Pretty Boy Floyd

Submitted by adammyerson on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 09:59

 

Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd (February 3, 1904 – October 22, 1934) was an American bank robber. He operated in various parts of the Midwest and his criminal exploits gained heavy press coverage in the 1930s.

 

So by now, I'm sure you've heard about Floyd's confession. The Wall Street Journal broke the story, apparently, and there's an excellent follow up on ESPN.com. I'll let you get caught up rather than recap it here, because I want to get at what I think is the heart of the matter. Before I could even write it myself, Floyd said it to ESPN:

"I don't feel guilty at all about having doped. I did what I did because that's what we [cyclists] did and it was a choice I had to make after 10 years or 12 years of hard work to get there, and that was a decision I had to make to make the next step. My choices were, do it and see if I can win, or don't do it and I tell people I just don't want to do that, and I decided to do it."

I've actually had a blog entry about Floyd percolating for a while. I've been racing with him a lot over the past two seasons since he came back. And much like Tyler, Floyd was (is) always really nice to me. Says hi, smiles, is friendly. He doesn't ride around with an attitude, he doesn't yell at guys in the races, and when he has legs, he works hard. There was definitely a lot of "parade riding" in his first year back where he seemed to just be showing up, going to the bar at night, and not putting a lot of effort into the races. But when his form came back around, he was always willing to work for his teammates.

 

Floyd was born in Georgia but grew up in Oklahoma, spending considerable time in nearby Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri. He got his start in crime at age 18 when he stole $3.50 in pennies from a local post office, according to an issue of Time magazine, published 22 October 1922. Three years later he was arrested for a payroll robbery, September 16, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri and served five years in prison.

 

And so just as I did with Tyler, I struggled when Floyd was nice to me. He was not the same guy I raced with back in the day, when he was a mountain biker dabbling in the road races, or on Mercury after that. I wanted to spit on him. If he was near me in the pack, I made a point of not giving him room. If he was coming back from an attack or I was passing him in a turn, maybe I turned a little wider than I needed to. You can't make room for someone you consider invisible, or a pariah, right?

Well, that kind of negativity eats at you, too. It doesn't feel good to go out of your way to fuck with someone, and it takes something away from you. Eventually I got over it, and tried to just treat Floyd as a human who deserved a certain amount of consideration and respect. All we really want to do is race our bikes. I needed to let Floyd do that, too.

 

When paroled, Floyd vowed that he would never see the inside of another prison. Entering into partnerships with more established criminals in the Kansas City underworld, he committed a series of bank robberies over the next several years; it was during this period that he earned the nickname "Pretty Boy." When the payroll master at one robbery first described the three perpetrators to the police, he referred to Floyd as "a mere boy — a pretty boy with apple cheeks." Like his contemporary Baby Face Nelson, Floyd hated his nickname.

 

Late last season, I started to turn the corner even further on Floyd. Maybe it was the collection of Sunday nights at the bar, watching him buy people drinks after races and just generally being a funny, friendly, approachable guy. Maybe it was him saying hi in the elevators at race hotels, shyly, but with that mischievous smirk on his face. Maybe it was just watching how he kept his head down in the races, was just happy to be racing his bike - I dunno, but at some point I decided I liked Floyd Landis. And I didn't really know what to do with that.

 

In 1929, he faced numerous arrests. On March 9, he was arrested in Kansas City on investigation and again on May 6 for vagrancy and suspicion of highway robbery, but was released the next day. Two days later, he was arrested in Pueblo, Colorado, charged with vagrancy. He was fined $50.00 and sentenced to 60 days in jail.

 

At the same time, at no point did I think Landis was innocent, or that he hadn't been doping. But every time I'd see him talk about it, I felt like he was always winking while he did it. My understanding of Floyd's position went something like this: "Oh fuck yes I doped. I doped just like everyone else did. I did not invent doping, and I understood that at the level I was at, it was part of my job description, like Lance, like George. So why should I be the only one who goes down for it?" I saw Landis fighting the charges not because he hadn't doped, because like all his peers, he had. I saw him fighting it because he thought the system was fucked up, and I mean the whole system. The team he was on that encouraged him to dope, the labs that didn't follow their own rules, the UCI that had its own interests to protect. Why would any of us expect Floyd to "do the right thing" here, and in his mind, take the fall or be the scapegoat for a system he participated in by choice, but that he sure didn't invent?

 

In November 1929, he traveled to Oklahoma for his father's funeral. His father had been killed by a neighbor, Jim Mills, who was acquitted but "vanished".

 

And honestly, why should Landis have confessed at that point? Why shouldn't he fight the charges, if the mindset of the guys at the top level is that doping is part of the job? To understand this, you have to think about doping as the equivalent of slashing or crosschecking in hockey, or traveling in basketball - essentially any kind of play that's subject to a penalty. When someone gets called for crosschecking, you don't think of them as a cheater, do you? But of course, they're breaking the rules. They are absolutely cheating. But it's part of the game, and absolutely mandatory to be successful at the game, to hook or slash or crosscheck as much as you can, while still getting away with it. The point is not to NOT slash or hook. The point is to not get caught. In the previous generations of pro cycling at the highest level, this was the mindset. It's not about morals or fair play. It's just a game. It's not real life, and this is how the game was played.

 

One of the members of Floyd's gang, "Frank Mitchell" was arrested in Akron, Ohio on March 8, 1930, charged in the investigation of the murder of an Akron police officer, who had been killed during a robbery that evening.

 

On another hand, you have to also consider doping in the mindset of rider health. It may sound backward, when we're told that doping has long lasting, negative health effects. But when you train and race at that level, you literally make yourself sick with training. Hematocrit is suppressed, hormone levels drop, and the doctor comes in to bring you back up to normal health. The biggest risks appear to come when you go over the top, and try to turn your mule into a race horse. But for those guys, they have mechanics to tune the bikes, so why not doctors to monitor their health? In their insular, narrow world, it doesn't even appear to be an unethical choice. Ethics aren't even on the table. You're just in, or out.

 

The law next caught up with Floyd in Toledo, Ohio where he was arrested on suspicion on May 20, 1930; he was sentenced on November 24, 1930 to 12–15 years in Ohio State penitentiary for the Sylvania Ohio Bank Robbery but he escaped.

 

You see the difference after guys come back, and you presume they're racing clean. Tyler and Floyd, when they were racing in the US were good, top level. They were both obviously, always talented. But it was always strange to be racing crits and being competitive with guys who won Olympic gold medals and the Tour. I found it ironic that after all they'd been through, they were right back riding in circles in America with me, like we were ten years earlier. Of course there were plenty of guys who DID say no. Danny Pate, Mike Creed, Tim Johnson - for me those are the glaring examples of guys who had a chance to be pros in Europe (Pate and Creed on Saeco, Tim on Saunier Duval) at a time when doping was still de rigueur, but unlike Floyd and Tyler, just said no and came home. And now, in a cleaner era, you see them competing at the highest level of the sport. I believe in those guys, and I think they're representative of the other path that was available to Tyler and Floyd.

 

Floyd was a suspect in the deaths of bootlegging brothers Wally and Boll Ash of Kansas City. They were found dead in a burning car on March 25, 1931. A month later on April 23, members of his gang killed Patrolman R. H. Castner of Bowling Green, Ohio, and on July 22 Floyd himself killed ATF Agent C. Burke in Kansas City, Missouri.

 
Landis' defense wasn't about whether he was guilty or not. Of course he was guilty of doping. He knew it, and he knew you knew it. His defense was against being the scapegoat, being the one who took the fall. His defense was an attack on the hypocrisy of the system. So why finally come out with it now, during the TOC and Giro? Why the fuck not now? If you're Landis, and you know that despite serving your suspension and being free to race, you'll never be allowed back in at the top level, why not burn the whole fucking thing down? Why should Lance get to be an international star and hero to the world, when he's guilty of all the same crimes as Landis? Landis clearly loves bike racing and just wants to race his bike. If he can't play, then who can blame him for calling bullshit on the whole thing?
 
 
In 1932, former sheriff Erv Kelley of McIntosh County, Oklahoma, tried to ambush/arrest Floyd; he was killed on April 7. In November of that year, three members of Floyd's gang attempted to rob the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Boley, Oklahoma.

 

So burn down Babylon. Burn pro cycling down. There will still be racing, there will still be races. Burn it down, so we can build it up again new. I condemn Landis' original decision to participate in a corrupt, immoral system. But I'll stand in front of the flames with him and watch it burn.

I'll shake his smokey hand the next time I see him.

 

On October 22, 1934, Floyd was killed in a cornfield near East Liverpool, Ohio, while being pursued by local law officers and FBI agents led by Melvin Purvis. Varying accounts exist as to who shot him and the manner in which he was killed.

 

 

  • Text on Pretty Boy Floyd taken from "Pretty Boy Floyd." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 11 May 2010. Web. 19 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Boy_Floyd

 

Comments

Submitted by whynotride on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 15:15.
A great comparison and very well written. Glad I took the time to read it.
Submitted by LongCrank on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 16:02.
Burn down Babylon and rebuild - yes. Take $500,000 from people for your doping defense when you knew it was bullsh*t...d*ck move. Landis is a sucker - cool if he wants to call himself out but naming names is b.s. - a snitch. He better have some serious proof too if he's going to start this. My guess is that he's run out of $$$...again and is looking for another book deal. Chump.
Submitted by Gutter on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 22:27.
Great post Adam. I agree with you on most parts, but I'm not sure that burning is the greatest thing to do, and I feel as though Landis isn't the man to do it. Granted, I am relatively new to cycling. I first wanted to drop on the 'fixter' bandwagon, but then discovered a love for all things at the professional level and started making my own way through the world of competitive cycling. The big thing that drew me in, and held me there was the history of cycling. Learning about the Greats, the Monuments and the legends made my desire even greater and soon I was following professional cycling religiously. Being that I've only known the "Clean" world of professional cycling, I believed that this was a thing of the past. Doping wasn't an issue anymore, it just didn't matter. But obviously, I was wrong about that, and in a way I'm upset at the riders and teams for ruining my perception of their world. But in a way, you're right. It's just part of the game. And in the end, I think that's all that matters. Floyd knew the truth, and still decided to defend his position and his "innocence". He had to, because he couldn't admit to it. He couldn't say "Yea, sure, I did it. But so did they!". But maybe he should have at the beginning, instead of completely ruining his credibility. The fact is, the time has come and gone for this, and now it's just a man trying to get his revenge. Dope will stay, and stay quiet. A rider here, a rider there will become the sacrificial lamb to the God that is Sport. Their guilt maintains the others innocence. And maybe that's okay. Dope or not dope, in the end I just want to see racing. I want to see a man push his limits, whether or not they've been tampered with. This years Giro and Tour of Cali have provided spectacular racing, and aside from Flandis pissing all over it, this season has been great. He can burn it down, sure. I just don't want to hear about it.
Submitted by zen on Fri, 05/21/2010 - 16:20.
Burn it down? Then what? Will some squeaky clean international sanctioning body miraculously appear to fill the void? Sure, Great idea, destroy the entire structure of professional cycling and start over. I have news for you, without the UCI and USAC, bike racing doesn’t exist. Sure, you might have a few dogshit industrial park crits and maybe the occasional MTB race (in both cases run by people who manage to get insurance for the event), but no race series, no state or national tours, no championships, at best we would have to wait for the olympics to see riders at the peak of the sport. There would be no media coverage of professional events because there would be no professional events. whether you like racing bikes or like watching bikes, your party will be over. Your only excitement will be the tuesday beat down rides with your buddies, and no one will give a flying fuck how many town-line sprints you won this season. And what will happen to things like cycle-smart? With no professional circuit to race on, what will Adam do? show up for wells ave beat downs? Oh, wait, that won't exist either, with no USAC there won't be a BRC, and they won't have insurance. Cyclesmart coaches won't have anyone to coach to race, because there won't be races. Yeah, may some small regional groups will survive, but without the structure of a national sanctioning body, who is going to hustle money for sponsorship and prize lists? Individual promoters? Will they be able to get enough money to entice 'professionals'? But wait, there won't be professionals, at least not good ones. I mean, if it weren't for the USAC Adam, you wouldn't be racing bikes at all. You race because you're good at it, but would you be a pro now if you didn't get sponsorships? and if it gets 'burned down', where are your sponsorship dollars and equipment going to come from? People aren't' going to give you bikes and clothes if you don't have some sort of venue to give them advertising exposure, and since you've burned down the sport, what exposure would you give them? Pissing off drivers on mass ave? So burn it down, adam, go ahead. Take away the very reason for your business to exist. I hope your parents haven't turned your old room into an office yet, you might need it.
Submitted by adammyerson on Fri, 05/21/2010 - 23:15.

I'd respond more fully, Jay, but I actually have no idea what you're talking about. You filled in a bunch of blanks here with your own imagination, and then responded to it as if I had said it.

I didn't.

I'm talking about pro cycling at the highest level, and I'm talking specifically about the infrastructure of pro cycling that allows and encourages doping to happen. Not USAC, not local racing, not the grassroots. I may be a pro, but I don't actually think pro cycling is all that important, in the end. You wouldn't stop riding and racing if there was no pro cycling, would you? No, neither would I. And my business wouldn't stop, because the majority of my clients are amateur racers, with no professional aspirations. If Radio Shack folded tomorrow, there would still be local racing every single weekend. And that's where you'd find me.

Submitted by thomas_mcdaniel on Mon, 06/14/2010 - 16:03.
Adam, you in fact did fill in one major blank.....the assumption that Armstrong doped. Despite never testing positive. You make several claims like this, and without that as a truth, your entire argument amounts to nothing. In fact, the belief that all of those names you listed are dopers (Armstrong, etc) is more akin to Salem Witch Hunts, rather than Pretty Boy Floyd. That is not to say that I don't agree with your belief, but there is a difference between an emotional response, and a factual one. I have often thought Armstrong's (and Cancellara, and Hincapie, and Ballan, and Friere, and Boonen....come to think of it, anybody who has ever won a race) performances where unbelievable. And I often have difficulty believing they were natural performances. However, the truth, at best, amounts to what we know. We know Floyd doped, and we know he got caught. You in fact, know nothing about Armstrong. You have never been on his team. You have never been his roommate. You have never seen him dope. You will never be in a position to make such claims. All you have, at best, is second-hand information from people who claim to be in the know. I was involved with the domestic pro peleton for 2 years as a mechanic. I in fact do not posses the talent of even the slowest of pro cyclists. However, what always pissed me off is all of the guys running around talking about the dopers. Well who the fuck are these dopers, and why the fuck aren't you publicly calling them out? Because they don't really know.....until they test pos. Salem Witch Hunts. And little-man syndrome.... Although cycling would continue, what do you think happens to things like Livestrong? What happens to the hope that comes from Armstrongs story. Remove yourself from cycling, and everything you (think) you know about Lance.....and imagine you have cancer...... Now tell me if you think burning his name down for the sake of a few bike races and bike racers really means. What is the ultimate good? Which is better for everybody. Nobody really gives a shit about bike racing (except us lonely few), but everybody (globally) is impacted by cancer in some way....EVERYBODY. Go to a Livestrong event and see what it means to people, then tell me that burning down his name is what is good for society. I understand where you are coming from. It's tough to watch people get away with shit. However, sometimes we need to step out of our own little worlds to make sense of a bigger picture....one that we maybe otherwise would not think of... Keep racing clean, Adam. That's all YOU can do. And feel good that when you look in the mirror, you know who you really are. I'm not claiming the statements I make to be the truth....
Submitted by adammyerson on Mon, 06/14/2010 - 16:30.

Thanks for posting a differing viewpoint thoughtfully, rationally, and respectfully, without personal attacks. I wish more folks could do the same.

 

Submitted by thomas_mcdaniel on Wed, 06/16/2010 - 14:44.
Yeah, I guess writing a blog is like having your hands tied behind your back waiting to be punched in the face. But if people cannot do anything but sucker-punch you it isn't even worth entertaining their commentary. Don't take the bait!!!
Submitted by Chris on Sun, 05/23/2010 - 17:34.
Adam, Reading your story, we learned: 1). You ride a bike. 2). You began to really like Floyd Landis cause he was like all kewl buying beers on Sunday nights and stuff. 3). You like beer (see yer interests). And you really like free beers with Floyd on Sunday nights. 4). You are easily led and impressionable; Floyd's cold beer and smile and five o'clock shadow on his skin-side altered how you viewed him and you forget to see what's on the inside, the inner side of Floyd. 5). Your Twitter account does the typical self-back-slapping thingy...look at me! My blog has record views and...thank you to the Academy, the Director and Mom and Dad and my tattoo parlor back home, couldn't do it without you! 5). You forget or don't get Floyd's level of recitivism. Floyd Landis black-mailed Greg LeMond over sexual molestation, though Floyd just apologized for this one too: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/18705368// http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=5211166 While you do yer Pretty Boy Floyd ditty on Wikipedia, you can read this too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recidivism 6). What you truly miss is not the tree in the forest, you miss the entire friggin forest---a man is not noble for doing a mea culpa ex post facto. No Adam, Floyd ain't the man and ought not to be admired for as you put it, his attempted torching, flaming and fire upon cycling. For a noble man (or woman) does not lie, cheat, steal and does not have to lie to overcome their cheating and stealing. A noble man/woman tells the truth before they are caught...be-fore not af-ter. Floyd Landis cheated. He lied. He lied to everyone. His lies may have led to the suicide of his step-father. His lies may have led to the divorce with his wife. His lies cost him a career. His lies fooled many and cost his believers money as they dontated to his defense. However, more than anything, Floyd Landis' lies cost him the thing you just don't get back, believe-ability, culpability and most importantly, trust. 7). Here is the herpes sore on the lip of this Floyd story...scroll down and watch this video from 6/27/2007 where Floyd Landis delcared, "I raced my bike with Lance and never saw anything (doping)...raced with Lance for three seasons and no, if something like that (doping) ever came up, I would've said something" see here and scroll down to video: http://sakeargument.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978248254 This IS a joke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRIbmhqSiME Floyd is a db's, db: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDAoqK9SiC0&feature=related Before you backslap yerself, thinking you single-handidly cappped the BP oil pipeline by filling it with ink and earings and pint glasses, check the waters you swim in; your pov of Floyd resides in the shallow end of the pool, isn't New York Times material (then again Jason Blair could do it) and if post-counts of your blog makes you blush and get all gitty, get a grip man. Floyd Landis is an amoeba and whilst you pat yourself on the back declaring you'll shake Floyd Landis' hand (and drink a beer with him) realize that amoebae don't have hands.
Submitted by adammyerson on Sun, 05/23/2010 - 21:21.

I always find it amazing, the things you can learn about yourself from people you've never met, commenting anonymously on the internet.

I will say, for the record: Floyd Landis has never bought me a beer, or any other beverage of any sort. You know, just for accuracy's sake.

 

Submitted by Logan VonBokel on Sun, 05/23/2010 - 22:16.
Lance fans / naive defenders of pro cycling crack my shit up!
Submitted by BikeCrave on Mon, 05/24/2010 - 16:06.
Adam, Tour de Force blog post. Now that it's been a few days since story ricocheted around the world, do you have thoughts on what Floyd wants to do if he is vindicated and his allegations are validated by the feds or other third-party official organization with investigative powers? What might be the endgame beyond burning down Babylon? Clean sport, no doubt. And clearing one's conscience is good for the soul. But after that, any thoughts on what comes next?
Submitted by Chris on Tue, 05/25/2010 - 01:42.
You state above, regarding Tyler Hamilton, when you were on a ride with him and you wanted to spit on him, fuck with him, but learned "It doesn't feel good to go out of your way to fuck with someone, and it takes something away from you." Think about what you said. "It doesn't feel good to go out of your way to fuck with someone, and it takes something away from you." Now realize what you are attempting to do with your rant above. You're going out of your way with your tweets and doing what? Ranting about Lance's PR man being a former Bushie? Everyone knows Lance is a Democrat, so what is your point? What's next, a conspiracy that Halliburton runs the drug testing program? You know that doping exists in cyling. Everyone does. What's the next revelation, that amphetamines were used in cycling from the days before Japanese parts were placed on bikes and wow, steroids were used in cycling long before the invention of carbon fiber frames? Or wait, diuretics were used in cycling? Cocaine you say? Oh my! Read the words of Landis above, he stated, "My choices were, do it and see if I can win, or don't do it and I tell people I just don't want to do that, and I decided to do it." And I decided to do it. I decided to do it. Nobody put a gun to his head, he decided to do it. Instead of being an adult, owning up to his guilt, he lied, accused everyone and now wants to Floyd Landis sat on national tv and told the world, "Lance never doped or cheated" scroll down for video: http://sakeargument.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978248254 Floyd then told Lemond the truth about his cheating in the TdF. Then, Floyd did the most douchebag thing, he tried to 'out' Greg Lemond as a former victim of sexual abuse. Brilliantly insulting and an unforgiveable act any humanbeing could do to another, mock their sexual abuse. Before you get all swollen in the crotch area ready to shake Landis' hand, remind yourself of the words you wrote above, "It doesn't feel good to go out of your way to fuck with someone, and it takes something away from you." Landis went so far out of his way to fuck with so many people and there you are trying to fill his water bottle/pint glass. There is cheating in sports. No surprise whatsoever. We all know. Your Patriots, how many of them are juiced to the gills on HGH and steroids? Your Kennedys from your state, how many of them DWI and laugh at the law? Kimmage? Paul Kimmage liked your ditty above and that made you excited? How would anyone feel if someone stated in the US Senate, "Good riddance, Ted Kennedy was the cancer of Boston's politics." Talk about a pathetic notion and yet there you are, swollen with pride that Paul Kimmage, who referred to Lance as, "The cancer of the sport", liked yer stuff. So while Landis attempts to create a new era through destruction, a Nihilistic firestorm upon cycling, akin to his faux breakaway on stage 17: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbe3Z7lcF8Q There isn't nil, nothing there, Mr. Landis. There is something there to build, to improve or be taken down and that is one man. You. You and your shadow. It's one man against himself. You. That's always the hardest race, isn't it? It never ends, the test of oneself. You had the opportunity to accept blame, not continue to blame others. Not to blame alcohol for your failed testosterone test as you did, but to tell the world you shaved your testicles and applied a patch. That is what you did, right? We don't need the DNA, details nor the dirt, just two words, I lied, followed by two more words, I cheated, followed by two more words, I'm sorry. Six words. It's all anyone ever wanted. I bought your book. I wasn't foolish enough to donate to your fund, but I enjoyed the first half of your autobiopgraphy. I don't love Lance, Zabriskie or Hincapie, but you should know departure is a simple act, you put the left foot down, then the right, just like the bike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDbfOFBxmEI There are dopers in cycling. There are liars in the Senate. On both aisles. We all know. We hope they get caught. And we hope when they do they look at the man in the glass. "You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years And get pats on the back as you pass But your final reward wil be heartache and tears If you've cheated the man in the glass." Floyd, you had a moment of brilliance, a fantastic idea within the cabin of your ship which ran aground---you finally opted to profess guilt, but you did it for the wrong reasons and in poor fashion. Look ma, it was him! It didn't work then. Look le Tour, it was the Jack Daniels! It didn't work. Look world, I did it and I'm telling you not because I want peace within myself and others, no, because I tried to blackmail Lance, RadioShack, make money, bribe former mates and out LeMond and it all failed, backfired, I lost it all, my wife, my money, your money, my word and they won't let me race at ToC, so it doesn't matter how I accept blame for myself, I'll convict dozens. Floyd, your mea culpa was not saintly, nor devilish, but it lacked the fundamental requirement of an apology, sincerity. Floyd, you showed us greatness. You showed us how a poor, zit-faced, freckled kid from the hills of southeastern Pennsylvania could be a real-life Cutter as you rode your rusty bike at all hours of the night, only to succeed and make it to the top of the sport. You displayed even more strength and courage when your hip, riddled with pain and held together with three, four-inch titanium screws, pedalled it's way around France. You fell down hard enough to destroy your hip. And you got back up. As in 'The Lion in Winter', Floyd, when you came forward last week, you were prepared to take a fall, you seemed to forget how: Prince Geoffrey: My you chivalric fool... as if the way one fell down mattered. Prince Richard: When the fall is all there is, it matters.
Submitted by adammyerson on Tue, 05/25/2010 - 06:04.

1. In your first sentence above, you attribute something I wrote to be about Tyler. It was about Floyd. If you're going to rant, pay attention to what you're ranting about.

2. You seem to also be skipping over one particular line from the blog entry, where I wrote: "I condemn Landis' original decision to participate in a corrupt, immoral system."

3. If you want to address Floyd, as you did for most of your comment, it's time to get your own blog.

4. I typically don't approve anonymous comments, and this is your last one. This isn't a forum, it's my blog. My name is here, and all my contact information. I own everything I write here. The privilege of commenting, particularly when the comments consist largely of personal attacks, requires the same from you.

Submitted by jorge29 on Tue, 05/25/2010 - 09:00.
First off, great post Adam. Jay and Chris need to get out and ride their bikes more instead of picking apart other peoples opinions on this subject. Sooooo many people hiding behind their computers spewing shit. Again, great post Adam.
Submitted by VTAdam on Tue, 05/25/2010 - 09:08.
Well this certainly made for an entertaining morning read. Thanks Adam. These guys ranting, makes you wonder... Someone has to be the martyr right? I mean, for a moment, let's pretend Landis IS telling the truth, that all of our great American bike racing heros are dirty stinking dopers, OF COURSE you're not going to believe him. No one believed Lemond, why would you believe Landis? Why did you believe that Papp doped but not his teammates? I don't care six ways from Sunday WHY Landis wants to out everyone. I don't care if it's black mail, money, greed, whatever. I just want him to do it. Two more young Kazakh guys were arrested the other day. The system is broken. And sure, Landis doped his way to a TDF jersey, but there is still something special about that stage 17 ride. All the testosterone in the world can't make you do that, you have to want it. And that's what really makes great champions, WANTING to do it. Some just don't know when to say "no". Do you guys honestly, deeply, truly believe that Lance and George and Z and Levi, etc did everything they've done clean? Really? Really, really? Riding bikes...
Submitted by mickey_D on Fri, 05/28/2010 - 00:14.
Adam, interesting comment on Floyd and burning down cycling. But reading this it occurred to me that there is only one guy who's HONEST statement on doping in cycling will tear it all down so it can be built back up, and that person is Lance Armstrong. If he were to come forward and tell all he knows about what goes on in the sport, that would truly set the world on fire.