By admitting that he used PEDs to dominate cycling and become one of the world's most marketable athletes, Lance Armstrong has weakened his defense in a series of lawsuits that could cost him more than $100 million — and may have provided an inadvertent blueprint for how to better deter high-profile athletes from doping. Forget public shame. Never mind competitive bans. Instead, get a lawyer. Then go after the money. .
Three of Lance Armstrong's biggest sponsors said Thursday they are sticking with America's most famous cyclist, a day after the release of an extensive investigation into his use of performance-enhancing drugs during his long career.
Take a young soccer player, give him head-spinning success, wads of cash and an excess of spare time when he is not playing or training. Into that volatile mix, now add a nightclub, way too much champagne and a few vampirish hangers-on who pretend they are the rising star's new best friends. One of them produces a wrap of cocaine or a stick of weed and the fatal words: "Try this."
