mag900 wrote:
no, i believe that you also fall into the clueless category. the section i cited above, Section 3.6, covers Competitive Rules, which contains the following provision:
3.3 General Conduct. At or during an event, or while at the event site, all participants must:
a. Act in compliance with these Competitive Rules;
b. Conduct themselves in a manner that is not offensive in any way to fellow participants, spectators, officials or volunteers and is considered reasonable and acceptable in the community; c. Treat all participants, officials, volunteers and spectators with fairness, respect and courtesy;
i think it's fair to say that showing up to races last year doped was both offensive and not acceptable in the community.
there isn't a specific rule that says "if you are a member of a drug ring, you will be banned for life" as USAT mostly punts to USADA/WADA for PED punishment. however, it's not that much of a stretch to use 3.3(b) again as justification to keep him out. you are correct in pointing out that all of this is discretionary but so is nearly everything so i don't know what your point is ("the specific penalty to be imposed in any given case shall depend on the nature and severity of the violation as determined by the Head Referee or USA Triathlon").
all of this is moot because WTC is salivating to get lance back so it can fully maximize making money off him. if USADA/WTC lift his ban, he's going to be back.
I really think that is about the most absurd way to approach that rule. First, I'm very curious as to how you know he was doped for those races. Don't give me..."well, once a cheater, always a cheater"...I'm talking actual proof. Give me one positive test {sic}, one witness, anything from anyone that isn't just pure speculation. You can assume all you want...as you clearly have, but until you can provide anything...even the tiniest shred of proof...I don't see how that you could even loosely apply that rule. Even then...it is more than a stretch.
My whole point on all of this doesn't necessarily even have to do with Lance. I don't want to see people being excluded or banned b/c someone decides to make up rules based on their personal morals and what they personally find as disgusting or not. When you do that, you go down a road that invites abuse. Who is in charge or making a morality call? What say you if that person thinks that anyone who has had an abortion, for example, as a disgusting person and doesn't want anyone who has had one racing or in the sport...boom lifetime ban. Are we going to start having character screenings as part of the registration process?
I get it that you don't want him racing b/c you think he's a terrible person and that you think it would give a black eye to the sport. Fine, you are welcome to your opinion. But trying to exclude someone based on speculation and a dislike of their character is not something that should be part of the rules.