Editorial: Say it ain’t so

Friday, July 27, 2007 | 7:28 a.m.

The Tour de France bicycle race heads toward its finish in Paris on Sunday, clouded by doping allegations that forced two teams and the event's overall leader to drop out of the 21-stage race this week.

Michael Rasmussen, a 33-year-old rider from Denmark, was yanked from the race and fired from team Rabobank on Thursday because he skipped three random drug tests earlier this summer by lying about where he was.

The Switzerland-based Astana team withdrew from the race this week after team member Alexander Vinikourov tested positive for the presence of another person's blood cells. And France's Cofidis team also withdrew this week after member Cristian Moreni tested positive for manufactured testosterone.

Seven teams staged a protest by refusing to start Wednesday's portion of the race, saying that the ongoing doping violations are ruining their sport.

But cycling isn't the only sport recently disgraced by scandal.

On the eve of the British Open a week ago, golfer Gary Player said during a news conference that he knew of at least one professional golfer who used steroids and urged golfing organizations to develop a random drug-testing program.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted last week on charges that he and three others operated a kennel where they bred fighting pit bulls.

And this week it was revealed that Tim Donaghy, a 13-year NBA referee, resigned this month after FBI and Justice Department officials notified the NBA that Donaghy was being investigated on suspicions of betting and fixing basketball games .

Whether driven by greed, arrogance, selfishness or a combination of all three, these acts undermine the sportsmanship and sense of fair competition that Americans value and expect professional athletes to possess. It has been a sad and disappointing month for sports and the fans who support them.