Jim Summers from Waterloo, Canada writes: Should we shut down the Olympics for doping? That seems like the other event where athletes are caught doping, and have been for decades. If we want to send a message, this is the biggest event we can shut down.

• Posted 26/07/07 at 5:23 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment

Cory Canada from Canada writes: Sorry Alan but that is a very weak rebuttal. Saying everyone else is saying it should be shut down so I can too is not satisfactory (remember the old adage if everyone jumped off a bridge would you). You say you may support the idea of calling off the Superbowl etc, but have you with all the scandals before proposed such a radical solution. The integrity of the Tour De France is in question, but the level of scrutiny seems much higher and intense then anything the major sports here have seen, even including the subpeonas from Congress to Palmeiro, McGwire etc. I wonder how bad the cheating was in the past 30 years and if we just turned a blind eye to it all then and now we are looking at it with a microscope. When Ben Johnson was caught 20 years ago, how prevelant were steriods and Uppers and all the other pharmaceuticals that athletes use to gain an edge. I would much rather see an effort by the atheletes to show their disdain to what's happening to their sport by either withdrawing from the race or have the entire peloton tie for first! Your comments have at least stirred a debate which is sorely needed. The Sports section has been a source more of scandal than of competition. The other day the 3 lead stories were Stern, Goodell and Selig and a story of Lester of the Bo Sox returning from Cancer is buried. It shows I think, the $$$ in Pro Sports has perverted these athletes and the organizations they work for to something we can't even recognize anymore.

• Posted 26/07/07 at 5:49 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment

scott ballard from Portland, writes: Why shut down any event because of cheats!? Then the cheats, ultimately, have succeeded. What does shutting down the sport accomplish? Nothing! It wont stop the cheaters from cheating. Concentrate the effort on punishing the cheaters, not closing down an event. There needs to be zero tolerance, period. To say here in North America we can justify not cancelling an event because people still flock to stadiums, is crap. You cannot single out the Tour as an event that is any worse than other sports, because it isnt. It only appears that way because they have the courage to do something about cheaters. The big 4 sports sweep it all under the rug because there is too much money at stake. For that reason alone I have far more respect for pro cycling than the big 4 sports here. Personally I refuse to watch baseball because of Barry Bonds. And if Vick is not thrown in jail I will never watch the NFL either. The fact these peole are given preferential treatment because the make money for people make me sick.
I think it is unfortunate that you are condemming an event that is actually doing something about cheaters. It reeks of support for the ignorance the big 4 promote here.

• Posted 27/07/07 at 11:21 AM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment

Kim Feraday from Vancouver, Canada writes: I also have to agree that this argument is weak. You state that if a similar doping crisis in baseball or football you might call for cancellation of the World Series or Super Bowl. There were TWO positive tests at the Tour this year out of hundreds of tests and almost 200 riders. And cycling's testing is much more comprehensive than baseball or football. Dr. Gary Wadler a member of WADA has stated that the NFL doesn't even test for HGH so it's likely that many, many football players are doping with absolutely no fear of being caught. In a case last year four players from the Carolina Panthers were prescribed steroids and HGH by James Shortt. Yet none of these players failed a drug test. That's FOUR confirmed doping reports on ONE team. Certainly many other players on this and other teams are doping because of the NFL's weak testing. MLB is the same. And since you mentioned Barry Bonds let's talk about him for a moment. He's been tied to Balco and by that association alone his record is tainted. Only by the good graces of his lawyers has he been spared this long. And in fact Bonds (and Giambi) tested positive for amphetimines last year. And yet they're still playing. If they were in cycling or many other sports they wouldn't be playing this year or next. So much for his record. And yet the G&M continues to run many stories that make no mention at all that he his a cheater and that his record is fraudulent. Your doping crisis is slapping you in the face and if you don't think this is damning enough how about the affect that these cheats is having on young athletes. As I mentioned in a previous post a 2005 survey reported that 20,000 high school athletes admitted to doping. How much more evidence do you need to get serious about this? Finally, it's right that the media scrutinize events with a critical eye as the media have done with cycling. That's part of their responsibility. The G&M and other media should do the same for MLB, NFL and other sports.

• Posted 29/07/07 at 1:42 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment