Painstaking Work Is the Key for Armstrong

Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle, on Lance Armstrong winning his fourth consecutive Tour de France:

“The reason Armstrong has become the world’s most indomitable cyclist and America’s greatest athlete is two-pronged: He has both the physiology and the passion for his chosen vocation.

“Still, what truly distances Lance from the [pack] isn’t just the pleasure he gleans from being on his bike. All the lads love cycling--and certainly the celebrity it buys them. What they don’t share is his love for suffering.... The more Lance hurts [and] the more wasted he becomes, the happier he is.”

Second opinion: Skip Bayless of the San Jose Mercury News calls Armstrong “a triumph of physical and mental stamina” but disagrees with those promoting him as the world’s greatest athlete:

“Does Armstrong have great hand-eye coordination, body control or running speed? No. You wouldn’t bet a single franc on him in a superstars competition against a man about his size.”

Trivia time: Who was the last golfer to win the first three legs (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open) of the modern Grand Slam?

Before his time: Though he never won a Super Bowl, George Allen will be recognized as an innovator when the former Los Angeles Ram and Washington Redskin coach is posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Allen was the first to conduct off-season minicamps, and it was his idea to build Redskin Park, the league’s first year-round practice facility.

“That alone sets him apart--that he would have the vision to have an operation that would stand by itself,” said Bubba Tyler, the Redskins’ longtime trainer. “The things we’re doing today, we’re still doing because of George Allen.”

Helping hand: From Tom Fitzgerald of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Former President Jimmy Carter says he gladly would help mediate the labor dispute between baseball players and owners.

“Look for former President Bill Clinton, in a similar gesture of public service, to volunteer to mediate the WNBA labor dispute.”

More Fitzgerald: “Playboy will feature the women of Arthur Andersen. First it was the women of Enron, now the women of Arthur Andersen. Let’s hope the WNBA doesn’t go bankrupt.”

Looking back: On this day in 1982, the Atlanta Braves returned Chief Noc-A-Homa and his tepee to the left-field pavilion after losing 19 of 21 games and blowing a 10 1/2-game lead. The mascot was removed to allow for more seats. The Braves recovered to regain first place.

Trivia answer: Ben Hogan, in 1953. He didn’t play in the PGA Championship because of a scheduling conflict with the British Open.

And finally: Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, explaining his preference for the NFL over college football:

“Collegeheads sis-boom-bah over those wild, 45-42 WNBA kind of scores, whereas I say that’s what happens when you have two really bad defenses populated by players who, a year from now, will fail a Canadian League tryout and be the last persons on Earth lamenting the death of the XFL.

“College ball is Football Junior, an appetizer, an opening act, the audition ... for the NFL.”