Armstrong's Tour de' Farce

7-time Tour De France winner, and proven cheater, Lance Armstrong offered what is being reported as a tepid apology today.  It is being said he wasn't completely forthcoming, and made that same old excuses used by most in the athletic world; everybody was doing it.

I have heard those saying we can't forget the good done by Armstrong, that I will grant you.  I venture a guess that no one outside of the scientific or medical communities has done more to advance the fight against cancer world wide.  Certainly a lot of lives have been saved indirectly by his fierce advocacy for cancer research and the fundraising he provided.

I was a fan of Armstrong.  I was much more into mountain biking than road cycling in the 90's and early 2000's but Armstrong was a great advocate and role model for the cycling world as a whole. I bought his book and read it more than once.  I admired his will to live and fight for survival.  I respected him.  He clearly, despite any performance enhancing drugs, worked his skinny, white ass, off to reach the levels he did.

I'm not even that upset about the PED use.  I don't condone it, but I think society as a whole demonizes any drug use as bad no matter what.  The rule breaking bothers me a bit.  This was more than just a stray elbow whilst in the peloton.  That's gamesmanship, and while illegal I hope you can see the difference.  It's like a catcher missing a tag but trying to convince the ump he got it.  It's just part of the game.

But the thing that gives me the most trouble?  The thing that makes me loathe the man I once revered; the lying.  He is no different than all the little and big turds I have dealt with on the job over the years.  He has postured and blustered and  bullied those who would report the truth and try to hold him to the same standard as the rest of the world.  He threatened Floyd Landis, he sued a news organization for slander (and won).  He lied under oath, repeatedly.  He has no credibility as a human being.  He is a loathsome person, and he is not sorry for lying...He is sorry for being caught.