OT: Lance Armstrong.

[nuraman00]

Going to watch the Ophrah interview with Lance Armstrong now, on the DVR.

The show was an hour, 30 minutes long. But I'm not sure the entire show will be about Armstrong.

We'll see.

 

[MHSL82]

Going to watch the Ophrah interview with Lance Armstrong now, on the DVR.

The show was an hour, 30 minutes long. But I'm not sure the entire show will be about Armstrong.

We'll see.

An hour is 60 minutes long, not 30.

 

[nuraman00]

I see, I recorded something called "Lance Armstrong Part 2". But I only found out once I started playing it.

Why didn't the program info itself have that?!

 

[nuraman00]

Going to watch the Ophrah interview with Lance Armstrong now, on the DVR.

The show was an hour, and 30 minutes long. But I'm not sure the entire show will be about Armstrong.

We'll see.

An hour is 60 minutes long, not 30.

Fixed.

 

[MHSL82]

I see, I recorded something called "Lance Armstrong Part 2". But I only found out once I started playing it.

Why didn't the program info itself have that?!

I only could find the highlights. You are watching it on DVR, so I assume you don't also have the whole thing anywhere. I'll look around. I'm paranoid about viruses so I'll just look in the regular places. Lance isn't important enough for that stuff.

 

[nuraman00]

He says his most humbling moment wasn't losing sponsors like Nike, Anheuser-Busch, Oakley, etc.

It was when Livestrong asked him first to step down as chairman, then a few weeks later, asked him to sever all ties.

 

[nuraman00]

I only could find the highlights. You are watching it on DVR, so I assume you don't also have the whole thing anywhere. I'll look around. I'm paranoid about viruses so I'll just look in the regular places. Lance isn't important enough for that stuff.

If I like this, I'll try recording similarly titled shows to try and watch part 1.

 

[nuraman00]

They played a tape of a deposition he gave in September 2005, in which he said "the sponsorhips, if I was caught doping, would all be over. And it's not just the sponsorships, but the faith in all of the people that believed in me over the years, they would all be over too. And don't think I don't understand that . . ."

Oprah (back to the interview): And here we are 8 years later . . .

 

[MHSL82]

Spoiler Alert: The only part in the highlights I thought was somewhat real, was the part about telling his kids and how his kids used to defend him. But even then, that could be acting.

I would have played up the kids angle to explain why admit it now. I would say that:

1. The kids deserved to know the truth and to be able to be honest about it, that it's about sending a good message now that he realizes the effect that he has as a role model, apologizing for the past and saying that he just hopes that there's enough time to build that trust again with his kids, if the world is too weary. I would say that I was self-centered in thinking in a bubble, that everything revolved around winning and defending myself, that I lost the big picture of what I looked like to my kids and the world and real values out there. Lived in a bubble, a vacuum where any concession was a loss, not a gain of character or virtue of honesty.
2. I would also say I needed to apologize because of all the lives I affected in going after those who spoke the truth. They have the right to be able to stick to their stories if they are correct without me challenging it and aggressively going after them. I need to apologize for the sake of forgiveness.
3. I needed to tell the truth to set myself free of lying, that it was taking a toll on me.
4. And lastly, that to all the Livestrong people, they deserve to know the truth and that the message is still true, that you can fight cancer and to be looked up to, the lying had to stop.

But he should say what is true. If he doesn't feel that way, don't say it. PR is PR, truth is in action, so if the way of getting to truth is to tell the truth, even if that is something others won't see as contrition. That must be done, no lying to cover up lying, even if the lying is what people want to hear (that he's actually sorry, when he might not be). I don't think he did himself any favors by saying, "but they got 6 months and me the death penalty!" It wasn't just the doping, it was the lying, the length of doping, and the aggressiveness. Maybe a bit vindictive, but that's what is to be expected with the way he acted before.

A lot of people aren't satisfied with what he said, don't believe what he said, and are skeptical for the reasons. It appeared that he still wanted to say he's sorry on his terms, not in a surrender, I'm really sorry type of way.