Lance Armstrong Gives Up Fight Against USADA: Likely to Lose 7 Tour de France Titles

I am speechless. Figuratively, because I am about to unleash a firestorm of my thoughts on the USADA calling to ban Lance Armstrong from competing for life and to have his seven Tour de France titles stripped.

A detailed NBC article focused on Armstrong's sentiments that he is just plain worn out from constantly fighting the anti-doping agency. Understandably so- he pointed out that he passed hundreds of drug tests between 1999 and 2005, the years in which he earned his titles.

Key word: EARNED his titles. "Enraged" hardly gives my feelings towards the USADA justice. I don't even want to give them the pleasure of having their name in my sacred blog space. From now on, they shall be referred to as Agency A. A mental image crops up in my mind of conspiring, hunched-over mutant-people cackling around a bubbling cauldron as they announce the punishments imposed on Armstrong. Who feels good about stripping an inspiring cancer survivor of his hard-earned titles? The evil individuals at Agency A.

As stated by the NBC article, Armstrong's story was the "ultimate comeback tale."

When diagnosed with cancer, doctors had given him less than a 50% chance of survival before surgery and brutal cycles of chemotherapy saved his life.Armstrong's riveting victories, his work for cancer awareness and his gossip-page romances with rocker Sheryl Crow, fashion designer Tory Burch and actress Kate Hudson made him a figure who transcended sports.
His dominance of the Tour de France elevated the sport's popularity in America to unprecedented levels. His story and success helped sell millions of the "Livestrong" plastic yellow wrist bracelets, and enabled him to enlist lawmakers and global policymakers to promote cancer awareness and research. His Lance Armstrong Foundation has raised nearly $500 million since its founding in 1997.

I'm not the only one standing behind Lance during these crap allegations:

Memo to media: @lancearmstrong did NOT concede he cheated. He conceded he could not beat USADA (@usantidoping) in game it rigged against him
— Bill Hobbs (@billhobbs) August 24, 2012

Lance Armstrong with 500+ clean tests but banned on hearsay. If baseball adopted this policy, they'd have six players left.
— Mick Shaffer (@mickshaffer) August 24, 2012

Lance Armstrong's foundation has raised nearly $500 million for cancer - real hero in the endbit.ly/Ozm7Y0
— michael rapino (@rapino99) August 24, 2012

Mick Shaffer makes a great point with his Tweet referring to the number of unclean athletes in baseball. What's with the witch hunt against Lance? Many pro-athletes are cheating but they are going after biking more than any other sport and attacking the previous heroes of cycling. Other sports, for example baseball, look the other way- they want to keep their heroes no matter what. Big sports have the backing of big money keeping the drug allegations at bay. The morons at Agency A have lost their minds- they are on some crazy powertrip/vendetta. Lance beat cancer and devotes his life to efforts to end cancer. A good man working for an honorable cause does not deserve this treatment.

I'm with Dane Cook 100%.

If the US Anti-Doping Agency strips Lance Armstrong of his 7 titles I'll strongly continue to not watch or support the Tour de France ever.
— Dane Cook (@danecook) August 24, 2012

Agency A can do whatever they want and allege and accuse Lance until the end of time. I still contest that he is an amazing individual and continue to support him and his cause.