Panel finds against Landis
After nearly 14 months from when Landis was first accused of cheating, we can now say he was. Whether you believe it or not, at this point he has been deemed to have doped by an independent group of arbitrators that specialized in hearing cases related to doping in sports. There will be the outcry from those that still think he is innocent (maybe they think OJ is still innocent too). As much as I hoped for the panel to find in his favor and renew my faith in athletes, it wasn’t to be.
Landis now goes on the list even ahead of some other well-noted, doping cheats. He is ahead of Barry Bonds (not a single positive test, let alone a hearing finding him guilty). He is ahead of Marion Jones who had been accused of doping by implication. He is ahead of Mark MacGuire and Sammy Sosa, who also have never tested positive. He joins the ranks of Ben Johnson and Tyler Hamilton. He has been adjudicated to have taken performance enhancing drugs to win the world’s greatest bike race.
Landis put up a huge fight. He spent a lot of his own money and convinced others to give to his defense. I wonder if those people feel betrayed. After all, although not a United States court of law, there was a process, Landis defended himself, and lost.
Whether he will appeal remains to be seen. After all, the resources invested in that would have to be huge. Resources Landis probably doesn’t have. Also, by the time it would be finished, his ban would be over. So, even if he doesn’t appeal, he may still plead innocence and use financial stress as the reason he doesn’t move forward. Who could blame him?
I cannot wait to read the opinion. It should be interesting.