It today's headlines: Matt Damon adds George Clooney to his list of fake feuds, Robin Roberts announced a date for her GMA return, Lance Armstrong, and more!
In last night's riveting interview with Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong admitted that his competitive spirit turned him into a "bully" who would "win at all costs." Those who spoke against him suffered his attacks, which included lawsuits, derogatory bashing of their character, and more.
A former teammate, Christian Vande Velde, had accused Armstrong of threatening to fire him if he didn't start doping. Armstrong says that he never gave a direct order, but others may have felt pressured to follow Armstrong's example since the cancer survivor was the team lead. Dealing with bullies is an experience that many go through, and it can be very emotionally taxing. And the bullying doesn't always stop at your adolescent years; you might have to face it in your adult life at work. Here's how to deal with a bully in the office:
Lance Armstrong sat down for a candid interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which no question was off limits. Lance finally admitted to doping, answering "yes" to a series of questions about his use of performance-enhancing drugs over the years. Speculation on the issue was high last year after Nike dropped Lance and he was later stripped of his Tour de France titles. Until now, Lance has denied all reports of doping, so we want to know — are you surprised that Lance finally admitted his guilt?
Lance Armstrong confessed to doping in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Their chat took place yesterday at a hotel in Austin, TX, and today, images from their conversation were released. The two apparently talked for over two hours, and Oprah has said that Lance was "forthcoming" about the drug use that propelled him to a record seven Tour de France victories. He has since been stripped of the titles, and apparently is making a public apology in order to move on with his professional athletic career. He specifically is interested in competing in triathlons.
Oprah was on CBS This Morning to talk about her questioning Lance, and said that he "did not come clean in the manner that I expected." What she means exactly will be evident when the interview airs for two evenings on the OWN network's Oprah’s Next Chapter. The program will be broadcast on Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Lance Armstrong has been surrounded by controversy for years over suspicion that he used performance-enhancing drugs to aid his cycling career. Lance has repeatedly denied the accusations even as he chose to stop fighting the charges brought upon him by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and forfeited his seven Tour de France titles in August. Today, Lance revealed that he would be stepping down as chairman of his Livestrong organization just as news that his longtime sponsor, Nike, released him from his contract. Read Nike's statement and tell us — are you surprised by the company's stance?
"Due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade, it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him. Nike does not condone the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs in any manner. Nike plans to continue support of the Livestrong initiatives created to unite, inspire and empower people affected by cancer."
Lance Armstrong's property portfolio has included homes in Aspen, Austin, and Spain, among other locales, but our favorite property has to be Mirasol Ranch, an incredible ranch outside of Austin, TX, which had been up for sale for the past three years. The property is currently off the market, after the price was dropped from $12 million to $8.5 million, and there's no evidence of a sale. It's possible Armstrong may have just taken it off the active market to reconsider the price or even think better of getting rid of this exquisite piece of land.
Located on over 400 acres, the main selling point of the house, in our humble opinion, is the home's access to Dead Man's Hole, a beautiful spring-fed swimming hole that has a giant waterfall. Only 17 deed holders can access the swimming hole, so essentially the owner of this new home has a virtually private, gorgeous natural pool in their backyard. The home also has waterfront access to the Pedernales River. And we can't forget the house itself — it's absolutely gorgeous. Keep clicking to take a tour of this Summer dream property!
Photos courtesy of Trulia
It's the second retirement from cycling for Lance Armstrong, but this time, he says, it's official. In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, Lance said that he's stepping back due to added responsibilities and family commitments, which all take away from training time. This announcement comes on the heels of Lance placing 65th in the Tour Down Under last month.
Lance says he has no regrets about his 2009 comeback to the sport — even the crashes: "I can't say I have any regrets. It's been an excellent ride. I really thought I was going to win another tour." And despite the negative cloud that has come with recent doping accusations, Lance's contributions to the sport are legendary: seven straight Tour de France titles is only one item on a long list, and it's a tremendous achievement. Beyond that, his personal battle with testicular cancer served as a springboard for the Livestrong Foundation, which has raised over $400 million toward cancer research.
Armstrong will still be a presence in cycling, adding that he may even ride alongside his former Radio Shack teammates in the team car. However, he refuses to be that old guy reminiscing about his glory days: "In 10 years time if I'm sitting around saying, 'I was so strong on L'Alpe d'Huez in 2001,' then I got a problem."
