podium of the Tour de France. The Alcyon team which dominated in the early 1900s couldn't... the French and Italian supersquads of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s never pulled off the feat... and not even the Renault, La Vie Claire, Telekom or U.S. Postal teams of recent years could pull it off. So we are now on the cusp of history...