Media Monster

Lance Armstrong To Reporter Inquiring About SI Story: “Are You That Stupid?”

So you’ve heard about the latest reports surrounding Lance Armstrong maybe possibly being involved in doping-related doings. Lance Armstrong has heard about them too – and he’s heard just about enough of them, thank you very much.

News agency AFP contacted Armstrong for comment about this new info from Sports Illustrated, which includes ex-teammates linking Armstrong to use of the banned doping substances EPO and HemAssist, as well as reports of Armstrong’s ties to “controversial Italian physician Michele Ferrari.” There were also reports of Armstrong recording higher-than-normal testosterone-epitestosterone ratios (indicating doping) multiple times – but all those tests were from before his run of Tour de France victories began. In short: certainly smoke, but, we’d say, no fire.

And perhaps that’s what led Armstrong to respond to AFP by saying, “I’ve perused [the report]. There’s nothing there,” that he “[doesn't] have anything to say,” and that ultimately he “[doesn't] have anything to worry about on any level.” But one other thing he said to AFP certainly won’t endear him any to more to media members clearly already intent on investigating all allegations surrounding him to the fullest extent:

“Dude, are you that stupid? Which part of ‘I’m not commenting’ is not clear to you?”

OK, even if Armstrong actually did the worst of what he’s been accused, we get that it gets old to hear about it over and over – and if he didn’t dope, even more so. But lines like the one above aren’t going to do him any favors – and certainly won’t convince anyone that he indeed has nothing to hide.

Maybe Armstrong figures he won’t get left alone either way, so damn the torpedoes. And we do agree with what Armstrong said last year, which is that fellow cyclist Floyd Landis, whose 2006 Tour de France win was stripped due to doping and is behind some of the allegations in SI’s latest story, “lost his credibilty a long time ago.” But it’s still a reporter’s duty to investigate his claims, and belittling said reporter doesn’t strike us as a good way for Armstrong to go about this…whether what Landis (or anyone else who talked to SI) said holds water or not.

[h/t Quickish]

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