Lance Armstrong

[KnightShade]

I'm kind of astounded that someone hasn't made a thread on this already so I've decided to make one. For those who don't know he has admitted to use of multiple performance enhancing drugs in an interview with Oprah, to the extent where nearly everyone she named to him he answered yes. This is of course after several lawsuits against those accusing him of this. He has admitted to being deeply flawed but at the same time wants to excuse his actions with the argument that everyone else was also doing it. Well if everyone else was doing it, it was okay of course. I can swallow all this and even the fact that he's earned millions from it that he will never have to repay. No, what really irks me is that he thinks he should be given the chance to compete again. Rant over anyway, discuss.

[Mogtaki]

We didn't make a thread because we didn't really care, I guess. If he wants to bicycle then that's his desire. Just because somebody was on drugs before doesn't mean you should hate them for life and ban them from having fun.

[KnightShade]

I didn't say I hated him or that he should be banned from having fun. Biking competitevly is a different matter entirely.

[Mogtaki]

Well, everyone is acting like it's a big deal when barely anybody knew him anyway, only ever heard of this guy because the news had nothing better to report.

[Foster]

Summary:
Lance: Banned from riding bicycles for going too fast and having too much fun while doing it.

He'd also make an excellent kickboxer.

[Hellis]

Well, everyone is acting like it's a big deal when barely anybody knew him anyway, only ever heard of this guy because the news had nothing better to report.

The man headed charitys, was one of the most celebrated sportmen in the world for a number of years -The fact that you don't know him does not equate to the entire world. Infact it has been all over the news for a couple of months now.

[Mogtaki]

The man headed charitys, was one of the most celebrated sportmen in the world for a number of years -The fact that you don't know him does not equate to the entire world. Infact it has been all over the news for a couple of months now.

In only certain countries, what he did is not as bad as Jimmy Saville, that's for sure.

[Hellis]

In only certain countries, what he did is not as bad as Jimmy Saville, that's for sure.

Not even close. But that is not really part of the issue here. Saville is dead, he can never be punished he got away. His crime is so vile its in a catagory of it's own.

back to lance: He was one of the Worlds biggest sport stars, he headed a giant chararity organization and he literally sued people who tried to prove he was on drugs. The only time you ever saw anything in swedish news about bicycling was when Lance was involved. The man defined the sport.

[Mogtaki]

Problem is, that's why it made a good story because he's a celebrity. He defined the sport because he's the only guy people know when it comes to cycling because of American media and their uncanny ability to blow everything out of proportion.

[Dervish]

For some reason, I didn't really found myself outraged or even really upset by the whole thing. He probably had a point that he wasn't the only one who did it, not that it excuses his actions but it makes you wonder if he managed to get away with it for so long, who else is dirty? The only real tragedy I see out of this is how the whole Live Strong cancer foundation's name is pretty much tarnished now, which is a damn shame because it's a good cause. The radio station I listen to had a web poll of which cheater was worse, Lance Armstrong or Tiger Woods, and Tiger came away with 75% of the public vote. I get the feeling that there's a general feeling of apathy or just plain disappointment over Lance Armstrong other than outrage. I think a part of that is also because his competitions that he won where he was doping was a while ago, it's not fresh on people's minds like if it was uncovered during the Olymics or Tour de France and what not. That and I think him being a cancer survivor is a huge part of that perception, we're told for years of how inspirational he is for overcoming a terrible illness and turning his life around to become a champion, so that's not something that just goes away in people's minds when something like a doping scandal shows up.

Either way, the guy's paying for it now. Maybe a bit more scrutiny will come out of this for suspicious athletes.