Warped sense of values

Some wise guy once said you’re not cheating unless you’re caught. If you can get away with deceit for an advantage, go ahead and do it. If you’re found out, apologize and ask for forgiveness. After all, you’re only human and everyone makes mistakes.

Lance Armstrong’s confession that he used performance-enhancing-drugs (PEDs) to string up seven consecutive Tour de France victories from 1999 to 2005 was a desperate act to salvage a losing situation. The fact that he did it on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show was an indication of insincerity – Armstrong wanted to use the celebrity’s widely popular program as a vehicle to launch a recovery platform. Winfrey shouldn’t have agreed to be manipulated but then, her motive was probably as murky as Armstrong’s. Winfrey couldn’t care less about Armstrong’s sincerity. She was in it for the ratings and you can’t blame her for that. If she was asked to treat Armstrong with kid gloves in exchange for an exclusive appearance, then Winfrey could be guilty of compromising journalistic ethics.

Armstrong, 41, was a manufactured character of superhero proportions. Here was an athlete diagnosed to be suffering from a form of testicular cancer in 1996 with a supposedly 50-50 chance of survival because the disease had spread to the brain and lungs. He underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Four months after his diagnosis, Armstrong was declared cancer-free and less than a year later, was back on the professional cycling tour. Remarkably, Armstrong went on to win all those Tour of France titles and became an inspiration to all. 

Throughout his comeback, there were allegations that Armstrong was on PEDs. He strongly denied the accusations and over 600 drug tests produced negative results. Armstrong sued a slew of accusers and skeptics suspicious of drug use to preserve a reputation as a clean-living, overachieving cancer survivor. But when over 10 former teammates testified that he was a drug user and pusher to avoid being severely penalized themselves, the truth finally prevailed. The United States Anti-Doping Agency revealed findings of Armstrong’s drug use and the Union Cycliste Internationale announced a lifetime ban. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped Armstrong of recognition as a cycling third placer in the road time trial at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and has asked for the return of the bronze medal. The IOC has also banned Armstrong from ever participating in the Olympics.

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In his heyday, Armstrong was like a demi-god who could do no wrong. He left his first wife Kristin for singer Sheryl Crow and eventually wound up with another woman with whom he fathered two children, conceived naturally despite a previous prognosis of impotency due to his cancer. Whatever indiscretions Armstrong had, the public was forgiving because he was Superman. He signed multi-million dollar contracts to endorse a variety of products for Oakley, Nike, RadioShack, Anheuser-Busch, Trek Bicycle and others. 

Armstrong retired from pro cycling after his seventh Tour de France win in 2005 but came back in 2009. Early last year, he turned to pro triathlon. Armstrong was a US sprint course triathlon champion in 1989 and 1990 so it was like going full circle. 

What is alarming in Armstrong’s disclosure is how he was able to avoid detection for years. He has admitted to using testosterone (“the building block from which all steroids are created … strength, speed, recovery: this is what testosterone is all about,” wrote Gabriel Montoya in Boxing News) and erythropoietin or EPO (“increases red blood cell production, thus creating more oxygen in the blood and increasing endurance,” noted Montoya). But how did he escape detection in over 600 drug tests? There is proof that Armstrong made contributions to anti-doping agencies but did he bribe his way out of positive tests? If drug tests are inutile, how many champion athletes are on PEDs? 

Writer Scott Ostler said when listening to cheat confessions, “I never sensed shame or regret which is probably because cheating is genetically ingrained, an extension of the competitive nature of man … with some athletes I interviewed, I got the sense they believe it’s dishonorable, dumb or unmanly NOT to cheat.”

Is there a difference between a basketball player, having touched the ball last before it went out of bounds, trying to convince the referee it was off the guy in a different uniform and an athlete who takes a PED to gain an unfair advantage in competition? Winning at all costs has warped the sense of values among some athletes. You never compromise the integrity of sports for if you do, how do deliver the message of honesty, sportsmanship, working hard and discipline to young athletes? Sports is a vehicle to build character not a window of opportunity for an athlete to become a conscienceless monster. 

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On the Winfrey show, Armstrong wasn’t completely truthful as he spoke about keeping a promise to his former wife to be drug-free in his 2009 comeback. It now appears his former wife was in on his drug shenanigans and he used PEDs in his comeback. Armstrong has dug a deeper hole for himself. He talked about leveling the playing field as if to justify the use of drugs as a way to cover for a handicap and was totally out of whack. 

If his intention was to generate public sympathy for making a clean breast of his drug use, it certainly didn’t work – Armstrong has lost all credibility as a chronic liar. If his intention was to try to win back the $75 Million he lost in endorsement contracts, it didn’t work. If his intention was to campaign for the lifting of his lifetime ban, it didn’t work. If his intention was to begin a new career as a celebrity speaker, it didn’t work. Armstrong is a disgrace to sports and to humanity not only because he cheated as an athlete using drugs but also because he pushed drugs. He deserves the most severe sanction conceivable for an athlete gone wrong. Livestrong has outlived its relevance.