Tag Archives: cancer

Going Strong Minus Lance

23 Oct

Embedly Powered

via Hulu

You know that scene in the cop show where the cop finds the killer but it turns out they were just a confused 10 year old. The cop doesn’t think the kid should go to jail but has to reveal there findings because it’s the moral thing to do. That is exactly how I felt about the busting of Lance Armstrong. I know that there is a now a mountain of evidence proving that the 7 time Tour de France winner was a mastermind of doping but I hate to see him go down.

The ultimate irony of this being that there will be literally 7 years in the Tour de France history without a winner. There is so much doping in cycling that it is impossible to give the titles to runners-up.

On the upside Armstrong’s Livestrong cancer foundation is still bringing in money. Armstrong resigned as chairman of the organization in order to protect it from criticism. In the past two weeks donations to the foundation have doubled. Let’s hope people continue to look past the doping scandal and focus on helping cancer survivors.

-M

NFL Football Week 5 Rundown: And Then There Were Two

9 Oct

The best part about watching NFL Football is there’s never a dull moment unless you are watching the Bears/Jaguars game which was a snooze. Aside from that there was a lot of excitement in Week 6 of the NFL. Only two teams have kept their perfect records the Falcons and Texans.

The RG3 Machine Gets Knocked Down, Again, But Worse This Time

Washington Redskins vs. Atlanta Falcons, 24-17

There is always a risk when you are running quarterback that you are going to get hit. Redskin’s quarterback Robert Griffin III is no stranger to being sacked. Despite being sacked 6 times a game there’s no stopping RG3 from running the ball. It got so bad that his mother was calling up the coach because she was worried. We all knew there would be a day when he really got hurt. After a pretty intense hit from Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon with six minutes left in the third quarter, RG3 left the field with a mild concussion. The Redskins were forced to send in rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins to finish the game. And surprisingly the game went just as any Redskins game has gone very close but not able to seal the deal.

Brady vs. Manning(The Older Manning)

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos, 31-21

I absolutely love the marketing build-up to games with two elite quarterbacks. I always envision them butting heads on the field making intense kill faces. Then I realize this is football not basketball, they are never on the field at the same time. Instead the picture looks more like this: Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady making plays as Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning stands on the sidelines looking slightly bored.

And honestly the Patriots winning had little to do with the quarterback and more to do with the supporting cast. Manning had 31 of 44 passes complete for 345 yards and three touchdowns. Manning was sacked twice which was painful to watch knowing that he recently had his spine reattached. The Patriots set a new record with 35 first downs. Brady finished the game with 23 of 31 passes completed for 223 yards and a touchdown. So in the end Manning had a better game, he just didn’t have the better team.

Colts Win Game for Ailing Coach(Awww)

Indianapolis Colts vs. Green Bay Packers, 30-27

It doesn’t get more heart warming than the story of the Colts win. Colts’ coach Chuck Pagano was in the hospital battling for his life against leukemia but he told his team to just focus on football. Well that was some great advice because the Colts, who have been so-so, came back for a win over the Packers. Colts’ rookie quarterback Andrew Luck had a good game with 31 of 55 passing, four touchdowns(two that he ran for) and one interception. He definitely proved he was worth his first round pick. Luck had some help from veteran receiver Reggie Wayne who  finished with 13 receptions for a career-high 212 yards.

The game was crazy close and the Packers might have just won if the game had gone into overtime but alas a missed 51-yard field goal by Packer Mason Crosby handed the Colts the win.

Saints Win a Game While Disgraced Coach Watches from the Wings

San Diego Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints, 31-24

So far this season the Saints have a been a team that has given other teams great games. The Saints have been challenging but just enough to push the other team to play better. Now that the Saints have won their first game of the season maybe the tides are changing. With special permission Saints’ coach Sean Payton was allowed to watch the game from the owners box. This was definitely a burst of support that helped quarterback Drew Brees who broke Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas’ record by throwing a touchdown pass in his 48th straight game.

The Chargers might have been able to secure a win if it weren’t for two turnovers in the 4th quarter. It was a burst of energy from the Saints defense that has been pretty lackluster up until now. The bright side for the Chargers is that their star running back Ryan Mathews seems to fully back. Mathews who struggled after running from an injury had a great game. Mathews had 139 yards and a touchdown.

Texans Still On Top/Jets Still Suck

Houston Texans vs. New York Jets, 23-17

I don’t think that anybody expect that the Jets would tarnish the Texans undefeated record so this game went as planned. On the bright side though the Jets didn’t suck as much as they could have. I read an article before the game that argued that the Jets should be shot like a lame horse and discontinue the season.

Shockingly unlike their game against the 49ers, the Jets managed to score. Soon to be ex-quarterback for the Jets, Mark Sanchez, fought off the Tebow chants for a sad 14-31 passes completed for 230 yards. In Sanchez’s defense even if he did throw better who would be there to catch it? He’s missing his targets to injury: Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller, and Stephen Hill. Back-up Jets’ quarterback Tim Tebow took the field but it seemed more like a move to appease the crowd than an offensive strategy.

If and when Tebow does take over as quarterback he is going to struggle with the same lack of support issues as Sanchez. Even against the Texans, Tebow threw a perfect pass only to have it dropped by wide receiver Jason Hill. On the side of the Texans running back Arian Foster proved he is the best in the league with 152 yards and a touchdown.

-M

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lance Armstrong Losing Everything

23 Aug

If you have been following Lance Armstrong originally appealed the USADA(Unites States Anti-Doping Agency which is a non-profit organization that receives partial funding from the federal government) right to investigate doping allegations but the case was thrown out. Armstrong was expected to appeal the decision. Instead Armstrong has decided not to fight anymore. This means he will lose all 7 of his Tour de France wins. He was also be hit with a life-time ban from cycling, which he retired from a year ago. And I guess we can no longer consider him the greatest cyclist of all time.

When asked for comment Armstrong said,”I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. The toll this has taken on my family and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense.” Regardless of what you think of Armstrong doping you have to be sad for his foundation Livestrong which helps survivors of cancer. I’m sure it will be harder for them to raise money after this.

Armstrong has been accused by several former teammates of taking oral testosterone(yeah that’s everybody’s favorite recently). To cover-up for using the banned substance it is said that Armstrong received blood transfusions(aka. blood doping). He was also accused of supplying other teammates with drugs. This is despite passing nearly 500 doping test. He also survived a Federal investigation earlier this year for doping.

This once raises the issue of doping in sports. Even the teammates accusing Armstrong of doping were all suspended at one point for doping. If you look at the wikipedia page for doping cases in cycling it is incredibly long. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_doping_cases_in_cycling) All the major cyclist have been accused of doping at one point in their careers.

I think it is time that we have the debate about how much of an edge do steroids give athletes. If we gave everyone the same steroids would they all perform the same? How much of them winning is the extra edge and how much is natural? I can tell you that even if an average dude took the same steroids that Armstrong is accused of taking they still wouldn’t be able to win the Tour de France.

-M

 

 

 

 

 

 

Armstrong Loses in Court

20 Aug

Seven-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, has lost his case against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. A federal judge in Austin, Texas threw out the lawsuit against the USADA claiming that in fact the USADA has jurisdiction and their claims do not violate Armstrong’s constitutional rights. This means the USADA can keep investigation Armstrong for doping. Armstrong has several options: he can appeal the decision, accept the charges(which means he could lose his titles), or proceed to an arbitration. He will make his decision by Thursday.

The USADA filed charges against Armstrong back in June claiming that he was part of cycling conspiracy where him and 5 other cyclist used banned substances and blood transfusions to get ahead. Even the judge rejecting Armstrong’s case was skeptical of the USADA’s claims nothing that they were not very specific. Regardless the USADA does still have the right to bring the claims.

It is time’s like these that I wonder why we are spending tax payers money to try to rip apart the legacy of a hero and cancer survivor. Even if Armstrong did dope, does it really matter now? If they could catch him the seven times he won the Tour de France then what makes them think they will catch him after the fact? Just another example of our government hard at work spending our money on a pointless matter.

-M

 

 

 

 

 

Evelyn Lozada Speaks Out

14 Aug

Evelyn Lozada issued a statement today concerning her heat butting incident with her estranged husband Chad Ochocinco Johnson. She said the following: “I am deeply disappointed that Chad has failed to take responsibility for his actions and made false accusations against me. It is my sincere hope that he seeks the help he needs to overcome his troubles. Domestic violence is not okay and hopefully my taking a stand will help encourage other women to break their silence as well.”

It is crazy that Johnson even tried to claim Lozada head-butted him since she was the one with a gash in her forehead. And why would Lozada run to the neighbor for help if she was the one who was violent? I think it is good that Lozada is setting a positive example by standing up against domestic violence. Which if you read some comments on stories about the incident  you will see is necessary. There are multiple men who wrote, “you need to put a woman in her place” messages. I think that if you find a receipt for condoms as a wife you have a right to question your husband.

Things have gotten even worse for Lozada who found out last night that her brother in law, Anthony Ochoa, died of cancer. Ochoa walked Lozada down the aisle a month ago. He was married to Lozada’s sister, Sylvia, for ten years.

This is all such sad news. Let’s hope things start getting better for Lozada.

-M

Hot Olympian of the Day: Danell Leyva

28 Jun

We are all looking for a flexible man, who better than U.S. Olympic gymnast Danell Leyva. This 20-year old Cuban born hottie has a gold medal already from U.S. Nationals in 2011 and is a world champion on the parallel bars. He just might be gay but that’s cool because he’s still hot. If you want more of his hottness you can google image him to see some scandalous photos.

Reasons to love Leyva:

1. He is a Renaissance man. He likes to play piano, draw, and paint.

2. He’s an animal lover. Leyva has dogs and a pet tarantula named Rosie. He likes tarantula’s because the world perceives them differently from what they actually are. That sentiment is so sweet that it actually makes me okay with the whole spider thing.

3. He works with kids with cancer. You can youtube him shaving his head. He did it to sympathize with cancer patients.

4. His stepfather is his coach so family is very important to him.

5. When he’s not at the gym he likes to spend the day at the beach. We have something in common.

-M

A Little Late Don’t You Think

13 Jun

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has brought formal charges against former cyclist and CANCER survivor Lance Armstrong for doping. They are looking to take away his 7 Tour de France wins. To make it even worse they are banning Armstrong from competing in Ironman triathlons, which apparently is his new hobby.

Good job Anti-Doping Agency catching someone after they won the Tour de France 7 times. What tipped you off, the 7th win? And hasn’t Armstrong been through enough, I mean the man survived stage 3 cancer. Can’t we just let him have his 7 wins in peace?

Also, the Olympics are about to start shouldn’t the Anti-Doping Agency have their hands full with that. Or do they only care after an athlete wins. It’s so much better to get to strip a title. Bureaucracy is so efficient.

-M