The New York Times recently reported that Lance Armstrong was mulling a new and bold public relations maneuver: Admitting that he'd cheated at cycling for his entire career, a fact which most sane people had assumed to be true, but which would make him look particularly sociopathic due to vigor and unshakable conviction with which he'd denied doping previously. (The most recent revelation, that Armstrong tried to bribe his way out of being investigated, is a relatively tame one on the spectrum on Lance Armstrong anecdotes.) A little later, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) notified the world that Oprah, sympathetic interviewer to the stars, would be conducting a long interview with Lance Armstrong in the near future. Now, USA Today reports that Lance Armstrong will—hang on to your hats—admit to doping during the 90-minute special on Thursday:
Lance Armstrong plans to make an admission about doping in an interview with Oprah Winfrey scheduled to tape Monday at his home in Austin, Texas, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
Armstrong's planned admission carries with it the risk of being sued or held liable by those who believe he defrauded them by lying about his performance and use of drugs. He also could face criminal prosecution, though that seems unlikely. For example, Armstrong testified under oath in 2005 that he never used such drugs, but he is not likely to face criminal charges for perjury the testimony is beyond the statute of limitations.
That would have been interesting and a little tense, had news of the admission not broken five days before the special is going to air. Be sure to see our Friday morning post featuring all the relevant clips, and feel free to spend your Thursday evening not watching Lance Armstrong admit to doping.
Source: Lance Armstrong Plans To Admit Doping To Oprah [USA Today]