Sports - Drugs and the Media

I have some thoughts on the recent Tyler Hamilton interview on 60 minutes. The interview caused great discussion in the household and among friends. From those discussions I form my opinion.

1. Tyler Hamilton - I feel sorry for you. It took you this long to admit what you did. To finally admit that the drug tests were correct and that you were doping. It would have been nice if like David Millar you admitted your wrong doings and moved on. What was the cost of all this. I feel sorry for you because I have the feeling I know what the costs were.
2. The best thing you said in the interview was when you asked Scott Pelley  from 60 minutes "what would you do" when you were referring to reaching your life long dream. Mr. Pelley was totally stumped and later said he hoped that if he were in that position to make such a decision that he would not choose to dope but admitted that he didn't know what he would do.
3. Scott Pelley and 60 minutes - You had plenty of time to edit and fact check the story. You chose to put in the part about a failed test at the Tour of Switzerland for Lance and the following cover-up with the UCI. It is your responsibility to fact check when you are talking about the life of an individual. You know the Innocent until proven guilty thing. The UCI categorically denied any positive test. In fact they came out and said that in fact Lance has never turned in a positive test. So instead of fact checking you lead Hamilton down a path saying that yes he tested positive and that he then covered it up. Shame on you 60 minutes for not checking with the UCI before you ran that part of the story. But then again this does not surprise me. The media gets away with this all the time. That's why I hate the news.

Aside from that, Tyler you lied to me before. I believed you then. I simply don't believe everything you said the other night. I'll let the courts decide on Lance. I will not let your stories sway my thoughts. You simply are not credible any longer. It's too bad because you were an inspirational cyclist in your time. You were the guy we all wanted to like.

It's a good life....
Dave