Oprah has wrapped her interview with alleged performance enhancing drug user, Lance Armstrong. In the interview that will air on Thursday, Armstrong admits to using PEDs throughout his career. The interview was two and a half hours long and Armstrong reportedly gets into details about when exactly he used PEDs and why but as of right now, there aren’t many details from the interview because their is a non-disclosure agreement in place since the interview will air on Thursday.
What’s the next step? Do we forgive what Armstrong has done? Or maybe we just forget about him forever. Well, I don’t think either of those answers are right. This man is not stupid. He was risking being charged for perjury but the statute of limitations has run out on that charge. We are not talking about a man who is desperately looking for forgiveness and will take whatever punishment he deserves. We’re talking about a man who is cunningly making his way through the apology tour to rehabilitate his shattered public image. The excuse that he did it because everyone else was too, that doesn’t make it ok. That just makes everyone else wrong also.
So his seven Tour De France wins were a lie. Actually, it’s unclear at this point if they were all tainted but even if they all are, does that mean that everything he’s ever done is tainted? Even Livestrong? No, of course not. Lance Armstrong cheated. He made a huge career altering and defining mistake. However, Armstrong created and helped lead an organization that has raised over $470 million for cancer research. That’s still pretty damn incredible.
So before you rip off your Livestrong bracelet and throw it in the trash, think about what that yellow bracelet means. Do you wear it because its going to help you win the Tour De France? No. You bought it because the money went to help someone with cancer.
I’m disappointed that Armstrong did PEDs but I would be much more disappointed if all that money didn’t go to an amazing cause. But it did. Don’t forget that.
