TbV Soon To Be RIP

Yesterday on Trust But Verify, it was announced that they would 

be folding shop at the end of the year, leaving the site up as a monument to numerous kinds of human folly.

In my opinion- what can I say? TbV was is a great website, one of the best in all the internets. It showed how good the internet can be to our society.

 First and last it was a cycling blog; its founder, Dave Brower, unfortunately proved that with his bike accident in September as well as his (happier) descriptions of climbing Mt Diablo. He is truly one of us. 

Then you get to the reason for TbV's existence, the Floyd Landis case. Regardless of how you feel about Floyd's innocence or guilt, the level of reporting and analysis done in the 2+ years of the Landis saga is why this is a great internet site. They took a cycling controversy/scandal and went way beyond the tabloid news reporting that the MSM was spewing so that those of us who actually cared could better understand all the issues behind the case. 

And there were several major issues. In no particular order one can see the political agendas of WADA, UCI, ASO, USADA and various individuals (Travis Tygart, Pat McQuaid, Richard Young, Dick Pound, etc.)  in those organizations, the whole arbitration system with its guilty-until-proven-innocent slant, and the science behind the chemical analysis. Day after day more information came to light and one can only hope that by doing so various organizations have looked a little closer at how they do things. One hopes...

TbV reached its peak during the Landis arbitration in Santa Barbara Malibu. I was totally hooked; it was the main thing I was paying attention to during those days. Totally riveting even for this non-lawyer and non-chemist.  That the CAS hearing was closed door was a disappointment and that verdict they rendered.... sheesh. But I'm editorializing now...

With the last court case over and Floyd due to ride again it makes sense that TbV was due to close shop. I do have a wild hope that Floyd would send one more message, a message of appreciation. As for the rest of us, if you've been a frequent reader of the site now or in the past, go on over and say thank you. Thanks, TbV and Mrs. TbV. Thanks strbuk and Judge Bill Hue. Thanks Marc and Ali.  And thanks to all the contributers and fellow bloggers who took such a special interest in the case: Rant, Pommi, syi and many more. You folks have enriched our lives and when we next hear from you in relation to Floyd or in some other context our lives will be better for it.