Archive for the ‘Lance Armstrong’ Category

The original 2004 cutline: ROME, GA — Samuel Douglas, 11, from Rome, Ga., runs alongside five time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong during an uphill climb during time trials in Rome. Brant Sanderlin, bsanderlin@ajc.com

My moral dilemma of the week was a prized photo that has followed me around for a number of years.

In the picture, a desperate 11-year-old boy, wrapped in an American flag, urges cycling hero Lance Armstrong through an uphill pull during a Rome time trial, part of the 2004 Tour de Georgia.

The photo, shot by Atlanta Journal-Constitution photographer Brant Sanderlin, sits in my office next to an advertisement for last year’s Sarah Palin documentary. The question is, what to do with it? The boy and his anguish — there is a look of stark pain on his face — were real. It is the cyclist who turned out to be fake.

Last week, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released a massive case file with more than 1,000 pages and sworn testimony from Armstrong’s ex-teammates, who …

Continue reading Portrait of a young boy and wheels of clay »

U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, is asking federal officials to defend their doping probe of seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, declaring his suspicion that there may be some celebrity-hunting going on. From AFP:

The Georgia Republican made the comments on Friday during a House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on budgeting for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

That is the office whose staffers include agent Jeff Novitzky, who handled the BALCO steroid scandal that rocked baseball and athletics and who is looking into Armstrong.

Former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis, himself an admitted dope cheat whose use of performance-enhancing drugs cost him a Tour de France crown, said Armstrong and others routinely used banned substances.

Armstrong has steadfastly denied the claims.

“If he has broken the law, then that is a serious matter,” Kingston said. “But it almost appears to me that there’s a little adventurism going on here, that Mr. Novitsky is …

Continue reading Jack Kingston questions federal probe of Lance Armstrong »

Down in Macon, the city’s water supply has been contaminated with a near-toxic dose of testosterone.

This is the only explanation for the tear that Erick Erickson of PeachPundit.com has been on.

On Thursday, the conservative political blogger first bulldozed U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson for plugging the Serve America Act, “which many on the right view as a compulsory service bill.”

Then he offered a bit of free advice to School Superintendent Kathy Cox, another Republican, who — with her builder husband — is struggling through bankruptcy. “Your career is in sunset. You have no major accomplishments, but a lot of controversy. It’s time, Kathy. You need to announce you will not run again,” Erickson tapped out.

But the day was not finished. A note had to be written to certain male political figures in Georgia, advising them of the poor performance of the two women elected to lead the Republican and Democratic parties — Sue Everhart and Jane Kidd, respectively.

“Fellas, let me be …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: A critique on the performance of female leaders of both state parties »