Former professional cyclist and cancer patient, Lance Armstrong made his nation wide appear on Oprah Winfrey Network. The occasion was to confess to the world that he was guilty of doping when he won the seven Tour De France titles. Millions tuned in to hear it directly from Lance Armstrong after years of repudiation. Writers, fans, and critic or wondering, What was the motivation and purpose?
All through the interview, Lance exhibited very little sentiment with a stone face. Was Lance truthful and humble during his interview? Did Armstrong lie to Oprah? The jury is still out on both questions. Lance disclosed to Oprah that he could not have won the seven titles without doping.
Lance, ‘This is too late. It is my fault,’ Armstrong stated, ‘I have called others liars.’ Armstrong shared with Winfrey that the lowest moment was not the loss of his seven titles. Nor was it the flight of his sponsors and their money. The lowest point was the loss of his Foundation. The Livestrong Foundation fights to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.
Some of the affirmations that Lance made in his two-part interview with Oprah.
‘I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times.’
‘I know the truth. The truth isn't what was out there. The truth isn't what I said, and now it's gone -- this story was so perfect for so long.’
‘It definitely was professional, and it was definitely smart, if you can call it that, but it was very conservative, very risk-averse, very aware of what mattered.’
‘My cocktail, so to speak, was only EPO, but not a lot, transfusions and testosterone.’
‘I thought, surely I'm running low [on testosterone] but there's no true justification.’
‘It was win at all costs. When I was diagnosed [with cancer] I would do anything to survive. I took that attitude -- win at all costs -- to cycling. That's bad. I was taking drugs before that but I wasn't a bully.’
‘My ruthless desire to win at all costs served me well on the bike but the level it went to, for whatever reason, is a flaw. That desire, that attitude, that arrogance.’
‘There was more happiness in the process, in the build, in the preparation. The winning was almost phoned in.’
‘Yes, I was a bully. I was a bully in the sense that I tried to control the narrative and if I didn't like what someone said I turned on them.’
‘Everybody that gets caught is bummed out they got caught.’
‘To be honest, Oprah, we sued so many people, I'm sure we did.’
‘I'm not comfortable talking about other people. I don't want to accuse anybody.’
‘I went in and just looked up the definition of cheat and the definition of cheat is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe that they don't have. I didn't view it that way.’
‘This is not a good time but it isn't the worst part of my life. You can't compare this to an advanced diagnosis. That sets the bar. It is close but I'm an optimist and I like to look forward. This has caused me to look back and I don't like that.’
‘I didn’t fail a test. Retroactively, I failed those.’
‘The Foundation is like my sixth child and to make that decision and to step aside was big. It was the best thing for the organization but it hurt like hell. That was the lowest.’
‘I've lost all future income. You could look at the day and a half when people left. You asked me the cost. I don't like thinking about it but it was a $75 million day. All gone and probably never coming back.’
‘This is not a good time but it isn't the worst part of my life. You can't compare this to an advanced diagnosis. That sets the bar. It is close but I'm an optimist and I like to look forward. This has caused me to look back and I don't like that.’
‘If you're asking me if I want to compete again, the answer is hell yes, I'm a competitor.’
‘The biggest hope and intention was the wellbeing of my children. The older kids need to not be living with this issue in my life.’
‘I deserve to be punished. Not sure I deserve a death penalty.’
‘I told Luke don't defend me anymore, don't.’
‘I'm deeply sorry for what I did. I can say that thousands of times. It may never be enough to come back.’
‘Then the ultimate crime is the betrayal of these people who support me and believed in me and they got lied to.’
Lance Armstrong’s career has been dishonored and shattered. The future of cycling will always be under investigation and all athletes will be under the microscope for alleged doping. Armstrong records have been deleted from the record books, the minds of many followers and supporters. For many, Lance Armstrong as a professional cyclist never lived. Many rallied for years behind Lance and wore his yellow Livestrong wristband.
Fans believed he was the greatest athlete of all times. Now they realize, that they have been hoodwinked for years. The world according to Lance Armstrong will keep on making headlines, and Lance will continue to plummet in the months to come. As Americans, we place too high a price on winning.
Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught. -J.C. Watts
Source:
www.livestrong.org
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