A cure that's worse than the disease

I just happened across this quote again about the Riis admission:

"McQuaid's solution: "I think the way to sort that out is to declare
that there was no winner of the race in 1996. I wouldn't even think of
going down the classification [to search for a clean rider]."

Now think about this from the point of view of either a sponsor or fan. All that
investment of money, emotion, time all waved away because someone didn't like
the way racing was conducted a dozen years ago.

THIS is what's killing cycling. How could you possibly watch a sport, cheer for
anyone or invest money if it all disappears because a rule that had been broken
with a wink for decades suddenly becomes retroactively enforced. Maybe that's
why Eddie Merckx didn't want to talk on the stand, the question of his doping
would come up and he'd have to lie or watch this pack of moral hyenas try to
strip his palmares.

I say we go look at film and video footage of riders getting pushes from fans
uphill and relegate them. Break down the old film and add time penalties for the
guys who hold the water bottle a bit too long on a hand up. Let's dig up the
corpses of the guys who won the first few tours and test their bones for
strychnine. I've seen photos of guys riding with their knees covered in warm
weather, let's DQ that bunch of dirty cheaters. I'm sure we could find enough
rules violations to pretty well change the outcomes of every season in the
sport.

Yeah, this is all a little over the top. But what's the fun in ranting if you
don't let it rip.

Ron

On May 31, 11:46 am, RonSonic wrote:
I just happened across this quote again about the Riis admission:

"McQuaid's solution: "I think the way to sort that out is to declare
that there was no winner of the race in 1996. I wouldn't even think of
going down the classification [to search for a clean rider]."

Now think about this from the point of view of either a sponsor or fan. All that
investment of money, emotion, time all waved away because someone didn't like
the way racing was conducted a dozen years ago.

THIS is what's killing cycling. How could you possibly watch a sport, cheer for
anyone or invest money if it all disappears because a rule that had been broken
with a wink for decades suddenly becomes retroactively enforced. Maybe that's
why Eddie Merckx didn't want to talk on the stand, the question of his doping
would come up and he'd have to lie or watch this pack of moral hyenas try to
strip his palmares.

I say we go look at film and video footage of riders getting pushes from fans
uphill and relegate them. Break down the old film and add time penalties for the
guys who hold the water bottle a bit too long on a hand up. Let's dig up the
corpses of the guys who won the first few tours and test their bones for
strychnine. I've seen photos of guys riding with their knees covered in warm
weather, let's DQ that bunch of dirty cheaters. I'm sure we could find enough
rules violations to pretty well change the outcomes of every season in the
sport.

Yeah, this is all a little over the top. But what's the fun in ranting if you
don't let it rip.

Ron

Next thing you know, they'll invalidate the Immaculate Reception and
dem Stillers 4 Super Bowl victories.

-bdbafh

"RonSonic" wrote in message
...


I just happened across this quote again about the Riis admission:

"McQuaid's solution: "I think the way to sort that out is to declare
that there was no winner of the race in 1996. I wouldn't even think of
going down the classification [to search for a clean rider]."

Now think about this from the point of view of either a sponsor or fan.
All that
investment of money, emotion, time all waved away because someone didn't
like
the way racing was conducted a dozen years ago.


Recognize Boardman for the hour record again?

in message , Carl Sundquist
') wrote:

"RonSonic" wrote in message
...

I just happened across this quote again about the Riis admission:

"McQuaid's solution: "I think the way to sort that out is to declare
that there was no winner of the race in 1996. I wouldn't even think of
going down the classification [to search for a clean rider]."

Now think about this from the point of view of either a sponsor or fan.
All that
investment of money, emotion, time all waved away because someone didn't
like
the way racing was conducted a dozen years ago.

Recognize Boardman for the hour record again?

Obree?

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This mind intentionally left blank ]

bdbafh wrote:
Next thing you know, they'll invalidate the Immaculate Reception

Immaculate conceptions probably occur as a result of doping too.

On May 31, 12:52 pm, Simon Brooke wrote:
in message , Carl Sundquist





') wrote:
"RonSonic" wrote in message
.. .

I just happened across this quote again about the Riis admission:

"McQuaid's solution: "I think the way to sort that out is to declare
that there was no winner of the race in 1996. I wouldn't even think of
going down the classification [to search for a clean rider]."

Now think about this from the point of view of either a sponsor or fan.
All that
investment of money, emotion, time all waved away because someone didn't
like
the way racing was conducted a dozen years ago.

Recognize Boardman for the hour record again?

Obree?

That's exactly what went through my mind. O'Bree may have been the
only person in professional cycling that wasn't juicing on something
simply because he couldn't afford a cigarette let alone anything else.

RonSonic wrote:
I say we go look at film and video footage of riders getting pushes from fans
uphill and relegate them. Break down the old film and add time penalties for the
guys who hold the water bottle a bit too long on a hand up. Let's dig up the
corpses of the guys who won the first few tours and test their bones for
strychnine. I've seen photos of guys riding with their knees covered in warm
weather, let's DQ that bunch of dirty cheaters.

Are knee warmers against the rules in warm weather, or is it just that
they might conceal bionic knees? Wait a minute, are bionic knees
against the rules? What's a decrepit master's fattie to do?

Good points, BTW

Mark J.

in message .com,
') wrote:

On May 31, 12:52 pm, Simon Brooke wrote:
in message , Carl Sundquist

') wrote:
"RonSonic" wrote in message
.. .

I just happened across this quote again about the Riis admission:

"McQuaid's solution: "I think the way to sort that out is to declare
that there was no winner of the race in 1996. I wouldn't even think
of going down the classification [to search for a clean rider]."

Now think about this from the point of view of either a sponsor or
fan. All that
investment of money, emotion, time all waved away because someone
didn't like
the way racing was conducted a dozen years ago.

Recognize Boardman for the hour record again?

Obree?

That's exactly what went through my mind. O'Bree may have been the
only person in professional cycling that wasn't juicing on something
simply because he couldn't afford a cigarette let alone anything else.

Obree, not O'Bree (he's a very nice guy, actually - friendly, modest, and
slightly off the wall).

No, definitely not doped, but I understand the UCI were considering listing
marmalade sandwiches as a banned substance.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Windows 95:
You, you, you! You make a grown man cry...
M. Jagger/K. Richards

Simon Brooke schreef:
No, definitely not doped, but I understand the UCI were considering listing
marmalade sandwiches as a banned substance.

Marmite, they should make marmite a banned substance.


--
E. Dronkert

On May 31, 9:23 am, bdbafh wrote:

Next thing you know, they'll invalidate the Immaculate Reception and
dem Stillers 4 Super Bowl victories.

They didn't win it in the Immaculate Reception season,
only after. But you probably knew that. If not, you
lose the right to call them "Stillers."

Also, there are persistemt rumors that they were
one of the first teams where experimenting with
steroids was commonplace. I, of course, believe
that they grew strong just by drinking Iron City[*]
and the rumors are put about by jealous Dallas
snobs. Get over it, losers!

-Ben[*] On the "what does not kill you makes you
stronger" theory.