Livestrong gear - now less likely to wear?

[UpDownUp]

Do you own any Livestrong gear and if you did / do would you now be less likely to wear it?

[Kenzo]

I have a Livestrong t-shirt. It's my lawn mowing shirt - and I wear it every time I mow the lawn and that wont change 'cause I'm a bit nuts like that.
However - I'll just mow the lawn less often.

[marty_one]

If I did have Livestrong gear I would still wear it. Only because of the work they do for cancer and cancer research, it's not just Armstrong's money involved with this now.

[Parker]

Still wear it, actually was wearing my running gear the day the story broke, it's yellow, it's nike... SOLD

[warthog1]

Should be some cheap bibs and jerseys on eBay shortly.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

If I did have Livestrong gear I would still wear it. Only because of the work they do for cancer and cancer research, it's not just Armstrong's money involved with this now.

You do realise they spend no money on cancer research? None, zip, nada. And they have one of the worst administration cost ratios of all "charities"?

[zero]

If I did have Livestrong gear I would still wear it. Only because of the work they do for cancer and cancer research, it's not just Armstrong's money involved with this now.

Livestrong hasn't in anyway supported cancer research for years. Majority of funds donated to it have historically been used to promote it, run it or collect donations for it. The only practical thing it does is remind people that a superfit guy once survived cancer and offer some support to some cancer patients.

Curing cancer in general is not aligned with its core objectives.

[norbs]

If I did have Livestrong gear I would still wear it. Only because of the work they do for cancer and cancer research, it's not just Armstrong's money involved with this now.

You do realise they spend no money on cancer research? None, zip, nada. And they have one of the worst administration cost ratios of all "charities"?

Alex, got any references for those facts. I am not doubting you, just curios to see the numbers in black and white.

[Cardy George]

If I did have Livestrong gear I would still wear it. Only because of the work they do for cancer and cancer research, it's not just Armstrong's money involved with this now.

Have a read:

Outside Online - It's Not About The Lab Rats

Wow, beaten to the punch so quickly.......

Of the money they do raise, around the world the vast majority goes to USA patients

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Some Livestrong money was used to pay a lobbyist in Washington to lobby government to take USADA down.

[roller]

Curing cancer in general is not aligned with its core objectives.

curing cancer would put it out of business.

that's the last thing lance wants, no more CA$$$H for him!

[Jono L.]

Figures for the most recent financial accounts for Armstrong’s foundation show it had an income of $43million ($41m AUD) in the year ending December 31, 2011, of which almost $15.6m were donations. Of the $34.1m spent in the same period, only $4.78m was spent on grants and awards for cancer sufferers and organisations helping them.

The notion that Armstrong’s charity work somehow excuses him is challenged unequivocally by Andreu. "He’s like Bernie Madoff, who gave millions to leukaemia charities and his family was hit heavily by cancer," she said. "It’s the classic do-good then you can hide behind it when you’re doing the bad. It was the perfect obstruction.

‘They’ve given barely nothing to cancer research, it’s about cancer awareness. There are many wonderful foundations which give money to cancer research. Give your money to them, not to Livestrong."

http://www.news.com.au/national/whilste ... 6496770763

[Alex Simmons/RST]

If I did have Livestrong gear I would still wear it. Only because of the work they do for cancer and cancer research, it's not just Armstrong's money involved with this now.

You do realise they spend no money on cancer research? None, zip, nada. And they have one of the worst administration cost ratios of all "charities"?

Alex, got any references for those facts. I am not doubting you, just curios to see the numbers in black and white.

Their annual financial report should do, although they claim to support "scientific" research, the only research they support pertains to "cancer awareness". i.e. - are you aware of cancer? Are you aware that Lance had cancer and came back to race (I'm serious - they have awareness raising on this with schools kids) ? Nothing whatsoever to do with medical research.

Now I am not saying that awareness and support programs for those afflicted with or supporting those with cancer is a bad thing. But this is first and foremost a PR machine.

http://www.livestrong.org/pdfs/4-0/2010 ... -Statement

In years past, they have also provided a couple of grants to medical / university institutions worth a couple of $mill. In an amazing coincidence, they went to the doctors who would not testify against LA.

[Jono L.]

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-ad ... -Rats.html

If Lance Armstrong went to jail and Livestrong went away, that would be a huge setback in our war against cancer, right? Not exactly, because the ­famous nonprofit donates almost ­nothing to scientific research. BILL GIFFORD looks at where the money goes and finds a mix of fine ideas, millions of dollars aimed at “awareness,” and a few very blurry lines

[master6]

My 06 Trek in Discovery Channel blue livery is still a nice bike; nothing has changed. I think that drugged people have probably ridden most brands of bike.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/cancer.html

[Cardy George]

My 06 Trek in Discovery Channel blue livery is still a nice bike; nothing has changed. I think that drugged people have probably ridden most brands of bike.

Agreed, but now when I think about wearing my Commemorative Yellow Jersey with his name clearly written on it, I have to decide of I want field all the questions from those who know and those who think they know.

It might have to become my wet weather jersey.......

[marty_one]

Have a read:

Outside Online - It's Not About The Lab Rats

Wow, beaten to the punch so quickly.......

Of the money they do raise, around the world the vast majority goes to USA patients

Wow, had no idea it was such a con!! With some of the limited stuff that I had heard from interviews and as such I honestly thought that his charity was helping to provide funds for research. I was contemplating getting some of the merchandise which I thought also helped to raise money for support/research, wont be doing that now.

[sogood]

I have never fallen for the Livestrong aura. Red Cross and other well established govt/non-govt organizations are the only ones I trust when it comes to private donations. And yes, I have also long questioned Livestrong's US focus, one that leaves no reason why we "2nd or 3rd world" countries should pay for the health of US citizens when the US govt's military budget tops the total of the next 10 countries? Anyway, for those who are interested, Livestrong Foundation publishes their financials. I have not gone through it and not likely to.

http://www.livestrong.org/Who-We-Are/Ou ... nformation

[biker jk]

Presumably, those Lemond bikes (which Trek used to sell) must be worth much, much, more now that Greg is the only American winner of the Tour de France.

[find_bruce]

My 06 Trek in Discovery Channel blue livery is still a nice bike; nothing has changed. I think that drugged people have probably ridden most brands of bike.

Agreed, but now when I think about wearing my Commemorative Yellow Jersey with his name clearly written on it, I have to decide of I want field all the questions from those who know and those who think they know.

It might have to become my wet weather jersey.......

Nah, you just need to work on your sense of irony.

Do you remember the TISM hit from the 90's "(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River" ? Anytime someone asks you a question just start singing

I'm on the drug, I'm on the drug,
I'm on the drug that powered Lance Armstrong.

I saw his pedals thrashing round
I saw what was going down
I saw him taking EPOs
I said "I'll have some of those"

Levi had, Levi had
Levi had it in his veins

[boss]

My 06 Trek in Discovery Channel blue livery is still a nice bike; nothing has changed. I think that drugged people have probably ridden most brands of bike.

Agreed, but now when I think about wearing my Commemorative Yellow Jersey with his name clearly written on it, I have to decide of I want field all the questions from those who know and those who think they know.

It might have to become my wet weather jersey.......

For me, it's not so much about the drugs... it's the fact he seems kinda like a jerk. If this were not a family friendly forum, I'd use much stronger language to describe his character!

I only recently got into road cycling, but am very into other facets of bike riding. I don't own any Livestrong stuff, and certainly wouldn't purchase any. I'd rather give my hard earned to another brand.

Two weeks ago, prior to reading the USADA's Reasoned Decision and Tyler Hamilton's book, I would have probably considered wearing Livestrong stuff!

One thing that I don't really get - is why all Lance's sponsors are standing by him. Surely they can see the writing on the wall.

[hannos]

One thing that I don't really get - is why all Lance's sponsors are standing by him. Surely they can see the writing on the wall.

But are these sponsors now actively using him or his brand for anything?
Will they renew the contracts when they expire?
And considering Lance's penchant for law suits, it might just be safer and simpler to let the contracts lapse.

[jules21]

there's a guy i saw at the Audax Alpine Classic who was dressed up in all-Discovery Channel gear, with the Lance Trek bike - the whole deal, everything he was wearing and riding was Team DC/Lance based. i wonder how he feels now?

[biftek]

Curing cancer in general is not aligned with its core objectives.

curing cancer would put it out of business.

that's the last thing lance wants, no more CA$$$H for him!

not just livestrong , but a host of other agencies , cancer council for example which spent $185k on an application for .cancerresearch and an annual registration fee of 25k
For the many hundred of millions of dollars that the cancer council has received, I'm not even sure what their mandate is anymore. I know once upon a time they were interested in curing cancer, but I think they realised that would put them out of a job.