Professional Cycling

I used to race bicycles in the 80's, a sport I was spectacularly unsuited for, as an amateur. I grew to love the sport even though I had little success. I was a very good swimmer when I was young but that sport was cut short by parents that didn't understand athletics nor did they try to understand me and my talent for it. I regret that I never got to realize my potential for swimming and resented my parents deeply for their ignorance, indifference and stupidity. Because of that mindset I tried desperately to achieve some measure of success in cycling. I understood the use of drugs in the sport and rationalized that use because of the extreme physical toll the sport takes on its participants. I never took drugs because of my Polycystic Kidney Disease and I was not a professional. But I understood why the sport was rife with supplements.

With all that being said, I cannot believe that Lance Armstrong is clean. I have never met Lance. I have followed his career from inception, the death of Fabio, his 7 tour wins etc. He has never failed a drug test. He has denied illicit use for his entire career. So why doesn't this go away? The problem that Lance has is that there are a lot of people that dislike him. Intensely. He has a way of speaking that is more than just a little bit off. It's more than cockiness or arrogance. In fact, I wouldn't use either of those adjectives to describe him. He speaks in a way that is different from the way that most people communicate and it offends people and is extremely oft putting. Lance then makes you aware that he doesn't care that you are offended. I hope that Floyd Landis is wrong and that nothing comes out of this latest indictment. Lance has had a fabulous career even though he was not a classics rider and didn't do much in any of the other grand tours, the Giro or the Vuelta. He still is the Tour champion 7 times in a row a feat that will likely not be duplicated in the foreseeable future. Even though I doubt he is innocent, I hope that he is vindicated.

Closed my MA put short. Did a quick intra day GOOG call short that worked today. Closed my long AMZN call position in one account for a nice win but left the same position open in another account. Guh. Well, I think it is overdone and will wait for the selling pressure to subside before exiting. Still long IBM calls, backwards a little bit, and long SIVB stock.