We learned two things about last night’s Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Lance Armstrong.  One is that Armstrong is not a very nice person and the second is that Oprah is not as smart as we all thought.

Let’s start with the first point.  We all knew (or at least suspected) that Lance cheated and threw anyone and everyone under the bus (including filing a lawsuit against his former masseuse Emily O’Reilly for outing him).  Armstrong came across as a very cold and calculating human being who would stop at nothing to win for fame and glory (what the hell did Sheryl Crow see in him).  Look up “Control Freak” in the dictionary and you’ll see his picture next to it.  That part of last night’s interview was actually not that shocking.

What was surprising is how Oprah handled the broadcast.  Many blogs and pundits are heaping praise on the former Queen of daytime talk, and while she did create a lot of buzz for OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network), there were several places where she dropped the ball.

The actual interview took place earlier in the week.  Trying to keep what was said secret was like trying to keep Lindsey Lohan from getting in trouble; it wasn’t going to happen.  Even Oprah appeared on the CBS Morning Show to promote the interview and all but said he admitted to cheating.  So what was left to watch?   There is no denying she did her homework and delivered what she promised (a no-hold bars interview), but unfortunately the news cycle had already moved on.

Sports fans had already turned their attention to the captivating drama surrounding Notre Dame super star Manit Te’o and his mystery girlfriend.  The window of public interest closes quickly, and Oprah did herself no favors by pushing the interview back.  She also could have saved the mea culpa for later in the broadcast.   The broadcast opened with her asking yes and no questions and we knew immediately that Armstrong doped in all seven Tour de France victories.

What was left after that?  Now we’re going to show what a real asshole you are?   No thanks, I get it.   It reminds one of a public flogging where crowds got to watch someone get punished in a public arena, but did you really feel Armstrong was getting beaten up by her questions?   If you didn’t get enough you’re in luck; the whipping continues tonight with Part Two.