This is the second installment of this post. To read the first part click here
Lance Armstrong's biggest mistake and enemy is... Lance Armstrong. He is arrogant, smug, a bully, manipulative, and a sociopath. He has always mistreated the media, doubters, and most of all, naysayers. By now, most of you heard and/or read about several ex-girlfriends, (Sheryl Crow in particular) state Lance has admitted to taking steroids. Crow stated "Lance is a bad person" after they broke up. Armstrong responded by claiming his ex's are bitter, jealous, and wrathful. He even left a voicemail stating he hopes one of them get beaten with a bat. He has constantly gotten in his own way but has maintained his secret for over 15 years with power, intelligence and "mob-like" behavior.
However, we have heard for years from Lance that he is innocent and why would he do this do his body after going through cancer, even though, it is recently discovered he was using before he was diagnosed? Isn't that just the problem with compulsive liars? Once one gets started, they can't stop compounding lie after lie and after awhile, they start believing in them. The lies become such a prime part of one's being, it becomes the truth. They don't know what to believe anymore leading to more lying. One becomes engulfed. It's all they know and they will fight for it.
Look, I am not excusing Armstrong's behavior, just stating an observation of patterns. For example, a serial killer murders innocent people because they were beaten and mistreated as a child. We are not excusing the murders but we understand how one got to this point.
Lance worked so hard to get back from cancer and knew the only way to win was to cheat and be the best at it. It was the only way to win. In a sport were everyone cheats, no one does. That's why the Union Cyclist Internationale can't give the seven Tour de France titles to anyone. Everyone was compromised.
In 2005, they would have to go the 23rd finisher to give the title to. 23rd!
Lance got tired of getting his ass-kicked and decided to join the ranks. He just found a way to get away with it. He never got caught. Past every test and was supported by the UCI (the same institution that stripped him of the 7 Tour de France titles) due to all of the press he was receiving.
That's the funny thing in all this. The UCI was fine with him cheating (and they knew) when he was bringing in sponsors, popularity, interest, and money to the sport but once he left, it didn't take long til they were at his throat.
Armstrong then used his popularity, money, and awareness to start Livestrong in 2003 and raised 470 million dollars. It made 48 million dollars in 2012 alone... in a recession and after USADA started their investigation in July.
When Livestrong started, it became a movement. In high school, it was a fashion crime if you didn't wear the Livestrong bracelets. Now, every cancer has it's own bracelet, ribbon, and color. It's all because of Lance Armstrong.
The cancer survivor visited thousands of hospitals to spend time with patients and creating very close relationships with some of the them.
Now, we find out, he destroyed people's lives by trampling all over them with lies, false accusations, manipulation, and power.
And here lies the dilemma as a Lance Armstrong supporter.
What is greater?... The sum or the difference?
I am trying to find balance on an uneven scale.
Lance Armstrong found a way to beat his opponents the same way they were beating him (that's why you don't hear anything from his competitors), propel himself to worldwide fame, use the fame to create the most lucrative cancer charity on the planet, build a brand, and became a hero. However, he did it by cheating, lying, eradicated anyone who got in his way, and fraud ed an entire nation who endured him.
I am going to still support him. Lance Armstrong has done so much more good than bad, the result justifed the means.
Graphic novels V for Vendetta and Watchmen can support my point. In both stories, the protagonist(s) uses evil means to get something good for the public. Both use power, manipulation, lies, and deceit to get what they want. Both are celebrated as heroes.
And I understand this is fiction, but we all use excuses and false truths to convince ourselves something is good. What is so different from these stories to what Lance did? He has literally changed thousands, maybe even millions of lives from his actions. Can we really bury one of the most influential people in the past 20 years?
The man separated himself from the foundation so it wouldn't lose anymore creditability and still made almost 50 million dollars in 2012. The day USADA stripped him of his titles (which was illegal by the way), Livestrong received the most money in it's history over a 72 hour period. His impact is that massive.
I am just as eager to watch the Oprah Winfrey interviews, which is becoming this generations' Frost/Nixon and I can't wait.
Until then, keep training hard.
To be continued...
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