04/18/24
January 13, 2007
Floyd Makes Dick a Little Testy: In an unjustly overlooked interview last Sunday, World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound had this to say about Floyd Landis' testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio level after Stage 17 of last year's Tour de Farce. "It was 11 to 1! You'd think he'd be violating every virgin within 100 miles. How does he even get on his bicycle?"
"What he cannot grasp is how anyone could not comprehend the rightness, the essentiality, of his mission. " That's the biggest problem with Pound, people do comprehend. They just don't agree with his methods.
posted by apoch at 11:10 AM on January 13, 2007
“It’s a great story,” Pound said. “Wonderful. But if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Yes. This is exactly the attitude we want regarding sports. So we shall no longer play the games or race the races. The person who looks better on paper just wins. I can see how the person in this position has to be a tad on the overbearing side because, by nature, we're going to want to believe our heroes are clean. But, when asked where he got his estimate on the NHL... He leaned back in his chair and chuckled, completely unabashed to admit that he had just invented it. “It was pick a number,” he said. “So it’s 20 percent. Twenty-five percent. Call me a liar.” Liar.
posted by SummersEve at 11:20 AM on January 13, 2007
That quote SummersEve pulled out really puts paid to Pound IMO. How can anyone, especially those responsible for keeping Pound in office, allow him to stay after admitting openly that he makes up facts whenever it suits him?
posted by billsaysthis at 11:28 AM on January 13, 2007
He's not helping anymore. He's encouraging skepticism. He's a zealot. But damn he's fun.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:06 PM on January 13, 2007
I've always thought Pound was an ass. His heavy-handed, over-bearing tactics don't help and even go against the bylaws of the WADA. This was a well written article, but it was just like every other article written about Pound and the WADA.
posted by cabuki at 02:53 PM on January 13, 2007
Once again, rcade jumps out to the early lead for SpoFi Link Title of the year.
posted by smithers at 02:54 PM on January 13, 2007
There were probably more than 10 instances in the article at which I was ready to scream, "Pound is a f-ing idiot." How can anyone believe the words of a self-admitted hip-shooter? To me Pound comes off as a second-rater who, just because he was not good enough to make the podium at the Olympics, is going to make sure that he will cast a stain upon any athlete who makes a standout performance. He toadied up to the powers that be in the IOC until he found a gig whereby he could make himself look morally superior. I said in a previous post about Pound that arrogance was the one quality in a human being that I cannot stand. Mr. Pound is not only that, but also an opportunist and a self-appointed crusader. What does "Swiss Law" have to say about the basic premise of 'innocent until proven guilty'? Evidently it must have nothing to say, for Pound continually overlooks this basic tenet of common law, and he constantly ignores rules against making accusatory statements without proof. He's a lawyer, and thus is clever enough to avoid a lawsuit. Mark my words, as soon as Mr. Pound makes the slightest mistake, the vultures will devour him.
posted by Howard_T at 03:16 PM on January 13, 2007
The quotes he gave about Landis were over the top, even for Dick Pound; not out of character, but even less restrained than I've come to expect. I got his book for Christmas... My wife says I need a 'balanced perspective.' I suspect it was in the discount bin.
posted by Amateur at 08:25 PM on January 13, 2007
God, I hate Dick Pound with the seething white-hot passion of a thousand imploding suns. Happy now?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 05:23 PM on January 14, 2007
Suns have passion? Well, maybe the Phoenix Suns. I know Steve Nash does.
posted by tommybiden at 06:58 PM on January 14, 2007
That may be one of the best quotes ever. Maybe it is me, but funny is not something I look for in my Drug Tsars. He may be right about Landis, Armstrong and the NHL, but his tendency to overstate undermines WADA. Landis didn't think it was funny.