Last year, when Lance Armstrong decided to go back to professional cycling, he announced that he would have his blood tested independently on top of the UCI/WADA tests. The test would be done by Dr. Don Catlin, an American pioneer in from UCLA, who some people call as the father of drug testing in sports. Also on the plan was the publishing Armstrong's blood values publicly on an internet website for transparency.
Armstrong has always claimed that he was the world’s most tested athletes. This year, he was tested 50 times. The reason Armstrong made this move was to quell the accusations that he was using performance enhancing drugs in the past in spite of the fact that he never tested positive for anything illegal. But just before it took off, Armstrong abandoned both the testing and the publication of his testing values on his web site, a move which drew some criticism.
Last week, Armstrong again abandoned his plan of independence testing and publication of his blood values, this time in collaboration with Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard, the anti-doping tester who initiated team-based programs with Team CSC/Saxo Bank two years ago.
Here's Armstrong's logic: "It just takes one person to say - it could be a guy who graduated last in his class - you know what they call a guy who graduated last in his class at medical school? That's right, Doctor! So it could be a guy who just got out of college and has one journalist who listens and says these are suspicious".
In last July's Tour de France, a blood "expert" from Denmark made a claim that Armstrong's blood values, "looked suspicious". The Texan continued, "So we took them (the publication) down after that because we had put them up all year long in the vein of complete transparency, and to be attacked like that and accused of something is complete nonsense. It's not worth it. The testing we do through the international agencies and domestic agencies is going to have to be enough for the future," he added.
It is my opinion that based on Armstrong's logic, Manny Paquiao should not acquiesce to the demand from the camp of Floyd Mayweather that both undergo Olympic style drug testing before the fight. The sport of boxing has anti-doping safeguards and getting another test because a Mayweather says that Paquiao is juiced is saying that professional boxing's drug testing is claptrap.
I don't buy the idea that Mayweather is afraid of Pacquiao either and that he's using this "testing" issue to back out from the fight. The American is just too greedy and too self-absorbed to renege on the planned fight. What I know though is that the Mayweather's are good at mind games.
Pacquiao isn't into mind games. In fact, he heaps praises on is opponents, not diss them. He usually lets Freddie Roach do the dirty work.
But reports from Yahoo Sports have said that a very irate Pacquiao, through a publicist, is planning to file a lawsuit against Floyd Mayweather, Floyd Mayweather Sr., Golden Boy Promotions and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer for allegations Pacquiao says they made without evidence that he is on performance-enhancing drugs.
I hope Manny wouldn't push through with the threat. If he does, he'd be playing right into the hands of Floyd Mayweather. Whatever happens, we all must remember that Paquiao holds the aces in this fight. Mayweather needs this fight more than Pacquiao that's why he's throwing everything at the Filipino idol to get under his skin.
Based on history, Pacquiao would have none of that. Manny, don't do it!
RACE RESULTS MANDAUE CRIT 20 LAPS, 46KM
1- Tats Codina, 2- Tyre Lambo, 3- Lito Pastedio, 4- Danny Simbajon, 5- Hyde Esmalin, 6- Nanie Quijano, 7- Jayme Noynay. – THE FREEMAN