The Soap Oprah

Blood transfusions, EPO, cortisone.. the skeletons have rolled out of the cupboard and the bones have shattered the myth of miracles. Whatever convinced Lance to come clean on his dalliance with doping certainly came a trifle too late. Probably he had nothing to lose and a clear conscience would have seemed inviting. The cancer survivor who won seven Tour De France titles certainly closed a sordid chapter that he opened himself. This leaves the world short on heroes bereft of one of the most iconic figures to don the sporting landscape. Would he still be a pin up boy for others fighting the dreaded scorpion or a disgrace that needs to be shunned. Armstrong leaves a legacy that will be debated for years to come. Just hope that his story is more a lesson than inspiration to all who loved and hated him in equal measure.

The grand slam of the Asia-Pacific is well under way and there have been no major upsets other than the plucky Laura Robson sending Kvitova packing in the second round. The seeds have had a smooth sailing and that would only help them in the searing Melbourne summer. The match up of Roger and Davydenko presented the epitome of contrasting styles between two contemporaries. Federer, the master of technique, disguise and cat like court coverage versus the hard hitting two handed backhand of Nikolay. That Federer went through in straight sets is testimony to the fact that a goldsmith still calls the shots when it comes to a slugfest with an iron-smith. The other top seeds in Murray, Nole and Ferrer have been nothing short of sublime either and it would probably take a big upset to see one of these not making the final four.

Manchester United have a strong grip on the BPL title with a clear 7 point lead over their neighbors. Sir Alex would not forgive a slip from this position and the tophy looks destined for its favorite home in Manchester. Rooney may be missing spot kicks but has not lost any trust from his team in front of the goal. With RVP in prime form, he may just need to take those a little more carefully. Pep has decided to add his Barca touch to Bayern but  he would not have a certain Messi to replicate the deluge of silver ware that he won with the Spanish giants. Does a coach make the team...we shall see.