I just saw on the newswire the kind of reporting that really pisses me off. I’m not sure if the reporter is stupid or sleazy. It’s in the Business Digest of the Salt Lake City Tribune, and in a rather innocuous short article by someone named Linda Fantin. The article is announcing that Lance will be Guest of Honor and Keynote speaker for the Nu Skin worldwide convention called, “Choose to be a Champion”, held from October 5th thru 8th. Ok. fine....

But then she adds this paragraph:
“Armstrong has been accused by other cyclists of taking performance-enhancing drugs, which may explain the disclaimer on Nu Skin's Web site: Lance Armstrong's speaking engagement at the Nu Skin Enterprises Global Convention does not imply an endorsement of the company or its products.”

Hello, Linda, are you dense or what? The disclaimer is there because Lance is a paid keynote speaker, just like other celebrities who appear at conventions, and Nu Skin is not retaining (paying) him to endorse their product.

Pretty simple... The same as when Tiger Woods is a keynote speaker at a convention, or any other sports celebrity. There is no hidden meaning, Linda, it’s just business. A disclaimer is required so there will be no implied endorsement of the product... You write a Business Digest column, don’t you? I guess I am assuming that you have some grasp of business principles. It’s obvious that you’ve not done your homework about cycling...

Yeah - I wrote her a email.... I’ll let you know if she responds...

Photo is Stage 20 before the big TT - Lance and the kids are playing, while the other teams are warming up...