Courageous admissions? - Another chapter for Lance Armstrong
I am tired of reading about Lance Armstrong and the allegations by his former teammates. In another unrelated case, I read about US Speed Skater, Simon Cho and his recent admission of tampering with another skater's blades. What is wrong with our society and what appears to be a perpetual need to break the rules?
In the case of Armstrong, I have always been a supporter, but am now getting beyond caring of whether or not the allegations are true. In a sport that was known for doping, one could simply say that the competition was fair and let it go. With all of the other riders in that era being caught or admitting guilt many years later it seems that amongst all the top competitors the competition was fair. Then, if Armstrong really did dope as accused, he still won. Amongst a field of dopers he was the best and ended up on top 7 times. If he did not dope during those years then his prowess is only magnified.
What is clear, cycling has a big problem and I am going to guess that unfortunately most sports have problems. Back in the late 70's and early 80's in my physical education classes, we would talk about steroids and performance enhancing drugs. We would attempt to differentiate between vitamins and special diets and any other "legal" means to enhance performance and steroids being used to enhance performance. What was the line between legal performance enhancement and illegal performance enhancement?
For example, suppose an athlete discovers a special fruit deep from the jungles in Brazil. Then after eating this berry he gets super human powers and a massive increase in his bloods oxygen carrying capacity? Is he a cheater and a doper? Is he breaking the rules because he is using a substance that is not out in the open and on the tables for all to use? Or is he a champion through chemistry?
Not following the rules of sport is wrong and it nullifies the competition. In a sport like cycling, they all seemed to dope, so at this point who cares? Why should a group of 26 that included 11 former teammates, admitted cheaters and others be believed any more than Armstrong? What is their goal?
What if a scientist testified that the damage done to Armstrong's body, just after his cancer treatment was so great that if he did take EPO, he would only just get back to the level of an athlete who never had to fight cancer?
I wish all of these guys would go away. I see no strength our courage in admitting guilt for participating in an alleged major coverup so many years later. These guys have nothing to lose and everything to gain through their admissions. If anyone at this stage has something to lose it is Armstrong. Where were these courageous men when their admissions would have really counted?
What is more beneficial? Cleaning up the sport of cycling or inspiring people to cure and survive cancer? I see no benefit to sport or the world situation by bringing these allegations public so many years later. I would have rather let this gang of 26 and Lance Armstrong live in private with how they pursued their lives and dreams as athletes and citizens, allowing the fans to still have their visions and dreams. I see no moral or ethical benefit to society by their admissions and accusations.