Rev3 supporters are putting forward an argument that's really a false dichotomy logical fallacy. They try to say that it's impossible to both fully support cancer victims, their families, and research fundraising AND argue that Armstrong shouldn't be at this event. Well, that's just false - you can do both and not compromise ANY of your principles.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^
This.

If principle dictates that USAT should prohibit any USAT officials from officiating, does principle also dictate that all USAT members should be prohibited from racing? If USAT members should be banned from racing is that all non-sanctioned events or just those events where there is a person who is banned from participating in USAT events is participating?

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team website: http://snappletriteam.com/

team blog: http://snappletriteam.com/?page_id=10

It's a moot point, as the event is no longer under USAT guidelines. So they have nothing to do with it, technically, at this time.

I've raced plenty of non-USAT events. There's nothing inherently wrong with not having USAT affiliation.
(well - other than that your results don't get reported or count towards the AG Rankings. If that matters.)

The case here is, that they DID, and dropped it, *specifically* to allow a currently-BANNED athlete to participate.

No matter how they try to spin it, I've lost a lot of respect for REV3 over this.
There are PLENTY of ways that LA could have been involved w/ this event, to support it, and not race it.

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float , hammer , and jog

Hi Zack! Long time no hear! Hope you're well.

I don't know that USAT should or shouldn't attempt to prohibit their certified officials from enforcing similar or identical ruleset at non-sanctioned events. It's a weird scenario. USAT neither owns the personnel nor owns the IP on their ruleset. It just seems like poor form of Rev3 to adopt the identical ruleset, which took time and money for USAT to write, and to try to use the same staff for enforcement. I do know that USAT was unprepared for this scenario and attempted to set a policy for it's mid-atlantic officials based on the circumstances of this event, but I doubt that policy will be upheld or enforced. But, again, I've been wrong many times before....

I'm not weighing in on the Rev3 / Armstrong racing issue. Merely pointing out that that we all compromise some principles at some point.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

I'm fine, Kyle -- thanks for asking. Back to running and biking -- maybe DD will be on the slate next year!

When you say that "I do know that USAT was unprepared for this scenario and attempted to set a policy for it's mid-atlantic officials based on the circumstances of this event, but I doubt that policy will be upheld or enforced" what do you mean? Are you privy to USAT coming up with some sort of new rules regarding this? If so, what is it? Would USAT really prevent any USAT official from doing a non-USAT events?

I critical of USADA and the manner in which it pursues violations of its code. I would find it pretty interesting if its member organizations started taking harsh steps against people for affiliating with anything that the member organization has unilaterally determined is inappropriate.

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team website: http://snappletriteam.com/

team blog: http://snappletriteam.com/?page_id=10

Yes and Yes.

If you are USAT and you spent the money to create the rules and you spent the money to train the enforcers, you have every right to consider how to not be taken advantage of by an event that says "we are not USAT sanctioned but we are following USAT's rulebook and we will use USAT-certified officials".

If your are swimming in your High School state championships, USA swimming officials are being used in an event of which USA Swimming has nothing to do with the event. Is this not the same thing, and they are using USA swimming rules for the competition.

I would think that USAT would also consider the effect on the officials. Correct me if I am wrong, but being a USAT official isn't a career. They are basically volunteers, right? They get a small stipend for giving up their day. Maybe there's a lot more money in the game than I am imagining, but I have always looked at officials as people giving back to the sport and getting some small compensation in return.

I volunteer at a bunch of races. I wouldn't even know how to comprehend it if USAT told me I wouldn't be allowed to volunteer at USAT sanctioned events going forward if I volunteered at the Half-Full or other non-sanctioned event. Same thing with racing.

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team website: http://snappletriteam.com/

team blog: http://snappletriteam.com/?page_id=10

My background in officiating is in ice hockey. USA Hockey is the NGB for ice hockey in the US, and each year I attend a seminar and take two rules examinations to keep my certification current. That certification allows me to offer my services as an independent contractor, and if I am working a USA Hockey sanctioned game then I wear a USA Hockey crest on my jersey and apply USA Hockey rules and procedures. From time to time I work leagues that are sanctioned by the Nat Fed of High Schools, American Collegiate Hockey Assoc, etc. USAH recognizes they are not the only game in town, and has not (at least in my area of the US) attempted to dissuade or coerce officials into not working games sanctioned by other bodies in the 20+ years I have been doing this.

Officials in many sports work for multiple leagues, multiple sanctioning bodies, and utilize multiple sets of rules. In virtually all instances they are independent contractors. At the major league pro level (MLB, NBA, NHL or NFL) they may be league employees, but that would be the exception and not the rule.

And maybe, just maybe, 80-90% of the racers in these events that are just casual multisport athletes are looking at this and saying "Cool, Lance Armstrong is racing" i'll bet if you asked, at least 50% of the athletes competing wouldn't even know what the official sanctions were, nor would they care. I think about these topics in a similar way to many of the posters in this forum, but I really think we take it way more seriously than the vast majority of the USAT membership.

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John

100%

Update on the race rules:

Talked in email with RD and he said they are being finalized and added that they will be very similiar to what we all are used to racing. I'm assuming race officials will be there, and I'll update when they make an official announcement.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

Updated Race Sanctioning.

The MACTC collegiate conference which is racing in the olympic race, will actually be racing under USAT rules. It's been sanctioned by USAT (wahoo), and will have USAT officials, etc. It's great that they got sanctioning because this is our conferences championship and deciding race for usat collegiate nationals.

The Half Full (Lance's race) will still be unsanctioned, and therefore will be starting 1 hour behind the olympic race. I dont know how it will be officiated, when I find out the info., I will post it.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

Like.

I think that is a good call for Rev3.

Now do you want to be the one to tell Ben I'm racing Pinehurst or should I? I feel bad, but it's a dog-eat-dog year in the NCTS open category...

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I tweet!

Haha, good luck there. With there being USAT officials, *my* guess is that the Half wont be raced with "officials".

I'm glad Rev3 atleast made it USAT sanctioned for the race. I was a bit disappointed when they announced that the college race that qualifies for an USAT national champs, would be un-sanctioned. Obviously, the half full cant be, but I give kuddos to Rev3 for making it work.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

Maybe this race just has bad weather mojo. Last year the week up to the race was nice and then it was cold and wet race day. This years forecast, Friday: high 79F, Sat: high 75F, Sun: high 52F and rainy. Guess I'll get that chance to see how the big boys handle less than ideal weather, should be <50 through most of the race if the forecast holds.