Jump to content

Lance Armstrong


monkeyseemonkeydo

Recommended Posts

The BBC article I posted earlier has been updated and now includes a video of Oprah confirming that he admitted that he used performing enhancing drugs while she was interviewing him.

Either way I think the guy is a legend. I have seen what cancer does to people and lost a very good friend to the disease not that long ago (many of you on here knew him as well). Lance beat it and got back on a bike racing competitively at an international level, even with the use of banned substances I think it's amazing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Either way I think the guy is a legend. I have seen what cancer does to people and lost a very good friend to the disease not that long ago (many of you on here knew him as well). Lance beat it and got back on a bike racing competitively at an international level, even with the use of banned substances I think it's amazing.

I can almost agree with that, but I still think it's disgusting how he let himself be viewed as such an inspiration while doing all that. Actually the more I think about it the more I realize what a repulsive person he is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He did drugs, so did others. He won, so he was still better than the rest of them. The UCI couldn't catch him at the time, so they should hold their hands up and try harder with the current and next batch of riders. They're too scared to take their part of the responsibility in that this was possible so clearly (as humans) someone was going to do it - they f**ked up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeh, they're all cheating scum too. Much like speeding, just because everyone does it doesn't make it acceptable.

If they just removed all the rules, then there would be no cheating. They'd all die of heart failure at 24, but that would be their choice to make.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

to be honest I don't support doping in sports but if ' team mates' knew at the time they should have taken it to the relivent parties at the time.
I like the guy, he had a lot happen to him, he over came it and has raised a lot of awareness and funds for charity. I know a lot of people who face half the challenges he did would never work to get that edge back and would use it as an excuse to not bother pushing for anything.

Edited by Mule
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even if he did use drugs, I highly respect what he's done with his life.

Read his book and he genuinely suffered, one point he turned down a lift from the hospital to his ward or something and it was like a mile walk, he said it was the biggest thing he'd accomplished in a year...

A little bit of respect has been lost but he's come a long way for sure.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

to be honest I don't support doping in sports but if ' team mates' knew at the time they should have taken it to the relivent parties at the time.

The whole doping thing is no big deal at all, it was widespread in that era. It's how he's implicated with Ferrari etc. and how he's vilified those that did speak out at the time that shows how big of a fanny he is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it cant be both ways though, its either; a big thing that people should speak out about, or its a minor thing and people who speak out have a higher motive. I think its a big thing and people should have spoken out, before i get miss judged but that is a response from a modern standard people should be judged by the standards of there time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He did drugs, so did others. He won, so he was still better than the rest of them. The UCI couldn't catch him at the time, so they should hold their hands up and try harder with the current and next batch of riders. They're too scared to take their part of the responsibility in that this was possible so clearly (as humans) someone was going to do it - they f**ked up.

They shouldn't really have to though, that's like saying police are to blame for the actions of murderers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something to consider is that other highly successful riders have had titles or stage wins stripped due to doping, but the difference here is that when the going was "good" and they were still riding - cheating or not - not many of them used their success to raise millions for charity or be as motivational a figure as Lance was. I don't agree with what he did and all that jazz, but at least he used the position he was in to benefit others. I'm aware that he's obviously dicked some people through his actions, but at the same time I'd imagine the people helped to people screwed ratio would still work out favourably.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It still doesn't justify anything although I hope that what's happened will not be detrimental to Live Strong.

At one stage he donated 0.5m dollars to the anti doping association. Clever. Perhaps all the good that he's done was a way of redeeming himself for living a lie. It can't be easy knowing that you deserve nothing you've won and that you've stolen numerous titles from athletes who actually earned them through hard work and being honest. I guess this applies to anyone who used doping in road cycling but Armstrong is the most prominent and controversial of them all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something to consider is that other highly successful riders have had titles or stage wins stripped due to doping, but the difference here is that when the going was "good" and they were still riding - cheating or not - not many of them used their success to raise millions for charity or be as motivational a figure as Lance was. I don't agree with what he did and all that jazz, but at least he used the position he was in to benefit others. I'm aware that he's obviously dicked some people through his actions, but at the same time I'd imagine the people helped to people screwed ratio would still work out favourably.

What little benefits LiveStrong provides to people with cancer pales in comparison to the money they spend on things which do not. The foundation gave out a total of only $20 million in research grants between 1998 and 2005 and as of 2010, it no longer even accepts research proposals.

That $20 million is so much less than has been spent on PR etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't agree with what he did and all that jazz, but at least he used the position he was in to benefit others.

But it's relative. Sure he helped the charities using his profile but also pocketed tens of millions of dollars in sponsor money, winnings, legal action and who knows what else. I would love to see him taken through the courts, bankrupted and made sure that he can never compete in any sport ever again. Him and the many people in the background who made it happen- all the dodgy doctors, coaches and whatnot.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...