Wonder if Floyd is cooking burgers and drinking beers while watching this?
"We're sitting here because there was a two year federal investigation ... there's a man with a gun and a badge and the consequences are serious."
"We wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't come back."
"The wheel is come full circle." - King Lear
Wonder what viewer numbers are on this interview?
If you could, what cycling personality would you put on Oprah's show next?
Armstrong thought it was over when feds dropped case on the Friday night before the 2012 Super Bowl. "Those are some serious wolves."
Now that was a top PR move.
When DOJ dropped case [in Feb 2012] did you think it over and done with? "It's hard to define victory, but I thought I was out of the woods."
Jasen Thorpe tells us $100k got one ad buy for Thursday or Friday.
No tears yet - that must come in Part II
And it's now onto Big George Hincapie, formerly the winningest lieutenant in Tour history.
Armstrong wishes he had not tried to fight USADA when they first approached him.
Armstrong says he would have handled USADA differently on second try, but was treated differently than former teammates.
And he may have. but I think it's clear, he wants to compete in triathlon. And to compete generally. So how much stock should we put in this, honestly? Just asking.
Of course he wishes he handled USADA diferetly. His handling of it failed absolutely. The process that USADA followed is textbook procedure -- work on small fish to get the big fish
"If there was a truth and reconciliation commission, again I can't call for that, I have no cred, if they have it and I'm invited, I'm the first man in the door."
Will you cooperate with USADA? "Look, I love cycling. And I know people will see me as someone who has disrespected the sport, the yellow jersey... and that was my choice. I stand on no moral platform to clean up the sport. But if there was an effort, if there was a truth and reconciliation commission, and I was invited, I would be the first man in the door."
Armstrong says Hincapie was the most credibile voice "in all this."
Overall, this started as a very emotional, very real interview. The doping admission, the refusal (on principal?) to avoid criticizing or attacking anyone else, were all strong moves. It felt real and effective on a lot of fronts.
Once the messy, personal, and unnecessary attacks on Betsy Andreu and Floyd Landis are discussed, it was pretty hard for Lance not to look petty and embarrassed. At the end of the day, I would've advised short answers on those fronts and to force the interview to move past the areas where LA was nothing but vindictive and personal.
Overall, if the goal was to be as honest as possible and consistent while exhibiting remorse, I'd have to say he met some of the goals but not all. I'm not sure what more he could do to appear remorseful since time is the only real proof point on that front.
All that said, the "I never called Betsy fat" was really weird. Why choose that as a point to clarify? If the goal was levity, there's not any room for that in this venue. We may never know…
"I don't fault GH, but George knows this story better than anybody." And close to credits.
On Hincapie: "We're still great friends. And he knows the story better than anybody."
And... that's it. Though OWN is replaying part 1 again.
Incredible, Ben. As open as I expected, based on what sources told us this week, but still light on details. If the details don't come here or in USADA/WADA discussions, this is all for naught as far as the sport is concerned.
Man, can't wait for part 2 tomorrow night.
Switching over to CNN, Anderson Cooper interviewing Betsy Andreu
Betsy Andreu: "If the hospital room [1996] didn't happen, then just say it didn't happen. That is not transparent. That is not honest. I want to believe that Lance is coming clean, but this is giving me the indication that he can't."
#LanceArmstrong #LAOprah not an ounce of remorse in this guy.by moorethink via twitter 1/18/2013 3:17:52 AM
RT @Bonnie_D_Ford: We we we we we. We all the way home. #LAOprah #DOPRAHby todena via twitter 1/18/2013 3:18:01 AM
"Difficult to influence" fed case. But not impossible.by julienpretotRTR via twitter 1/18/2013 3:21:05 AM
Truest thing Lance has said: It took subpoenas and feds to get to truth. Journalists alone could never have nailed him.by gwenknapp via twitter 1/18/2013 3:25:54 AM
But seriously, that purple shirt humanizes the guy.by joshgreenman via twitter 1/18/2013 3:27:10 AM