Well folks, yesterday had to be one of the worst days we've ever had in the comp. An absolute shocker. Only two contestants cracked a profit, and almost half the players didn't hit a single winner, and three of those who did manage that single success, did it on the back of an odds on shot. Humans took L1 with his single 5.10 winner. Onya mate. Rv took L2 with a 3.10 return, and best of the day was Red who won L3 with two winners and a total of 8.70. Good effort. Ardent, I couldn't find your York 16:15 Botany, so had to put it down as a loser, sorry mate. The three in a row remains alive. Outlay 95.00. Return 30.40. WEEK 40 RESULTS. LEAGUE 1. 1. Humans. 2. Ron. 3. Ardent. 4. Sparky. 5. Steve. 6. RV. 7. Cats. 8. Cyc. LEAGUE 2. 1. BJM. 2. Reebs. 3. Wayward. 4. Oddy. 5. Dex. 6. Red. 7. Percy. 8. Hawkeye. LEAGUE 3. 1. Stick. 2. Jeff. 3. George. 4. Wooly. WEEK 39 STANDINGS. LEAGUE 1. 1. Reebs. 2. Sparky. 3. BJM. 4. Steve. 5. Humans. 6. Ron. 7. Wayward. 8. Ardent. LEAGUE 2. 1. RV. 2. Stick. 3. Cats. 4. Cyc. 5. George. 6. Jeff. 7. Dex. 8. Oddy. LEAGUE 3. 1. Red. 2. Elvis. 3. Percy. 4. Wooly.
As I said Oddy, we hit the wall this week. Any winner was a good winner. PS I won promotion with a 1.30 winner.
You played the game this week like a fired up Tom Queally Oddy. Whipped around them on your 1-12 shot and caught them napping.
Hawk, you were lucky that there were only four players in L3. You and Wooly tied for the final promotion spot, with no winners and no places, so in the count back, you scored two fourths to Woolie's one. Sometimes you're just born lucky, or in Woolie's case, unlucky.
Whoo hoo... Promotion...!!! Now to target the top flight once again... Before slipping back miserably down to the basemant league... Again...
Outrageous what they've done to Lance Armstrong. Never failed a drugs test in his career. Not saying he didn't dope - they all do to some extent, I seriously don't think the Tour de France can be completed without some sort of "aid". But for some pen-pushing twat to strip him of his titles beggars belief. Have these people any idea of the commitment and dedication needed to win a TdF? It's about time everyone just came out and admitted they all dope to some extent. But is blood transfusion really "doping"? Surely there is a difference between a fairly straightforward medical technique (supplementing the athlete with oxygen-enriched blood) and pumping yourself full of performance enhancing drugs?
I made light of Stick's demise in the comp by bringing Armstrong into the equation, but believe me Oddy, I admired the man's efforts in the Tour as much as anyone Oddy. I think you're on the right track in pointing out the probable use of drugs in cycling, but I personally don't think it stops there. At the risk of being shot down in flames, I really believe that success at top flight sporting events like the Olympics, can probably only be achieved with the help of unnatural aid. Having said that, people are given the benefit of the doubt in such issues. These athletes usually test clean, but this should not blind us to what might be lurking below the surface. Armstrong may not have tested positive during his career, but this does not mean he didn't use them. It's been said that the catching of cheats is a decade behind the act. In some cases it can take years to find a test that will find specific substance in the system, but in that same time period, no end of new drugs, blockers etc can be unearthed. As I read it, there are as many as ten people who are ready to give testimony confirming Armstrong's guilt. I should imagine that those folk have put pen to paper in support of their statements. I don't know whether Armstrong is guilty, but it certainly seems so. We now have a choice, do we honour the deeds of a probable cheat, or take steps to show that nobody stands free of the laws of sport?
The problem I have with the likes of Landis and Lipheimer is that, at the end of the day, it's just his word against theirs. Whatever testimony they bring, it is all surely just circumstantial evidence and, given that they have already been found guilty of doping, I am seriously wondering what their motives are. A nice backhander from the odious and attention-seeking Travis Tygart perhaps??
Just as a matter of interest Oddy, do you seriously believe Armstrong to be innocent? And do you really believe that Travis Tygart has perverted the course of justice?
He never failed a drugs test Cyc - that is an indisputable fact. Do I think he used artificial means to enhance his performance? I would think it highly likely, just as I think everyone on the tour most likely does. Do I believe Tygart has perverted the course of justice? Yes, absolutely, he has got no hard evidence of any wrong-doing by Armstrong - it's the archetypal witch-hunt.
Do you think Tygart is trying to justify his job a bit here...?? I mean, the main bit of evidence is based on 10-12 fellow bikers that will all testify that they saw Armstrong take drugs... What type of court will take that as a given. They all could be payed off handsomely after the trail and we would be non the wiser. It dosnt stick for me... I do agree with you on the question of 'do i think he used artificial means...?' The answer is more a yes than a never, so maybe there is something to chase. But not on the basis of hear say...
What a wash out Saturday was ... after an 11 to 1 and a 16 to 1 during the week at York, I was SURE I was going to get that elusive triple crown! But a bugger-all-to-one saw me relegated Can I just say, for the record that I have never taken performance enhancing drugs, and I have never slept with David Beckham. In case anyone asks
