Has The Rubber Band Snapped?

Remember the first couple of lines of the Grease song, Greased Lightning (c'mon I know most of you just broke out into song)?

Need some prompting...
Why this car is automatic
It's systematic

Systematic...ah there's the rub.

It was the first word that crossed my mind when I thought about the recent doping scandals.

With an almost religious-like zeal, Dick Pound and WADA have systematically dismantled the top echelon of cycling. Armstrong retired, Ullrich implicated, Landis is awaiting his arbitration hearing, and now Basso confesses.

Could the elasticity of pro cycling's attempts to perpetuate their culture of falsehoods have finally snapped? Would cycling's fanbase return if the sport was cleansed of all it improprieties? Should we now anticipate others following Basso's lead and take responsiblity for their actions?

Could've, Would've, Should've...

Whole Lot of Nuthin'
How much dope could a doper dope, if a doper could dope blood?

Apparently, NONE!

That's what essentially came out of the Ivan Basso's "admission of guilt" presser.

He gave his blood with the intention of doping, but he never doped. He has proclaimed himself CLEAN! "All my victories were obtained in an honest manner and nobody can contest what I achieved in the 2006 Giro d'Italia no more than the other results I achieved during my career," Basso said.

Sound the trumpets, release the doves...all is right in the world of cycling! One of our heroes is still CLEAN!
Ah Granny, we don't have any of that? We have a kazoo and a grasshopper.
A kazoo and a grasshopper??!!
Ah yeah, that's all the sponsors would flip for.
Wait a minute, we have sponsors??

Frankly that's all this non-admission of guilt deserves. Don Vito? Sounds more like Fredo!

So the request to leave Discovery Channel, all the consternation, the weight on his shoulder, was all for what, giving blood to the wrong person...isn't that a Red Cross violation!

Damn, I gave a pint last month, where's WADA, where's USADA, where are all the journalist?

Ah Granny, you've never won a Grand Tour, and you're blood was intended to help others.
Then, sound the kazoo, release the grasshopper...

For more on the press conference, Click HERE.