Being honest and avoiding wrongdoing has sadly become a difficult character trait for people in all walks of life to follow. 

For most I do not believe dishonesty happens because they truly intend to commit fraud, but instead a person rationalizes every detail to reach a desirable outcome for themselves.  Of course this is a slippery slope that leads to the most unimaginable outcomes.

It is amazing how we humans can think something is so small and insignificant (yet so wrong) could ever eventually lead to our unraveling.  Instead we think those small details are isolated and without growth potential, but there are countless examples how bad decisions snowball into even more serious problems down the road.  Once you are caught in a trap of deception it becomes difficult to extract yourself, and even if you successfully get out alive your past can still rear its ugly head and pull you back in.

My fear in all this latest Landis/Armstrong mess?  I fear that Lance Armstrong will become the Pete Rose of professional cycling.  I sincerely hope after all is said and done this outcome does not come to fruition, but remember it took 15 years before Pete admitted the truth we all knew deep down was true. 

All guys my age who grew up playing baseball wanted to be like and play like Pete Rose.  Just his name alone captured you, but then you watched him play and it was a level of passion not to be outmatched by anyone.  Before there was "be like Mike" there was "be like Pete."  The guy even has a slide named after him - view images HERE of what I am talking about - intense!  Pete even ran over his good friend Ray Fosse at the plate to win an All-Star Game in the bottom of the 12th inning! 

Pete is not only baseball's all-time hits king, but he was Rookie of the Year, won multiple World Series rings, and was an MVP as well as 17 time All-Star at five different positions!  Sadly though, Pete Rose is banned from baseball for gambling on the game while he was a manager of a big league club.  As soon as you walk into any professional baseball clubhouse you see a huge sign detailing the consequences of gambling on the game.  The game makes it clear to everyone - if you bet on the game you will be banned.  Pete Rose knew this like we all did, but it did not stop him.  The evidence of gambling became so overwhelming it eventually led Commissioner Bart Giamatti to ban Pete for life.  Yeah, life.

Giamatti did provide the possibility of reinstatement, but sadly Giamatti died eight days after his decision to ban Pete.  While he has applied for reinstatement several times Pete has been turned down every time.  Because of this ban we will never see him get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  In my opinion he deserves to be inducted.  What he did on the field happened and cannot be washed away, it mattered, and during his time he was the best.

It took 15 years of denials, lies and deception for Pete to finally admit the truth.  Time after time Pete had the chance to be honest.  Who can ever forget the Jim Gray interview when Pete Rose was being honored as being selected on the All-Century team?  This interview is painful to watch, and in that particular moment I did not think it was right for Gray to do this.  Pete could have shocked the world with what he knew, but instead he defiantly continued his denials.  There's probably never a "right" time anyway, but now that we know the truth this interview will go down as one of the most memorable ever.  If you think about the countless interviews and moments where Lance has had to defend himself you begin wonder which one could become the most memorable; or has it even happened yet?

What made Pete Rose so admired as a player was also the same character traits that made him run from the ugly truth.  His ego and stubbornness helped him to achieve great things on the field of play, but his ego and stubbornness became his unraveling and eventually led to his demise.  I miss Pete Rose being in the game of baseball, but Pete has only himself to blame for where he is today.

A few weeks ago I took a trip down to Austin, Texas to check out the Driveway Series Thursday night criterium series.  It was my first time in Austin and I got to spend four days there soaking up the town.  Not only is it a wonderful city for athletic minded people, but you definitely feel the impact Lance has on that town.  Of course Lance has a lot to lose if things go south for him, but your understanding of why he's holding on to his version of the truth becomes much more concrete after you spend time in Austin - it did for me at least.

Please Lance, don't be like Pete.  Do not go down the same path Pete took.  I do not know the truth,  but you do Lance.  I honestly and sincerely hope the allegations are not true, but it is very hard to hold on to the slightest sliver of hope.  Regardless of what happens the people will still love you, even if the truth is not what we want to hear.  It will initially crush some while also validating others, but worrying about that cannot dictate how you handle yourself.  You may lose some jerseys, so what, but your life's work will continue on and your foundation will not fail. 

As for me, I still love Pete; always have, always will.

Doping Fraud Case in Cycling Presents Challenges
There's one guy I sensed who has been waiting for an opportunity to spill the beans.  This federal investigation may be his chance to do so without shredding himself into tiny pieces to be dusted away like all the others who have spoken up.  I say this because.....

Garmin team’s management says its riders must cooperate with Landis investigation
The final paragraph in the official team statement is what jumps out at me.  "As long as they express the truth....." sounds much to me like Vaughters implicitly saying, "I know what you know, and you had better be honest or you will no longer ride for Garmin."  We know through other media reports that several riders have already spoken to federal investigators. As soon as I read this article and statement it stuck with me, and then when you consider.....

Armstrong Investigation Heating Up
Several riders have already been contacted about speaking with investigators once the Tour is over, and at least two former USPS riders already have given information about their Postal experience.  All you have to do is look at the rosters of those squads to speculate who those riders are, and the one I think who stands to suffer as much as Lance is George Hincapie.  Nobody wants to see Hincapie become collateral damage, but the path this ship is sailing isn't looking good for a lot of American professionals. 

Lance Armstrong's Attorney Does Bay Area 'Tour de Balco'
I don't care what your name is, the last thing you want is Novitzky snooping around your past by talking to all your former teammates and associates.  It is smart of Lance's attorney to begin prepping for his biggest battle yet.  It's time to really earn your money Tim Herman because no amount of push back from Lance is going to intimidate or cause Novitzky to flinch.  Whether or not we get to the final truth of it all is hard to tell, but the heat lamp sure is about to get amped up much hotter than the roads in France during July.

Armstrong Distances Himself From Doping Inquiry
This title is completely off the mark of course because it is impossible for him to sidestep this inquiry.  What is beginning to puzzle me are some of the comments Lance is beginning to make and his tone when saying them.  This following quote from Lance simply isn't going to work:

"“Do the American people feel like this is a good use of their tax dollars? That’s for them to decide. Like I said, as long as we have a legitimate and credible and fair investigation, we’d be happy to cooperate. But I’m not going to participate in any kind of witch hunt. I’ve done too many good things for too many people.”

I honestly had to read this several times because it seems very un-Lance like.  Someone should inform him there won't be an option to cooperate or not if Novitzky sends a subpoena to question Lance.   The last sentence, while absolutely true, will not win him any points with federal investigators in the hopes of calling off the investigation.

Greg LeMond subpoenaed by government in widening doping probe
Of course it wouldn't be a proper doping story involving Lance if it didn't also include Greg Lemond, but for it to take this turn below.....

Lance Armstrong denies role for false news on Greg LeMond drug use
That's all it would take - $300,000?

Freakonomics - Doping in the Tour de France
Just when I think I am done linking about this topic I stumble across this one from one of the authors of the book Freakonomics.  You can use statistical analysis to prove just about anything, so at the very least it will be interesting to see what his graduate student uncovers through the numbers. 

Here's one extra link and topic I wanted to share because I feel it's relevant to us bike racers.....

Chris Henry data sound football alarm
As soon as I read this I immediately thought if it can happen to him then why not to a cyclist also?  Henry had never been diagnosed with a concussion, yet analysis showed brain damage had already occurred.  So far, the first nine NFL players they have studied upon death has has shown results of brain damage similar to older Alzheimer patients.  Bicycle racers crash often and slam their bodies and head on the pavement at speeds topping 30 to 40+ mph.  Most times they get up and show no symptoms of a concussion, just like Chris Henry did in all his years of playing football.  However, the analysis after his death should make all contact sport athletes stop and consider the consequences.