When it comes to tell all confessionals you would think that they are ratings gold; a chance for a fallen hero to stop the descent (by bottoming out) and a journalist to break the big story (not to mention kill it in the ratings). Of course when things like this happen both parties involved have agendas the question is always whether they will do what they set out to and whether it was worth it.
In this case I think the answer has to be no; neither accomplished their goal completely.
The only reason that Lance did the interview has to be to rehab his image enough so that he can either race again or at least become a worthy spokesperson that can bank a little cash again from endorsements.
From how American usually reacts to confessions/fallen heroes I can see the logic. Ray Lewis (murder trial), Michael Vick (dog fighting), Ben Roethlisberger (alleged sexual assault) and countless other athletes have been accepted back in the fold--why not him?
He might have accomplished this had he actually taken to the interview with the proper state of mind. Instead he opted to remain secretive, dodging questions with impressive ability, putting the onus back on Oprah at times with relative ease.
The fool even lied to Oprah in the interview (which he has admitted). How can we really take anything this guy says seriously. At one point he refers to his $75 million day when he lost his endorsements. he also talked about having to step down from the Livestrong Foundation as being the most humbling point.
What this does is scream me, me, me! Lance Armstrong is still out for No. 1. There has been talk that he could receive a lighter sentence and not be banned for life. It appears that the chance to compete is all he wants.
He is not going to make much if any money from cycling or endorsements. Chances are that if he was smart enough to pull this off for as long as he did that he is not hurting for money and his kids will never hurt for money.
So in the end it comes down to him being bored. No one wants him to talk anymore. He is no longer an inspriation. He can't race anymore. He's got nothing to do.
If there is any justice his lifetime ban will stay in place.
As for Oprah...in a way she got what she wanted. Her network has not been the hit that she thought it was going to be when she quit her daytime gig. The interview was a ratings hit for her. However, on a personal level her reputation will suffer.
There were many times that she could have gone in for the kill, but didn't. Her questions were soft and often pretty easy. Lance appeared to be completely in control of the interview, something that should never happen--if the journalist is worth a grain of salt.
Oprah has been one of the best, but in this case she appeared to be going through the motions more than anything else. I almost have to wonder if Lance approached her and agreed to it on the stipulation that she do it in a certain way. In the process he would get to come clean (but only say what he wanted to say) and she could get some much needed ratings.
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