last night I finished episode two of the ESPN 30 for 30 about Lance Armstrong
now...
there are many issues with these stories
so often... our perspective... is guided by the media
what we know is only what is shared
so often...
the media guides and manipulates the story
not saying that is what happened here...
just saying that more often than not... we do not know the full story
we just know the story that is being told to us
so often the perspective is skewed
this documentary was very gentle with Lance
in some ways... it could be seen as a pro-Lance perspectives
much like the 30 for 30 on Allen Iverson or other athletes that were beaten up my the media
ESPN takes a more "pro" athlete approach to the story
people like to have an opinion on a story
OJ... Guilty or Not Guilty
stumbling and fumbling... trying not to get offensive
but the list would continue to a list of more political issues that divide people
Abortion... Israel\Palestine... Transgender... Trump
people take a side...
a strong side
in the era of Lance I was enjoying being a recreational cyclist and like many people
I increased my interest in the Tour de France
le Tour was always on my radar
always found it beautiful to watch
but not sure if I ever followed it as closely as when Lance was racing
this was not just because of my interest
but the World's interest
information was more readily accessible
as this niche sport was getting world attention
as the notion of Doping became more and more part of the discussion
I took a stance... a strong stance
I took the classic DOPERS SUCK stance
which is an easy stance to take from the outside
because I had ZERO information about what was happening on the inside
what did I know about the "culture of cycling" at the pro level
there was some understanding of the concept of "a level playing field"
the idea that "everybody was doing it"
sort of a acceptance that ALL the top racers are doing "something"
to be competitive... a racer would have to participate in "doping" on some level or another
which then had Lance not just on trial for Doping, but also for how he handled the accusations
Lance Armstrong was very Clinton-esque
Armstrong with his confident answers
Armstrong with his vague answers
it was all very much like how Clinton handled things in the whole Monica Lewinsky scandal
deny it... deny it... make them prove it... then deny it again
Lance Armstrong was a dynamic racer
the Armstrong years were amazing years to watch the Tour de France
the drama and the intrigue
the multiple side stories
Cancer... Cancer Survivor... Cancer Hero...
Doper?
and
One of the Greatest Bicycle Racers of ALL TIME?
I really enjoyed this ESPN 30 for 30
it was nice to see things in the timeline
also nice to see how other players fell into the story
former teammates of Lance's were all part of the story
le domestiques
George Hincapie, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, Frankie Andreu to name a few
their stories were important to the story
the story of the race
and
the story of how Lance dealt with the media
even with the "level playing field" argument
I was in the DOPERS SUCK camp
LIVEWRONG instead of LIVESTRONG
so... when the cohorts to Lance got busted for Doping
my distain for them was as strong as my dislike of Armstrong
Tyler Hamilton was Tyler Dopey Hamilton
saw him as a cheater for his entire career
then Floyd Landis... similar
his Tour victory after bonking hard one day then returning to crush it the next... it was highly suspect
so... when Floyd Landis got busted and lost his Tour victory title
I was anti Landis
it is interesting to look back
in some ways
the public's anti Doping response to cycling may have helped to push the system to continue trying to prosecute cheating athletes and to work for making it a clean sport
but I wonder...
are any of the sports clean?
especially professional sports...
in reality...
professional sports are entertainment
the viewers are asking for SUPER HUMAN EFFORTS
looking for SUPER HUMAN RESULTS
so... other than the health and wellness risks
if everyone is doing it
and it makes it so entertaining
is it so wrong?
well... quite simply yes...
if the clean athlete can not beat the cheating athlete
than it is not fair
it is not a level playing field
here I am... again debating things in my head
as a father...
would I want my kids to use performance enhancing drugs?
not if they are dangerous to their healthy and well being
an
not if these performance enhancing drugs were banned in the sports that they were participating in
lance was asked this question about his son
he responded in a classic Lance sort of way
the reality is...
everything is abstract until it is put in front of us
we can all say, "I would never do that"
but that is easy to say... if that opportunity was never going to be part of your reality
on a mountain bike trip to Colorado one year
after a day of riding single track in the Rockies I was drinking beers at a backyard party
there were all sorts of cyclists in attendance
it was not long after the Lance years
I met a retired racer who had some stories of racing in Europe
and well... he talked about his rise and the how at a certain point when he had hit a certain point... there were conversations that hinted at the next step... "you need to see a doctor"
that sort of thing
then more specifically... in a break away the team car offered up two water bottles
one to refuel and one to win
I have never been in those situations
never have I been on the street corner and have an armored car drive by only to have the back door swing open and have a bag of money drop out
never happened
so... my answer to the hypothetical of "what would I do?"
is just that... hypothetical
I can answer as proud and pious as I would like
but there is no know what I would do
as I have never been in that situation
the take away...
in the years past
I have mellowed my stance
lessened my judgement and distain
not just for Lance... but for the other people in this story
Floyd Landis was hit with a double punch
he was viewed as a cheater and then also as a snitch
after seeing the timeline
after hearing some more details
well... the years have me interpret things differently
in that moment... these Heroes became Villains
I can not say that I should not have been so critical of the individuals and how things unfolded
but in this moment many years later
I can easily let it go
respect these racers for being the greatest in their time
understanding that it was a "level playing field"
it was not just the winner who was drug dependent
the full Peloton was drug dependent
I recommend this 30 for 30
as I would recommend all ESPN 30 for 30s
it is fun to revisit this era of the Tour de France
especially as we approach this year's incarnation of Le Tour de France
I was not a fan of the Sammy Sosa\Mark McGuire
the Balco scandals with Track and Field
it was an era of "cheating"
although I am not big on watching or even following sports
I had an opinion on things as far as "cheating" was concerned