Progress comes to cycling in stages

Around this time last week, I was set to post about the Tour de France, praising the fact that not one rider in the field tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. One week later, thanks to the unavailability of Wi-Fi in Disney World, my post will be much less celebratory.

It was hyped as the most epic Tour ever, with the winners of the last 10 runnings in the field. And while it wasn’t as “epic” as its billing, the 22 days of racing through France unfolded without the doping monster that has so plagued the sport in recent years rearing its ugly head.

That is until last week, when it was revealed that Mikel Astarloza, winner of Stage 16 and 11th overall, tested positive for recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) in an out-of-competition test in June.

Another championship chapter

The story of Michael Phelps might get old after a while for some people, what with the endorsement deals and Saturday Night Live appearances and tabloid scandals.

But when it comes to what happens in the pool, there’s plenty still to be written in what is already the most illustrious story in swimming and Olympic history.

Saturday’s 100 m Butterfly final at the World Championships showed the epitome of what Phelps — as a sports icon — is all about.

Welcome to the NFL…and primetime TV

I always hear people criticize the NFL as being the “No Fun League”, and sometimes it’s unfair. Other times, it’s right on the money.

Take, for example, the new 2010 NFL Draft schedule, which will now have the draft’s seven rounds spread out over three days. Round 1 will air on Thursday night, April 22 at 7:30, with Rounds 2 and 3 the following night at 6:30, and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday morning at 10.

It’s being pitched as a way to give the common fan more access to an event that is growing in popularity (39 million viewers in 2009). “Moving the first round to prime time on Thursday night will make the first round of the draft available to fans on what is typically the most-watched night of television,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement on Thursday.

Right, because every hard-working fan, who has to work that much harder to pay exorbitant season ticket prices, wants nothing more than to come home near the end of the work week and hear three hours of Chris Berman’s antics.