Phil Liggett says Lance Armstrong's accusers were motivated by jealousy

Liggett: ridiculous, retire, or at least take a back seat. But Sean, for all that I'll always admire him above all other sports persons, has never been guilty of uttering a syllable on drugs in cycling. Omertà? a bit chatty.

"I think Lance was keeping the biggest slice of the cake and living the lifestyle of an 'A' class celebrity,"

A "Class A" celebrity, surely?

Last season I said what stinking vermin are Liggett and Sherwin when the gold mine story came out. I repeat my disgust now.

It's a shame that they are now on Sky Sports, whose crap coverage is showing the TDU this year. Mind you, they are probably Rupert Murdoch's idea of upstanding guys.

Come back, Carlton - verbal diarrheoa and all.

Thanks, Phil: bye, now.

Hasen't Phil been around since flip-flop hubs and all wool kits ? Old announcers are like fish, if it stays in your icebox too long, it starts to smell.

I hate to say it, but I've always enjoyed Paul and Phil on the Tour. I'm probably a lot older than most of you and can remember , with total satisfaction, when the Tour was first on the tv. Before that we had zilch! It's the one "must see" tv in the year. I've not seen Liggett's comments until I read these comments tonight.
Perhaps Phil is still reluctant to see the loss of one of his heroes, I know I am. Obviously times have changed and we now have Cav and Wiggo to cheer. I'm convinced that they're clean, they would probably be lynched by British cyclists if they were'nt....

I've not read all the comments here so sorry if I'm repeating stuff but it's very sad to see Phil Liggett apparently supporting Lance Armstrong. The punishment for Armstrong is severe but it seems that it is his whole attitude and behaviour in recent years, not just the fact that he kept winnign the tour on drugs, that has led to such a mighty downfall.

@Colin Peyresourde

Agree entirely, Mr P. Liggett's commentary is like listening to your grandfather trying to remember his shopping list. Harmon is up there with those sports commentary greats, Johnners, Blowers, CM-J and Aggers, Ted Lowe, Dan Maskell, Walker and Hunt, and Toby and Julian (Eurosport motorcycling) by comparison. Though his sidekick, Kelly's curmudgeonly grunts have become increasingly irksome. For my own part, after all the doping shenanigans last year, I've now got shot of the Eurosport option as my belief that the cycling we get now is real (viz one Peter Sagan, if he's clean, I'm the Pope) is very thin so now point paying for a channel exclusively for a sport that you're stretched to believe in. So I'll probably catch a bit of the Tour (especially if the little cheating pistol boy isn't riding) on ITV4 hopefully with another commentary team but with the sound muted if it's still Laurel and Hardy.

I'm glad Kimmage still has an interest in cycling. Getting sued by Pat & Hein is a badge of honour, really.

I cannot help thinking how much better Chasing Legends would have been without Phil & Paul.

C'mon Phil, get over it man. LA's admitted it. Not just the doping, but the bullying and manipulation and serial lying. Whatever the motivation, it still needed out. The omerta needed to be broken and people brought to account. Time to move on and admit you were taken for a huge ride and made an *ss of yourself.

There was an interesting article on VeloNews about how LA underestimated how dangerous an enemy he was making of Landis - http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/01/news/walsh-on-armstrong-landis-wa...) when Landis asked for help after his 2006 bust, and LA apparently told him to "go forth and multiply".

Are Phil and Paul still used for commentary in the US? I'd love to see the back of them. They're not the worst commentators (Carlton Kirby is), but there are plenty of better commentators out there. I'd employ Daniel Lloyd.

David Walsh - Jealous
Paul Kimmage - Jealous
Emma O'Reilly - Jealous
Betsy Adreau - Jealous
Greg Lemond - Jealous

I could go on obviously.

Ligget believes the reason these people wanted to OUT THE BULLY as a CHEAT AND A LIAR is jealousy !

Ligget is as mentally ill as Lance !

Ligget is a FUCKING IDIOT.... SIMPLES !

I recall Phil Liggett saying he could prove that "agents" were offering riders bribes to testify against Armstong. A straightforward lie. If you're not part of the solution...

He's just another Person who's dreams have been shattered. Give him a break, not everyone is as objective, rational and well informed like atypical forum posters.

He is past his sell by date now, use to have so much respect for him, now he's gone all David icke, turquoise shell suit next??

The ill-informed tabloid layman nature of many of these knee-jerking comments is a warm testament to how widely popular big money pro cycling has become. It's a business and a brand, just like Formula 1, snooker, or Big Daddy pro wrestling, and it'd be naive to think there's not a heap of pragmatic decisions being made within the races as well as the sport, even now.

Those saying they'll choose another commentator based on doping stance might want to read about those other commentators' own pasts a little.

If they were motivated by jealousy then surely this would have come out years ago. Most seem to have been keen to clear their name all for the cost of a 6 month out of season suspension and possible book contracts. Thos who ride with him were happy to ride in the strongest, most successful team and presumably share teh high winnings and annual contracts.

I have heard people say that LA has been lying for over 15 years hence his inability to realise how much damage he had done to those who stood in his path. He will show little empathy for a good while.

In the same vein, Phil Liggett has been LA's vocal supporter for almost as long. He cannot see LA as a criminal with huger personality defects. He was a member of his inner circle after all. He needs to say sorry just as much as Lance does and with conviction.

Phil Liggett - never mind the LA debate, he's just past it, has been for a few years now. His commentary has been woeful verging on cringeworthy - missing breaks or other race action, confusing the identity of riders, mis-pronouncing names.

Problem is he's a "name". It's Paul and Phil who between them conquered the entire US cycling commentary market thanks to LA.

Never underestimate just how interlinked everyone is in this. A lot of people seem to think LA = archvillain but the network is far far murkier than that. Have a look at this link - LA and his associates pretty much run US Cycling, a lot of the media and have a huge influence in politics. It's hardly surprising Phil has been defending him to the hilt.
http://www.cyclismas.com/2012/06/lance-armstrongs-business-links-a-flowc...

You'd have thought working in media that they ought to know when to keep their views to themselves.

It seems pretty clear that Landis and Hamilton at least were in no way motivated by "jealousy". Rather, they eventually blew off steam because they simply did not want to keep lying. Lance pretends he feels the same, but it isn't terribly convincing.

And George Hincapie was so "jealous" of Lance that he loyaly stayed put on the man's teams for years.

Time for these two to take over top spot in the next series of 'Spitting Image', now that would be funny.

Muppets. I wonder what the working conditions are like in the mine? Who cares as long as you get your money eh Phil!

Very bored now. Move on

Phil - if your in a hole stop digging

Shut up Phil, every extra word is just a bad idea. Don't you have an agent or something to help you through this?

Is it possible for Liggett to be anymore of a Pratt? Somehow he found a way, no matter what it took.