The Endgame Pt.I...

Lance Armstrong is running out of cards to play. In an article recently published by Men's Journal magazine, he unequivocally stated he was done fighting accusations that he doped to win his seven Tour de France titles. But he's got the USADA on his tail, and things have changed. They seem intent on taking him and his whole stinking crew down (three down, three to go it appears from the charging letter) and have come out with guns blazing. Here are the pertinent talking points in Armstrong's defense-

1) Armstrong filed a lawsuit (interestingly enough naming Travis Tygart by name as opposed to the organization he works for, facilitating a personal vendetta accusation) claiming they have no jurisdiction over this investigation. He contends only the UCI can launch an investigation and see it through. Federal Judge Sparks of Austin, Texas has already struck this down. He did criticize the USADA on a few key points that deal with transparency and due process, but nothing the USADA didn't have covered.

2) The USADA has countered with a suit claiming the exact opposite. No problems there, as Judge Sparks ruled in favor of the USADA.

3) The UCI did a backflip, at one point saying the USADA has jurisdiction of the matter then two days later stating the exact opposite, even going so far as to DEMAND that Travis Tygart hand over any and all evidence of the investigation so they could set up an "independent" 3-person panel to hear the evidence. They backed down from this clearly egregious stance of tampering and interference, but I doubt it will stay there.

4) The UCI released yet another statement after the above sucker move failed, saying they would not contest the USADA decision, but that they haven't received any of the evidence yet. Well, by the end of Spetember of 2012 (in one week) the dossier will be on top of "Fat" Pat McQuaid's desk for his perusal.

5) Armstrong has solicited the services of some US politicians to look into the USADA funding and oversight. Apparently, every single case they've handled up to this point was fine. Suddenly, they are overstepping their boundaries and acting as vendetta-addled high school bitches, and Armstrong MUST set them straight, when all he had to do was agree to an arbitration hearing and confront the evidence head-on.

Running out of options-

The USADA initially stated they would hand over their reasoned decision of the Armstrong case to the UCI by the end of September, but now they have pushed that date to "no later than October 15th". Further delays on the part of the USADA notwithstanding, the bullshitting should be over by then. Despite all of Armstrong's dirty backroom political tricks, he was unable to derail this train. and it's headed straight for him and right up his ass. The public will be made aware of all the evidence included in the file soon afterwards, due to the looming arbitration hearings of Johan Bruyneel and whoever else is left from the original charging letter.

Why would Johan Bruyneel decide on arbitration when he must know the evidence against him is so overwhelming that fighting the charges will just make him look (more) foolish? Well, Johan is a prick. His brain is fried from years and years of steroid abuse when he rode as a pro, and his successes as a director sportif have obviously skewed his sense of reality. Anyone arrogant enough to dare write a book with the title "We Might as Well Win" cannot be connected to the real world in a manner that would make this outcome anything but inevitable.

Feel free to add this piece of pathetic drivel alongside Armstrong's magnum opus "It's Not About The Bike". Man, if this stuff doesn't make you laugh, you have no sense of humor-

Let's put this all into the irrational perspective it deserves. Travis Tygart has revealed his office received death threats during the course of the investigation. Imagine the type of douchebag who would do such a thing. These are the assholes that represent "The Lance Armstrong Court of Public Opinion", and it looks like they will get to see their hero stripped of his facade once and for all way before the holidays. I hope the relentless Armstrong fanboys have gotten their haz-mat suits out of the cleaners, because the amount of toxic shit that's going to be revealed is going to set off nuclear reactor alarms all over the world.

Tygart did not receive, as is the common misconception, any evidence from the FDA case against Armstrong and Bruyneel's US Postal Cycling team (shuttered for political purposes, not due to lack of evidence). But many of the same witnesses were interviewed, and they held nothing back. The evidence gathered independent of the FDA has proven to be enough of a groundswell that it's difficult to imagine just what the fuck is going through this idiot Armstrong's head right about now. Here is Tygart responding to this very issue-

"The witnesses told us exactly what they had declared to FDA inspectors, and we could confirm all the evidence. That's where Armstrong's declarations regarding a personal witch hunt against him don't make any sense. This affair is much greater than the Armstrong case. W'ere talking about a real conspiracy inside US Postal, perfectly organized, with many actors involved, many of which have confessed, which will not prevent them from being suspended-moderately."-Travis Tygart

 As for Tygart going beyond the statute of limitations, another Armstrong fanboy talking point, he puts paid to that nonsense right here-

USADA, which has already banned Armstrong and stripped him of his victories since 1998, is acting beyond the wight-year statute of limitations normally applicable within the framework of the Word Anti-Doping Code. "The statute of limitations no longer applies [under American law-ed.] if the accusation can prove that, throughout all these years, the athlete who cheated influenced influenced the witnesses who could have testified against him, if he concealed proof or lied under oath. We are certain that this has happened in the Armstrong case xplain it when we transmit the dossier (to the UCI)", Tygart concluded.

Woo Hoo!!! Finally some fucking closure!!! Stay tuned, because there will be more in the coming weeks. As of now Lance baby, your goose is cooked. If I were you, I'd take your boy Tyler Hamilton's advice, 'fess the fuck up and get it over with. Like I always say, the truth is chicken soup for the soul, but only if you have one-