Armstrong's propaganda war.

Meds1962

Why should 'propoganda' have a bearing in the investigation / hearing?

The investigators will have direct and specific points to raise and they will get direct and specific responses from LA and other people asked to testify.

There's no smoking gun, so it should depend on the witnesses called either rejecting or corroborating the accusations.

morstar

Meds1962 wrote:

Why should 'propoganda' have a bearing in the investigation / hearing?

It doesn't. But it does have a big impact on LA's future worth. If the investigation is inconclusive then goodwill will see it brushed away but badwill will leave behind a tarnished reputation.

Obviously if the investigation either exonerates or condemns him then PR is of little relevance. I don't think either of these outcomes is likely so he's fighting to build support or empathy or anything other than badwill.

conceptual_primate

Meds1962 wrote:

Why should 'propoganda' have a bearing in the investigation / hearing?

The investigators will have direct and specific points to raise and they will get direct and specific responses from LA and other people asked to testify.

There's no smoking gun, so it should depend on the witnesses called either rejecting or corroborating the accusations.

I think it's more to do with influencing public perception rather than the trial per se (and assuming this is propaganda, rather than 'fanaticism' - see earlier posts). I would guess that it is of vital important for LA to be thought of as the fairytale champion and not just another cheater by the general public; his charity foundation, his future ambitions (inc. any political) and ultimately his future earnings will all be influenced by this key factor.

Obv. hovering above all of this is the investigation that could put a spanner in the works...

Seanos

conceptual_primate wrote:

I think it's more to do with influencing public perception rather than the trial per se (and assuming this is propaganda, rather than 'fanaticism' - see earlier posts).

But why on earth would you assume it is 'propaganda' (some people call it 'PR' or 'spin')without a shred of evidence to support that assumption?

conceptual_primate

Seanos wrote:

conceptual_primate wrote:

I think it's more to do with influencing public perception rather than the trial per se (and assuming this is propaganda, rather than 'fanaticism' - see earlier posts).

But why on earth would you assume it is 'propaganda' (some people call it 'PR' or 'spin')without a shred of evidence to support that assumption?

I'm not.

Read my earlier posts (per my post you've quoted). Meds post asked why 'propaganda' would influence the investigation. I was simply offering the opinion if it was 'propaganda' (and note I am (and was) quoting the use of 'propaganda' rather than labeling this as such) then this may be to influence the public perception, rather than the investigation, for reasons stated.

PinkBianchi

A lot of people keep saying that this being PR can't be true because it's not done in the best/smartest way. However, the LA legal team did release (half of) the e-mails in the Landis case, in an attempt to make Landis look worse, but just ended up making LA look really bad. Can't say they're always the smartest, but they sure would try anything? That did also make the LA fans believe LA more and Landis less (probably without having actually read the e-mails). His critics became more critical maybe, but his fans became more supportive.

Percy Vera

So what's LA's BIG announcement tomorrow?

BikingBernie

Slightly off-topic, but we do need to remember that in order for people like Armstrong to win their own personal propaganda war they often need the complicity of the media and other bodies. Just look at the way the UCI has protected Armstrong over the years, failing to take action when he tested positive for corticosteroids, when his 1999 Tour samples were shown to have Epo in them and when his 2009 blood profiles showed evidence of blood doping. Similarly the mainstream media, which benefits from selling magazines with Armstrong plastered all over the cover, often seem to be all too willing to omit 'uncomfortable truths' about Armstrong in their puff pieces on him.

Anyhow, I mention this because it seems that omitting facts that raise questions people would prefer were not asked seems to apply even at the UK domestic level. Remember the 'rumours' that Staite was busted because John Herety was pissed that he was giving his riders in the Rapha team a hard time. Despite this not been mentioned in the main-stream cycling press, it seems that this, or something much like it, was the reason why he was busted, not BC's 'comprehensive testing program'.

UK Anti-Doping confirmed this morning that the suspension of cyclist Dan Staite, reported on road.cc last week, resulted from information provided by “an outside source.”

The national anti-doping agency said in a statement that after corroborating the allegations and conducting its own research, it decided to specifically target the rider, which led to a urine sample taken from the Cycles Dauphin rider in March at the National B event, the Roy Thame Cup, testing positive for EPO and an aromatase inhibitor.

http://road.cc/content/news/21016-uk-an ... -after-tip

No mention of the 'tip off' here of course...

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... r-epo.html

Or here...

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/b ... ears-27208

Or here...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/british ... -two-years

jimmythecuckoo

Percy Vera wrote:

So what's LA's BIG announcement tomorrow?

Was this on Twitter? I missed it.

iainf72

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

Percy Vera wrote:

So what's LA's BIG announcement tomorrow?

Was this on Twitter? I missed it.

Tour of Colorado I expect.

Pokerface

iainf72 wrote:

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

Percy Vera wrote:

So what's LA's BIG announcement tomorrow?

Was this on Twitter? I missed it.

Tour of Colorado I expect.

Yup. Quiznos to Sponsor the Tour of Colorado. Quiznos is like Subway (hot subs).


http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/quiznos ... f-colorado

prawny

Pokerface wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

Percy Vera wrote:

So what's LA's BIG announcement tomorrow?

Was this on Twitter? I missed it.

Tour of Colorado I expect.

Yup. Quiznos to Sponsor the Tour of Colorado. Quiznos is like Subway (hot subs).


http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/quiznos ... f-colorado

I miss quiznos. Don't have them round here any more

I see cntrl+v is at it again.

cajun_cyclist

And the Colorado race I believe revives the Coors Classic/Red Zinger race which is the race in the movie "American Flyers" with Kevin Costner.

Red Zinger is the name of an herbal tea made by Celestial Seasons, a company located in Boulder Colorado. They took over the Coors Classic some years ago, then the race folded so yes, this announcement revives one of the premier if not the premier race in the USA.

Sidenote, Rene Herse has a store in Boulder, http://www.renehersebicycles.com/ though I don't know all of the particulars, I didn't know it was a company still, Boulder is less than a half hour by car from Denver. Coors Beer is brewed up a way in the rockies around Denver and likewise close in Golden.

emadden

I dont like this - Taken from the Q&A on G. Watsons site:

Eric G - 10/06/2010:
Just noticed the URL for the LeMond pics has the word "fool" in it instead of his name. Please correct this, not everyone is an Armstrong fan, and I was going to buy several prints from you, but no longer, very disappointed.

10/11/2010:
Hi Eric, I've not noticed that mistake, I'll have my webmaster look at it. Sorry we cannot appease you, I'm a fan of both guys, they both did a lot for my career, just a shame one cannot keep his mouth shut.. GW

[/b]

mididoctors

emadden wrote:

I dont like this - Taken from the Q&A on G. Watsons site:

Eric G - 10/06/2010:
Just noticed the URL for the LeMond pics has the word "fool" in it instead of his name. Please correct this, not everyone is an Armstrong fan, and I was going to buy several prints from you, but no longer, very disappointed.

10/11/2010:
Hi Eric, I've not noticed that mistake, I'll have my webmaster look at it. Sorry we cannot appease you, I'm a fan of both guys, they both did a lot for my career, just a shame one cannot keep his mouth shut.. GW

[/b]

people are stupid


even if you did have a vested interest in riding on the coat tales of LA why go that extre distance for no gain

the person who can not keep his mouth shut is GW

why takes sides?

his pettiness does not help LA's case in anyway (probably the opposite) and not doing it costs him nothing.

hard to credit this to an professional adult... must have a fair amount emotionally invested in the whole affair. Psychologically unhealthy IMO

just stupid

andyp

Eric G - 10/06/2010:
Just noticed the URL for the LeMond pics has the word "fool" in it instead of his name. Please correct this, not everyone is an Armstrong fan, and I was going to buy several prints from you, but no longer, very disappointed.

10/11/2010:
Hi Eric, I've not noticed that mistake, I'll have my webmaster look at it. Sorry we cannot appease you, I'm a fan of both guys, they both did a lot for my career, just a shame one cannot keep his mouth shut.. GW

Good to see even Graham Watson thinks LA talks too much.

SunWuKong

Surprised he can take photos with his head so far up that orifice.

calvjones

Off Topic, but he's the fattest thing in Chasing Legends by about 400% :shock:

cajun_cyclist

I've done a "Lance Watch" before, he's in the news a lot. I'm putting these few stories here because it seems to be the most recently used LA thread.

Stories, He has become a Father for the 5th time,

Barry Bonds Six Lessons for LA: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan- ... 66853.html

And here's a Story I like, wearing pink rubber bands on the fingers that read "TXTING Kills", it sure has some cyclists... especially in the more cycling dangerous US, I've heard about it....looks like Lance isn't in on this except as inspiration but total salute to the state of Iowa, great idea.

Remember Lance Armstrong and how America all of a sudden cared about the sport of cycling just because it was an American winning year after year after year? That “latch onto the champion” mentality is an issue that true fans of sport have to deal with, but at least something good came out of Lance’s victories. Those terrible looking “LIVESTRONG” bracelets sold like hotcakes and the money made from them was used to fund research to combat cancer. A very worthy cause, and huge respect is deserved. The state of Iowa is trying to be cool by taking the same concept, but putting it on a band that fits on your thumb. The text on this thumb ring reads “TXTNG KILLS“, and it’s meant to raise awareness at the obvious dangers of fiddling with your precious little piece of plastic while behind the wheel of a several thousand kilogram hunk of steal going stupid fast on the highway.

http://www.intomobile.com/2010/10/19/txtng-kills/

iainf72

andyp wrote:

Good to see even Graham Watson thinks LA talks too much.

Brilliant

http://twitter.com/SimoneLeMond/status/28653944279

http://twitter.com/SimoneLeMond/status/28654419223

DaveyL

Did LA make it to France in the Tour this year?

iainf72

Lance notices Greg's daughter is young and blonde

http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong/status/28823058835

afx237vi

Creeeeeeeeeeepy.

rick_chasey

:?

Bizarre.

All of it.

It's like a big incestuous family argument.

inkyfingers

Clearly LA is a prick but don't see the problem of him following anybody on twitter...she chose to make her twitter public after all. LA's response could be taken as creepy or it could be taken as nothing, depends on your point of view.

Seriously though, imagine what kind of rider a Lemond/Armstrong child would be!

le_patron

Greg's daughter and Darach McQuaid getting involved.....you couldn't make this up.

jimmythecuckoo

I want the movie rights... wouldn't have to work again

Steve2020

Those of you blocked by the great man can now wear your shame:

http://twibbon.com/join/Blocked-By-Lance

I've keep trying to get blocked but it never works. Anyone got any tips? Iain?

Does he know that you can still read his utterances whether you are blocked or not?

dennisn

Seanos wrote:

BikingBernie wrote:

Armstrong has long been a master of manipulating the public mind via the Internet and media

I've heard he lives in a hollowed out volcano on a private island and controls the New World Order from there

That was great.

dennisn

Seanos wrote:

BikingBernie wrote:

smithy21 wrote:

that NYT article is a non story. A cycling team with its own website writing reports of a race they are participating in? Really?? Thats revoutionary!!

How about the rest? Almost 50 people just selling Armstrong's yellow bracelets. The 'Chalkbot' team? The 'army' of people working to promote Armstrong's image? No, non of it 'revolutionary but, as the article points out, the Armstrong marketing campaign is on a scale that is 'completely unprecedented' in the sport.

And your point is?

I'll +1 that. So what if it's "completely unprecedented"? Anyway it's the New York Times and if it wasn't for the crossword puzzles, the Broadway reviews, and the book reviews no one would buy it.