With all the talk about drugs in the pre race show and the fact that a lot of the former riders who have admitted using drugs, is it a bad choice for Versus(OLN) to have somoene on staff that has come out and said that they have used drugs when racing. I think this is a very bad decision to have someone on staff covering the race that is a former drug user. I will keep this persons name out of the post but we know who it is.
You mean as opposed to all the other former riders who probably were using PEDs but haven’t admitted it? Umm, yea…
That same ex-rider is also involved in the management of a domestic team for next year…big deal. Several managers/coaches, etc. are involved in running current teams. I think all that matters is the current riders - not their managment. The riders are adults and can make thier own decisions.
Like Ah-nold the guvernator, steroid user, heading up the federal physical fitness organization of America?
Nah, drugs are cool. You should try them.
i disagree with you. his admission about taking EPO 8 years ago isn’t relevent to his experience and performance as a broadcaster. i am glad that OLN decided to stand up to the US-cycling establishment and continue to hire him for being honest.
i think there are a lot of people in the sport who are finally waking up to see that it’s no longer business as usual and that it’s time to makes some real changes and just because someone made a mistake once or twice in the past doesn’t mean they can’t learn from that and move forward with a stronger position on not taking drugs and racing honestly.
I think it gives him a perspective few others can share.
Plenty of people in plenty of sports did things back in the day that either weren’t banned or illegal or we didn’t know how dangerous they were. Certainly we don’t expect them to never be involved in sports again after the rules are changed?
I think that if you admit to doping or are convicted of doping that you should be banned for life and banned from anything related to cycling. I personally view it differently than you do. Most of the time a doper gets banned for 2 years. Big deal. So you are 26 years old and get banned for 2 years. You train your ass off for two years then you are back at it.
I say if you want to clean up the sport of cycling, then if you get caught or admit to doping you are out of cycling forever. PERIOD. You can not work in the cycling industry, you can not cover a cycling event, you can not consult in regards to anything cycling related. FULL BAN.
Dopers (convicted and reinstated) riding in the Tour is just bad for the sport. I screwed up, I took drugs and here I am in the sport that I embarrassed and dishonored but it is alright, I made a mistake. Just do not do it in the first place and there would be no problem.
" i am glad that OLN decided to stand up to the US-cycling establishment and continue to hire him for being honest. "
You have to be joking right. Being honest. He lied, he cheated for years then retired before saying anything. How does that make him honest. Come on.
The punishments are way to minor. Full ban for life if you are caught. This would be a better step in cleaning up the sport. It is just better to never do it. There is no one holding you down and forcing the drugs into your body. You make the decision to dope and you have to live with the consequences. Just that simple.
We are not talking about taking a performance enhancing product that is not banned at the time. These guys are taking drugs that were banned at the time and knew they were cheating. Bye Bye for you.
“Bye Bye for you.”
If you already have all the answers, why are you bothering to ask for other people’s opinions?
I think you’ve already made up your mind and no offense, but I would hate to be someone close to you with this type of attitude (IE: son or daughter).
get a life…it’s a freaking bicycle race. there was a time that many thought doping was necessary to compete…maybe true, maybe false but it happened. that time is fading into the past and those involved have to live with it. should anyone with a dui, or any serious driving offense, be banned from driving for life? actually that would really make more sense, since they are risking others’ lives instead of just their own. ever break any rule on the job? have a drink or something else during lunch? take home office supplies? make personal phone calls or aaacckkk! waste time on a non-work related online forum? lifetime ban from your profession! people make mistakes…people do things that they shouldn’t. sometimes they get caught, sometimes they don’t. it’s the nature of civilized society to forgive and forget, depending on the severity of the offense. it’s really not the end of the world.
As to his doping and becoming an announcer, I could care less. If you want an ex cyclist to be a commentator, you would be shit out of luck finding an old clean rider from the old days. Does anyone think Sherwin was clean???
I would fire him though, just because he is a horrible color guy. There has got to be some better guys out there, with a bit of personality, that need a job. Craig Hummer is 5 times better, and he never even rode a bike… Find someone to make it at least a little bit interesting for us…
The issue is cleaning up the sport and making it a clean race. I just think that they punishment should be a lot more severe. OK maybe I was going too far to say a lifetime ban on all cycling but I do not think that banning a rider for life is out of the question.
As for your analogy about the work place, no I do not steal from my company and we are allowed to have a drink at lunch if we are going out. Have I ever had two drinks at lunch and broke the rule. No.
We do agree on something though, I do agree with you that DUI’s should be banned for life. Do I break some rules yes, I normally do 10 to 15 kph over the speed limit. I am also accepting of the consequences if I am caught. Now if the rules were that you would be banned from driving for life if you were caught going over the posted speed limit, you bet your bottom dollar I would be right at 1 kph under.
That is what I am getting at. The punishments are not severe enough in the sport to clean it up and until the start to do something a lot more drastic, the sport will not be clean.
Thanks Monty for lightning the mood a bit. I agree that he is not very good. But Sherwin has not come out and said that he cheated. If he had then no I do not think he should be up there announcing. I really think that cycling needs to distance itself from the dopers. As far as possible.
I also think that Triathlon needs to do the same. People that dope should be gone for life.
Cheers.
Bman, the guy happens to be a friend of mine, so that certainly colors my opinion. I think of him as a fine guy. I do. I know that for a fact.
That said, I do not know all the details of who used what in the Tour or when…
I do think this for certain: If you and I knew the facts, including the ones not yet made public or perhaps never to be public, we would be even more surprised…
Get off Bob Roll’s case already.
Ahnold wasn’t breaking any rules or laws at the time. So I don’t really see the problem, he was even HONEST about his use (though not as forthcoming as he should be at times)
Drugs are not universally a bad thing. Many people make reasonable choices to use them. They have benefits and side effects, just like alcohol, running, rock climbing, any activity. The moral failure is when people enter into a contest where they agree NOT to use a certain drug but do it anyway, or when people lie about how they got as strong as they are.
Drugs are good mmmkay, lying is bad mmmkay
Like Ah-nold the guvernator, steroid user, heading up the federal physical fitness organization of America?
Nah, drugs are cool. You should try them.
“I think it gives him a perspective few others can share.”
Are you sure about that?