LAF : CNF comments and statistics

Tiger Woods was elected the “Sportsman of the decade” with Lance Armstrong as a runnerup, we have now seen “ Tiger‘s” fall from grace through a series of events leading to his divorce. Sponsors have dropped him to the extent the last year’s income dropped from $US120m to $US90m. Hard to believe that he had enough hours in the day “to play away” let alone count the money. When you are famous ALL expect you to act as a role model but each of us live our lives as we choose rarely caring about what others expect of us , certainly we do not wish to be forced in to being a role model.

Lance as a sportsman has been around for 20+ years , first in Triathlon then Cycling each a sport where he has been successful and regarded as a benchmark. Along the way he has had paid employees whether personal or Team employees and like all of us there have been “falling outs” and there have been acrimonious departures. Some of these people I have met whilst they have been employed by the teams. Some have been quite kind and helped me whilst I have been riding the routes of the Grand Tours and for that I was grateful. How they came to separate from the teams only they and the team would really know all the details but like any other event there are so many shades of grey when reported to the public.

Having been an Employer in the past I recall giving correct notice to some that either failed to perform or refused to abide by the company rules. Some went quietly and there were occasions that a statuary authority became involved to establish both versions of the event. So many of Lance’s ex employees have chosen to speak to the media and there have been benefits to them from the disclosures. In fact books have been written as a result of the half truths(fiction in some cases) and a variety of investigations have been attempted as a result . Ne’ erdowells will always seek a benefit for their “perceived grievances”, but would not even attempt to seek a benefit from an unknown “Joe Public” in whom the media would have no interest. Everybody seeks their 15min of fame and the media is all too happy to help if it fits their agenda.

Cycling News Forum was set up so that people had a chance to interact and enjoy discussing their various interests within the Cycling Fraternity. Using “Nom de plumes” these people in the last 20 months have developed a social hierarchy . They take a position on a subject and protect their version of the truth with dedication. One such poured vitriol on my recent comment based on their rank of senior member, whether that position comes from a contribution of about 3700 comments in 1 ½ years or some other criteria I have yet to learn. Seems to me that the forum is their only interest as my maths indicate a comment every 4 hrs since joining, another has over 7000 in less than two years. I was accused of not reading the 37 pages of the thread before commenting, well they were right.

Based on a few comments I sought to add to the thread, but found I came up short as those reading my effort thought I was referring to them. I had in fact been referring to a cyclist who having drunk too much beer one night beat the other races to the line the next day. Too much has been made of that incident since not only did he proclaim his innocence of the findings of the drugs , control he collected money from the public to mount legal challenges , wrote a book about it all and then after being shunned some more declared all his efforts void as he then said “I had been lying all along” . Slapped the public in the face and next he said “believe me when I say that “lance” taught me how to cheat” !

We all know the public can be fooled some of the time but saying you are a “Cheat” and been indulging in “Sporting Fraud” for years does not win you friends . Is there a conspiracy of silence in the Cycling Community ? Secrets are no longer a secret when there are more than two involved ! Do you think that a team of 25 plus racers could keep secret the events that this miscreant claims as a truth ?

Cycling News Forum commenter’s have some colourful names and “Botany Bay” sounds like an Australian and had an interesting encounter with Gino B.. I rode with Moser, Mota and others from St Peters to the church where his body was lying prior to his burial in May 2000. It was the Thursday prior to the Giro d’Italia and I had come on the event by chance. “Yourwelcome” makes interesting points about guidelines for the forum and I agree with him that charitable activities have nothing to do with “Doping” ! Innocent until “proven guilty” does not appear to be considered as a fact in this forum.

“Ferminal” can focus on some of the information I have tabulated below which has come from “Charity Navigator”, that is if she is an Aussie that believes in fair play ? Ferminal would also like Lance to put his hand in the LAF treasury and donate to the Queensland Floods Fund, he is reported to have shown knowledge of the situation and it is not unreasonable to expect he will say more when he is in Adelaide as in some 4 to 6 weeks some of the floods will arrive in Murray bridge, an area he may have cycled through in past seasons. Anyway should you twitter @PremierMikeRann you will be able to pass your thoughts along. Mike has already tweeted recently about Lance and the LAF investment in Sth Australia , if you can get away from your commenting you could get lucky and shake hands with Lance whilst he is in Adelaide. I have always found him very approachable, but then I am mostly there when on the bike.

“Merckx Index asked how to get the 10% that flandis is trying to win by suggesting “Lance and his USPS team” obtained funding by “Devious means”. Doubt there are any irregularities but when you throw copious amounts of mud there can be hope that a little might stick. For information my comments were not directed at CNF users but those outside supporting the LA v GLeM & Trek event which was settled . Toyota produces and sells cars which were subject of recall and so was the case with some Livestrong cycle trainers.

A Kiwi with the moniker of “I watch cycling in july” weighed in with some opinions of others and as for “Bro Deal” whilst he has been around for a while how he will find time to read the awaited article by SI( Sports Illustrated?) between his 7000 comments defies imagination. “Race Radio” uses the “IF” word in one of his 4000+ comments. “Anything but Kestrel” corrected my “Ne erdowell” and I would ask him to read “LAF Mission Statement” and note that since I use “Blogger” I finish up with “Adsense” simply to get more exposure as I feel sure Google want to try and earn money even if I get none. As regards a uniform that I wear occasionally, I am proud to wear it as it is the uniform of Pierangelo Vignatti”, Paralympian and World Champion Para Cyclist who gave it to me in 2007 as I was on my way to the start of the Giro. Notice the bib shorts sport the logo of “Unicef” !
“Granvill57” asks why I did not read the previous 36 pages of the thread. Mate you are right, I would prefer to read American History !

“The Hog” was kind enough to reply to my comment and gives me the feeling that he remains open minded to substantial input but I doubt that others are like him as I feel some already have an agenda that brooks no rearrangement of their fixed position. Thanks to him I was able to enjoy the SMH article which was not apparent when I checked the front page as I do daily . “R.O.t.O.” is totally annoyed with corruption in Sport and feels that Cycling has let him down? Would agree there is a blurring of the lines between “Org and Com” activities. When LAF started out I wonder who was in too much of a hurry and thus overlooked the possibility that there would be those with an agenda and take advantage of the situation. “Velocentric” also agrees on these blurred lines issue.

Professional input is possible if “MD,FACG,FACP” are credentials, and again there is support for the idea that “Org & Com” need separation. “Polish” is correct about the supposition that Lance was one of the first Sports personalities to tweet , I have yet to receive a reply to any of my offerings , how he gets through all the tweets that arrive defies imagination.

Any of the “CNF” commenters mentioned should feel free to email me on skippi@ausi.com so that I can correct any “mis interpretations I may have arrived at in reading pages 36 to 41 on the thread.

Below are some of my findings when comparing “LAF” with “Susan G.Komen” a charity suggested by a “Fatcyclist” commenter.





Some Statistics to compare:

Accounting
Year end 03/09 12/08


SGK LAF

% %

Admin Expenses 10.2 3.6

Fundraising Expenses 5.8 8.6

Excess of funds collected 3.1 13.9


Each organisation allocates expenses in a different way which may account for the above variance and it may be some of LAF projects were carried over into 2009. Charities have different reporting regulations so unable to guess what has taken place since Charity Navigator posted this information.



Charities Performing Similar Types of Work
Highly Rated
Most Viewed
Charity Name Overall Score Overall Rating
Lance Armstrong Foundation - TX 53.40 
Gilda's Club Grand Rapids - MI 60.71 
Kidney Cancer Association - IL 63.32 
Gilda's Club Westchester - NY 59.74 
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation - PA 68.33 

Top of Form 1
Compare These Charities (Highly Rated) 
Bottom of Form 1
#Charity Name Overall Score Overall Rating
Lance Armstrong Foundation - TX 53.40 
American Cancer Society - GA 52.84 
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - NY 53.16 
Cancer Fund of America - TN 44.65 
National Cancer Coalition - NC 62.26 

Top of Form 2
Compare These Charities (Most Viewed)
Bottom of Form 2



Charities Performing Similar Types of Work
Highly Rated
Most Viewed
Charity Name Overall Score Overall Rating
Susan G. Komen for the Cure - TX 63.34 
Living Beyond Breast Cancer - PA 68.90 
The Rose - TX 63.80 
National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund - DC 63.60 
SHARE - NY 61.84 

Top of Form 1
Compare These Charities (Highly Rated)

Bottom of Form 1

6/1/2011 19.15gmt

Noted that there are comments: had asked that "Those with an issue email, Note i am well known and Googling Skippydetour, SkippyAus or Parrabuddy will throw out a whole lot of info confounding those who claim i am anonymous. Botany bay , i recall the treky episode, but still jealous of the Gino episode, recall visiting Bianchi shop in Florence and then the next year finding it closed down, would enjoy an email convo!
Seriously folks my knowledge does need a little tweaking but claiming to be mates with Lance whilst burying an axe in his back is so Roman (shakespeare, i think(Et Tu Bruti) )!