Saturday, January 12, 2008

Saturday Roundup

News
Reuters reports CAS/Landis hearing on March 19, quoting Suh. This is old news, we think, but is a further confirmation.

The CyclingNews cites an unusual situation in the suspension of Patrik Sinkewitz in which both sides of the case have filed appeals. Sinkewitz is appealing his one year suspension, but so is the German cycling federation for reasons that are not entirely clear. Sinkewitz expressed shock that the BDR is inexplicably appealing its own suspension. Matthias Kessler is also appealing his suspension for a testosterone value of 85:1, saying that he obviously has a health problem. He's got problems all right.

ESPN reports that the judge in the Marion Jones case wanted to make an example of her and sentenced her to what some see as a harsh 6 month jail term. WADA responds:

John Fahey, the new president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said "it is an example of how the work of WADA is making it more likely than ever that those who cheat in sport will be caught."

Remind us, someone, what part WADA had to do with Jones' case. Looks like another WADA president is going for rhetoric at odds with the facts.

Blogs
The Angry Fan says we are now coming off the "steroid era" and entering into a time when athlete litigation seems commonplace, what will this new era be called?

Wil remembers many outstanding experiences in her training and marvels that they happened to her, like riding through the Temecula hills with Floyd Landis.

Chris at Podium Cafe wants never to speak of Michael Ball or Floyd Landis again, right.

Football is Fixed
discusses the incentives to cheat, and then goes on to say that Marion Jones was unfairly sentenced to 6 months in jail largely because she is black. "White" cyclist Floyd Landis only got "fired" and faced no prosecution because of his race. (huh?) Pointing out that Floyd Landis did not falsely testify to federal officials would probably fall on deaf ears.

Cycling Fans Anonymous
thinks the Velonews site is,
... skillfully playing the controversy card to surely revenue-generating effect, and hey, why shouldn't they? Between that unnamed fashion-industry nutcase perpetually spouting off, and rather depressing journalist-mediated exchanges between a seething Floyd Landis and a stone-walling Steve Johnson,

which seems like a fair characterization to us.


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